Chinese father tries to kill himself because his son is still unmarried at 29
By Bryan Ke
WARNING: The video in this article contains violent imagery and mentions of suicide that may be disturbing to some viewers.
A Chinese man who survived an apparent suicide by pesticide overdose at a train station in China revealed he did it, because he was ashamed his son was still single at 29 years old.
The incident happened at Shanghai Railway Station on Jan. 22 when the 55-year-old unnamed man fainted after handing a note to guards, stating he had “just overdosed on medication,” according to Chinese media outlet KNews via Insider.
The man, who reportedly “lived a life of shame,” wrote in the note: “People of my age in the village all have children and grandchildren already. But you are 29 and have achieved nothing.”
Train authorities immediately called for an ambulance after the man collapsed from allegedly drinking pesticide, then rushed him to the hospital, Mothership reported. His life is reportedly “no longer in danger.”
The man claimed to have visited his son in Shanghai before the alleged suicide attempt. He grew disappointed after learning that his son is still unmarried and has yet to start his own family at his age. The father was also allegedly upset, because his son had not made any money while working in the city, as some Chinese social media users mentioned after reading his suicide note.
“You’ve not been able to make money in Shanghai, and even had to use my and your mother’s tens of thousands of RMB to allow you to look for a girlfriend and you haven’t found one,” part of the note read.
Speaking to Insider, Mu Zheng, a sociology expert at the National University of Singapore, explained that men are often pressured by their families to marry as early as they can since they are “expected to carry on the family lineage.”
“Given China’s high housing prices and the expectations for men to assume the majority of costs in a household, transitioning to marriage indicates that the man is socially and financially ready,” Mu said.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. For a list of international suicide hotlines, click here.
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