This particular festival in honor of the aged members of society has been celebrated in Taiwan only since 1966, but its observance is a variation on similar events dating back to times earlier than Confucius.
Respect for the elderly is one of the pillars of Chinese tradition, and it has given both theoretical and practical strength to social and political institutions. While honoring senior members of society remains a family and an official practice, the methods for doing so have changed over the centuries—and the modernization of Taiwan is forcing yet one more permutation on the theme of respect for elders.
Respect for the aged is at the heart of Chinese culture. It is expressed in all aspects of the Chinese way of life, including literature, political theory, social institutions, and personal habits. Confucius (551-479 B.C.), whose philosophy gives form and substance to much of Chinese culture, emphasized respect for elders.
"To bring happiness to the aged," is one of the most important tenets in Confucianism, and the attitude permeates the Chinese way of life. Filial piety (hsiao) is considered foremost of all the Confucian virtues. Reinforcing this concept, filial deeds are praised throughout the various Chinese classics, such as the Analects, the Book of Rites and, of course, the Book of Filial Piety.
In the Analects, which is the principal source of knowledge about the original thoughts of Confucius, he says: "At 15, I had determined to devote myself to studies. At 30, I had formed my opinions and judgment. At 40, I had no more doubts. At 50, I understood the truth in religion. At 60, I could understand whatever I heard without exertion. At 70, I could follow whatever my heart desired without transgressing the law." These remarks illustrate his belief that the older a man is, the more knowledge, experience, and virtue he possesses.
Respect for the aged was not only an emotional expression of filial piety, but was essential for the survival of society. Since traditional Chinese society was agricultural, experience rather than classroom learning was the major source of knowledge. The aged, with their rich experience of life, agricultural work, and Chinese customs, played a key role in guaranteeing social cohesion. They therefore deserved their high social status.
Terms in Chinese language reinforce the respect given older members of society. For example, lao, the word for old, is often used in a context that reminds people to be respectful, such as lao shih for teacher, and lao yu for old friend. To call someone "old" was not a negative assessment, but instead conveyed a sense of status, honor, respect, and recognized achievement on the part of the speaker.
Similarly, a government was praised if it took good care of the aged. In ancient times before China was united under the Chin Dynasty, Confucius moved from state to state to offer advice to various rulers and princes. He frequently argued that a state ruled by a good government would naturally encourage more people, both old and young, to move to it. This, of course, was an attractive argument because a larger population gave a ruler greater military and financial power, the latter through taxation.
Many Chinese historical and legendary figures are especially famous because their skills and knowledge were demonstrated at an advanced age. Chiang Tze-ya for example, helped Chi Fa found the Chou Dynasty (1111-256 B.C.), and he became a minister at the age of 80.
During the age of Confucius, most people had no opportunity to receive a formal education. Since the lower classes could not read or write, the transmission of knowledge and skills on the mass level was done orally. The aged had a particularly important role in this process, and their words and deeds deeply influenced traditional communities.
Local governments invited experienced and virtuous senior citizens to teach in various schools, usually such ethical and practical subjects as family relations and farming methods. The central government of the Han and Tang Dynasties selected people over 50 and deemed virtuous to fulfill the role of San Lao or "political consultants" to the court. Individuals so selected were accorded great respect by the government bureaucracy and the emperor.
In the ancient Book of Rites it is recorded that local governments held the Hsiang Yin Chiu Ceremony in the 12th month of each lunar year. Both the young and aged of the community were invited, with the former presenting a banquet for the aged in honor of their contribution to society. The ceremony included the sport of archery, considered a necessary pursuit for refined gentlemen, and generally provided an occasion for strengthening community ties. Rules for the ceremony included the following: "Those over 60 years old may sit in the ceremony; those under 50 should stand." Food also depended on age. The older people were served more and better quality dishes. These ceremonies were held from earliest times up to the late Ching Dynasty, demonstrating the power of tradition in Chinese history.
There were other symbols of respect for the aged as well. One was the walking stick, considered a symbol of wisdom, experience, virtue, and authority. Rules of the imperial court reinforced this: "If the government does not approve the application for retirement of those officials over 70, it should bestow sticks on them as an honor. Ministers over 70 years of age are allowed to withdraw from the court session even before the emperor leaves; those over 80 are allowed to walk with their sticks in the court. For those over 90, the emperor should visit them himself with a minimum of pomp when he needs their advice."
