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Confucian Multipliers

The People's Republic was founded in the year marking the 2500th birthday of Confucius, a figure regarded at the time as the feudal archenemy of the Chinese revolution. A film marking his 2560th birthday was planned for release in 2009. Meanwhile, according to Agence France-Presse in Beijing, his modern-day descendants number some two million. The generous parameters of postmodern population statistical analysis allow for the Confucius family tree to spread its branches in surprising new directions.

Similarly, Confucius Institutes sponsored by the government of the People's Republic continue to multiply at willing international institutions which have a penchant for mainland-style pedagogy and are tolerant of sanctioned versions of Chinese culture, language, history and thought.

As South China Morning Post reported on 26 September 2009:

About two million people are now recognised as descendants of Confucius, more than tripling the size of the celebrated philosopher's family tree, state media reported yesterday.

The new list, which includes ethnic minorities, women and overseas relatives for the first time, was unveiled on Thursday in the thinker's Shandong province hometown, Qufu, to coincide with the 2,560th anniversary of his birth, the Global Times said.

The family tree—believed to be the biggest in the world—was last updated in 1937, when it had only 560,000 members, the report said. 'It is not only important for academic research, but also valuable in helping Confucius descendants around the world discover their ancestors and strengthen family bonds,' said Kong Deyong, a 77th generation descendant of the philosopher—known as Kong Fuzi on the mainland.

Kong Deyong, who heads the International Confucius Association, said he was glad that gender, religion and nationality were no longer factors in determining which descendants were counted. 'Even if many descendants are no longer Han or without Chinese nationality, we should count them in because we are one big family,' he told the paper.

Kong Dejun, a teacher at Cambridge University, said her inclusion in the family tree—which has 43,000 pages and is bound in 80 books - was the 'most exciting moment' of her life.

Kong Deyong said extensive research was carried out in the mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and across Southeast Asia to find the descendants. Previous reports said each person had paid a five-yuan (HK$5.70) fee to register for inclusion in the family tree.

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