From Jin Village to Global Stage: A Journey Toward Equity and Belonging
Published:
My name is Liuchao Jin. I was born in Jin Village, a remote farming village in eastern China where everyone shares the same family name—Jin (金). Legend says our ancestors were descendants of Emperor Liu Bang (劉邦) of the Han dynasty (202 BC–9 AD, 25–220 AD). Around 9 AD, during the political upheaval of the Xin Dynasty, one branch of the Liu (劉) clan fled south to escape persecution under the usurper Wang Mang. To avoid capture, they dropped the radicals “卯” and “刂” from the traditional “劉” and became “金”—a new family name for a new beginning in exile. That name has endured for nearly two thousand years—through dynastic changes, revolutions, and modernization—but in Jin Village, it became less a symbol of royal ancestry and more a quiet thread of survival passed down through generations.