Statue Of Woman Breastfeeding Mother-In-Law Gets Removed After Criticism
Image via Shutterstock
A statue of a woman breastfeeding her mother-in-law in China’s Zhejiang province has been removed following complaints from visitors and internet users.
Global Times reported that tourists and internet users had criticized the statue at Yingpan Mountain Scenic Spot in Huzhou as they claimed it was difficult to comprehend why the woman would breastfeed her mother-in-law.
The statue shows a woman, dressed in traditional costume, lifting her shirt to expose one of her breasts. An elderly woman sits in front of her, suckling her breast. The statue was inspired by an ancient story that highlights the good virtue of filial piety and was intended to educate people about filial duty. Filial piety is a traditional value that Chinese people have been passing from generation to generation.
The story hails from an ancient Chinese book, The Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, the park where the statue was built said. Despite the statue receiving backlash from the public stating that it was ‘inappropriate,” the park stood to defend it. “If we don’t allow showing the 24 filial pieties, then where would Chinese filial values lie?” it asked.
Chinese internet users, however, said the connotation and pursuit of morality have changed with time and some outdated interpretations about filial piety in the ancient book should be discarded.
“In the modern world, can you imagine breastfeeding her in-law? It makes people uncomfortable and misleads the children,” a Weibo user argued. “We do not have to follow everything in our tradition, we can keep what’s good and disregard the rest,” another said.
Statue in China of woman breastfeeding elderly mother-in-law removed after public outcry https://t.co/WIq4KIKySH pic.twitter.com/TCCmfuh8ng
— AsiaOne (@asiaonecom) April 20, 2021
[via SCMP, cover image via Shutterstock]
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