Origins and Migration of the Hinghwa People

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The Hinghwa people, historically associated with the Min (闽) peoples of southeastern China, trace their early history to the southern regions of China. Over time, these populations came into contact and gradually interacted with people migrating southward from the north, particularly during the Warring States period and the centuries that followed.

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During the Warring States period, the Yue and Chu kingdoms held power in parts of central and southern China, including territories extending into what is now Zhejiang and northern Fujian. Following the defeat of the Yue kingdom, members of the Yue royal lineage and their followers are traditionally understood to have moved southward into the Ou (瓯) region, centred around present-day Wenzhou in Zhejiang, near the northern border of Fujian.

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In discussing the origins of the peoples who later became associated with the Hinghwa region, Professor

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Chen C. Y. explains:

 

"During the Qin and Han dynasties, Han people continued their expansion southward into the Putian area.

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This southern migration occurred multiple times: first during the initial expansion, then during the Yongjia Rebellion (永嘉之乱). A peasant uprising that happened during the Western Jin dynasty, in 311 AD.​

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The migration history of the Hinghwa people is complex, and scholarly interpretations of certain episodes continue to evolve. This article follows the account of Professor Chen C. Y., Dean of Putian University, whose research informs the material presented here. Where other scholars offer differing views, those differences are noted or can be explored in the cited sources.

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These successive movements of people contributed to interaction and integration among populations in the Ou region, the Yue-related peoples and the indigenous peoples of Fujian. Over time, these interactions gave rise to new regional identities.

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​Professor Chen, Dean of Putian University, describes the Hinghwa people within this historical framework as follows:

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“The Hinghwa people belong to the Minyue population (闽越族).”

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The ancient Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing), one of China's early geographical and mythological texts, contains an early reference to Fujian. In Volume 10, The South of the Sea, it states:

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“Fujian is in the sea, and there are mountains to the northwest. One day, Fujian Zhongshan is in the sea.” (Huang, 2012a, p. 2). The annotation of Guo (2024) phrase it as: "The area west of the southeastern corner of the sea, Ou lives in the sea, and Min is also in the sea. There is a mountain in the northwest of Fujian, some say it is Minzhong Mountain, located in the sea.

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This description has been interpreted as reflecting the distinctive geography of the Fujian coast, including areas that were historically affected by tides and inundation. The ancient Qiantian area is associated with the region that later developed into present-day Putian and Xianyou.

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Fujian is commonly discussed in terms of several broad cultural and linguistic regions, including:

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• Mindong (闽东; Eastern Fujian): encompassing the middle and lower Min River basin and the northeastern mountainous areas, facing the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea.

• Minnan (闽南; Southern Fujian): referring broadly to the areas around the Jiulong River (九龙江) and Jin River (晋江) basins.

• Minzhong (闽中; Central Fujian): including parts of present-day Sanming and the Putian area, including Xianyou County (仙游县), Licheng District (荔城区), Chengxiang District (城厢区), Xiuyu District (秀屿区), and Hanjiang District (涵江区).

 

According to Professor Chen C. Y.:

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“The Minyue ethnic group (闽越族) was composed of several ethnic lineages, and the Hinghwa clan was among them.”

 

He identifies three principal components in the formation of the Minyue population:

1. The indigenous Min tribes, including the groups traditionally referred to as the “Seven Min” (七闽), whose presence is traced to the Shang and Zhou periods.

2. Southern migrants associated with the Yue royal lineage and their followers.

3. People from the Chu kingdom who migrated into Fujian.

 

During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the area that later became Putian was associated with the historical Yangzhou (扬州) region, one of the traditional divisions of ancient China. By the Qin dynasty, the area was incorporated into the Minzhong Commandery (闽中郡). The name “Putian” itself did not yet exist.

 

As Han rule expanded southward, the incoming populations came into increasing contact with the local Yue-related and indigenous populations. Within the broader historical process that produced the Baiyue (百越), different southern peoples became interconnected and, over time, underwent further political, cultural and demographic integration. This process is recorded in ancient Chinese historical writings, including the work of the historian Sima Qian.

 

Professor Chen further states:

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“The early ancestors of the Xinghua (Hinghwa) people were part of the Minyue people (闽越族).”

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Within Professor Chen's interpretation, these populations formed part of the early inhabitants of the region that would later become Putian. The Xinghua (Hinghwa) people can therefore be understood, in this historical account, as having roots in the Minyue population.

 

Professor Chen also notes:

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“Before their integration with the Han from the north, the only recorded surnames among them were Lan (蓝), Lei (雷), Che (车), and Yi (蚁).”

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Among the four surnames, Lan (蓝) and Lei (雷) is said to be associated with the 

Shezu or 'she' ethnic group (畲族), one of the recognised 56 ethnic minorities in China. Although the group is scattered across China, their association with the Hinghwa people is a strong possibility due to their large presence in the Fujian area. As tracing of ancestry is picking up momentum in China, there is a possibility that new theories may emerge with time.

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Zhou (2008) further notes:

 

“During the Tang dynasty, 30 surnames migrated to Putian, including Zhang (张), Fang (方), Mi (米), Chen (陈), Ye (叶), Qiu (邱), Zhan (詹), Xie (谢), and Fu (傅), especially in the Xianyou area.”

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Migration, however, was an ongoing process. Over time, additional surnames and populations arrived in Fujian. The interaction between northern migrants and the indigenous populations contributed to the region's social and cultural development. The migrants also brought agricultural methods, production technologies and cultural practices that influenced the development of southern China.

 

Over the centuries, the populations of Fujian developed into a number of distinct regional communities, including:

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• Xinghua people (兴化人; Xīnghuà rén)

• Fuqing people (福清人)

• Fuzhou (Hockchiu) people (福州人)

• Minnan people (闽南人)

• Minbei people (闽北人)

• Hakka people (客家人)

• Longyan people (龙岩人)

 

Each community developed its own linguistic and cultural characteristics. Over time, these differences became sufficiently pronounced that the various communities came to be recognised as distinct regional groups.

 

By around 900 AD, near the end of the Tang dynasty, the major waves of migration from northern China had diminished compared with the earlier centuries. By this period, the Xinghua people had become firmly established in the Putian region, where they would subsequently develop a distinctive cultural and social identity.

 

The expansion of Han political influence and population into central and southern China during the Qin and Han periods was accompanied by prolonged interaction, migration, intermarriage, and cultural integration with the peoples already living in these regions. Over the centuries, these processes contributed to the expansion of the population identified as Han and to the formation of the diverse regional cultures that exist within China today.

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Note: "The migration history of the Hinghwa people is complex, and scholarly views differ on certain points. This article draws primarily on the research of Professor Chen C. Y."

 

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