Presentation: Wu Zeitan, Imperial Rank Badges & the Chinese Examination System

In this session Lee will discuss the following: Wu Zetian and Imperial Rank Badges 武則天三和補子 and The Chinese Imperial Examination System 科舉制度. As the only female Emperor of China, Wu Zetian set up a national examination system for government officials and established official uniforms. The large rank badges on both front and back of the uniforms were magnificent works of art. The Imperial examination system was the formal process used to select and rank Chinese government officials. This system lasted for over 1,200 years, testing knowledge of history, culture, literature, ethics, Confucianism, law and administration.

Lee Pearce has lived in Hong Kong, done graduate work in Chinese at the University of Utah and UC Berkeley and worked for Asian steamship companies for 15 years. He is fluent in Chinese and currently volunteers as the Chinese language specialist at the Oakland FamilySearch Center.

This program is part of the Genealogy and Family History Symposium 2026, a two-day conference presented by the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and the California Genealogical Society (CGS), featuring speakers from SFPL, CGS, the Oakland FamilySearch Center, SFgenealogy and other organizations presenting on a wide range of topics.

See the full two-day schedule.