What are the characteristics of Cai’s culture?

Cai surname culture has broad prospects for extensive and profound research

The study of Chinese surname culture has been a hot topic since the Chinese nation has written records. When did the surname originate? Probably already existed in matriarchal societies. And with the reproduction of the race, it has been continuously enriched and developed. The melons and rivers continue to this day and will be passed down from generation to generation. Why does the Chinese nation attach so much importance to surname culture? Ban Gu gave an answer in "White Tiger Tongyi". He said: "What is the reason why people have surnames? That is why they worship affection, close relatives, and keep animals away from each other, apart from marriage. Therefore, we have divided the ages so that we can love each other in life and love each other in death. Alas, people with the same surname are not allowed to marry each other, it is all about respecting human relations." Ban Gu's words can be summarized in three major aspects: (1) Surnames are "chronological records". (2) The surname is the development of the surname. In the Zhou Dynasty, surnames were often used to commend meritorious deeds and to identify men. "The emperor built virtues and was given a surname because of his birth, and the surname was given to the land. The princes used the surname as a posthumous name (surname), because they believed that If an official has merit in the world, he will be based on the official clan; the same applies to the town." (3) The role of surnames: first, to "distinguish marriage"; second, to "revere affection and close relatives"; third, to distinguish family status, industry and family. status. It can be seen that the surname culture is not only rich and colorful, but also extensive and profound.

The Chinese Cai family is an important branch of the Zhou family of the Huangdi ethnic group, the main source of the Chinese nation. It is one of the earliest surnames in our country. In the primitive society, the ethnic group with "Cai" as its totem entered the developed slave society and established a state with the Cai clan as the main body through the methods of "feudal state building" and "settle food fief". Ancient books record the surnames Ji and Sui. Both the Ji and Sui surnames are descendants of the Huangdi ethnic group. Although there are currently no rumors about the descendants of the Cai family with the surname Ji, records of the descendants of the Cai family with the surname Ji are found in historical materials, starting a large family line in later generations. According to records in "Historical Records" and "Cai Family Genealogy", Ji Du, the 28th generation grandson of the Yellow Emperor and the fifth son of Jichang, King Wen of Zhou Dynasty, was granted the title of Cai Shu and established the Cai State, known as Ji Du Cai Shu. Uncle Cai died, and King Cheng ordered his son Zhongjian to take the position of the princes and pass it on to the twenty-five princes. In the Spring and Autumn Period, he was destroyed by Chu. After the fall of Cai, in the long years, the Cai family has experienced constant migration, integration, and development, but gradually formed a branch of the Chinese nation with distinctive characteristics and stable ethnic groups. With its unique style, grace and charm, it stands tall in China. A prominent family in the forest of ethnic groups. Due to the twists and turns in naming the ancient clan after Cai, the study of the founder has become controversial. It also interprets the different views of "Cai" taking the name of the country as his surname; taking the plant Cai Cao as his surname; and taking the animal turtle as his surname.

In addition, the cultural research on the Cai surname from ancient books and archaeological materials includes the origin of the surname, the surname Bofan, the evolution of the surname, ethnic integration, humanistic history, family customs, biographies, ancient book research, family literature and art, and architecture Art, environmental protection, family spirit and more. The broad spirit of harmony that encompasses great national unity and unity is the epitome of Chinese national culture and is an important component. Studying Cai culture has historical and practical significance. In recent years, Chinese people at home and abroad have been enthusiastic about the study of surname culture, which has led to various other works and brought about a spring of surname culture research.

The cultural connotation of the surname Cai is rich and involves both at home and abroad

The cultural connotation of the surname Cai is rich, broad and profound. After the fall of Cai, many surnames related to "Cai" were derived. In addition to the Cai family, many branch clans were also derived, including Cai Zhong, Cai Qiu, Guisheng, Sheng, and Sheng. , Chao family, Ni family, Chao (鼌) family and so on. In addition, these surnames will also merge. For example, Cai Zhong and Cai Qiu later evolved and merged into Cai. Therefore, the current mainstream of the Cai family is the descendants of Cai Guo. They are produced by the fusion of various surnames of the descendants of Cai Guo. There is diversity in itself. According to "Yuanhe Surname Compilation": Cai Zhong's surname comes from Ji. Cai Zhong, the second king of Cai State in the Western Zhou Dynasty, was named Hu, and there were Cai Zhong's surnames after him. During the Warring States Period, there was Cai Zhongqi, a general of the State of Zhao, who was a descendant of Cai Zhong. There is also the Cai Qiu family, which is also derived from the Ji surname Cai Guo. Cai Qiuqin is recorded in "First Aid Chapter of Surnames". The Cai Qiu family and the Cai Zhong family were later integrated with the Cai family. Therefore, Cai's own interpretation of one yuan is plural, and the plural is unified.

