The preface is an essential part of a family tree, making its composition both important and meticulous. It primarily focuses on the following aspects. Interested clients can follow along with Chengxi Studio.Genealogy PrintingGet the latest insights together.

Section One: Write a New Preface

① Sequence Name

The standard preface consists of the county hall name of the genealogy, the surname, and the preface for compiling or continuing the genealogy, such as "The Pre-revised Genealogy of the Zhao Clan in Tianshui." In most cases, it is also commonly referred to simply as "Preface" or "Foreword."

② Elaborate on the social background, guiding principles, objectives, and functions of compiling genealogies.

At the outset of the *genealogy compilation, a brief description of the social, political, cultural, and economic context of the time is provided. This is followed by an explanation of the reasons, guiding principles, objectives, and functions of compiling the genealogy. The preface of compiling genealogies in ancient times first points out the guiding principles, objectives, and functions, and elaborates on the necessity and importance of the genealogy. In *compiling our genealogies, we should be guided by the historical materialist view of Marxism, serving the reform and opening up and the construction of a moderately prosperous society. Genealogies have accumulated rich cultural resources, which should highlight the characteristics of the family and the locality. Utilizing these resources, we should conduct patriotic education, revolutionary tradition education, strengthen spiritual civilization construction, enhance ethnic unity,繁荣 academic research, and contribute to the promotion of social development.

③ Introduction and evaluation of the old score sheets

Because family trees document the demographic information of a family, and family members are continuously born and pass away, it necessitates the revision of the family tree at certain time intervals. This also gives the family tree its continuity. When compiling a new family tree, it is necessary to incorporate some data from the old one, which requires an explanation of the number of times the old tree has been revised, its organizational structure, compilers, editions, and the current state of the family trees. However, some old family trees are too ancient, leading to a mix of精华 and historical dross, with both true and false content. At this point, we need a correct materialist outlook to provide proper guidance to avoid deviations in the direction of the family tree.

④ Briefly describe the content of the new family tree

The genealogy content is rich and extensive, with a large structure and lengthy text, making it time-consuming to read normally. An important aspect of the preface is to provide a summary overview of the book within it, allowing readers to grasp the essence of the genealogy without having to read the entire book. It also highlights the book's characteristics and quality, offering an honest assessment that acknowledges its strengths while pointing out its shortcomings, providing a reference for future revisions.

⑤ Introducing the process and organization of compiling the new family tree

Compiling a family genealogy is an arduous and vast undertaking, particularly demanding in terms of manpower, resources, and time. It requires not only sufficient funding as a foundation but also a core group and an authoritative organization. The collective effort of many family members is needed to expedite the task. Throughout the compilation process, valuable experience in genealogy and positive examples of diligent work are accumulated. In the preface, a brief introduction to the compilation process is provided, outlining the methods, steps, the forces relied upon, how personnel and teams are selected, how funding is raised, and how information is gathered, ensuring the orderly and successful completion of the task. This introduction aims to inform readers about the circumstances at the time of publication, analyze the historical context, grasp the guiding ideas and basic content of the genealogy, and deepen their understanding of the book.

⑥ End

As we reach the final stages of writing the score, it's appropriate to conclude with a summary. Typically, at the end, a brief passage is used to emphasize the significance of this revision or continuation of the score. Finally, include the date, noting both the Gengzi lunar year and the Gregorian calendar year.

⑦ Sincerely

Upon completion of the preface writing, the author's name should be signed at the end, with the surname omitted except for single-character names.

Crafting a preface is a true test of an author's skills. A well-written preface must possess a certain level of theoretical understanding and a profound command of language. When writing a preface, it is essential to avoid language that is hollow and tasteless, devoid of substance, or overly propagandistic. Instead, it should be substantial, rich in content, and adhere to the principle of实事求是, without exaggeration or embellishment. It should also focus on key points, highlight unique features, and provide a concise yet comprehensive overview, using vivid descriptions. The writing should be simple, fluid, and blend narrative with argument. The length of the preface should be concise, generally around 1,000 words, with no more than 2,000.

Part II: Introduction Handling in the Classic Pattern

As previously mentioned, due to the iterative nature of genealogy printing, many prefaces accumulate over generations. Particularly during the Ming and Qing dynasties, the number of prefaces in old genealogies was substantial, with many of high quality. When compiling a new genealogy, how to incorporate the original prefaces is a matter of great importance. Some genealogies place the original prefaces before the text, while others include them in the appendices at the end. The old prefaces typically only serve as prefaces in the original genealogy books, losing their introductory role in the revised versions, and are merely used as reference materials to understand the old genealogies. Therefore, it is suggested that the old prefaces be placed in the appendices of the revised genealogy. If the prefaces in the old genealogy are particularly lengthy, the new edition can selectively compile them, but regardless of how cryptic or profound the text may be, they should be preserved in their original form, with only notes added beside them to prevent misinterpretation by future generations.

The above content introduces the process of writing prefaces in genealogy printing. Welcome to follow Changzhou Jintan Chengxi Zhou Cultural Development Co., Ltd., which employs over 20 professional staff and technical managers. With a daily production capacity of over 500 thread-bound books, we are capable of providing genealogy printing, family tree printing, and local chronicle printing services to a wide range of clients.