On August 16, 2026, a joyous award‑giving ceremony for the 5th Yu Yongyi Scholarship Fund took place at the Yu Clan Ancestral Hall in Zhonglin Village, Malu Town, Cenxi City. A total of 22 outstanding young scholars from the clan received scholarships this year. Witnessed by elders and clansmen, the event carried forward the time‑honoured tradition of valuing education among the Yu family.

The Yu Clan of Zhonglin, Malu Town, Cenxi City – A Time‑Honoured Family Lineage

The Yu clan of Zhonglin traces its ancestry to the third son of Yu Jing, a distinguished statesman of the Northern Song Dynasty, belonging to the Qujiang Fengcai Hall lineage in Guangdong Province.

According to clan genealogical records, Yu Chunxian (also known as Master Xixian), the 24th‑generation descendant of Yu Jing (80th generation descending from You Yu), migrated from Fujian to settle in Guangxi. Later, Master Jiufeng (25th generation of Yu Jing / 81st generation descending from You Yu / 1st generation of the Cenxi Yu clan) founded the Zhonglin settlement and became the founding ancestor of this branch. For more than 300 years, the clan has flourished here.

Today, the Zhonglin Yu clan numbers roughly 7,000‑8,000 members, whose descendants are spread across China. The clan has long cherished education and virtue. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, many clansmen achieved scholarly honours, including provincial and imperial tribute scholars. In modern times, generations of young people have gained admission to top‑tier universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University and Beihang University, bringing honour to the family name.

Note on historical records: According to genealogy, Master Xixian’s ancestral home was Fujian. Subsequent clan alliances affiliate this branch to the Qujiang lineage of Yu Jing. This article follows the lineage consensus recognised within the clan, distinguishing the migration of Master Xixian into Guangxi and the founding of Zhonglin by Master Jiufeng.

A Distinguished Native Son Gives Back to Hometown: Encouraging Youth Through Generous Philanthropy

Loyalty, filial piety, kindness and public‑spiritedness are core values passed down within the Yu clan. Yu Yongyi, an accomplished clansman, embodies this tradition.

About Yu YongyiYu Yongyi, of the Ke generation, is the 35th‑generation descendant of Yu Jing and the 11th‑generation descendant of Master Jiufeng. His ancestral home is Zhonglin (Linding), and he was born in Wuzhou. He completed his undergraduate studies at Beihang University. In 1991, he pursued his master’s and doctoral degrees in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Minnesota in the United States.

After graduation, he worked in the United States for over a decade in the medical‑device industry. He returned to China in 2010 and now serves as Chairman and General Manager of Jiangsu Niko Medical Instruments Co., Ltd. In 2013, he was awarded the title of Jiangsu Province “Dual‑Innovation Talent”.

He holds multiple invention patents. His team developed China’s first thrombectomy device together with various interventional surgical catheters. He led China’s first randomised controlled clinical trial in the field of neurointervention. Thousands of patients suffering from acute stroke have benefited from his technologies, establishing him as a leading figure in China’s neurointerventional device sector.

Having achieved professional success, Dr Yu never forgot his hometown and clansmen. He founded the Yu Yongyi Family Scholarship entirely with personal funds. 2026 marks the fifth consecutive year of this award ceremony held at the ancestral hall.

Scholarship criteria for clan students based on national college‑entrance‑examination results:

• 5,000 HKD equivalent for admission to 985‑Project universities

• 4,000 HKD equivalent for admission to 211‑Project universities

• 3,000 HKD equivalent for admission to first‑tier undergraduate universities

• 2,000 HKD equivalent for admission to second‑tier undergraduate universities

The scholarships recognise academic excellence, inspire younger generations to pursue knowledge, and perpetuate the Yu family’s fine tradition of scholarly pursuit.

Poem in Praise of the Ceremony

By Yu Chengzhou (of the Cheng generation, 36th‑generation descendant of Yu Jing, 12th‑generation descendant of Master Jiufeng)

Bright shines the ancestral hall, joy fills every room,Clansmen gather, talented youth loom.Young scholars stand, bearing youthful grace,Wise elders sit, their virtues trace.

Yongyi once studied at Beihang’s hall,Abroad he laboured, built his standing tall.His heart turns homeward; he funds learning’s cause,Kind deeds endure, his noble fame draws.

Passing the Torch, Marching Toward the Future

The ancestral hall bears witness to the clan’s centuries‑old heritage; the scholarship carries forward the family’s original aspiration.

The conclusion of the 5th Yu Yongyi Scholarship Ceremony honours outstanding students and sets an inspiring benchmark for all young clansmen. May award‑receiving students cherish this encouragement, strive for further academic progress, develop their capabilities at university, and in time contribute to their hometown and society.

May all clansmen of Zhonglin Yu stay united, uphold the fine family ethos of revering education, and keep the clan’s legacy thriving for generations to come.

文：余秀琴

编审：余民发、余林雪金