The Cai family continued to integrate ethnic groups in Bobo, resulting in different hall names and schools; different cultural customs in different regions. The Cai family was born in the Central Plains, and their descendants are divided into two main branches: Cai Jiamiao and Jiyang Cai. After the fall of the Cai State, the Cai people moved to the southwest and merged with the local ethnic minorities to form ethnic minorities such as the "Cai Jia Miao".

The Cai people who stayed in the Central Plains revived in Chenliu, crossed the Yangtze River and grew up, and finally formed the "Jiyang Cai family" centered on the southeastern regions of Fujian, Zhejiang and Guangdong. She is the largest branch of the Cai family. The Cai family in Jiyang is a big family. Historically, it has been prosperous, famous people have emerged in large numbers, and it has been prosperous for a long time. "Jiyang Cai family" became the general name of the Chinese Cai family to indicate that the family came from Jiyang County. The descendants of the Cai family migrated to the Hakka area and formed the Cai clan with Hakka characteristics. The Hakka family is still an integral part of the Han nation. Due to the natural and social conditions of their survival, they have their own relatively unique external form. They moved to the mountainous areas of the guest areas and brought the Central Plains culture with them, and the Central Plains culture influenced the economy, culture and customs of the mountainous residents of the Guyue people in the guest areas. In the struggle for survival of the Hakka people, they gradually integrated and became Sinicized, forming the Hakka ethnic community. This homogeneous group is called Hakka. The Cai family integrated into the Hakka people formed the Cai family Hakka family group. The overseas Chinese ethnic group of the Cai family is an important part of the Chinese Cai family. According to incomplete statistics from relevant units, the Cai family among Chinese people around the world currently lives in more than 130 countries and regions around the world, mainly in Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, Australia and other places. The Chua Chinese people scattered all over the world have a prominent characteristic, which is that they remember their roots and their identity as members of the Chinese Chua family, and work hard for the revitalization of their motherland and homeland in various ways. They have a strong "fundamental consciousness". The Chinese Cai family has a long history of settling overseas. When they first immigrated, some came with their families, and some did not. Therefore, some of the local descendants have integrated into the local ethnic group, giving birth to new Chinese Cai families, but their Chinese Cai family's blood It will not change, they are new members of the Chinese Cai family. The Cai family has created a splendid history and culture.

The Cai family name, like other surnames, has the same problem that people with the same surname are not relatives, and different surnames have the same origin. Strictly speaking, the Cai ethnic group can be divided into those with the same surname but different origins and those with different surnames having the same origin. This is also due to the difference in writing or bloodline. This can be said to be the key issue that must be touched upon to trace the origin. Recognition of bloodline has become a common political consciousness. The Cai family tree also has records such as "Tongzu of Wu Ke and Cai", "Tongzong of Ke Cai", "Tongzong of Xin Ke and Cai", "Tongtang of Wu Cai Weng and Cao Zhou", "Tongtang of Wu Cai Weng and Ji Zhou", etc. Some necessary discussions are needed on this. The same surname has different origins, just like different surnames have the same origin, it is also a complex historical phenomenon. Among the Cai family, there is a family with the Cai surname, in which the children of his surname were changed due to refuge, relatives, adoption, or marriage. After they got through the difficulties, their descendants became members of the Cai family, adding a lot of fresh blood to the Cai family. Whether they have the same surname and different origins, or different surnames and the same origin, they all reflect the great integration and unity of the Chinese nation.

The Cai family name is one of the oldest surnames in the Chinese nation. In the long course of history, outstanding representatives of their own continue to emerge. In addition to Cai Guohou, the Pre-Qin Dynasty includes Cai Jiuju, Cai Wei, Cai Chao and Cai Mo in the "Zuo Zhuan"; in the Twenty-Five Histories, 112 Cai family members are recorded Celebrity biographies, ranked among the top 50. "Minglun Collection·Clan Code·Cai" edited by Chen Menglei of the Qing Dynasty collected 151 celebrities of the Cai family. The Republic of China edition of the "Dictionary of Chinese Names" records 192 people. My "Chinese Cai Family" has screened, verified, and collected more than 260 ancient celebrities, more than 70 modern celebrities, 47 overseas celebrities, and more than 380 celebrities from numerous Cai family genealogies and family biographies. Among them are famous thinkers, philosophers, politicians, scientists, educators, writers, artists, and military strategists. They are all outstanding figures in the history of the Chinese nation and immortal contributors to the creation of the splendid Chinese civilization. Many of the characters who appeared in Cai's history have changed, but many of them are still role models for us to learn from, and there are also many experiences and lessons that we can learn from. In addition, the Cai family has a lot of cultural history, classical monuments, culture and art, and environmental protection, which are all treasures of Chinese culture.

