In 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...