Genealogy
A genealogy records systematic information about a family's lineage in the form of tables, family trees, and chronological accounts. It documents the reproduction of the family and the deeds of important individuals. A product of the feudal clan system in ancient China, it is a unique element of cultural heritage.
A genealogy represents a family's collective memories about its origin and migrations along with its entire historical and cultural legacy, including births, marriages, culture, and family rules. Genealogies also play a social function in distinguishing the degree of kinship between family members. Among people sharing the same surname or clan, compiling genealogies is a major activity with the primary aim of strengthening a sense of kinship as advocated by Confucian teachings, clarifying family lineages, establishing generational order, promoting respect for ancestors, and fostering harmony and affinity among family members.
Genealogies are invaluable documents. They play a unique and irreplaceable role in academic research across various fields, including history, folklore, demography, sociology, and economics.
家譜
家譜是以表格、譜系、編年等形式記載家族世代相承的系統信息的文獻，它記錄了家族的繁衍和重要人物事跡，是中國古代宗法制度的產物，也是中國特有的歷史文化遺產。
家譜是一個家族共同建構的集體記憶，不僅記載著一個家族的源流和遷徙過程，還涵蓋了該家族繁衍、婚姻、文化、族規等歷史文化的全記錄。在社會功能上，家譜還具有區分家族成員血緣關系親疏遠近的作用。編修家譜是同姓同族人之間的大事，其目的主要是踐行儒家重視血緣關系的思想，使族人世系明晰、長幼有序、尊敬祖宗、和睦親善。
家譜是中華民族珍貴的文獻資料，對于歷史學、民俗學、人口學、社會學和經濟學等各領域的學術研究，具有不可替代的獨特作用。