Research on the culture of the surname Cai and enhance the cohesion of China

According to incomplete statistics, the Cai family has a population of more than 7 million. Cai's population is 5.52 million, ranking 44th in China, accounting for approximately 0.46% of the country's population. Our country's Cai family has a long history, and the development process is tortuous. The population is not only distributed over a vast area, ranking ninth in Taiwan Province, but also has a wide distribution of ethnic groups. The Cai family is not only a large family with Han surnames, but also members of the Hui, Manchu, Tibetan, Korean, and Dai families. , Yi, Zhuang, Qiang, Buyi, Tujia, Xibo, Lisu, Kirgiz, Russian and other ethnic minorities. The Cai family is a prominent family in the Chinese nation. They are an outstanding local family with a long history of talented people.

The multi-origin and multi-ethnic nature of the Cai family determines the significance of national cohesion in the study of Cai’s culture.

The Cai family has inherited the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, mainly the fine cultural traditions of the Han nation, using Chinese characters as the main carrier, absorbing the essence of the material culture and spiritual culture of the Han culture, and integrating It has absorbed the thoughts of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and absorbed the excellent culture of other ethnic groups, forming an overall cultural deposit of harmony and unity in the family psychology. Coupled with the psychological imprint of patriarchal consciousness, it constitutes the unique identity of the Cai family. The main characteristics of psychological quality and cultural quality. Therefore, the psychological and cultural quality of the Cai family attaches great importance to the "Way of Heaven" of "the unity of nature and man", the concept of a unified country of "government connecting people and people", the family concept of "harmony in the family and everything prospering", emphasizing that "loyal ministers come from the gate of filial sons", family and National connection and harmony. 1. Loyalty to the emperor, patriotism and benefiting the people are the foundation of national ethics. Highlighting Confucius' concept of benevolence and etiquette is a condensation of filial piety, brotherhood, loyalty, forgiveness, knowledge, wisdom, courage, respect, respect, tolerance, trust, sensitivity, and benefit in etiquette, and is the embodiment of humanistic thinking. 2. Taking Confucian education and research as the family inheritance; almost all "Cai Family Genealogy" lists Confucianism as the family inheritance of the Cai family. It is clearly stipulated: "To build a family, you must work and study." The Cai Yuanding family in Jianyang, Fujian Province is a Neo-Confucian family with nine Confucian scholars in four generations. Consider Neo-Confucianism as the "foundation of the family" of the Cai family. 3. Emphasis on education and respect for literature and art as quality development. The Cai family generally attaches great importance to education, literature and art, and the ancestral hall and genealogy heavily promote the Cai family's famous qin, chess, poetry, calligraphy, and painting celebrities from past dynasties. This is the embodiment of Chinese culture and civilization in the Cai family. 4. The family character of perseverance and ceaseless advancement; this has been tempered by the Cai family in the troubled historical environment since the day it was born. No matter how difficult the environment and conditions are, they can persevere without wavering, thus showing extraordinary hard work. They are reborn in the fire, overcome the crisis and rise again, tightly maintaining the blood of the Chinese nation. Develop in step with the development of the Chinese nation. 5. The national mentality of harmony, unity, great unity and great unity. 6. Take "benevolence, justice, wisdom, etiquette and trustworthiness" as the basic norms of behavior. 7. Non-religious and primitive religious beliefs. The Cai family attaches great importance to people and the humanistic spirit. It is not that God dominates everything, but that Confucian culture is the mainstream and advocates active participation in the world. Therefore, people will not worship God all day long, and over time, their religious awareness will become weaker. The Cai family is an immigrant from the Central Plains. They have lived together as a family for a long time. At the same time, they have retained many ancient and medieval traditional cultural customs and ethnic etiquette. The folk beliefs and customs of the entire ethnic group are relatively unified and are not easily influenced by the outside world. History has proven that the Cai family's study and promotion of Cai culture has positive significance for building socialism with Chinese characteristics and building a harmonious society.

