My grandfather leaves most inheritance to daughter instead of sons

The old mindset of favoring sons in inheritance, where ancestral land is kept within the family or passed entirely to male heirs, has truly become outdated. If children are never encouraged to seek opportunities elsewhere, they would instead cling to inherited land without striving for more and create family discord.

In reality, children who are free to build careers away from home often become far more financially successful than those who stay behind. These very children later return to support their loved ones, sometimes even shouldering the financial burden for their entire extended family.

On the other hand, children who are constantly called back by their parents to maintain ancestral traditions and land often struggle to break free from their family wealth. Over time, inherited land gets sold off bit by bit to sustain daily living, making the family poorer and leading to inheritance disputes among siblings.

My paternal grandfather defied tradition when distributing his estate. Instead of leaving most of his assets to his two sons, as was customary, he gave most of his land to his daughter—my aunt—so she could oversee family affairs and traditions. He believed this would allow his sons to venture out into the world and establish stable, independent careers rather than staying cooped up at home.

Following his example, my aunt later left all her land and property to her youngest daughter, while her seven sons built careers away from their hometown. Today, they are all well-off and content with their lives.

In contrast, my eldest uncle’s nine sons settled down on the land they received from my grandfather. Over the years, their lives have remained relatively stagnant while family disputes over taking care of their parents and inheritance rights emerged. Meanwhile, my uncle’s five daughters, who received no inheritance, moved away to build their own careers and have since achieved financial stability.

A recent study found that only 1% of men believed that parents should divide their assets solely or primarily among daughters while 12-23% believed that inheritance should be given solely or primarily to sons.

Meanwhile, statistics from the Supreme People's Court show that the number of inheritance dispute cases has steadily risen over the years, with most of them stemming from unfair asset distribution between sons and daughters.

Hence, my story underscores the need for a shift in inheritance mindset. Many assume that prioritizing sons will help preserve family traditions and wealth, but in reality, it often confines them to their hometown and limits their potential.

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.