AI tool maps Chinese family trees, links mainland and Taiwan heritage

A new AI application tracing Chinese family trees is using big data and 3D visualization to bridge the cultural and ancestral divide between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.

Developed by NetDragon Websoft Inc, the tool allows users to input surnames to generate personalized family tree videos and take immersive photos with AI-created famous people sharing the same surname.

By transforming static records into digital assets, the project addresses the fundamental question of "Where do I come from?" and gives traditional kinship a modern, emotional resonance, said Lin Chen, vice president of NetDragon.

The application was a centerpiece on display at the 9th Digital China Summit from Wednesday to Thursday in Fuzhou, Fujian province, East China. It highlights Fujian as the primary ancestral home for nearly 80 percent of Taiwan's population.

"We are using technology as a bridge to warmly connect the bloodlines of compatriots on both sides of the Strait," Lin said. "By leveraging AI to revitalize traditional genealogy, we give kinship culture a new temperature."

The database currently covers more than 100 surnames, mapping historical migrations from central China to Fujian and across the sea. It integrates authoritative census data and historical records to ensure accuracy for those seeking their origins.

Deng Ping, a Taiwan tea artist who used the app, said, "In the past, it would be dry to merely explain family history to young people, but now they can see their lineage's development on the mainland and its inheritance in Taiwan through a medium they are fond of so as to know where their roots are."

Yang Jie contributed to this story.