Qu (surname 屈)


Qu is a Chinese surname. It also transliterated as Chu in Wade–Giles and Wat in Cantonese. It is also transliterated as Qū in pinyin. The surname Qu is listed 124th on the famous Song dynasty book of common Chinese surnames, Hundred Family Surnames, contained in the verse 熊紀舒屈.

History

The origin of the Qu surname is from the Hubei region. Historically, the Hubei region was part of the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period of ancient Chinese history. The King Wu of State of Chu awarded his son Xia with the Qu Yi as feud to recognize his outstanding service to the court of Chu. The people called Xia "Qu Xia" and the offspring of Xia adopted Qu as their surname.
The royal family of State of Chu was descendants of Zhuanxu, the grandson of Emperor Huangdi. Therefore, Qu is also the descendant of Emperor Huangdi. During the reign of the Northern Wei dynasty, the people with last name of Qutu adopted Qu as their surname.
The most famous individual with surname Qu, is Qu Yuan, the patriotic poet of the State of Chu in the Warring States period of ancient Chinese history. He is known for his patriotism and contributions to [Classical Chinese people|Chinese poetry|classical poetry and verses], especially through the poems of the Chu Ci and Li Sao anthology. His works is still widely read by many people till this very day. On May 5 of every year dragon boat races are held to celebrate the Duanwu Festival across the country and in communities across the world in honor of Qu Yuan.

Notable people

Notable people with the surname Qu/Wat include: