200-year-old genealogical record discovered in north China

SHIJIAZHUANG, April 3 (Xinhua) -- A genealogical record dating back 203 years was discovered in north China's Hebei Province, believed to be significant to the study of local society and family tradition.

The 118-page book, titled Genealogy of the Yan Family, was discovered in the Dongliuzhuang Village of Guantao County. It was compiled from 1820 during the reign of Emperor Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Although the pages have yellowed with age, the record is relatively well-preserved, according to local experts. It detailed the family's relocation during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasties, the family tradition, famous family members, and the process of building the family temple.

Liu Junfeng, head of the cultural relics preservation institute in Guantao's Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism Bureau, said that the genealogical record provided evidence for the migration of people in north China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties as well as the congregation of locals with the same surname.

It also sheds light on local society and family traditions at that time, he added.