Often the daughters of the rural poor, with their families unable to feed and clothe them, were sold into slavery to the wealthy, to serve as house servants, concubines, and other roles. The majority of the Chinese population lived in rural areas, and were viewed as existing to support the wealthy minority who lived in cities and towns.

Long fingernails became a sign of the idle rich, who did not have to work with their hands Wealthy Chinese often grew long fingernails to demonstrate they did not have to work with their hands. The role of the male to command extended upwards throughout Chinese society to the head of the ruling dynasty, and respect to the male authority was the cornerstone upon which Chinese law and customs were built. The abuse of children did not mitigate their societal obligation to return respect and obedience to their father, or to the eldest brother if the father was absent. A father frustrated by his wife’s inability to produce male children was allowed under Chinese society to abandon the family if he so chose and remarry in an attempt to acquire male heirs. This by nature made the role of women subservient, mothers were required to obey the whims of their sons, should the eldest male support them, and daughters were little more than chattel. If the father was absent, the eldest son played the leading role. The concept of filial piety was directed to the eldest male in a household, who was the highest authority, and bowing to his will was the basis of Chinese society. Confucius, who lived five centuries before the Common Era, placed an emphasis on the morality of individuals and authorities, which began as children, who were instilled with the requirement to submit to their parents, and in particular to their father. The Chinese philosopher Confucius established teachings which were the basis of society in China, including the structure of the family and the role within of each of its members. The teachings of Confucius dominated Chinese society A 1770 rendition of Confucius, philosopher and writer, who dominated Chinese thought and life for centuries. Here are some examples of the harshness of daily life when growing up in ancient China and among its many diverse peoples and dynasties. The eldest male was dominant women were considered subservient to men, and daughters were considered less valuable to the family than sons. It was common for three generations of a family to live together in the same dwelling, sometimes more. The father was the master of the house in Chinese families, and the children were taught from an early age that respect for their elders, particularly elder relatives, was paramount. Only the sons of wealthy families, living primarily in cities, were formally schooled. Life was necessarily harsh, and for children, education was limited. In ancient China the overwhelming majority of people were peasant farmers, living in small communities and working family farms. The Chinese region of Xinjiang contains a large population of ethnic Uyghurs, Turkic people who are largely Muslim. Chinese Muslim traditions expanded in some regions, Buddhist in others, and Christian communities were established along the Russian borders after contact with the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The combination of cultures and traditions evolved over the centuries, with each ethnicity developing their own practices, including the means by which their children were raised and schooled. In fact, while the Han Chinese are the majority of the population, there are over fifty officially recognized ethnic groups establishing a vibrant minority since ancient times. To most of the western world, China has always been a mystery, a teeming mass of people in crowded cities, threatening to expand over its borders impelled by its own growth.

Chinese girl and boy grow up song