The Jiang Ancestral Hall

　　"Before Yelü’s courtyard stand a thousand trees, in Aman Jiang’s hall blossoms spring." These are two couplets seen at the entrance gate of the Wulue Ancestral Hall of the Jiang family in Mugualang Village. The couplets hint at the connections among the four surnames—Yelü, A, Mang, and Jiang. The ancestral hall has fallen into disrepair over time and looks dilapidated. The two couplets at the entrance have been damaged by earthquakes, leaving about half of them almost illegible. Hanging in the center of the hall is a plaque inscribed with “Wulue Ancestral Hall,” and in the upper left corner of the plaque is written: “Descendant of Emperor Yelü Abaoji, the founding monarch of the Khitan Empire. Tai Asulu served as a Wanhu official in the late Yuan Dynasty and became the first chief of Shidian Longsuo Office in the 17th year of the Hongwu reign in the Ming Dynasty, later being conferred the title of Chengzhi Lang Wulue General.” From this, it can be seen that this Jiang Ancestral Hall was established to commemorate the ancestor Asulu and to proclaim their identity as descendants of the Khitan people. But how did the surname “A” evolve into the surname “Jiang”?

　　In Shidian, there are two branches of the Jiang family: the “Hanjiang” and the “Amanjiang,” among which the “Amanjiang” claim to be descendants of the Khitan. The reporter met Mr. Jiang Qikun in Shidian, who has done considerable research on the history of his family name. Mr. Jiang said that his late father, Jiang Weifu, had collected many genealogical records and family history materials. Among them, the “Qingniu Baima” (Green Ox and White Horse) illustration at the beginning of the Shidian Longsuo Genealogy best illustrates the story. According to Mr. Jiang's description, the picture features a tall green pine tree in the center, flanked by four smaller green pine trees lined up on either side. To the left front of the large pine tree is drawn a river, with a man riding a white horse heading toward the mountain where the large pine stands. On the right front is another river, with a woman riding a green ox, also making her way toward the same mountain. According to experts such as Meng Zhidong, the mountain represents the Muye Mountain, the large green pine symbolizes the ancestors of the Khitan people, the four smaller pines represent the eight later tribes of the Khitans, and the two figures signify the couple who gave birth to the Khitans. The river on the left is the Tu River, and the one on the right is the Huang River. This interpretation largely aligns with the origin legends of the Khitans recorded in historical texts.

　　Starting in 1995, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences jointly applied to the State Science and Technology Commission for a project on “Molecular Archaeology,” with the issue of the Khitans in Yunnan becoming an important part of the study. The research team collected samples from Khitan tombs with verified epitaphs and extracted DNA from these samples. At the same time, they gathered blood samples from 100 individuals with the surname Jiang in Houzhuang Village and Longdong Village in Baoshan City, as well as in Mugualang Village and Dazhupeng Village in Shidian, extracting DNA from them as well. Through DNA sequencing tests, the final conclusion was that among the studied groups—including the Daur, Ewenki, Mongolian, and Han peoples—the Daur have the closest genetic relationship to the Khitans and are their descendants. The Jiang-surnamed people in Baoshan and Shidian, Yunnan, share similar paternal origins with the Daur. Based on historical data, they are likely descendants of Khitan soldiers from the Mongol army. With this, the question of confirming the descendants of the Khitans in Shidian has finally been satisfactorily resolved.

　　Address: Mugualang Village, Shidian County