Ｔｈｅ Ｗａｎｇ Ｇｅｎｅａｌｏｇｙ Ｕｐｄａｔｅ

ＷＡＮＧ　ＬＥＩ

INTEGRATED Chinese genealogy provides a detailed history of each clan, its family tree, registered names, conventions and ancestor memorials.

Conspicuous talent is a historical feature of the Wang clan (Wang meaning monarch offspring). Celebrities named Wang outnumber any of those bearing the other 100 most common surnames in China.

A celebration to mark the updated Wang genealogy was held in the Wang Ancestral Temple in Pengzhou Village, Anxi County of Fujian Province. The ancestral temple was originally built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was rebuilt during Chinas Republican period (1912-1949) after being razed by bandits, according to Wang Quancheng, president of the Huayuan Association in Singapore. He and other clan members made donations in 2001 sufficient to reconstruct the Wang Ancestral Temple in its original typical southern Fujian brick-and-tile, upturned eave style structure.

The Wang clan members have become scattered over various countries through the centuries. They currently inhabit different areas of the Chinese mainland and Southeast Asia. As the last update of Wang genealogy took place 136 years ago, the ceremony is a significant event in the village. Wang clan members from elsewhere and abroad, as well as local villagers, are in attendance. The whole village is suffused in festivity. Houses are decorated with lanterns and streamers and the roads heave with humanity. But the ancestral temple, where Wang clan members offer sacrifices and pray for happiness, is the focal point of celebrations. Local Chinese theatrical performances and shows by the famous Quanzhou marionettes add the finishing touch to celebrations of this grand event.