The changes in Chinese society have been so rapid that there is also a generation gap between the post-1990s generation and the post-1980s generation. For example, those born in the early 1980s were told that gaokao, or the college entrance exam, was the only doorway to a comfortable life, but for the post-1990s generation, especially those in big cities, there are other doors they can try.

The transformations that have occurred in China since 1990 are so dramatic that the generation gaps seem to be ever more evident, resulting in a wider debate on how well Confucian precepts can live in today's society.

When people of the older generation worry a film is preaching the wrong values to young people, it is not hard for them to realize that today's society is unrecognizable to the one they grew up in.

While the fast changing society has made many ponder, the Internet offers a window where young people can view a bewildering variety of lifestyles not necessarily agreeable to people of advanced age.

Even Shi Hang, a renowned critic and scriptwriter and one of the harshest critics of Tiny Times, admitted that martial arts novels, which he is a big fan of, were frowned upon by most teachers and parents when he was a teenager.

Today young people's choices are much more diversified than those Shi had when he was young. Many of those who rushed to watch Tiny Times may also watch The Bling Ring, Sofia Coppola's latest movie, which is based on the true story of a gang of wealthy Los Angeles youngsters who burgled the homes of celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Orlando Bloom in a bid to enjoy high life. They were caught, of course, and are now the warning of the perils of trying to take a shortcut to success.

The current debate, echoing the eternal theme of generation gap in humanity, should serve as a reminder for each generation to really hear the others. But the different ideas themselves embody the vigor and vitality of today's China.

The author is a journalist with China Daily. E-mail: liuw@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/06/2013 page5)