Courts may not be able to melt the heart and make people love their parents, but in China they can force them to fulfill their filial duties.

When law gets into the realm of ethics, it can have unexpected effects - some darkly comical and others downright sad.

On July 1, a woman surnamed Ma was ordered by a court in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, to pay at least one visit to her ageing mother every two months - this on top of at least two visits for all the national holidays including the Dragon Boat, Chongyang and Mid-Autumn festivals.