Recently, I was lucky enough to see the validity of the widely held opinion that you can get an idea of Chinese traditions and culture, first of all, directly in the Chinese family. This was facilitated by the invitation of my Chinese friend Tang Wentian to visit his parents ' house. My first visit to this hospitable house was marked by a wonderful dinner prepared by my friend's grandmother. It was then that we met the family members. I felt their extraordinary benevolence. A friend of one of the family members is a friend of the whole family. Tang Jianping's grandmother was particularly interested in me. She asked me a lot of questions that seemed to genuinely interest her. And my friend's grandfather, Tang Shihou, seemed a little shy about the presence of a foreign woman (for their generation, this is an event!). Later, I often came to visit them for dinner, and not so much to eat delicious food, but to hear interesting stories about the life of the Chinese, their traditions, and learn more about Chinese culture. CONFUCIAN PHILOSOPHY AT THE DINNER TABLE From ancient times to this day, China has revered the philosophy of Confucianism , a system of behavior and ethics that emphasizes people's obligations to each other. Confucianism implies respect for family and ancestral rites, observance of ancient laws and customs, the main of which is the cult of ancestors. This philosophy emphasizes the importance of loyalty, honor and sincere filial respect for the age and experience of the older generation. Filial reverence in the Confucian way is still present and clearly felt in the traditional family, in which the age hierarchy, seniority, is of great importance. Once I was told a story from the time when this family lived in the village, when they were simple peasants. In the village, it is believed that the eldest son should be given the best food that will help him grow up faster and help the family. One of the most useful dishes is chicken soup - a simple broth made fr ... Read more