AI tools and digital archives are helping overseas Chinese trace ancestral roots by decoding old records, tombstones, and historical place names.
At the Digital China Summit, held from April 28th to May 4th, visitors saw an interactive installation called the “Huaxia Kinship Fortune Tree.” After entering a surname, the system generated a visual family tree on screen. In some cases, it also linked users to historical figures who shared the same surname, CNS reported.
Beyond the exhibition, similar tools are already being used in real cases. In southern Fujian, Li Chengming, a Malaysian-based Chinese descendant, used digital assistance to trace his family origins. He started with unclear words on his great-grandfather’s tombstone, including partial terms such as “Quannan” and references to old administrative divisions.
Initially, the information was difficult to comprehend. However, by combining text analysis with place-name matching, he identified a key clue linked to “Liudu.” After that, he compared historical maps with modern administrative records. This led him to Yuanmei Village in Lun Cang Town, the likely ancestral location.
In another case, Filipino-Chinese resident Huang Qingquan examined an old tombstone containing the phrase “Fujian Longxi Shibei Daitou.” He then matched the location details with regional historical records. Eventually, he traced his family origin to Daitou Village in Zhangzhou.
At the same time, digital platforms in Fujian are expanding access to historical records. In 2025, Xiamen launched a genealogy platform that integrates family records, local archives, and overseas Chinese documents. The system helps users search across fragmented sources in one place.
Quanzhou has also digitised more than 10,000 genealogy records through its ancestry service platform. As a result, users can more easily search for family connections across regions and time periods.
On social media, some younger users from Taiwan have shared similar experiences. By analysing old family photos and combining public records, several were able to identify ancestral villages in mainland China and reconnect with relatives.
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