Ethnic Interaction and Cultural Integration
The Migration History of the Liuyang Kong Clan and the Construction of the Consciousness of the Community of the Chinese Nation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20249757 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chenyue Zhu (0009-0004-8161-5484, Central South University), Hao Yuan (0009-0009-1926-1028, Central South University), Ruoyu Wang (0000-0002-7240-558X, Central South University), Xubin Xie (Central South University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 727 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel17060727 |
| OpenAlex | W7165044224 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 20 |
Taking the Liuyang branch of the Kong Clan in Hunan as a case study, this article examines how a migrant lineage associated with Confucian orthodoxy adapted to a heterogeneous local society and gradually transformed lineage identity into a broader sense of communal and national belonging. Drawing on fieldwork, genealogies, local gazetteers, temple inscriptions, and interviews, this study traces three connected processes. First, the clan used its recognized status as descendants of Confucius to obtain institutional protection, including tax and corvée exemptions, which helped stabilize population growth and local authority. Second, the Dahu Family Temple, sacrificial music, ritual dance, genealogy-airing practices, and modern clan activities show how Qufu-centered ritual codes were reworked through Huxiang architectural, musical, agricultural, and social rhythms. Third, in the modern period, practical statecraft, education, and revolutionary memory redirected lineage ethics from exclusive descent toward public responsibility. The case demonstrates that the consciousness of the Chinese national community can be generated at the grassroots level through the interaction of state institutions, local cultural adaptation, embodied ritual practice, and the reorientation of kinship memory toward inclusive patriotism
Clan · Consciousness · Ethnic group · Grassroots · Kinship · National consciousness · Nationalism · Orthodoxy · State (computer science) · China's Ethnic Minorities and Relations · Chinese history and philosophy · Hong Kong and Taiwan Politics
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |