Genealogy News · Source Interpretation · Published on 2026-10-05

An Investigation into an Ancient Wuping Plaque and the Origins of the Mao Clan: Cross-Verification from Cultural Relics to Genealogies

An ancient plaque bearing the inscription “Shangshu Residence,” discovered in Wuping, is believed to be associated with Mao Rang, courtesy name Boxun, his official career, and legends concerning the Mao clan of Longcheng, Jishui, Jiangxi. Whether it can establish a connection between the Mao clans of Jishui and Shaoshan, Xiangtan, still requires further verification through the authentication of the object, documentary genealogies, and local gazetteers.

A wooden plaque bearing the inscription “Shangshu Residence” has once again drawn attention to the genealogical connection between the Mao clan of Longcheng, Jishui, Jiangxi, and the Mao clan of Shaoshan, Xiangtan, Hunan. According to the relevant clues, the ancient plaque is currently held by a collector in Wuping. It is a framed, flat carved plaque measuring approximately 231 centimeters long and 99 centimeters wide. Its inscriptions include “Shangshu Residence,” along with the names “Hu Zhonghua” and “Mao Boxun.” As some of the characters have become eroded and indistinct, interpretations of the plaque’s inscriptions at this stage should continue to be based on high-resolution images, physical authentication, and comparison with similar documentary materials.

The Mao Boxun mentioned in these clues is believed possibly to have been Mao Rang, whose courtesy name was Boxun. According to some records, he served as a Dali Pingshi in Southern Tang and, after entering the Song dynasty, rose to become Minister of Works. Another account holds that his descendants, who had followed the prefect of Jizhou in an official appointment, moved to Longcheng, where he was later honored by the Mao clan of Longcheng, Jishui, Jiangxi, as its founding ancestor. If the plaque’s date, inscriptions and attributions, and transmission history can be reliably established, it may become important physical evidence for studying the relationship between Mao figures and places of residence in the area. However, the official title and name on the plaque alone are not sufficient to directly confirm a complete lineage, much less independently prove an ancestral relationship between a particular branch and a historical figure.

The early migrations of the Mao clan of Shaoshan, Xiangtan, have long been documented in different genealogical editions and research accounts. Existing clues involve Jishui in Jiangxi, Quzhou in Zhejiang, Yuanyang in Henan, Huaxian in Shaanxi, and Yongsheng in Yunnan, and also refer to accounts in the Shaoshan Mao genealogy concerning migration from Jiangxi to Yunnan and the military-registered ancestor Taigong Hua. These materials have given rise to several interrelated hypotheses about the clan’s origins and migrations, but each still requires verification step by step. The dates when the genealogies were compiled, the process by which they were copied, the authors of their prefaces, the methods used to link generations, and the circumstances in which migration accounts were formed may all affect the conclusions.

In tracing one’s roots, it is also necessary to distinguish between a surname community and a specific ancestral branch. Sharing a surname does not mean sharing the same lineage; identical place names, similar hall names, or similar generation names appearing in genealogical books cannot be treated directly as evidence of blood ties. Researchers may separately archive photographs of the ancient plaque, information about its collection and transmission, genealogies from different periods, family memoirs, and local gazetteer materials, and then compare them by person, date, official title, place name, and generational relationships. Surname databases and online genealogies are suitable for searching variant readings and clues about branches, while local gazetteer databases can help verify administrative changes, individuals’ activities, and records concerning buildings. Ultimately, conclusions should still be based on verifiable primary documents and physical evidence.

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