正名溯源辨文脉，四陈立祠传家风——评陈恩田提议更名“四陈祠”之举(中英双语)

正名溯源辨文脉，四陈立祠传家风——评陈恩田提议更名“四陈祠”之举

Rectifying Names to Trace Cultural Roots, Enshrining the "Four Chens" to Pass on Family Traditions — Commentary on Chen Entian’s Proposal to Rename the Shrine

2026年5月，南洋陈氏宗亲总会理事长陈恩田赴四川南部县调研古祠文脉，正式提议将当地纪念北宋陈省华三子的“三陈祠”更名为“四陈祠”。这一提议兼顾史实还原、文脉区分、家风传承三重价值，既修正了长久以来的纪念疏漏，又清晰划开两处同名“三陈”地标，是兼具史学严谨与文旅远见的务实举措。

In May 2026, Chen Entian, Chairman of the Nanyang Chen Clan Association, visited Nanbu County in Sichuan Province to research the cultural context of ancient ancestral halls. He formally proposed renaming the local "Three Chen Shrine"—which commemorates the three sons of Chen Shenghua from the Northern Song Dynasty—to the "Four Chen Shrine." This proposal balances the restoration of historical facts, the distinction of cultural lineages, and the inheritance of family traditions. It not only corrects long-standing oversights in commemoration but also clearly delineates two landmarks sharing the same name, representing a pragmatic initiative that combines historiographical rigor with far-sighted cultural tourism planning.

一、补全史实：四贤同辉，父为根基

I. Completing Historical Records: Four Luminaries Shine Together, with the Father as the Foundation

南部旧祠定名“三陈”，长久以来只供奉陈尧叟、陈尧佐、陈尧咨三兄弟，却忽略了整个家族兴盛的奠基人陈省华，这是史料传播中的一处短板。

For a long time, the old shrine in Nanbu was named the "Three Chen Shrine," enshrining only the three brothers—Chen Yaosou, Chen Yaozuo, and Chen Yaozi—while overlooking Chen Shenghua, the founder of the family's prosperity. This omission represents a significant gap in the dissemination of historical records.

陈省华（939-1006）本身便是北宋朝堂重臣，官至左谏议大夫、光禄卿，身后追封秦国公、太子少师，绝非依附子弟名望的寻常父辈。他治家严苛、立身清正，是三子成才的核心引路人：正是陈省华携家入蜀、严教修身，才培育出一门旷世英才。

Chen Shenghua (939–1006) was himself a high-ranking official in the Northern Song court, serving as the Left Remonstrance Official and Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, posthumously honored as Duke of Qin and Grand Mentor to the Crown Prince. He was by no means an ordinary father relying on his children's fame. With strict household management and personal integrity, he served as the core mentor for his sons' success. It was Chen Shenghua who brought his family to Shu (Sichuan), enforcing rigorous discipline and moral cultivation, thus nurturing unparalleled talents within the family.

长子陈尧叟状元及第、身居相位，谥号文忠；次子陈尧佐进士出身，两度拜相，深耕水利、工于书法；三子陈尧咨同样高中状元，文武双全，《卖油翁》使其善射之名流传千年。一门二宰相、双状元，论朝堂功业与家族官声，陈氏四父子整体实绩甚至超越苏洵、苏轼、苏辙三苏；只是三苏以文学冠绝千秋，陈氏胜在吏治治世之功。北宋司马光早已作《陈氏四令公祠堂记》，以“衣冠之盛首推陈氏”定论四人同列的历史地位，古时本就以“四令公”并称。更名“四陈祠”，是还原古人既定称谓，让完整的世家群像得以完整呈现，不再割裂父与子、根与果的传承脉络。

The eldest son, Chen Yaosou, achieved the title of Zhuangyuan (top scholar) and served as Chancellor, posthumously awarded the honorific title "Wenzhong." The second son, Chen Yaozuo, a Jinshi graduate, served twice as Chancellor and was deeply involved in water conservancy and calligraphy. The third son, Chen Yaozi, also a Zhuangyuan, excelled in both civil and military affairs; his legendary archery skills have been passed down for millennia through the tale "The Old Oil Vendor." With two Chancellors and two top scholars in one family, the collective achievements of the four Chens arguably surpassed those of the "Three Sus"—Su Xun, Su Shi, and Su Zhe—in terms of political merit and official reputation, though the Sus are renowned for their literary brilliance while the Chens excelled in governance. Sima Guang of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote "A Record of the Shrine of the Four Lords of the Chen Family," concluding that "the Chen family stands supreme in scholarly and official eminence." Historically, they were known together as the "Four Lords." Renaming it the "Four Chen Shrine" restores the ancient designation, presenting the complete portrait of this prominent family and mending the fragmented narrative between father and sons, roots and fruits.

二、厘清地标：古今两“三陈”，红色古贤各分明

II. Clarifying Landmarks: Two "Three Chens" Across Time, Distinguishing Revolutionary Martyrs from Ancient Worthies

更名另一层现实意义，是彻底规避地名文保标识混淆的现实难题。安徽安庆存有一处红色文化地标，俗称“三陈祠”，纪念的是陈独秀、陈延年、陈乔年父子三人。一处承载北宋士大夫家风吏治，一处镌刻近代革命信仰热血，时代背景、精神内核、纪念人物天差地别，长期共用“三陈”简称，极易在宣传、研学、文旅导览中产生认知错乱。

Another practical significance of the renaming lies in avoiding the confusion surrounding cultural heritage site identification. Anqing, Anhui, hosts a red cultural landmark colloquially called the "Three Chen Shrine," commemorating Chen Duxiu, Chen Yannian, and Chen Qiaonian. One site embodies the family traditions and governance of Northern Song scholar-officials, while the other is engraved with the revolutionary fervor of modern times. Their historical contexts, spiritual cores, and commemorated figures differ vastly. Sharing the abbreviation "Three Chens" has long led to cognitive confusion in promotion, educational tours, and cultural tourism.

