'Friending' the family

They are afraid their lifestyles will be misinterpreted by their parents, so resort to blocking their parents out of their social lives. In doing so, they fail to see how much effort parents can make to catch up. An honest conversation, in the end, resolves the conflict and brings about mutual trust.

But at the same time, nearly 80 percent of parents said they were willing and ready to fully support their children's life pursuits. The results of this survey revealed the misunderstanding and miscommunication between the younger generations of Chinese people and their parents. So maybe now is the time for us to ask: shouldn't we start inviting our parents back into our lives, and show them our appreciation?

Lang Ping and her daughter Lydia Bai Lang are perfect examples of this love-appreciation dynamic enduring in the Chinese family unit. The two share a secret code of "patting each other on the shoulder," and Lydia often uses this simple action to offer her mother encouragement. Lang Ping will also never forget how Lydia supported her during the Rio Olympics: "At one point, our team had lost two games, and I was under a lot of stress. My daughter somehow found a way to get herself into the Olympic Village where she made me scrambled eggs with tomato, my favorite Chinese dish, to cheer me up." After that meal, Lang Ping led her team to fight its way back to win the championship, earning China its first gold medal in 12 years.