Chinese Research Helps
Several new tools are now available for Chinese speaking researchers. Please click on the links below to open guides that will teach you how to use the Chinese FamilySearch Catalog, how to do Chinese research, and how to use PAF 5.2 Chinese version.
Different areas of the world have different written records in Chinese languages. View this Wikipedia article about the Chinese language as it helps determine which writing system was used. It is rather technical.
Learning to read Chinese Genealogies 家谱[edit | edit source]
King, Chinese Language Helps for Jiapu 家谱
Finding your Ancestors[edit | edit source]
King, Chinese Immigration Records
Traditional Chinese[edit | edit source]
All documents linked below are in Traditional Chinese.
Many records are in Traditional Chinese regardless of where the record was created. Simplified Chinese was only introduced in the mid 20th Century. Traditional Chinese characters are only used in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and expatriate areas in other countries today.
Simplified Chinese[edit | edit source]
All documents linked to from this section are in Simplified Chinese.
Simplified Chinese appears on modern records only, since the mid 20th Century. That was the time the Chinese government (Peoples Republic of China) made it official and it is the most common form used there today, although there are still many who know traditional Chinese. Simplified Chinese is not as widely known in expatriate areas, or areas like Hong Kong or Macau. and outside of the immediate area of China itself, it is only used in Malaysia officially.