Thu, Apr 14, 2011 page15

• Living as a Liao and dying as a Chang 活廖死張：生前姓廖　死後改姓張

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  There is a certain group of people in Greater Taichung’s Situn and Nantun Districts with the surname “Liao” who get their surnames changed to “Chang” after they die. “Chang” is inscribed on their ancestral gravestones and this has become a special tradition in the area. Some of these people have even chosen the compound surname of “Chang-Liao” so that their names don’t have to be changed after they die.

  The family names Chang and Liao originate from Zhangzhou, in China’s Fujian Province. Genealogic records suggest that a man surnamed Chang, who was known as “Chang the Honest,” living around the transition period between the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, married into a Liao family. Chang only had one son and to ensure that both names would continue to be passed on, he stipulated in his will that his descendants will be surnamed Liao to honor the maternal family, but they must have their surname changed to Chang when they die to preserve the paternal surname.

  The ancestral home of the Liao family in Greater Taichung is the Chang-Liao Family Temple in Situn District and has been named a historical monument by Greater Taichung City Government.

  

  Names of deceased ancestors are carved on a gravestone at the Liao Huan-Wen Cemetery in Greater Taichung in this photo taken April 5. Liao, the owner of the grave, changed his surname to Chang after his death as required by the tradition in Greater Taichung’s Situn and Nantun Districts. 四月五日，台中市「廖煥文墓」的墓碑上刻著已逝祖先的名字。依照台中市西屯與南屯區的習俗，墳墓主人廖煥文在過世後將姓氏改成張。

  Photo: Lin Liang-che, Liberty Times
  照片：自由時報記者林良哲

  Taichung’s Liao family members use the surname Liao on their household registrations, identity card applications, military service documents or commercial contracts. However, as soon as they pass away, their surname must be changed to Chang on the family memorial tablets, gravestones, obituaries and family trees.

  The tradition surrounding this surname is quite unique. In some cases, when people are not aware of the situation and receive an obituary notice with the surname Chang from a friend or parent surnamed Liao, they think it’s a mistake or a misdirected mail.

  An example is the Liao Huan-Wen Tomb that is an official historical monument of Greater Taichung City Government. Liao Huan-wen used to live in Nantun. After he died, his descendents changed his name to Chang on the gravestone they made for him.

  

  The entrance to the Chang-Liao Family Temple in Greater Taichung, showing the plaque with the compound surname fixed under the eaves in this photo taken April 5. People bearing the surname Liao in Greater Taichung’s Situn and Nantun Districts have their names changed to Chang after death. 四月五日，台中市「張廖家廟」的門廊下掉掛著燈籠。台中市西屯區與南屯區姓廖的人過世之後都會把名字改成姓張。

  Photo: Lin Liang-che, Liberty Times
  照片：自由時報記者林良哲

  Besides Situn and Nantun Districts in Greater Taichung, this special tradition also exists in Yunlin’s Siluo Township. The well-known area known as the “Ci Kan of Siluo” was developed by Liao family members who came to Taiwan, and people there keep this tradition.

  Although “living as a Liao and dying as a Chang” has become a tradition for some of the Liao families in Taichung’s Situn and Nantun Districts, some of them opted for the compound surname of “Chang-Liao,” so that they do not have to worry about their names being changed after they die.

  (LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)

  台中市西屯、南屯一帶的廖姓家族姓氏會「轉換」，在活著時姓「廖」，過世則改姓「張」，祖先墓碑姓氏都是「張」，成為當地特殊的姓氏習俗，但其中一房則直接複姓為「張廖」，不再變換姓氏。

  張廖氏始於中國福建省漳州府，根據族譜記載，元末明初時，張愿仔為廖家所招贅，後來他只生一子，為傳承二姓立下遺囑，規定「子孫生當廖姓，以光母族，死當姓張，以存父姓」。

  廖姓家族台中市的祖厝是位於西屯區的「張廖家廟」，為台中市定古蹟之一。

  台中廖氏家族中成員不管是戶籍、身分證、兵役資料、買賣契約等，都以廖姓來登記，但一過世，家中的神主牌位、墓碑、訃聞、族譜等，都要改為張姓。

  此一姓氏習俗相當特殊，不知典故的人若是遇上廖姓友人的父母過世，接到訃聞，發現其載明為「張公」或是「張媽」，還以為寫錯了，或是發錯訃聞。

  以台中市市定古蹟「廖煥文墓」來說，墓主廖煥文是南屯一帶名人，過世後，其子孫為他所營造的墓碑，也載明是「煥文張公」。

  這種特殊的姓氏習俗除了在台中市西屯、南屯一帶外，也存在於雲林西螺，著名的「西螺七崁」正是由廖姓族人來台所開拓，也保留此一習俗。

  雖然「活廖死張」是台中市西屯南屯一帶部份廖姓家族的傳統，但其中有一房卻直接複姓為「張廖」，不再生死兩姓。

  （自由時報記者林良哲）

  For your information

  TODAY’S WORDS 今日單字

  1. stipulate v. 規定 (gui1 ding4) 例: This law clearly stipulates that you cannot drink and drive. (這條法律清楚規定你不能喝酒開車。) 2. family tree n. phr. 族譜 (zu2 pu3) 例: The only remaining copy of our family tree was washed away when our house flooded last year. (我們剩下的唯一一本族譜在去年家裡淹水時被沖走了。) 3. obituary n. 訃聞 (fu4 wen2) 例: I don’t think anybody likes reading the obituaries. (我想沒有人喜歡讀訃聞。)
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