The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, also translated as The Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety (), is a classic text of Confucian filial piety written by Guo Jujing ()() Wang, Qi (). Xu Wenxian Tongkao () vol. 71. during the Yuan dynasty (1260–1368). The text was extremely influential in the medieval Far East and was used to teach Confucian moral values.
Authorship The text is generally attributed to Guo Jujing () but other sources suggested two other possible authors or editors: Guo Jujing's younger brother Guo Shouzheng ()() Han, Taihua (). Wushi Weifu Zhai Suibi () vol. 2. and Guo Juye ().() Pan, Shoulian (). Ershisi Xiaotu Shuo Bing Shi () preface.
History
Some of the stories in The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars were taken from other texts such as the Xiaozi Zhuan (), Yiwen Leiju, Imperial Readings of the Taiping Era and In Search of the Supernatural.
There were earlier precedents of The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars. A Buddhist bianwen titled Ershisi Xiao Yazuowen (), which was among the manuscripts discovered in Dunhuang's Mogao Caves, is the oldest extant text related to The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars. During the Southern Song dynasty, the artist Zhao Zigu () drew a painting, Ershisi Xiao Shuhua Hebi (), about The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars. During the Yuan dynasty, the scholar Xie Yingfang () mentioned in Gui Chao Ji () that a certain Wang Dashan () once praised The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars and the Classic of Filial Piety. During the Qing dynasty, Wu Zhengxiu () mentioned in Ershisi Xiao Gu Ci () that the Twenty-four Filial Exemplars were very well known.
After the release of The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars, revised editions of the text and other similar works were published. Some of these include: Riji Gushi Daquan Ershisi Xiao (; Complete Diary Stories of the Twenty-four Filial Exemplars), Nü Ershisi Xiao (; Female Twenty-four Filial Exemplars), and Nan Nü Ershisi Xiao (; Male and Female Twenty-four Filial Exemplars).
The philologist Yang Bojun mentioned the development of The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars in Jingshu Qiantan (). After the book was compiled by Guo Shouzheng during the Yuan dynasty, a new illustrated edition with drawings by Wang Kexiao () was released, and this made the book even more popular. Towards the end of the Qing dynasty, Zhang Zhidong and others edited and expanded the book and released it as Bai Xiao Tu Shuo (; Illustrated Hundred Stories of Filial Piety).() Yang, Bojun. Jingshu Qiantan ().
Filial piety
The concept of filial piety has played a strong role in Chinese culture since ancient times. There was also a tradition of filial mourning, in which a person had to temporarily put aside whatever he/she was doing when his/her parent(s) died and mourn for three years. There were sayings such as "When a ruler wants a subject to die, the subject must die; when a father wants a son to die, the son must die", and "A loyal subject should be sought from a family with filial sons."(’) Fan, Ye. Book of the Later Han vol. 26.
However, some stories in The Twenty-four Filial Exemplars are regarded as negative examples in contemporary times. These stories include the extreme example of Guo Ju deciding to kill his son so that he could free up his son's share of the family's food consumption to feed his mother. The negative examples also include stories in which the protagonist harms himself in the process of fulfilling filial piety, such as Wu Meng allowing mosquitoes to suck his blood in the hope that they would not bother his parents, and Wang Xiang lying naked on ice to thaw the ice so that he could catch fish for his mother.
Some stories have been heavily criticised and even deemed contrary to Confucian principles. One example is the story of Cai Shun being rewarded by the Chimei rebels for his filial piety. The story paints the rebels in a positive light when they actually violated the Confucian virtue of loyalty to one's country. Another example is the story of Laolaizi behaving childishly to amuse his parents. The modern writer Lu Xun said that Laolaizi's story is "an insult to the ancients, and a bad influence on future generations".() Lu, Xun. Chao Hua Xi Shi ().
The Exemplars # Title Protagonist Historical setting Brief summary 1 His Filial Piety Moves Heaven and Earth () Shun Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era This story was set in the childhood of Shun, a mythical Chinese ruler. Shun's mother died when he was young so his father remarried and had another son with Shun's stepmother. Shun remained filial to his father, respected his stepmother and loved his half brother even though they tried to kill him. His filial piety moved the gods so they protected him from harm and made the animals help him in his daily farming chores. 2 He Tasted His Mother's Medicine () Liu Heng Western Han dynasty Liu Heng (Emperor Wen of Han) was known for his filial piety to his mother, Empress Dowager Bo. When she was ill, he personally took care of her and paid careful attention to her needs. When medicine was served to her, he insisted on tasting it first to ensure that it was safe for her to consume. 3 He Felt Pain in His Heart When His Mother Bit Her Finger () Zeng Shen Spring and Autumn period Zeng Shen was born in a poor family and was known for his filial piety. Once, when he was out gathering firewood, some visitors showed up at his house. His mother bit her finger and hoped that he would sense something and come home quickly. As she expected, Zeng felt a sharp pain in his heart and thought that something had happened to his mother, so he immediately rushed home. His mother told him the reason when he returned. The guests praised him for his filial piety. 4 He Obeyed His Mother and Wore Thin Clothes () Min Sun Spring and Autumn period Min Sun's mother died early so his father remarried and had two other sons. Min was ill-treated by his stepmother but he never bore any grudges against her. During winter, his stepmother prepared a coat made of reed catkins for him, but prepared coats made of cotton for his half brothers. One day, Min followed his father out and was instructed to drive the carriage. However, as the coat was too thin, Min was unable to withstand the cold so he shivered and was unable to focus on the task at hand. He accidentally caused the carriage to get stuck in a ditch. Min's father was furious and started beating him until his clothes tore and the reed catkins came out. It was then when Min's father realised that his son was being mistreated. He was so angry that he wanted to expel Min's stepmother from the family. However, Min pleaded with his father to spare his stepmother, saying, "If she stays, only I suffer. But if you send her away, my brothers and I will suffer." Min's stepmother was so touched that she regretted her actions and never mistreated Min again. 5 He Carried Rice for His Parents () Zhong You Spring and Autumn period Zhong You was born in a poor family. When he was young, he often travelled a distance away from home and carried back a sack of rice to feed his parents. He ate only wild vegetables. Many years later, when he became an important and wealthy official in the Chu state, his parents had already died. He often recalled his past and lamented, "I can never eat wild vegetables and carry rice back for my parents anymore." 6 He Fed His Parents with Doe's Milk () Tan Zi Spring and Autumn period Tan Zi's elderly parents were losing their sense of sight and believed that doe's milk could cure them. Upon hearing that, Tan Zi covered himself with deer's skin and got close to a doe to obtain its milk. He repeated the process every day. Once, a hunter mistook him for a real deer and almost killed him, but Tan Zi revealed himself and explained the situation to the hunter. 7 He Dressed Up to Amuse His Parents () Laolaizi Spring and Autumn period Laolaizi was a hermit who lived in the Chu state. He was known for being very filial to his parents. Even in middle age, he still dressed up in bright coloured clothes, played with toys, and behaved childishly to amuse his parents and keep them happy. 8 He Sold Himself for His Father's Funeral () Dong Yong Eastern Han dynasty Dong Yong lost his mother at a young age so he lived with his father, who also died not long later. As he could not afford to give his father a proper funeral, Dong sold himself as a slave to a rich man, who paid for his father's funeral. One day, he met a homeless woman and married her. She helped him weave 300 rolls of silk within a month. Dong sold the silk and used the money to buy his freedom. On the way back, the woman revealed that she was actually the Heavenly Emperor's daughter and was sent to Earth to help Dong gain back his freedom. She then returned to Heaven since her task was complete.