The Confucian values of filial piety or the honor in of family during and after life was extremely important to the Chinese Culture. "According to Chinese tradition, filial piety (hsiao) was the primary duty of all Chinese. Being a filial son meant complete obedience to one's parents during their lifetime, and as they grew older taking the best possible care of them. After their death the eldest son was required to perform ritual sacrifices at their grave site or in the ancestral temple." This quote helps to show how Chinese people worshiped their ancestors and as a result created massive temples and memorials to show their devotion. The memorial above the Bao family memorial arches in the Anhui Province. This memorial is a great example of filial piety because of its intricacy and size. I fact all families no matter how poor had some kind of temple of memorial honoring their ancestors. 
The family memorial was a large part of the layout of all family compounds. Memorials were built apart for the main living complex but still in symmetry with them. They were removed from the main living area in order to show respect and reverence for the ancestors. This picture of a Chinese memorial clearly displays the symmetry and grandeur that Chinese families looked for in their family memorials. In short the Confucian values embodied in the Chinese people guided their architectural styles and forms greatly over the years. The same values are still embodied in most modern architecture today, however the style has changed greatly. The symmetry shown in traditional architecture is still widely present in modern architecture, but gone are the smooth slopping roofs and intricate paintings and designs. In their place are bold straight lines and massive utilitarian buildings, mostly modeled after western styles. Only in the small details of some of these buildings are traditional features still present around windows and doors.
