The Yimen Chen Clan of De'an: A Social Experiment in Communal Living
The Yimen Chen Clan of De’an: A Social Experiment in Communal Living Geographical Connections Jiujiang Prefecture (Jiangzhou) De’an County (Putang Field) Shengzhi Peak (Mount Lu) Qijili (Shizi Township, Jiujiang County) Aicaoping (Cheqiao Township, De’an County) Dongjia Mountain (30 km west of De’an) Jinling (Nanjing) Introduction: A Millennial Miracle of Kinship In the annals of Chinese lineage history, the Yimen Chen Clan of Jiangzhou exists as a near-mythical entity. From the establishment of family codes by patriarch Chen Chong in the 1st year of the Dashun era of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang (890 AD) to their imperial-ordered dispersal in the 7th year of the Jiayou era of Emperor Renzong of Song (1062 AD), this clan conducted a communal living experiment for 332 years [1], [2]. They achieved the feat of 14 generations living under one roof, with over 3,900 people sharing a single kitchen—a pinnacle of patriarchal management and a profound practice in communal resource sharing and moral governance [3], [4]. ...