Origin of the Zongmai: Hundred Surnames

Author: Anonymous (Northern Song Dynasty) original text, explained by Liu Peng, illustrated by Jiao Xueqin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: "The Hundred Family Surnames" is one of the longest-lasting and most widely disseminated elementary education textbooks in China. It adopts a four-character verse form with rhyming lines. Although its content lacks logical coherence, it is easy to read, learn, and remember. "The Hundred Family Surnames" is a unique cultural phenomenon in China. The surnames it compiles reflect the strong sense of kinship and bloodline identity among the Chinese people. Surname culture, or genealogy culture, is an important component of Chinese culture. The Chinese are the most "root-seeking" ethnic group in the world. Throughout history, "The Hundred Family Surnames" has provided an important textual basis for people to trace their ancestral origins, establish a sense of belonging based on blood ties, and help them understand traditional bloodline attachments. It is an indispensable cultural foundation for the Chinese to understand themselves and the origins of their families. In the traditional version of "The Hundred Family Surnames," we see both ancient "surnames" and modern "clans." The evolution of Chinese surnames is encapsulated in this small book.