Traditional Chinese Family Culture (Before Communist)

Summary

• The Chinese word for "Nation" make up of two characters: Guo means "Kingdom" and Jia means "Family."
• The definition of a Chinese family is taking care of every member in the family, and not just your own family.
• The Chinese family is built on a hierarchy system. Commonly, the oldest male in the house will control the entire family affairs.
• The first born boy is the most important child in the household since when he gets older, the child will replace his grandfather or father as the head of the house.
• The need for a head figure is because every member in the family expects to be in the family business and not wanting any outsider to be a part of it.
• The head of the house will make family private matters, as well as married arrangement.
• Even when a woman marries into her husband's household, she will always be consider an outsider and never have a voice in the family, unless, she goes through her son.
• Sometime the relationship between a husband and wife does not work, but the couple never gets divorce.

Nation comes first or family comes first?

When the word family comes to mind, many people will think of tradition as well. Every family has its own weird tradition. Do you have any weird tradition in your family? The people of China, their family, have full of traditions. Chinese and Asian as a whole consider family a major aspect in everyone's life.

Did you know that the word nation is created by two characters? The first character is Guo means "Kingdom;" the second is Jia means "Family." Yes, family is that important.

In this section, I will divide into two articles. First article will relate to the traditional way of a family, which is before the Communist gain control. And, second will be the modern day view of Chinese family, which take place after the Communist party take over.

Traditionally, a Chinese family is built in a hierarchy system. A place the oldest male in the family will have the highest authority and power, which are usually the grandfathers. This is one of the reasons why the concept of boy is so important in China.

What is so special about the boy?

The first born boy is always the first boy of the next generation. Let me give you an example. If you give birth to a first child and it is a boy, he will be the one taking on all family matters in the future. However, if you have a second child, which is a boy as well, it does not matter only the first one count.

Or, let put in another scenario your first born is girl, second is a girl, and finally the third time is a boy. Well, the first two girls do not count; the youngest boy still considers being the first born.

The reason is that the boy is important because unlike today, Chinese families are huge and stick together. Every member in the family expects to work in the family business. Because of this, each family needs a person who can make all the decisions concerning the family.

One of the family affairs is the arrangement marriage, which the head of the family always have the last say. That's right, when you married somebody during that time; you do not just married that person but his/her whole family as well. Furthermore, the woman never has a said in the matter.

"I'm lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother..." by Meredith Brook

If the women want to have a voice in the family, they have to go through the voice of their son. However, even if there is lot unhappiness in a woman's life, there is never (rarely) been a divorce. You can read more about the relationship between male and female by click here (coming soon).

A little side note, even as today when the family is scatter throughout the world, the people are still expected to help each other and reattribute to the family.

For example, it is very common that when the parents do not have money to pay for their own child education, the uncle will help with the tuition. Even, if that uncle does not living in China.

Thank you for joining. When you are finish, please, click here to read the modern Chinese family.

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