At a pidou (批斗) session, a person was publicly criticized and “struggled against” in front of a crowd. Victims had half their heads shaved, wore tall hats and placards, were paraded through the streets, or were forced into the bent “jet plane” position. They were insulted and beaten.
The method was used against landlords during land reform. It reached its peak in the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976.