Taishan Genealogy

No account is needed, but for most genealogies access is. By default the names in a genealogy are shown only to its administrators, members whose account is linked to it, and anyone who has entered its access code or view-only code; anyone else sees only the genealogy's front page - its name, introduction, map, statistics and generation characters - and where its line comes from above the founder, with no member's name. Ask the genealogy's administrator for the access code and enter it with "Enter the family code" on the front page: with no log-in you can then search names and read the lineage view and people's pages. With an account, you can instead log in and press "Ask to be linked". Downloading the PDF and the lineage image needs the right to edit: the genealogy's administrators, members linked with "Can edit", and, where the code is allowed to add and correct, those who entered it. The demo, 台山示范陈氏族谱, is open to everyone, and a genealogy's administrators may make its names public; in these the recent generations appear as ***.

Each village's genealogy is independent and names repeat constantly, so a search only makes sense within a family. If you are not sure of the village, tick several genealogies on the home page (up to 25 at a time) for a combined search. It searches only the genealogies you may read, and lists the others as not searched.

Every person is a separate record; namesakes with different fathers are different people. Results show generation, father and source page, and the person's page shows the full line of descent. Check those.

Either works. The book's own spelling is kept as printed (some names really do use traditional characters), and a search matches both forms.

Yes. "Tools" in the top bar has a converter that turns whole passages between simplified and traditional characters, phrase by phrase (so 头发 and 皇后 come out right), with Hong Kong or Taiwan variants. Searching itself needs no conversion.

Log in and click "Propose a correction" on the person's page; enter the correct value and your evidence (family records, an elder's account). Depending on the genealogy's policy the change applies immediately or waits for a genealogy administrator. Deleting a person needs an account and follows the same policy: by default an administrator approves it.

In "Propose a correction", pick the right father (or mother) from the list of the previous generation; each entry shows the person's own father and page so namesakes can be told apart. A genealogy administrator can instead use the "Correct father" box on the person's page: search, click, and it applies at once.

No. What was transcribed from the book is never altered; a correction is recorded beside it. The page shows the corrected value with a note "the book prints …", and every record cites its PDF page and printed page so it can be checked at any time.

The genealogies you created or administer, and those your account is linked to with Can edit. To edit another, press "Ask to be linked" on that genealogy's front page; its administrators decide, under "Requests to be linked". An account can be linked to several genealogies, each with its own access. Where a genealogy allows additions and corrections by code, its family code lets you send them without signing in.

On the father's (or mother's) page click "Add a child"; the generation is set automatically from the parent. Daughters, their spouses and their children can be recorded too.

Under Edit policy on the Genealogy admin page, each genealogy sets five kinds of change to Needs review or apply automatically: additions (members, spouses), corrections, removals (members, spouses, parents), biographies (written today) and other (marking as checked, birth order). A new genealogy has all five on Needs review: relatives' changes wait in the queue until an administrator approves them. A kind set to apply automatically takes effect at once, including when it is sent by code. "An administrator's own changes take effect immediately" is ticked by default, so administrators' own changes need no review - except removals, which always follow the table, for administrators too.

Click "Start a genealogy" on the home page and follow its four steps: make an account, give the surname, the village and the county (the code and the name are worked out for you), add the founding ancestor, then post the code and the invitation in the family's group chat. By default each user may create one (a system administrator can change this). The creator becomes its administrator and can review others' changes and set the edit policy.

The genealogy's creator, and relatives made administrators: an administrator can make any account linked to the genealogy an administrator under "Accounts", and a system administrator can appoint one too. They review pending edits, set the edit policy, decide requests to join, and can correct fathers and other details directly.

Three layouts: classic (vertical, right to left, like the printed book), outline (horizontal, one person per line) and index (a table by generation); ten covers, traditional (vermilion, ink, jade, porcelain blue, vermilion rules, thread-bound) and modern (navy quarter, gold brocade, colour block, vermilion flat — three of which can carry your own photograph); eight sheet sizes, including the 16K, 8K and 32K a Chinese print shop quotes. You can export the whole genealogy or a single branch.

The handwriting or the connecting line at that spot in the book was not clear enough when it was transcribed. The data follows the book as closely as possible, but please check it against the page, and propose a correction if it is wrong. "Unverified" beside a father means the book draws no line there: the site inferred the father from the page's layout and notes, and says why beside it.

The data keeps what is printed, unchanged. The "Errata" section on the genealogy page lists the known errors and what they should read.

Simplified Chinese by default, Traditional Chinese under /zh-hant/ and English under /en/; switch at the top right of any page. Personal names are always shown as the book prints them, never converted; a search finds them whether you type simplified, traditional or a mixture. More languages can be added.