Taipei 'foot-washing' event sets new world record.
A "foot washing" activity — aimed at promoting filial piety — drew 4,363 pairs of feet to participate in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei on Saturday, the eve of Senior Citizens Day in Taiwan, shattering a Guinness World Record for the most people washing their feet at the same time.
The standard ritual calls for children to first bow to their parents, kneel to present them a cup of tea, massage and pound their backs, and then kneel on one knee to wash their feet.
filial piety, that is a mix of faith/respect/obedience to parents is the moral critera to assess a human being's value in Confucius philosophy. Behind this 孝xiao ideology, political stability (harmony = no contest) is at stake. Promoting moral value through public display of filial piety kills three birds with on stone by setting both a social and political example: take good care of your parents (don't leave them in retirement homes) and obey authority in general (parents, teachers, managers, government...). Moreover this event is another opportunity to give face to one's parents reminding this sacrosanct hierarchical rule: children (even grown-ups) must eternally pay tribute to their olders.
What a striking contrast with French society! Especially today as our teenagers are AGAIN demonstrating in the streets of Paris...
