15 terrible pictures of punishments and executions that existed in China in the 19th century

Speaking of China, we often recall the slow and measured tea drinking ceremonies, the unique culture of contemplation, unusually vibrant traditions and amazing Chinese wisdom. But there were pages in the history of this state that cannot help but shock with their inhuman cruelty. The Chinese people expressed it in a terrible system of punishments and executions for people who broke the law.

Shocking Chinese Justice

Bamboo cells for people

Even at the beginning of the 20th century, executions were still used here, suggesting a slow and painful death.

Execution on bamboo poles

By the way, today in the PRC for free-thinking (which is considered, for example, unauthorized access to Facebook) can be put on a chain in a casemate. Although, of course, in general, times have changed a lot and you can’t see such terrifying pictures as 100 or 200 years ago.

Man on a chain

A couple of centuries ago, the emperor made a decision on the method of punishing a criminal only in the case of egregious atrocities, such as the murder of an official or high treason. In other situations, it was up to the local judges to come up with the most sophisticated and cruel method.

Chinese crucifix

Among the most common methods of “re-education” and execution of those times were cutting off the nose, removing kneecaps, stigmatizing, cutting off ears and feet, burning on a fire, breaking out ribs. Sometimes a man was torn apart by chariots, or put on his knees, tied to a cross and left to die in the scorching sun.

Man on the cross

It was also popular to bury alive in the ground (while leaving the head on the surface), which was considered a very instructive execution. Often the offender was castrated, and he was dying from blood poisoning.

Headless to the Hereafter

The arsenal of executions and punishments was simply enormous: knives, saws, axes, axes, chisels, drills, whips, sticks and needles.

To intimidate citizens

In addition, in the 19th century in China there was a so-called "complex" execution called "Five Punishments." She suggested that the offender was first stigmatized, then his legs and arms were chopped off, then he was beaten with sticks, his head was chopped off and put on public display.

Shocking "Five Torture"

As a rule, people were kept in prisons for long periods, since their maintenance there cost the family dearly.

After execution

For not too serious crimes, jia shoes were put on a person.

On the chain and in the pads

The most terrible execution for the Chinese was considered decapitation, because they believed that in the other world a person would look like at the time of death.

Man in pads on a chain

The suppression also happened horribly: the executioners slowly twisted the rope, tightened around the neck of the criminal, on special sticks. Sometimes the rope was loosened for a moment and the suicide bomber managed to take a convulsive breath, so this execution lasted a very long time and was accompanied by real torture.

Standing pads

Another terrible execution from China is the Chinese cage, which was a neck pad. The neck of a man standing on stones was fixed in a block, and then stones were removed one by one, and the criminal gradually suffocated, hanging in this block.

The shooting of the boxers uprising