Family tree builder. Start from a root person, then add parents / spouse / children step by step. Visual tree + JSON export. Up to 5 generations / 100 people. Browser-only.
Family Tree Builder (家谱图生成器)
Root — add the first person
How to use
Add root person
Enter the first person (usually yourself, your father, or the ancestor you want to trace from) — name + gender + birth year. This is the root of the tree.
Extend the family
Each person has buttons: "+ Child", "+ Spouse", "+ Parents". Click and fill in via prompts.
View the tree
The tree auto-refreshes. Spouses appear side by side with a + mark. Children expand below.
Export JSON
Click "Export JSON" to download the full family tree data (useful for backup or import into other tools).
Family trees — Chinese genealogy as cultural heritage
Jiapu (家谱), also called zupu / zongpu / jiachéng, is a uniquely Chinese cultural asset. From the Han dynasty onwards, scholarly clans kept detailed genealogies; from the Song onwards, common families adopted the practice; by Ming-Qing nearly every Han Chinese household maintained an ancestral 家谱.
5 elements of a traditional 家谱
(1) Lineage chart (this tool\'s focus — who begat whom); (2) Generation poem (zibei — see generation-poem-lookup); (3) Clan rules and household precepts; (4) Ancestral hall records; (5) Notable persons (officials, scholars produced by the clan).
"Digitising the family tree = permanent preservation. Paper genealogies are vulnerable to fire, flood, and insects — one disaster can destroy 10 generations of records."
What this tool covers vs traditional 家谱
This tool focuses on the lineage chart — the most central and most easily lost component. Other elements (generation poem, clan rules, notable persons) suit free-form text records better. The tool\'s JSON export format is open — any genealogy software can re-read it.
SG/MY overseas Chinese genealogy revival
Singapore + Malaysia Chinese families have seen a genealogy revival in the past decade: tracing roots (often 3-5 generation overseas Chinese, with origins back to Fujian/Guangdong); preserving memories of 90+ year-old elders before they fade; bequeathing a cultural inheritance to children. This tool runs entirely in the browser — no signup, no cloud storage, suitable for older users.
10 facts about Chinese family trees
The Confucius family tree is the world's longest continuously documented genealogy — 83+ generations spanning 2,500+ years from Confucius (551 BC) to today.
The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was the high-water mark of family-tree compilation — nearly every Han clan kept one.
Traditional convention: "minor revision every 30 years, major every 60" — about once per generation.
Women were rarely listed by name in traditional genealogies — typically just as "Mrs. X (née Y)". Modern family trees correct this inequality.
The National Library of Singapore holds 5,000+ overseas Chinese family trees — mostly Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka.
The Zhangzhou Genealogy Archive (Fujian) is the world's largest single family-tree archive — 300,000+ documents.
Family tree + DNA is a growing trend — 23andMe / WeGene DNA tests can cross-verify against traditional genealogies.
The "five mourning grades" (五服): family members ranked by closeness into 5 categories — determines mourning duration.
"Sacrificial land" (祭田) in traditional 家谱 — collectively-owned clan property whose income funded ancestor worship, genealogy revisions, and scholarships for clan members.
This tool has no cloud storage — data lives only in your browser tab and is gone on close. Export JSON immediately to back up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Up to 100 people / 5 generations (browser-performance limit). Larger trees should be split into multiple files.
Yes — export as JSON. The tool has no cloud storage, so data is lost when you close the tab. Remember to export.
No. Everything runs in your browser. Your family data never leaves your device.
Currently export only. Import is planned for a future version. The JSON format is open so manual re-paste works in the meantime.
Yes. The tool corrects the traditional inequality of "Mrs. X (née Y)" recordkeeping — all family members are listed by full name regardless of gender.
Yes. Clicking "+ Parents" prompts for both father and mother in sequence.
Currently 1 spouse per person (simplified mode). Multi-spouse / remarriage support planned for a future version.
Yes. The name field is free input — use nicknames, initials, or just first names if you prefer.
One tree per browser tab. Export JSON, then clear, and start a new tree in the same tab.
Yes. All RECATOOLS tools are 100% free, ad-supported.
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