Outside the court, aged members of society were treated with special courtesies in other ways. For instance, "No corvée labor is required for those aged over 50; there is no military service for those over 60; those over 70 do not need to host guests; and those over 80 do not have to participate in funerals." Elder people were permitted to wear special clothing, which indicated higher status, and they were permitted to ride in carriages instead of walking, an honor normally limited to officials.
Government officials aged over 70 could use the honorific term lao fu to refer to themselves. They also received gifts from the government, which ranged from food, clothing, and houses to ranks of nobility and other emoluments.
The Chinese legal system was also influenced by the special respect accorded to senior members of society. Beginning in the Tang Dynasty, people were allowed to take revenge on those who harmed their parents or grandparents. The law stipulated, for example, that one could beat those who beat his parents or grandparents. This was not revised until the Ming Dynasty.
Moreover, except for serious offenses like sedition and murder, the aged were exempt from the death sentence. And offenses against filial piety, such as insulting or beating one's parents or grandparents, were forbidden under penalty of death. The law even commuted the punishments of convicted individuals whose parents or grandparents were over 70. This was done to ensure that aged parents would be taken care of by their children — an instance of ethics overriding the law.
Governments also provided relief for those aged members of society who had no wife, husband, or children to take care of them. In the Sung Dynasty, for instance, government nursing homes were provided for those aged and alone, and their funeral expenses would also be paid, which was a considerable source of relief for many elderly people.
Because most older people were taken care of by their families, there was no need for a social security system. It was taken for granted that clans and local communities would take the responsibility of providing most relief for the old and the destitute. Therefore, only a limited population of the aged could enjoy government care, such as those whose children or grandchildren had died for the nation.
Throughout Chinese history, the clan system was supported by the concept of hsiao tao, or "the way of filial piety." Under this system, the most senior male had the responsibility of taking care of all family and clan members. It was quite commonplace for a family to have members extending over three to five generations. The income of each member was considered common property for the whole family, and it was taken for granted that the family leader, usually the grandfather or father, would manage all property and decide personal affairs like marriages. A family member would be regarded unfilial, for example, if he bought his own land. Unless the senior leader died, the younger members were not allowed to divide family property or to secede from the family.
Historical writings provide voluminous examples of the proper performance of filial piety. An emperor was supposed to be capable and virtuous; his ministers were to be loyal in a way parallel to filial piety within the family. One story in the text called The 24 Examples of Filial Piety says that the Sage Emperor Shun (ca. 2200 B.C.) received the throne from Emperor Yao because of his filial deeds. Both emperors have been used over the centuries as ideal examples of virtuous leadership and character.
In the discourses and sayings of Confucius on filial piety, people were required not only to support the parents, but also to respect and consummate their goals. There are countless filial deeds found in Chinese history and literature. Li Mi (224-287) of the Tsin Dynasty, for instance, turned down the emperor's invitation to be secretary to the prince; he did so in order to take care of his grandmother, who had raised him from a child. Li's reply to the emperor, the Chen Ching Piao, is still regarded as a literary masterpiece on filial piety.
Beyond the way one acts toward parents and other elders, attitudes are equally important. According to Confucius, "If there is no feeling of love and respect, what is the difference between supporting one's parents and keeping his dogs and horses alive?" Elsewhere, he said: "When his parents are living, a good son should do his duties to them according to the usage prescribed by propriety; when they are dead, he should bury them and honor their memory according to the rites prescribed by propriety. "
Moreover, an advanced requirement of filial piety is to achieve the unreached goals of one's parents. "When one's father is living, he should have regard for what his father would have him do; when the father is dead, for what his father has done. A son who for three years after his father's death does not change his father's principles in his own life may be said to be a good son." Ssu-Ma Chien, the greatest historian in Chinese history, is an example of this because he heeded his father's will and finished the Historical Records in the Han Dynasty.
Filial piety and respect for the aged have given strength to the family system and thereby to the whole Chinese social structure. Through centuries of political changes these ethical values have remained relatively constant. But this tradition now faces a more difficult challenge than any time in history. The dynastic form of government is gone; people in Taiwan are no longer dependent primarily on agriculture; education is universal; and the family system is fragmenting.
It is time, in the words of Yang Kuo-shu, a professor of psychology at National Taiwan University, for a "new filial piety," which he roughly defines as "The children do their best to treat parents well from both emotional and rational angles, but without breaking the law." Others have offered different prescriptions. But in any case, the survival of the Chinese institutions of family, society, and the nation have long been rooted in respect for elders. In the rapidly transforming social and political environment of Taiwan, the decisions made about the care and respect due senior members of society may well determine the island's overall quality of life and ethical respectability.