After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, under the shadow of economic difficulties, the Manchu people not only faced the embarrassment of life, but also endured unbearable discrimination. In order to survive, they had to hide their Manchu identity, the children of the Eight Banners buried their names incognito, the women took off their cheongsams and changed into Han clothes, and every household put away the hanging ancestral bags, and only dared to secretly take them out to worship their ancestors on Chinese New Year's Eve.
For a time, the trend of Manchu people changing their surnames was prevalent, and many Manchus chose to change their surnames to Zhang in order to escape discrimination and find a new way out of life.
In fact, Manchus with the surname Zhang are not uncommon in China, especially in the Puyang region, where one-third of the population surnamed Zhang is Manchu and Hui. Since the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the surname Zhang has been infused with the blood of the northern peoples, and the Manchus are one of them. Especially in the northeast, in modern times, many Manchurians have chosen to change their surnames to Zhang in order to integrate into Han Chinese society.
So, why did the Manchus change their surname to Zhang?In addition to avoiding revenge and giving surnames, the end of Manchu rule was also an important factor. After the abdication of the Qing Emperor in 1912, many of the children of the Eight Banners lost their livelihood and survival skills, and could only rely on small traders to make a living. At the same time, they also face severe discrimination and exclusion. In order to survive and integrate into society, they had to hide their Manchu identity, and changing their surname to Zhang became a common choice.
This history reveals the suffering and plight of the Manchu people at that time. Today, with the development and progress of society, the Manchu people have gradually integrated into the big family of the Chinese nation and made their own contributions to the prosperity and development of Chinese culture.