Cultural research on the surname Cai and the construction of a harmonious society

The Cai family cultivates sentiments with the unique national essence of the Han nation of "gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality, and surrender", the core of which is Harmony and unity. They pursue the harmony and unity of the family, the harmony and unity among various families, the harmony and unity of the nation, the harmony and unity of the local area, and the harmony and unity of the country. Driven by the fraternity concept of "friendship" in the theory of "all four seas are brothers", no matter where we are, we can take into account the overall situation, maintain peace, and maintain a stable and united political environment. First of all, within the clan, "harmony among clans" means that as long as the Cai family is in the world, they are all one family, and they should help each other and seek common development. Domestically, it is an important part of Cai's family rules to advocate "harming neighbors and resolving disputes and lawsuits". Not only must we unite our tribesmen and develop together, we must also live in harmony with our neighbors and help each other. In Hefei, Anhui, "Every family, big or small, is in its proper place, and if it is harmonious and energetic, it will feel amiable." The ancestral motto of Chaoshan, Guangdong stipulates: "Don't engage in litigation, and live in harmony in the village." The "Five Precepts" of Cai Xiang's family genealogy and so on. In places where many surnames live together, big families also come forward to maintain social stability. For example, in Qingyang Town, Jinjiang City, Fujian Province, there is still a monument inscribed with "Qingyang Township Appointment". This stele is the result of the township rules and regulations formulated by the governor Zhang Ruitu in the 16th year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1588), together with eight village sages of the Cai family in Qingyang, and 18 village sages with Zhuang, Lin, and other surnames. This concept of great unity and alliance has been used by the ruling classes of past dynasties as a means to assist rule and maintain stability and unity. In the countries where they live abroad, the Cai family adheres to the traditional Chinese concept of being themselves and surrounding barbarians, actively supports and helps the development of foreign barbarians, and has integrated into the local social, cultural and economic life very early. They got along well with the local people, brought with them China's advanced handicrafts, agricultural technology and culture, and contributed to local social development and economic construction.

They participated in the local people's national independence struggle and freedom and democratic movement and worked hard for the independence and liberation of the country where they lived. When living together as a clan, there must be stricter clan rules and family rules to maintain social stability and family development. Clan rules downplay class antagonisms and emphasize blood relationships (nine clans) and quasi-blood relationships (heaven, earth, kings, relatives, masters), and all the relationships among clan members are concealed within the clan and even the nation as a whole. Family rules and regulations are documents formulated by various families in feudal society to regulate the thoughts and behaviors of the clan members. After the Song Dynasty, genealogies were generally compiled, and family laws, rules, and mottos were written to regulate the behavior of clan members. Some of them were engraved and distributed to clan members, and some erected monuments as warnings. Regarding the relationship between people, the family motto goes: "Be kind to others, be patient when things happen, trust to establish virtue, and keep your word." This was used to adjust the conflicts between the ruling class and the opposing classes, which was the local culture at that time. played a positive role in social stability. For example, Volume 97 of the Book of the Later Han Dynasty records: Cai Yan, a minister of the Eastern Han Dynasty, was a native of Xiang in Runan. Resentment." In places where ethnic groups live together, ethnic rules are often consistent with rural rules and regulations.

The Chinese Cai family is an important family in the Chinese nation, with a long history and a colorful cultural heritage. As the population increases, surnames have become an important information symbol for population development and social progress. It is the result of human social progress and intellectual development, and is a very complicated social phenomenon. Cai, like other surnames, is an important force in the Chinese nation. But it has its own uniqueness, and its population distribution is multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan. It is an extremely large clan with a profound historical background and rich cultural connotations. Its extensive and profound historical, social and cultural contents are the basis of China’s A rich heritage of the nation with positive social and historical significance. Through research, discovering the treasures of wisdom and strength contained in our nation will undoubtedly have a practical effect on stimulating national self-confidence and pride, enhancing the cohesion of the Chinese nation, promoting the reunification of the motherland, and rejuvenating the Chinese nation.

When we study Tsai’s culture, we must be full of enthusiasm, think calmly, and carefully study the characteristics of economy, politics, geography, history, philosophy, culture, ethnicity, etc. from a historical perspective to make our own opinions Continuously enrich and improve. We should also spend more time carefully writing the Cai family's genealogy and local chronicles. Cai's cultural research has continued to develop along the direction of national unity and unity, and has achieved fruitful research results.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the experts and scholars across the country who have studied the history of the Chinese nation and Cai culture, and to all the Cai clan members and people from all walks of life who have provided materials and assistance for my research