Shu Shaw Seah Xu2

[CHUNG Yoon-Ngan]

Malaysian Chinese surnames: Shu Shaw Seah
are the same as
Chinese surname No.150 Xu2
Xu2 means : slowly; gradually.
e.g. Mu4 Xu2 Xu2 Er2 Xia4 = The screen moved down gradually.
Surname Xu2 is about 2500 years old.

According to the Chinese historical records in 2297BC there was a
strange phenomenal event happening in China. It rained and rained
non-stop for a long, long time. All the rivers in the land overflowed
their banks. All the inhabited land was inundated. Houses and farmlands
were submerged. People and animals were drown. The survivors fled to
the highlands. It was called "THE DELUGE" by historians.
Yao2 Di4 (the legendary chief of federated tribes in ancient China)
appointed Si4 Gun3 to be the leader in charge of dredging the rivers.
He was assisted by the leaders of all the tribes who lived there during
that time.

For 9 years they failed to dredge the rivers and could not ease the flow
of water to the sea. Yao2 Zhong4 Hua2, the son-in-law of Yao2 Di4 accused
them of incompetence. Yao2 Di4 had all the leaders executed. It left with
no one to carry on with the dredging. Yao2 Zhong4 Hua2 advised Yao2 Di4 to
appoint Si4 Wen2 Ming4 to undertake the waterworks. Ironically the new
leader was the son of the executed former leader Si4 Gun3.

Water started receding after 13 years of drudgery. Water in the
rivers flowed smoothly to the sea. The land started to dry up.

A decendant of Yellow Emperor named Bo2 Yi4 (Earl Yi4) assisted Si4 Wen2
Ming4 to carry out the waterworks. In 2205BC Si4 Wen2 Ming4 was elected
as the new leader of the federated tribes. He rewarded Bo2 Yi4's elder son
called Rou4 Mu4 to administer a settlement called Xu2 (present day Si4 Xian4
in Anhui province). He renamed his domain as the State of Xu2.

During the Spring and Autumn Period (722BC to 481BC) in 512BC State
of Xu2 was conquered and annexed by the State of Wu2 (present day Wu2 Xian4
in Jiangsu province).
Many of the descendants of Rou4 Mu4 emigrated north and settled down at
Xia4 Bei2 (present day Bei2 Xian4 about 50 kilometers east of Xu2 Zhou
city in Jiangsu province). Some of them adopted Xu2 as their surnames in
remembrance of their extinct State.

Surname Xu2 was originated in an area which was calledthe
Dong Hai3 Prefecture during the Han4 Dynasty (206BC to 220AD).
The present day location of Dong Hai3 Prefecture
is in Bei2 Xian4 in Jiangsu province China.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan. chu...@mozart.collective.com.au