Maybe you call your parents, or email them regularly. Well here in China, the law has just been amended. Under the new clause introduced on Monday, elderly parents who feel neglected by their children can take them to court.

88-year-old Ms. Zhang has been living by herself in a care center in Shenzhen, in South China, for eight years. CCTV asked her in February about her biggest wish.

Ms. Zhang, Shenzhen, said, "If only my daughter could visit me once a week..."

Five months later, she may be able to see her wish come true, because... visiting your parents is now an order.

Ms. Zhang's case is not uncommon in a country that's on the "aging fast track."

According to a report by the China research center on aging, the total population of Chinese people above 60 will surpass 200 million by the end of this year, almost 15 percent of the entire population.

The country is also on the move. Official figures show China's migrant population stood at 230 million by the end of 2011, with an average age of 28. Behind each of these 230 million migrants, are their aging parents, who often have to live by themselves.

The newly amended law, put into effect on Monday, states that young family members should care about the psychological needs of elderly family members, and that those who live in a separate place should visit their seniors often.

The pitfall of the amendment however, is its practicality. For one thing, how often is "regularly"?

"My son lives in the same city as me. But what if he worked in a city 2000 kilometers away? Who's to say how often he should come back and pay me a visit? Is that even possible? I myself left home when I was 18 years old to move to the remote Xinjiang area, and didn't come back home for the first time until five years later. You have to face reality."

Will parents really file a lawsuit simply because their children have been away for quite some time?

"I wouldn't. It's not a crime."

"What's the point. He's busy. I get it. "

More importantly, should this be something that should be covered by the law?

"Parents are getting old, and need to be in good hands. So I do agree that children should go back home often. But this is rather a matter of morality. Now that it's written into law, it makes me feel a bit... weird..."

Some experts say though, the amendment is more like a symbolic gesture from the government.

Dang Junwu, Deputy Director, China Research Center on Ageing, said, "I'd rather say it more about advocacy. It's meant to promote communication between children and seniors."

Filial piety has long been a part of Chinese culture. But when it comes to the point that visiting parents becomes a legal mandate, many are prompted to ask, what went wrong? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer.

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