Step 1: Gather Information

What You Need to Know

Start with what you know: - Full names of parents - Grandparents' names - Known ancestors - Family stories

Questions to Ask

Interview family members: - Where did ancestors live? - What tanghao do you know? - Any old documents? - Family legends?

Step 2: Document Collection

Family Documents

Look for: - Old photographs - Marriage certificates - Death records - Land deeds - Letters - Religious records

Physical Items

Check for: - Ancestral tablets - Tomb inscriptions - Door plaques - Furniture with family names

Step 3: Identify Tanghao

Methods

1. Ask elders 2. Check ancestral items 3. Look at family documents 4. Research geographic origins

Common Tanghao

- Jiangxia Tang (江夏堂) - Lingnan Tang (岭南堂) - Shaowu Tang (邵武堂) - Purple Cloud Tang (紫云堂)

Step 4: Determine Geographic Origins

In China

Find ancestral home (籍贯): - Province - County - Township - Village

Research Methods

- Family documents - Interview relatives - Check emigration records

Step 5: Search Records

Chinese Records

- Provincial archives - County archives - Clan genealogies - Temple records

Overseas Records

- Immigration documents - Ship manifests - Naturalization papers - Community records

Step 6: DNA Testing

Benefits

- Find relatives - Verify connections - Discover origins

Process

1. Choose company 2. Submit sample 3. Compare results 4. Research matches

Step 7: Join Organizations

Benefits

- Access to records - Expert help - Community support

Organizations

- Local clan associations - Surname societies - Genealogy groups - Online communities

Step 8: Document and Share

Documentation

Create family records: - Family tree charts - Narrative histories - Source citations - Photo collections

Sharing

Share with family: - Family newsletters - Online trees - Reunion presentations - Published books

Resources

Online

- FamilySearch - Chinese genealogy websites - DNA testing sites

Offline

- Archives - Libraries - Clan associations - Researchers

Professional

- Chinese genealogists - Archive specialists - Translators