In many parts of the world, love begins with two people.
Two people meet.
Two people fall in love.
Two people decide whether they want to build a life together.
It sounds simple.
But in China, love has traditionally carried a wider meaning.
When two people fall in love, they may also begin thinking about parents, family, marriage, children, responsibilities, traditions, and the future.
This does not mean that Chinese people love less freely.
It means that, historically, love has often been understood as something that exists within a larger circle of human relationships.
The heart may belong to two people.
But the life they build may touch many more.
Love and the Family
For thousands of years, the family has been one of the central structures of Chinese society.
Parents raised their children with the expectation that, one day, those children woul…