[燕, Yānㄧㄢ] Yan, a vassal state of Zhou in modern Hebei and Liaoning; north Hebei; the four Yan kingdoms of the Sixteen Kingdoms, namely Former Yan 前燕 (337-370), Later Yan 後燕|后燕 (384-409), Southern Yan 南燕 (398-410), Northern Yan 北燕 (409-436); surname Yan, See Also: 前燕, 後燕, 后燕, 南燕, 北燕#4554