For the first time in two millennia, the overseas descendants of
the great ancient philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC) will be
included in the sage's family tree.
More than 40,000 overseas descendants have been added to the
Confucius Genealogy, which is now undergoing a fifth update and
revision, said Kong Dewei, a Confucius descendant who is directing
the updating work.
Most of them -- 34,000 in all -- are from the Republic of Korea,
Kong said.
The figure also includes 400 from Taiwan, 100 from Hong Kong and
50 from the United States, he said.
There are also a number of Confucius descendants living in
places like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, many of whom are
keen to have their names recorded in the new family tree, Kong
said.
"We will send people there to contact them and discuss
registration issues," he said.
Family trees are an important part of traditional Chinese
culture. They record priceless historical information and represent
a precious legacy for Chinese people.
Previous versions of Confucius' family tree only included his
descendants on the Chinese mainland.
The last revision took place in the 1930s. The new Confucius
family tree will be published in 2009, on the 2560th anniversary of
the birth of Confucius, and will include more than 1.2 million new
entries, bringing the total entries to almost 2 million.
"Including overseas descendants in the family tree will help
make them more aware of their roots on the Chinese mainland," Kong
said.
"It will also help scholars study the history of descendants who
went overseas in previous centuries," he said.
Currently, there are about 3 million people surnamed Kong around
the world, including more than a hundred thousand living overseas,
Kong said.
"But people with the surname Kong are not necessarily all
descendants of Confucius," he said.
If a person surnamed Kong can show a collateral family tree
which conforms to the Confucius Genealogy, then the person can be
identified as a Confucius descendant, he said.
"But it is difficult for us to accept a person as a Confucius
descendant if the person cannot say which family trees he or she
belongs to," he said.
Some claimants, who cannot trace their ancestors' connection to
the Confucius family tree, were hoping a DNA test would help them
verify their identity. However, the team working for the Confucius
Genealogy rejected the idea last July, saying that blood tests
would not grant inclusion on the family tree.
Aside from adding overseas descendants for the first time, the
current revision of the Confucius Genealogy -- the largest ever --
will also include female descendants for the first time. For
generations, influenced by the thoughts of Confucius who looked
down upon women, the family tree has ignored the second sex.
"The Confucius Genealogy is one of the most influential family
trees in the world with a very long history. By updating it, we are
not working just for a single Chinese family, but helping preserve
the culture and history of the Chinese nation," Kong said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 12, 2007)