Chinese women washing feet of mothers-in-law in a public show of filial piety sparks debate
- Women gathered in a square in northern China with basins filled with hot water to wash the feet of in-laws, a tradition meant to symbolise love and care
- Some criticise such ‘performances’ for promoting subservience at the expense of individualism and equality, but Chinese authorities strongly support them
In the square of a residential community in northern China, dozens of women took basins of hot water to perform an act intended to show honour and humility: washing the feet of their mothers-in-law.
Sitting on stools and speaking face-to-face, the women in Hebei province gently rubbed the feet of their elderly relatives, according to a local television news clip from last week with the headline reading: “I wash the feet of my mother-in-law; we are a harmonious family.”
Filial piety is the tradition of honouring elderly relatives and ancestors and is rooted in Confucian literature.
It was just one of many such foot-washing cultural events held across China in recent decades, all of which had the same stated goal of promoting honour and respect for the older generations.
In schools, asking students to help their parents or grandparents wash their feet is still a common homework assignment in moral education classes.