Family

The family was the center of life in China. The Confucian concept of five relations was key in Chinese society. Children were expected to obey their parents; everyone was to obey the ruler, wives were expected to obey their husbands, younger children their older brothers and sisters, and friends their older friends. The oldest male was the absolute ruler in the family. Marriages were arranged in advance, with the couple usually never meeting before the marriage ceremony. Extended families were the norm. Children would typically move in with their parents after marriage. Aging parents lived with their children until they died..