In particular, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, when the keeping of family genealogies became widespread, the two sets of records gradually were combined, and family precepts became a special chapter within genealogical histories. Gentry families would gather on a regular basis, once each month or each quarter, to recite the text in the family memorial hall.
對於家訓，古人從不敢怠慢，尤其明清兩代，家訓和家譜大量興起，同時兩者逐漸合而為一，家訓成為族譜中的一個專章，仕紳階級每月或每季總要按時聚集族中子弟，在祠堂家廟裡頌讀一番。