Originated from Mi surname, it came from Wu Zixu, the son of Chu State in the Spring and Autumn Period, and was named after his ancestors. The history book "Shi Yuan" records: "When I left Nanyang, I became a family with Chu, and then I turned to Xu." Qi was named after his ancestors and came from Wu. He is a descendant of Wu Qi (later Prime Minister of Wu State) in the Spring and Autumn Period. Qi surname comes from Zhuan Xu → Qi → Xiong → Wu → Qi (member). According to many scholars' research, "Qi" and "Yuan" were originally the same word, with different writing and pronunciations. As a surname, it comes from the famous Wuqi in Wu Zixu. The word "Yuan" was always written as "Qi" before the simplified word, and Qi's ancestors always used the word "Qi". In modern times, many Qi people still insisted on using the writing method of "ancestral", but simplified it and wrote it as "Qi". The people of the State of Wu have always missed Wu Zixu, a loyal minister of the State of Wu. They named Xujiang, Xukou and Xushan as permanent memorial sites and set up temples to offer sacrifices. Today, Xukou Town has Xuwang Temple and Wu Zixu's Tomb.
After Wu Zixu's death, later generations were scattered all over the country. However, in order to commemorate the immortal ancestor and avoid the disaster of implicating others, Qi (Yuan) was taken as the surname, and its surname was passed down from generation to generation. Most members of the Qi clan respect Wu Zixu (Wuqi) as the ancestor of the surname.
2. The second origin
Liu Ningzhi, a famous hermit who originated from Ji's surname and came from the Liu and Song Dynasties in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, changed his surname to surname for some reason. According to the historical book "The Biography of Song Shu's Seclusion", Liu Ningzhi, alias Zhi 'an, was born in Zhijiang, Nanjun (now Zhijiang, Hubei). Liu Qi, the father of Liu Ning, was the magistrate of Hengyang. My brother's name is Liu Sheng. He is arrogant and has no official status. Liu Ningzhi, from 389 to 448 AD, worshipped Lao Laizi and Yan Ziling very much, so he gave all his possessions to his younger brother and nephew, but he built a house in the middle of nowhere and didn't eat the food he earned. People in the state valued his virtue. According to the historical records "Southern History" and "Examination of Surnames", "Liu Ningzhi admired Qi Zhizhong and changed his surname." According to records, Liu Ning had always admired the ancient Wu Zixu (Wuqi), so he later changed his surname to Qi's, and some of his descendants were called Qi's from now on. Liu Ningzhi loves mountains and rivers by nature. One morning, he wandered around the Jianghu with his wife and children. Finally, he lived in seclusion in the sun (south) of Hengshan Mountain, built a small house in a deserted place in the mountain, and then lived in it, collecting medicine and refining alchemy, cultivating self-cultivation, and his children followed his wishes.
In the 25th year of Yuanjia in the Southern Song Dynasty (AD 448), Liu Ningzhi died in Hengshan at the age of 59.