The Seven Main Contents of a Family Tree — Lanling Printing

The mid-late Ming was a watershed for the evolution of Chinese family-tree form and content. A set of family trees typically contains seven main parts. (1) Surname origin: the source and changes of the clan's surname; every tree details this so descendants know their roots. (2) Hall name (tanghao): a special mark showing the clan's geographical origin and a key clue for tracing ancestry; derived from commandery names or created to honour ancestors. (3) Genealogical chart (shixi biao): the most important content, showing relationships between family members — in Ouyang, Su, pagoda and diary styles. (4) Family precepts (jiaxun): rules that stabilised clan society. (5) Biographies, (6) family rules and (7) appendix of deeds and records complete the tree, making it a full record of a clan's bloodline, history and values.