The Chinese Armorial
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Is the Chinese Armorial a heraldic authority?
No, the Chinese Armorial is not a state-sanctioned heraldic authority, and hence, registration and publication of your coat of arms in the Chinese Armorial does not provide legal right or protection to the use of your coat of arms. Like other private registries, the best protection it can give is that it will show that you used a specific coat of arms as at a certain date, that is, the date of registration and publication. It is intended as a private registry of armorial bearings for the enjoyment and education of persons interested in heraldry, history, and Chinese culture.
2. Who is eligible to have his/her coat of arms registered and published in the Chinese Armorial?
Please see the Acceptance Policy for information on armigers who qualify to have their coats of arms, badges, and heraldic devices registered and published in the Chinese Armorial.
3. Is there a cost for having my coat of arms registered and published?
No. The Editor operates the Chinese Armorial on a voluntary basis and charges no fee to register and publish coats of arms, badges, and heraldic devices in the Chinese Armorial. He is an armiger who is developing this Armorial out of love for heraldry and overseas Chinese culture and history.
However, if the Chinese Armorial will be published in book form, including electronic book form, in the future, there will be a cost to purchase the book.
4. Is there a registration certificate?
The Chinese Armorial issues a certificate for each heraldic device registered. Registration certificates are free of cost to the armiger if they are sent as a pdf file via email. For more information, visit the page about registration certificates.
5. How long does it take for my coat of arms to appear in the Chinese Armorial?
The Chinese Armorial is a volunteer project undertaken by the Editor on his spare time, so he cannot set a firm timeline for inclusion of your coat of arms, but he will try to have coats of arms published online within one month of him and the applicant agreeing to the information to be published.
6. After my information has been published, may I get it changed?
Yes, though they will be made as spare time permits. Change requests will be prioritized. Corrections of errors will be given first priority. Additional grants and registrations with heraldic authorities or private registries will be given the second priority. Important changes to personal or family history, for example, investiture into an order of chivalry or promotion to a senior military rank, will receive third priority. Other change requests, such as minor edits your family history after we have agreed on the version to be published, will be implemented as time permits.
7. Why are you including Mongolians, Tibetans, and other ethnic groups as Chinese?
They are not Han Chinese, but China is actually a multicultural country with many ethnic groups, called national minorities by the People's Republic. These peoples live within China, and hence, in that sense, they are Chinese, though not Han.
Some areas outside China, for example, independent Mongolia (Outer Mongolia) and the Russian Republic of Tuva, were once under Chinese rule. Due to their historical connection to China, coats of arms of persons from these states may also be eligible for inclusion in the Chinese Armorial.
The Editor realizes that there is controversy as to whether some provinces, such as Tibet, ever were a part of China or should remain so. What is indisputable is that these provinces are currently under Chinese rule, and hence, for purposes of the Chinese Armorial, the coats of arms of individuals with family origins in these provinces may qualify for inclusion in the Chinese Armorial. Such inclusion should not be interpreted as an official or personal opinion of the Editor or anyone associated with the Chinese Armorial on the sovereignty or lack thereof of these provinces.
8. How many pictures of my coat of arms can I post on the Chinese Armorial?
We know that one of the joys of heraldry is getting several artists to draw your coat of arms in their different styles, but we ask that you submit only one illustration of your coat of arms.
If, for some reason, you have two coats of arms or if the blazon used by one heraldic authority is different from the blazon used by another heraldic authority such that they create a visible and noteworthy difference, then you may submit both coats of arms.
9. Can the Editor change the policies of the Chinese Armorial at any time?
Yes, given that the Chinese Armorial is a privately-funded project of the Editor.