Abstract: In the Western Zhou Dynasty, the cities directly under the royal administration were often the centers for lineage settlements. Judging from both unearthed inscriptions and archaeological sites, we can tell that during the period from the mid to late Western Zhou Dynasty, lineage settlements were formed within several important regions around the capital, such as Zheng, Feng, and Zhou (also called Qi). These regions had acquired distinctive traits of a city, becoming important places home to multiple lineages. This phenomenon of lineage clustering in cities was often associated with the migration of clan branches to serve the political and administrative needs of the royal family. The lineages as clan branches living in the cities kept patriarchal relations with the original clan family, but undertook administrative duties assigned by the royal family from generation to generation. An aristocratic social network even came into being due to the marriages among the lineages living within the same city. The introduction of an urban spatial perspective to examine lineage interactions in the cities reflects the fact that while cities in the Western Zhou dynasty served important ceremonial and administrative functions, they also provided important living and social space for the clans as they were home to the lineages as clan branches.

Key words: ancient Chinese cities, urban space, Western Zhou clan society, Zheng, the Jing Lineage