Source: BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5388064.stm?ls
On September 28, 2006 BBC News reported, "For the first time in more than 2,500 years the family tree of the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, is to include women descendants. Kong Dehong, a descendant overseeing the updating of the family tree, said: 'We have to move with the times. Men and women are equal now.' Traditional Confucian thinking gave women little status and required them to obey men in its strict hierarchy... However Mr Kong, speaking at a festival marking Confucius' 2,557th birthday in the philosopher's home town of Qufu in eastern Shandong province, said equality now had to be observed. Mr Kong is planning to reveal the fifth family tree update in 2009 and believes there could now be more than three million descendants - about 2.5m of whom live in China... State news agency Xinhua said the family tree was thought to be the world's biggest - setting down more than 80 generations."