Fulfilling filial responsibilities is easier said than done. And meeting all the requirements of filial piety has become all the more difficult in these postmodern times, because many people still stick to age-old beliefs that are no longer applicable or practical, says an article in Qianjiang Evening News. Excerpts:

Zhou Songying, who is just about 50, has had to shift residence three times in six years, moving to her latest house in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, early this month. She has had to do so to escape from some people who accused her of "not respecting or taking good care of her parents". Her father died in 2006 and mother in 2008.

Following her parents' wishes, Zhou donated their bodies for medical research. Many of her neighbors and relatives believe that she shouldn't have done so, because according to traditional Chinese culture landing up on the dissecting table is one of the worst endings a person can have. Some even alleged that Zhou sold her parents' bodies for money, while others insisted she get the bodies back and gave her parents a traditional burial.