ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Family tree of Chinese monarchs (middle)

A family tree shows us how different people in a family are related to each other. The family tree of Chinese monarchs in the middle is like a really long list of all the kings and queens who ruled China a very long time ago.

Think of it like a bunch of toys stacked on top of each other. At the top is the very first king who started the family, and then his kids and grandkids, and their kids and grandkids, and all the way down to the last king.

In China, some kings or emperors had more than one wife, so there were many different branches or lines of the family tree. Some kings also adopted a son from another family and made him the next king, so he became part of the family tree too.

The family tree helps us understand how these different kings were related to each other and who came before and after them. It's like a big puzzle that helps us learn about the history of China and the people who ruled it long ago.