Distinguished Family Heritage

Fu’s hometown is in a cluster of villages inhabited by Manchus that dates back over 330 years. These villages were initially built for the Manchu armies from Ningguta (today’s Ning’an), Jilin, and Shengjing (today’s Shenyang) who were mobilized by Emperor Kangxi in 1682 to defend the banks of the Heilongjiang River. The population gradually increased and the villages grew in size.

Fu spent his early years immersed in Manchu culture. His family name was actually Fucha, a time-honored Manchu surname, but when the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), during which the Manchu constituted the ruling class, was replaced by the Republic of China, Manchu people changed their traditional names in accordance with the customs of the Han people. Fucha was consequently adapted to Fu. The Fuchas are a prominent Manchurian family with a good number of venerable seniors. Fu respects them as genuine inheritors of ethnic culture and folk artists. Some of them are revered shamans of extraordinary wisdom and talent. They can narrate the history of Manchu heroes with ease, perform folk songs and dances, and have a deep understanding of shamanism.

Fu Yuguang’s grandmother Fucha Meirong learned dozens of traditional folk stories including famous shuobu works from her mother, who was a famed shaman. Under the wings of this accomplished story-teller, Fu’s father and aunts became outstanding folk singers, story-tellers and cultural heritage champions.

Fu’s father was a teacher and proficient in Manchu and Mandarin. In his spare time, he often traveled around villages to collect and record oral myths, legends and stories of the Manchu, Daur, Oroqen and Hezhen ethnic groups.

Older generations of Manchu families have always had a subtle approach to educating and nurturing their children in the hope that they will pick up traditional songs and dances, and master the art form of shuobu. Influenced this way by the senior members of his family, Fu would imitate their story-telling performances. He learned not only about tales from the past, but also about life and the meaning of fighting for one’s future. Looking back, Fu believes that his decades’ devotion to passing down his group’s heritage originates in his family influence.