Xiao Baiyou, a 49-year-old father in Guangdong province, has strict restrictions on his four children, who are prohibited from drinking cola, using air conditioning and buying anything without reporting it. He will beat his children if they fail to meet his standards. Though Xiao's methods are controversial and violent, three of his children have been admitted into Peking University, one of China's most prestigious universities.

Yao Guohua, a father and college lecturer in Hubei province, trained his son in a way others believe is barbaric. When the winter was at its coldest, Yao would take off his 4-year-old son's clothes and let him play, nearly naked, outside. During the summer, he would take his son out under the sweltering sun for two hours. Yao said he is building up his son's physical endurance.

Amy Chua, a Chinese-American mother and Yale University law professor, advocates a strict parenting style in her bestseller Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, which earned her the title "Tiger Mother" and triggered heated debates in both China and the US.