義門陳 和平 宣言
World Yimen Chen Peace Culture Initiative
Author: Chen Sihong
(Deputy Secretary-General, Fujian Provincial Chen Clan Committee; Director, Advisory Committee, Yimen Chen New Media Information Service Center, De’an County)
I. Background
Yimen Chen traces its origins to the Chen Dynasty of the Southern and Northern Dynasties. During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, Chen Boxuan led the clan to settle in De’an, Jiangzhou. Upholding the family precepts of loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and righteousness, the community practiced clan-based cohabitation for 15 generations with over 3,900 members sharing a common household, earning renown as the “World’s First Family.” Its culture, grounded in Confucian norms and infused with the ideals of harmony and public-spiritedness, forged a distinctive model of clan governance that remains highly instructive for advancing contemporary social civility.
II. Core Values
- Loyalty, Filial Piety, Benevolence, and Righteousness
These constitute the soul of the Yimen Chen ethos: cultivating diligence and learning, fostering neighborly amity, and exemplifying moral rectitude. In the face of the great drought in the 6th year of the Jiayou reign (Northern Song), the clan joined efforts to dig irrigation channels and share resources, sustaining livelihoods; Emperor Renzong of Song praised their spirit as one in which “people dwell together in contentment—this is the very fulfillment of righteousness.” - Communal Ownership and Democratic Governance
The clan upheld the principles of public ownership—no private property, shared labor, and collective enterprise—organized around the division of labor “men till the fields; women weave.” Distribution emphasized egalitarian sharing; communal dining followed the call of a drum, with separate seating for the elderly, adults, and children to ensure fairness. Housing was built to uniform standards, clothing distributed by season, and a merit-based selection system for stewards—regardless of seniority or age—ensured competent and impartial administration. - Social Care and Security
The clan pioneered a community welfare system: the “Shou’an Tang” (Gerocomium) for the elderly, established by Chen Yun in the 1st year of Tianxi (Northern Song); the “Baiying Tang” (Foundling Care) for infants and young children; and an “Academy Endowment” of 20 qing of land to fund Dongjia Academy, ensuring talent cultivation and intergenerational continuity.
III. Contemporary Significance
The Yimen Chen ideals of harmony and publicness offer enduring value for building a harmonious society today. Harmony calls for equity and concord in human relations and with nature—epitomized by shared dwellings and undifferentiated use of property—while publicness embodies impartiality and justice, with affairs administered by merit-elected stewards. The clan’s ethos of loyalty and filial piety can be translated into modern civic virtue, energizing the ethical foundations of a civilized society and advancing social progress.
IV. Calls to Action
To carry forward the peace culture of Yimen Chen, we propose:
- Establish the World Yimen Chen Peace Culture Promotion Association
Unite Yimen Chen clansfolk worldwide with scholars and entrepreneurs to create a platform for cultural exchange, education, and public-good initiatives. - Build the Yimen Chen Peace Culture Elder Care Institution (a global brand)
Modelled on the “Shou’an Tang,” establish a flagship home in Yimen Chen’s historic homeland (Cheqiao Town, De’an County) that integrates cultural care with elderly services, serving as a living symbol of clan renewal. - Promote Yimen Chen Culture in Schools
Integrate the values of “loyalty and filial piety” and “learning through farming” into school curricula through dedicated courses, lectures, and experiential programs, nurturing young people’s civic ethics and moral character. - Advance Global Dissemination of Yimen Chen Peace Culture
Leverage new media, international forums, and cultural exchanges to share the principles of harmony and publicness, fostering intercivilizational dialogue and contributing positive energy to global peace.