Conflict Archives - Page 3 of 8 - understand-culture

Old Uncle

In the Wu dialects of Shanghai and the area around it, 娘舅, uncle, usually means a respected older man who speaks fairly. A 老娘舅, an old uncle, is the person people call in to settle a quarrel.

In January 2008, a Shanghai television channel launched New Old Uncle (新老娘舅), a mediation show. In each episode, people in conflict sit down with a people’s mediator, who tries to settle their dispute. Similar programs followed in nearby places, among them Qiantang Old Uncle in Zhejiang from 2009 and Wuxi Old Uncle from 2011. Jiangxi Television’s Gold Medal Mediation (金牌调解) began in 2011.

Scolding Both Sides

In his essay Without Litigation (无讼), from the book From the Soil (乡土中国), the sociologist Fei Xiaotong describes how village disputes were settled. He notes that “mediation” is a new word. The old word was 评理, to weigh what is reasonable.

The respected elder who settled the case, Fei writes, “always gave both sides of the dispute a scolding,” and then a lecture.

Shooting the Halberd

In chapter 16 of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Yuan Shu sends his general Ji Ling to attack Liu Bei at Xiaopei. Lü Bu invites both men to his camp. “I have invited your two houses to settle your quarrel, not to make you fight.”

He has his halberd planted at the camp gate, 150 paces away. If his arrow hits the small blade of the halberd, both sides will withdraw. If it misses, they may go back and fight. Whoever does not accept, he will fight himself.

The arrow hits. Lü Bu laughs, takes Ji Ling and Liu Bei by the hand and says: “Heaven orders your two houses to stop fighting!” Then he has wine poured for everyone.

Lu Zhonglian Refuses a Reward

During the Warring States period, Lu Zhonglian of Qi talked an envoy of Wei out of a plan to recognize the king of Qin as emperor. When the Qin general heard of it, he pulled his army back fifty li. Lord Pingyuan of Zhao wanted to give Lu Zhonglian a fief. Three times he declined. At a banquet, Lord Pingyuan offered him a thousand pieces of gold.

Lu Zhonglian laughed: “What the world values in a gentleman is that he removes troubles, ends hardships and settles disputes for others, and takes nothing. To take something is the business of a merchant.” He left and never saw Lord Pingyuan again. The dictionary Handian lists 鲁仲连 as a near synonym for a peacemaker.

Talks in Beijing

From March 6 to 10, 2023, delegations from Saudi Arabia and Iran held talks in Beijing. On March 10, China, Saudi Arabia and Iran issued a joint statement there. The two countries agreed to restore diplomatic relations and to reopen their embassies within two months at most. The statement opens by saying that the talks were a response to an initiative of Xi Jinping.

The Petition Drum

登闻鼓, the drum that reaches the ruler’s ears, was a drum hung outside the palace gate. Subjects could beat it to bring a grievance or a remonstrance to the emperor. The dictionary cites a passage from the Book of Jin in which people beat it.

The Ming dynasty county office of Pingyao also had such a drum. Commoners could beat the drum to state a grievance. Disputes over marriage, land and fights, however, first went to village mediation. Only when mediation failed could a person file a complaint and beat the drum.

The Story of Qiu Ju

In Zhang Yimou’s film The Story of Qiu Ju (秋菊打官司), the village head kicks Qiu Ju’s husband in a quarrel. Qiu Ju wants a 说法, an explanation, which to her means an apology. The police make the village head pay compensation, but he will not apologize. She takes her case to the town, then to the city, then to court.

At the end, an X-ray shows that her husband had a broken rib. The police take the village head away to serve fifteen days. Qiu Ju is left troubled and confused. The film won the Golden Lion in Venice in 1992.

Yang Naiwu and Little Cabbage

In 1873, a man named Ge Pinlian died near Hangzhou. The scholar Yang Naiwu and Ge’s wife, nicknamed Little Cabbage (小白菜), confessed to murder under torture. Yang’s family took the case to Beijing by petition. The case was sent back to Zhejiang, and the verdict was upheld.

A censor asked for the case to go to the Board of Punishments. The Empress Dowagers Cixi and Ci’an at first refused, then ordered a review there. The body was exhumed in Beijing and showed no sign of poison. In early 1877 both were acquitted. More than ten officials were punished.

Grandmother Jia Settles a Quarrel

In chapter 44 of Dream of the Red Chamber, a jealous quarrel between Wang Xifeng and her husband Jia Lian turns violent. Jia Lian runs in after her with a sword. Grandmother Jia, the head of the family, sends him out: “Call his father here!”

Then she settles the matter with a laugh. “What does it matter? Young people are like greedy cats. Who can stop that? Everyone goes through it when young. It is my fault. He drank a few cups too many, and she got jealous.”

She promises Xifeng that Jia Lian will come the next day to apologize. She also sends word to the maid Pinger, on whom both had taken out their anger, that Xifeng will apologize to her.

The Letters and Visits Regulations

China’s Regulations on Letters and Visits Work took effect on May 1, 2022. People who bring a complaint in person should go to the reception office of the same level or of the level above. A petitioner who is unhappy with the answer may ask the next level up to review it.

Leading officials at every level must read letters from the public, receive visitors regularly, go down to meet petitioners, and personally take charge of resolving serious problems.