中华人民共和国继承法

LAW OF SUCCESSION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

第一章 总 则

Chapter I General Provisions

第一条 根据《中华人民共和国宪法》规定，为保护公民的私有财产的继承权，制定本法。

Article 1 This Law is enacted pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China with a view to protecting the right of citizens to inherit private property.

第二条 继承从被继承人死亡时开始。

Article 2 Succession begins at the death of a citizen.

第三条 遗产是公民死亡时遗留的个人合法财产，包括：

Article 3 Estate denotes the lawful property owned by a citizen personally at the time of his death, which consists of:

（一）公民的收入；

(1) his income;

（二）公民的房屋、储蓄和生活用品；

(2) his houses, savings and articles of everyday use;

（三）公民的林木、牲畜和家禽；

(3) his forest trees, livestock and poultry;

（四）公民的文物、图书资料；

(4) his cultural objects, books and reference materials;

（五）法律允许公民所有的生产资料；

(5) means of production lawfully owned by him;

（六）公民的著作权、专利权中的财产权利；

(6) his property rights pertaining to copyright and patent rights; 

（七）公民的其他合法财产。

(7) his other lawful property.

第四条 个人承包应得的个人收益，依照本法规定继承。个人承包，依照法律允许由继承人继续承包的，按照承包合同办理。

Article 4 Personal benefits accruing from a contract entered into by an individual are heritable in accordance with the provisions of this Law. Contracting by an individual, if permitted by law to be continued by the successor, shall be treated in accordance with the terms of the contract.

第五条 继承开始后，按照法定继承办理；有遗嘱的,按照遗嘱继承或者遗赠办理；有遗赠扶养协议的，按照协议办理。

Article 5 Succession shall, after its opening, be handled in accordance with the provisions of statutory succession; where a will exists, it shall be handled in accordance with testamentary succession or as legacy; where there is an agreement for legacy in return for support, the former shall be handled in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

第六条 无行为能力人的继承权、受遗赠权，由他的法定代理人代为行使。

Article 6 The right to inheritance or legacy of a competent person shall be exercised on his behalf by his statutory agent.

限制行为能力人的继承权、受遗赠权，由他的法定代理人代为行使，或者征得法定代理人同意后行使。

The right to inheritance or legacy of a person with limited capacity shall be exercised on his behalf by his statutory agent or by such person himself after obtaining the consent of his statutory agent.

第七条 继承人有下列行为之一的，丧失继承权：

Article 7 A successor shall be disinherited upon his commission of any one of the following acts:

（一）故意杀害被继承人的；

(1) intentional killing of the decedent;

（二）为争夺遗产而杀害其他继承人的；

(2) killing any other successor in fighting over the estate;

（三）遗弃被继承的，或者虐待被继承人情节严重的；

(3) a serious act of abandoning or maltreating the decedent; 

（四）伪造、篡改或者销毁遗嘱，情节严重的。

(4) a serious act of forging, tampering with or destroying the will.

第八条 继承权纠纷提起诉讼的期限为二年，自继承人知道或者应当知道其权利被侵犯之日起计算。但是，自继承开始之日起超过二十年的，不得再提起诉讼。

Article 8 The time limit for institution of legal proceedings pertaining to disputes over the right to inheritance is two years, counting from the day the successor became or should have become aware of the violation of his right to inheritance. No legal proceedings, however, may be instituted after the expiration of a period of 20 years from the day succession began.