What do you think of the Chinese concept of "big family"?

At Chinese New Year, all the distant relatives get together and feel very familiar with each other, while I don't really spend much time alone with my parents at Chinese New Year.

It is said that Chinese people are very attached to their family, I doubt it. Chinese people talk about filial piety and don't emphasize much on communication. And I've found that a lot of the so-called affection is spent on maintaining relationships with relatives other than parents.