Wendu Clan

Overview

The Wendu clan is a Manchu surname recorded in Volume 51 of the officially compiled *Comprehensive Genealogy of Manchu Clans of the Eight Banners*, scattered in areas such as Neyinjiang. The main lineage, Langge, resided in Neyinjiang. At the beginning of the dynasty, he led over one hundred households to submit and were organized into a zuoling (military unit). The genealogy records his banner affiliation as the Bordered White Banner, noting a change from the Bordered Yellow Banner. This change in affiliation indicates a shift in banner affiliation; the banner color listed at the time of the book's compilation cannot be taken as a fixed identity for the entire family.

The appended branches exhibit varying circumstances. Gebuku resided in Shajicheng, and Bushuku in Neyinjiang; both were bondservants of the Bordered White Banner, noting a change from the Plain Yellow Banner, but the date of their submission is unknown. Sengge of the Bordered Red Banner originated from Akuri, and Daishun of the Bordered Blue Banner originated from Ahuqin Village. Others, such as Luotuo, Huxida, Shadai, and Bishan, returned from Khorchin during the Kangxi era; their original residences included Changbai Mountain, Jilin Ula, Suwan, and Nenhe.

The Eight Banners system combined military, household registration, and social organization functions, with the bondservant (baoyi) having specific subordinate relationships. Therefore, surnames, banner colors, bonder status, and migration stages must be recorded in layers, and the entire surname cannot be summarized by the single surname "Langge". The lineages, dates of change of affiliation, and correspondences of ancient place names between different branches still need to be verified separately.