One way of understanding Asian societies is through family ties. The concept of Xiao, or filial piety, has been part of Chinese values for a very long time. Today it remains an important pillar of the Chinese family structure. Cui Hui'ao tells us more.

For 71-year-old Chen Zukang, it is another day of utter happiness. His son Chen Lei brings his wife and daughter to visit him at his apartment. While the rest of the family watches TV in the living room, Chen starts preparing a simple but typical Shanghainese meal. He says since he has retired, there is one thing that he looks forward to everyday: the entire family enjoys his cooking together.

CHEN ZUKANG SHANGHAI RESIDENT "We pretty much eat as a family everyday, and I love cooking for my kids. They spend time with us, eat what I prepare for them, and show their love and respect. To me, that is filial piety."

Chen says compared to decades ago, when he was taking care of his parents, the definition of filial piety has changed. It's no longer solely about providing material comfort for the old, but also now focuses on their spiritual and mental wellbeing. For example, Chen's daughter-in-law Tang Lingyun has her own methods of making them happy.

TANG LINGYUN CHEN'S DAUGHTER-IN-LAW "They both love traveling and we do our best to take them with us to see the world, which was something they weren't able to do when they were young. We've been to many places like California and Hawaii. And they enjoy it a lot.

Now, Chen and his son's family live in the same neighborhood, within just walking distance of each other. The physical proximity allows more family bonding time, and more convenience for taking care of each other.

CHEN ZUKANG SHANGHAI RESIDENT "There was one time my wife had high blood pressure and wasn't feeling well. We called our son and he got here within minutes and took her to the hospital."

An important concept of Confucius's thinking, filial piety is now finding a new interpretation in contemporary Chinese society. But certain aspects of it remain unchanged.

CUI HUI'AO SHANGHAI "Filial piety is illustrated by the Chinese character Xiao. The character is a combination of the characters lao, which means old, and zi , which means son. This placement is symbolic and very much telling of what filial piety means to Chinese people.

LU ZHEN SOCIOLOGIST "The concept of filial piety stems from the survival need of an agricultural society where parents take charge of production and support their children. In return, children carry their parents when they are old. It is based upon blood relations, and is fundamentally different from western individualism."

Professor Lu says no matter how Chinese society evolves, this value of filial piety will remain as the pillar of the family structure. In his words, it is all about a balance between family and individual, and filial piety is that stabilizer. Cui Hui'ao, CGTN, Shanghai.