Candidates look at the results of the Keju tests, or the imperial competitive examination. The examination was a way for culturally eminent families to establish themselves.

Particularly influential families throughout Chinese history, known as “culturally eminent families,” have historically guided the development of Chinese society.

They were typically large, well-known and respected families that were outstanding in certain fields and lived by certain codes. These families often nurtured many talents. The Qian family, for example, has great scientists such as Qian Xuesen, Qian Weichang, Qian Sanqiang and Qian Yongjian, as well as great influencers of Chinese culture like Qian Mu and Qian Zhongshu. Tracking the development path of these families provides a special lens through which the inheritance of Chinese history and culture can be examined.

Family instructions

Xu Yanping, a literature professor from Nanjing University, said that in the Chinese context, instruction from family members—along with the master and apprentice relationship—was among the key ways culture and tradition have been passed down through generations. Expressions such as “passing down Confucian classics through family instruction” and “respecting teachers and emphasizing education” are indicative of the Chinese emphasis on “living by farming and learning generation after generation.”

Qian Maowei, a professor from Ningbo University, said that in ancient China, Keju tests, also known as the imperial competitive examination system, connected big families and the state. Keju tests also led to the formation of “Keju families,” which refers to families that changed their fate via the imperial tests. This kind of culturally eminent family was the result of local material and spiritual accumulation.

Xu said the formation of a culturally eminent family required the following elements: culture or skills that could be passed down, talented individuals who can inherit the skill, and finally faith that the abilities can be passed down over many generations. That final element is especially important because these methods of passing down skills over many generations are essential to the stable and steady development of culture.

Culturally eminent families also played a key role in the inheritance of regional cultures. Zhang Jian, a research fellow at the Institute of Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that the main drivers of the Jiangxi school of poetry in the Song Dynasty were people from the Huang, Hong and Xie families. Members of the most influential Tongcheng literature school were mostly from the local culturally eminent families connected by marital bonds.

Knowledge, morality

In fact, there was a widespread definition of these well-respected families. As Qian Taiji put it: “The so-called eminent families are not necessarily those official families who gained prestige via the imperial competitive examination, but those standouts in various industries, such as academia, farming, craftsmanship, business and trade, and those who adhere to family instructions generation after generation.” Qian extended the connotations of an eminent family, claiming that both scholars and craftsmen could comprise eminent families.

Zhang pointed out that a culturally eminent family must be experienced in cultural and moral education. Xu said too much reliance on school education often leads to a narrow focus in multiple aspects of education, such as the content, methods and atmosphere. The deficiency of this type of school education can be offset by quality family education. The longevity of a culturally eminent family depends on its internal growth mechanisms.

Self-discipline, a sense of responsibility and suffering on the part of family members remarkably affected the development of the larger family. While family instructions and rules are fundamental, words and deeds of the older members more effectively guided the younger generation, Xu said.

Unique features

Scholars suggested that research on the culture of thoese eminent families is a promising academic growth point. In terms of the methods to promote the research, Zhang said comprehensive but plain narrative models often result in monotony and aesthetic fatigue, so this approach is not adequate for the research. The unique development and cultural history of each culturally eminent family should be emphasized, so that the research presents dynamic, vivid and diverse characteristics.

Literary, academic and artistic eminent families attract attention in research. Xu said research on the culture of eminent families should also cover more industries and professions. In addition, the research should begin with large-scale literature review, as traditional rules for research are to be respected. Also, the increasing number of accessible works of literature in libraries and museums could also facilitate a breakthrough in related research.