Tracing our origins through the family tree…

A well-built ancestral temple for a clan has been constructed in Da Nang .

A representative of the Pham clan (branch 3) in Dai Loc shared that, over the past two years, the clan has organized several "field trips" to their ancestral home to complete the common family tree.

This clan claims their ancestors followed the Le Dynasty and Nguyen Lords in their southward campaigns, moving from Thanh Hoa to Quang Nam to establish villages and settlements. Therefore, tracing their centuries-old origins is crucial. Representatives of the clan sent people to their ancestral home in Thanh Hoa to research remaining family genealogies and inscriptions, comparing them with available historical documents to accurately connect the "journey of establishing the clan."

"Upon closer examination, we realize that the migration of our ancestors, following complex historical events, was a significant event. Some generations were scattered and fled during wars, changing their surnames and given names."

"Furthermore, there are inaccurate records of place names and village names, not to mention the difficulty of comparing Nôm script with the current Quốc ngữ script. Therefore, tracing the origins and ancestral home of an entire clan requires a great deal of time," shared a representative of this clan.

The ancestral tombs in Nam O village (Da Nang) are respectfully preserved by the local people.

Mr. Phan Van Phuc, a representative of the Phan clan in Da Nang, who originates from Quang Tri , acknowledges that the story of the Pham clan in Dai Loc is also a "headache" for his family.

Although this clan has compiled a "family tree spanning 14 generations" in their shared genealogy, completing the genealogy book still faces obstacles. In particular, comparing the names of previous generations, those written in Nôm script and those written in Han script, requires further research before any definitive conclusions can be reached. Therefore, after nearly three years of revising the genealogy, his clan is still continuing its research and cross-referencing…

Mr. Phan Van Phuc stated that he had contacted several researchers specializing in information about clans to learn about the process of compiling and updating family genealogies. However, some problems have arisen in this process.

Throughout numerous wars and periods of historical upheaval in various regions, including natural disasters, clans have experienced objective disruptions. Even during the Nguyen dynasty's period of national stability, the renaming of villages and communes by the emperors affected the verification of clan origins in these areas.

Secondly, within each clan, at different times, there are also changes and inaccuracies in information. Especially regarding the names of previous generations, information found in written records and inscriptions is easily confused. To trace their origins and avoid fragmented or inaccurate information, clans must dedicate considerable time and effort to research in order to ensure the desired accuracy.

Over the years, many families and clans from Quang Tri to Binh Dinh have shown interest in investing in clan activities, from rebuilding ancestral halls, temples, and clan churches, to revising and verifying family genealogies, clearly dividing existing family lineages…

Families with a history closely linked to the process of land reclamation and settlement will have an even greater need to verify and clarify their family lineage and origins, in order to properly honor their ancestry.

What worries these families is the dwindling number of researchers and individuals with the qualifications and knowledge of regional culture, history, and the language used in intergenerational communication.

A representative of the Pham family in Dai Loc expressed his thoughts, saying that fortunately, his clan still has some members who know Chinese characters, allowing them to consult inscriptions and historical documents. "Therefore, shouldn't cultural organizations and management agencies pay attention to this issue and find ways to better meet the needs of clans to retrieve information?" he said.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/tim-coi-nguon-tu-trang-gia-pha-3147170.html