Chinese Ancestors Memorial Hall of All Surnames

Chinese Ancestors Memorial Hall of All Surnames

The Chinese Ancestors Memorial Hall of All Surnames in Zhaodong City was established by the Zhaodong Buddhist Association with approval from the government’s religious affairs management department. The memorial hall enshrines 11,970 surname spirit tablets (one more than those listed in the "Chinese Surnames Dictionary"). Based on the 11,969 surnames officially listed in the "Chinese Surnames Dictionary" published by Mr. Yuan Yida of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1996 as the basis for historical surnames, this form serves to commemorate the heroes and ancestors of the Chinese nation over the past five thousand years, to inspire the public, to rally the people's morale, and to strengthen the cohesion of the Chinese nation—forming a powerful force to revitalize China and promote unity. Just imagine, whether you are a Buddhist disciple, someone new to Buddhism, or someone who hasn’t even been exposed to Buddhist teachings, as soon as you step into this sacred hall, which descendant of the Chinese nation wouldn’t feel their blood boil and their spirits lift? We should applaud this vision and cheer this action.

Over China’s long five-thousand-year history, how many different surnames have emerged? How many figures are worthy of commemoration? This is a mystery, and no one has been able to solve it. But throughout the ages, there have been many who have dedicated themselves to this research, accumulating a wealth of materials and achievements. The 11,969 surnames established by Mr. Yuan Yida in the "Chinese Surnames Dictionary" were obtained through collection, excavation, organization, and summarization, based on the foundation laid by predecessors and the latest findings from other contemporary disciplines. Of course, what’s more important is that this research has been recognized by the nation’s highest research institutions and incorporated into national-level research projects, while also gaining attention, collaboration, and support from scientists around the world. Currently, China is leading in this field of research. Mr. Yuan Yida realized that the diversity and formation of Chinese surnames stem largely from surname changes. In modern times, a clan may split for developmental reasons, and the separated group cannot continue using the old surname, resulting in an increasing variety of surnames. At the same time, many surname changes reuse existing surnames, causing larger surnames to become even more populous and complex in composition. Why do many surnames disappear? Mainly because the clan group is too small to be preserved across generations, and on the other hand, some ethnic minority surnames are sinicized, abandoning their original ethnic surnames and fully adopting Han surnames. Therefore, among China’s major surnames are the bloodlines of other surnames—you in me, and me in you. No surname in the world will vanish without reason, nor will any emerge without cause. All surnames should be equal, and everyone should live together in harmony and prosperity.

Surname changes have led to the diversity of Chinese surnames, but essentially (from a genetic perspective), changing a surname only alters the symbolic representation of the surname, while the paternal genetic material passed down through generations remains entirely unchanged. For example, in today’s society, some women advocate for gender equality by having their sons use a surname other than their father’s. It may seem like they are fighting for equality, but in reality, they are merely having their sons use their maternal grandfather’s surname—the transmission still follows the father-to-son line, and the chromosome representing paternal genetics still comes from the son’s biological father. Chinese people changing surnames has neither altered the father-to-son genetic transmission method nor changed the content of the chromosomes. Therefore, the pursuit of social gender equality is not inherently linked to changing surnames. The original definition of surnames by our ancestors and the traditional laws of generational transmission were extremely scientific, fully adhering to the evolutionary principles of paternal genetic material in humans—natural laws that have remained unchanged for millennia. So unless there is a special need, it’s best not to change your surname.

Views from Mr. Yuan Yida of the Chinese Academy of Sciences: First, the number of surnames that have appeared among the Chinese throughout history is far more than 11,969. He has currently collected 22,000 surnames, and with contributions from others, this number will increase further. At an appropriate time in the future, after research and verification, this will be made public in the form of official publications. Additional surname spirit tablets will be added to the Chinese Ancestors Memorial Hall of All Surnames. Second, the five-thousand-year-old civilization of China has produced countless heroes and spiritual wealth. The traditional culture that has been passed down contains infinite vitality. Every Chinese person, no matter how high their position, how much power they hold, or how extensive their knowledge, should not easily negate traditional culture. We should respect history, learn from it, apply it to the present, and benefit future generations—criticize less, research more, belittle less, and promote more. Revitalizing China depends not only on modern science and technology but also on traditional civilization and cultural foundations. The purpose of establishing spirit tablets for all the surnames of the Chinese nation’s ancestors is to ensure that our descendants forever remember their roots and origins.