Jiguan

Jíguàn 籍貫 ("hometown"), also called Zǔjí 祖籍 ("ancestral home") or Lǎojiā 老家 ("native home"), is the place of birth of one's father, grandfather or beyond. It is not necessarily one's place of birth.

For example, the Lady Bian 卞 was born in Baiting 白亭 in the commandery of Qi 齊, Qing Province 靑, but her jiguan is Langye commandery 琅琊 in Xu Province 徐.

Jiguan is a term used frequently when Chinese meet for a first time. They would ask something like "What's your jiguan?". The reason for this is because in China they speak a lot of different dialects. By asking where your family (who taught you how to speak) grew up one can know if they speak the same, or a similar dialect.

The order of telling one's jiguan is usually: 1) Province, 2) commandery, 3) county/district, 4) town.