安庆“三陈”是近代党史丰碑：陈独秀开新文化运动先河，陈延年、陈乔年舍身赴义、壮烈牺牲，父子三人曾同步跻身中央委员，是革命史上独一无二的精神坐标；四川南部古陈氏，则是古代耕读传家、忠勤仕宦的典范。一古一今、一仕宦一革命，两处文脉本无高下，唯有名称区分，才能各自独立讲好专属故事，互不干扰、各展荣光。陈恩田的提议，从名称源头划清两大文化符号边界，对两地文保宣传、宗亲寻根、大众历史科普都大有裨益。

The "Three Chens" of Anqing are monuments in modern party history: Chen Duxiu pioneered the New Culture Movement, while Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian sacrificed their lives for the revolution. All three served simultaneously as Central Committee members, forming a unique spiritual coordinate in revolutionary history. In contrast, the ancient Chen family of southern Sichuan exemplifies the ancient ideal of "farming for sustenance and studying for advancement," characterized by loyalty and diligence in office. One ancient, one modern; one focused on officialdom, the other on revolution. Neither is superior, but only through distinct naming can they independently tell their own stories without interference, each shining in its own right. Chen Entian's proposal draws a clear line between these two major cultural symbols at the source, greatly benefiting cultural preservation, clan root-seeking, and public historical education.

三、深耕家风：立父为范，激活传统教化价值

III. Deepening Family Traditions: Establishing the Father as a Model to Activate Traditional Educational Value

中华宗族祠堂的核心要义，从来不止纪念名人，更在于传承家风家训。只祭三子、不奉陈省华，等于抽走了陈氏家风的源头。陈省华治家以礼法为本，其妻冯氏素有“蜀中孟母”之誉，严慈并济培育三子；关汉卿杂剧《陈母教子》千年来传唱不息，故事底色正是陈省华夫妇构建的家教体系。

The core purpose of Chinese ancestral halls has never been merely to commemorate celebrities but to inherit family traditions and precepts. Worshiping only the three sons while neglecting Chen Shenghua is equivalent to severing the source of the Chen family ethos. Chen Shenghua governed his household based on rites and laws, while his wife, Lady Feng, was praised as the "Mencius' Mother of Shu" for her stern yet nurturing guidance. The Yuan dynasty playwright Guan Hanqing’s The Story of Mother Chen Educating Her Sonshas been celebrated for centuries, rooted precisely in the educational system established by the couple.

改为四陈同祀，祠堂叙事便能形成完整闭环：以陈省华为立身治家之标杆，以三位儿子为成才践道之典范，完整展示“严家教、勤治学、忠国事、守清节”的完整家风链条。放在当下，这份北宋世家的修身齐家之道，对家庭教育、家风建设、公职修身都具备鲜活的借鉴意义。新华每日电讯《看见文旅》栏目负责人罗志强对此提议高度认可，并邀约陈恩田题写新匾额，也印证业界看好此次更名对活化传统文化IP、提升古祠文化厚度的正向作用。

By enshrining all four Chens together, the shrine’s narrative forms a complete loop: Chen Shenghua serves as the benchmark for personal conduct and household management, while his three sons serve as models of realized potential. This fully demonstrates the family chain of "strict discipline, diligent learning, loyalty to the state, and adherence to integrity." Today, the way this Northern Song family cultivated themselves and managed their household offers vivid lessons for modern family education, tradition-building, and public service ethics. Luo Zhiqiang, head of the Insight into Culture and Tourismcolumn of Xinhua Daily Telegraph, highly endorsed this proposal and invited Chen Entian to inscribe the new plaque, confirming industry optimism about the positive impact of this renaming on revitalizing traditional cultural IP and enhancing the depth of the ancient shrine.

结语：小更名藏大格局

Conclusion: A Small Name Change Reflects a Grand Vision

一座祠堂名称的微调，看似细微，实则是对历史的敬畏、对文脉的梳理、对家风的守护。更名“四陈祠”，对内补全陈氏四贤完整谱系，让千年世家全貌大白于世；对外划清古今两大“三陈”地标，守护红色文化与古代贤达文化各自的纯粹性；长远来看，更能让南部这一川北文化名片提质升级，把“一门四杰”的北宋佳话转化为可看、可学、可传承的精神载体。正本方能清源，立根才可传远，此次更名之举，值得地方文史、宗亲、文旅各界协力推进落地。

A minor adjustment to the name of a shrine may seem trivial, but it reflects reverence for history, clarification of cultural lineage, and protection of family values. Renaming it the "Four Chen Shrine" completes the family tree internally, revealing the full picture of this millennium-old clan to the world. Externally, it distinguishes the two "Three Chen" landmarks across time, preserving the purity of both red culture and ancient worthy culture. In the long run, it will elevate Nanbu County's status as a cultural calling card of northern Sichuan, transforming the Northern Song legend of "four talents in one family" into a spiritual vehicle that can be seen, learned from, and inherited. Only by rectifying the root can the source be cleared; only by establishing deep roots can heritage be passed on far and wide. This renaming initiative deserves the joint efforts of local historians, clan associations, and cultural tourism sectors to bring it to fruition.