Extreme act of filial devotion saw raw flesh cooked for human consumption; eventually act was rewarded with tax relief, official titles
2-MIN READ2-MINYating Yangin BeijingPublished: 2:10pm, 4 Mar 2026In a bizarre and gruesome blend of medical belief and extreme filial devotion, many people throughout Chinese history cut flesh from their own thighs to heal sick relatives.
The custom later evolved into a government-endorsed trend, turning the practice into a path to social mobility and marital success.
Ge gu liao qin, which literally means “cutting one’s own flesh to heal a parent”, refers to an ancient practice in which a child would cut flesh from their own thigh to use as medicine to treat a parent’s illness, as an extreme expression of traditional filial piety.
The individual being treated could be a person’s parents, parents-in-law or even a husband.
Before the advent of antibiotics, many illnesses could become death sentences.
