ABSTRACT
In retrospect, the Fan clan should have been more eager to reclaim him. Fan Zhongyan had a long and successful career in the government and became very wealthy. Personally frugal, he was generous to both his adoptive and biological family during his lifetime and gave them many charitable gifts. However, Fan Zhongyan was not content with serving the Fan clan during his lifetime. After his retirement, he sought a way to make certain his wealth would take care of his kin even after his death. In 1050, Fan Zhongyan decided to create something new. He invested in a parcel of land and designated it as an inalienable trust property held in the name of the Fan lineage. This property would provide income for charitable gifts for clan members in perpetuity.7 Each member of the Fan clan would receive gifts of rice and silk, as well as gifts of cash at weddings and funerals.8 Although it evolved over time, the Fan Clan’s charitable trust lasted for 500 years. Fan Zhongyan’s innovative estate became famous and was widely imitated in China for centuries.9
