Walking Sticks (手杖 Shouzhang)

When a senior citizen sets off on a mountain-climbing journey, he inevitably carries a walking stick with him. That is why the walking stick was known as fulao (companion to the elderly) in ancient China.

In old days the walking stick was a status symbol for the man who carried it. A man who has lived to be 50 earns the respect of his clan; at 60 he wins the respect of his clan; at 60 he wins the respect of fellow provincials.

In ancient time 60-year-olds were called by the respectful name Man with a Walking Stick. A 70-year-old man commanded the respect of the entire kingdom; at 80 he was allowed to walk into the imperial court with a walking stick; at 90 even the emperor had to pay him a home visit.

Those who could still work at 70 were entitled to a gift from the emperor: a walking stick known as imperial-mandated stick. This old custom of respecting the elderly people later evolved into a system in which old people were held in high esteem.