Do not distort filial piety

A publicity campaign in Liu'an, Anhui province, themed "24 Filial Piety Stories" of ancient China, have been criticized by a lot of residents for being poorly made and conveying the wrong values. In particular, people have identified one of the 24 stories, Guo Ju Burying His Son, for delivering the wrong message on filial piety. Therefore, the outdated dross of traditional Chinese culture, along with rigid bureaucratism, should be banned as soon as possible, says an article in Guangzhou Daily. Excerpts:

The campaign to promote filial piety was launched in Liu'an with good intentions. Given the declining respect for filial duties in some Chinese families, Liu'an has seemingly set a good example of promoting social morality.

However, one of the publicized ancient stories, Guo Ju Burying His Son, is a rather horrible tale which goes against the basic ethics and laws. The story is about an impoverished man named Guo Ju during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) who intends to bury his little son alive in order to save food for his starving mother.