Gao Yu, a Community in Wenquan Subdistrict, Possesses a Deep Historical Legacy
After taking the Qingdao Metro Line 11 from west to east, after passing the Wenquan Station, you will arrive at a station called ‘Gao Yu’.
Gao Yu is now a community in the Wenquan Subdistrict of Jinzhou District, Qingdao City; but through its relatively complex name, it is not hard to guess that here should be a place with a deep heritage.
Querying historical records and Jinzhou local name materials, we can get a definite answer, the name Gao Yu can be traced back to the Qin and Han Dynasties, with a history of more than two thousand years. In the Han Dynasty, Gao Yu was a county-level division name, and a prince of the Han royal family was granted the title of Gao Yu Hou here.
Han Shurecords: ‘In the fifth month of the first year of Emperor Wu of Han, Prince Kang of Jia Dong was granted the title of Gao Yu Hou.’ Tai Ping Huan Yu Jialso records: ‘The ruins of Gao Yu’s old city are fifty miles northeast of the county. In the first year of Fengyuan, Prince Kang of Jia Dong was granted the title of Gao Yu Hou. His descendants inherited it for six generations, and it was changed to Yinglyu.’ The Gao Yu Hou’s territory, the site of the Gao Yu county, was in the area of the current Gao Yu village.
However, during the Western Han Dynasty, although the Gao Yu Hou was a descendant of the Jia Dong King, the Gao Yu county was not under the jurisdiction of the Jia Dong Kingdom. According to the Han Shu • Geography Record, Gao Yu was a ‘houguo’, belonging to the Langya County.
For friends who are familiar with clan cultures, hearing the name Langya County will naturally associate it with the prominent clan of the Wei-Jin Northern and Southern Dynasties—the Wang Clan of Langya. In fact, tracing history, the Langya Clan also has a connection with Gao Yu.
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Zhi Ming Wenxuanbriefly records: ‘The ancestors of the Langya Wang Clan came from the Zhou Prince Jin. Qin had Wang Jian and Wang Li, and served as generals… Qin migrated to Langya, then moved to LinYi.’ This means the Langya Wang Clan first settled in Gao Yu and moved to LinYi was later.
In the Langya Wang Clan, there is a historical figure, Wang Ji, who was the first person to settle in Gao Yu. He was recorded in Han Shu’.
Wang Ji’s word was Ziyang, a native of Langya, Gao Yu. Like many celebrities of the two Han Dynasties, Wang Ji started with Confucian studies and entered government service as a ‘’ (righteous and filial official), serving as county magistrates and a deputy commander of the Changyu Kingdom. He repeatedly advised Wang Hu of Changyu Kingdom, although Wang Hu didn’t always heed his advice, he appreciated Wang Ji’s integrity.
After Emperor Zhao of Han passed away, Wang Hu’s reign lasted for twenty days before he was deposed because of his improper behavior. The imperial court believed that Wang Hu was ‘mad’, and the common people in Changyu Kingdom also had responsibility, so they were all arrested and executed, but fortunately, Wang Ji’s repeated advice to offer counsel spared him from death. ‘He was’ (a form of punishment where the head was shaved and the person was made to serve as a town clerk).
During the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han, Wang Ji was reinstated and served as the Governor of Jizhou, a Lecturer, and a Courtier. He continued to offer advice, and after a long time, Emperor Xuan believed that he was too verbose, so Wang Ji retired and returned to his hometown of Gao Yu. When Emperor Yuan of Han ascended the throne, he wanted to recall Wang Ji, but he was too old at the time and passed away on the way.
Now, the site of Wang Ji’s tomb group in the vicinity of Gao Yu, Jinzhou, has a stone tablet erected by the cultural heritage department, which reads ‘Wang Ji’s Tomb Group’.
After Wang Ji, his son Wang Jun and grandson Wang Chong also served in the court, which laid the foundation for the Langya Wang Clan’s reputation as a Confucian scholar.
During the Western Han Dynasty, Gao Yu was renamed, and was later abolished and merged with the territory of the Bu County.
