Abstract
This article discusses the social and cultural practice of a specific filial act—wandering in search of one’s lost parents (wanli xunqin)—during the Ming and Qing periods. Based on 282 cases found in local gazetteers, this article first analyzes the changes in the numbers of records and the types of related practices throughout its history, as well as the geographical distribution, social status and gender of those who went in search of their parents. Some examples are also offered to explain how this specific filial act could stimulate various cultural practices and produce rich literatures in various genres. It is clear that society, in particular scholars, demonstrated a sympathetic and supportive attitude toward this filial practice. I then turn to the narrative structure of these accounts. In addition to the model narrative structure, four motifs—filial thought, journey of suffering, aid from humans and heaven, and salvation—articulate the meaning of these writings. In the third part of the article, problems arising from this filial practice are discussed, including how filial sons could shun their family responsibilities, how people could break laws in the name of filial piety, and how tensions and conflicts between filial sons and their fathers could arise. In the concluding part, I undertake a brief comparison with modern reports of similar practices, in order to highlight the specific cultural and historical characteristics of this Ming-Qing filial practice.
Keywords
filial piety, wandering in search of lost parents, Huang Xiangjian
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