Hundred Surnames: Origin · Fun Facts · Anecdotes

Author: China Central Television Social Education Center
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: The culture of Chinese surnames has a long and profound history, being vast and profound. As an important part of the five-thousand-year civilization of China, the connotation of surname culture is rich and extensive, involving many disciplines such as history, archaeology, folklore, sociology, ethnology, linguistics, paleography, genetics, and cultural anthropology. It vividly and concretely reflects the evolution of social forms, the origins of civilization, ethnic integration, exchanges between China and the world, as well as the development and reform of politics, economy, culture, and social customs throughout Chinese history. This book, in the form of Q&A, primarily introduces the historical origins of Chinese surnames; the relationship between the human ancestors of the Chinese nation, the Yellow Emperor and Yan Di, and surnames, as well as the evolution from the distinction between surname () and clan name () to their eventual convergence; various situations involving major surnames, minor surnames, noble surnames, interesting surnames, and surname changes; the impact of ethnic integration and exchanges between China and the world on the development of surnames; the heritage of surname culture—such as fiefdoms and ancestral halls (), family histories (), and surnames—along with related humanistic knowledge, such as the surname search fever and surname reforms.