Public Shaming Punishments In China’S Criminal History
Public Shaming Punishments in China’s Criminal History
Public shaming punishments (羞辱刑 / 羞耻刑 / 耻辱性处罚) have deep roots in Chinese legal traditions. Before the 20th century, punishments often aimed not only to penalize the offender but also to deter society and restore social order by publicly humiliating the criminal. This reflected Confucian values emphasizing collective morality, hierarchy, and the reputation of families.
Forms of Public Shaming Punishments:
Cangue (枷 / 夹棍)
Forcing offenders to wear a heavy wooden collar with inscriptions of their crimes; displayed in public for days.
Parading (游街示众 / 示众)
Publicly escorting offenders through streets while announcing their crimes.
Tattooing (黥刑)
Permanent facial or body tattoos indicating criminal status (used in Qin and early Han).
Exposure at the marketplace (市朝示众)
Displaying offenders or executed bodies in public markets.
Reprimand and public criticism meetings (批斗 / 游行示众)
Mainly in the 20th century, especially during political movements.
DETAILED CASES (6 cases across dynasties and modern periods)
CASE 1 — Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE): Tattooing of Criminals (黥刑) in the Shang Yang Reforms
Background: Qin legalist reforms under Shang Yang created strict laws emphasizing collective responsibility and harsh public penalties.
Details:
Tattooing (黥) marked criminals permanently on the face or forehead.
This meant lifelong public shaming, preventing social reintegration.
Offenses punished by tattooing included desertion, theft, and falsifying documents.
Case Example:
The Records of the Grand Historian (史记) describes instances during Qin where minor officials who falsified grain records were tattooed and paraded in public markets.
Tattooing served as a visible symbol of moral failing, ensuring that the community knew the offender’s crimes.
Significance:
This punishment created a long-term caste of “marked" people, reinforcing social control through humiliation.
CASE 2 — Han Dynasty: “Cangue” Punishments at City Gates
During the Western Han, public display punishments became common at city gates because gates were centers of trade and traffic.
Case Example: The Case of Hao Qi (郝起案)
Hao Qi, a low-ranking official, was convicted of selling government grain illegally.
Punishment:
He was put in a cangue (wooden collar),
His crime was written on the board,
He was placed at the Chang’an East Market Gate for 30 days.
Bystanders insulted him, and his family suffered social stigma.
Purpose:
To warn traders against corruption and discourage officials from abusing power.
CASE 3 — Tang Dynasty: Market Display of Bandits (市朝示众) under Emperor Xuanzong
The Tang Code (唐律) was one of the most sophisticated in Chinese history and allowed public shaming in cases involving public disorder.
Case Example: The An Lushan Rebellion aftermath
During investigations of bandit collaborators in the capital, offenders were displayed in the Western Market.
They were forced to kneel with placards describing crimes such as “ aiding rebels" or “ assaulting civilians."
Crowds were encouraged to view and denounce them.
Significance:
Tang law emphasized moral order: the shame punishment was intended to reinforce the line between loyal subjects and traitors.
CASE 4 — Ming Dynasty: “Parading of the Guilty” (游街示众) in the Case of Corrupt Magistrate Wu Liang
The Ming legal system frequently used humiliation penalties for corruption.
Case Example: Magistrate Wu Liang (吴良案)
Wu Liang embezzled tax revenue in Jiangsu.
After investigation, the court sentenced him to parading through the city before receiving corporal punishment.
The parade included:
Drummers announcing “This man betrayed the people.”
Officials reading out the crime at several public squares.
People were encouraged to throw refuse at him.
Purpose:
To demonstrate that even scholars and officials, normally respected, would suffer humiliation if corrupt.
CASE 5 — Qing Dynasty: Cangue Display and Execution Publicity in the Case of Bandit Leader Zhan Jia
The Qing government emphasized deterrence in dealing with banditry and rebellion.
Case Example: Zhan Jia (詹甲案), early 19th century
Zhan Jia was a regional bandit leader in Guangdong.
After capture, he was placed in a heavy cangue for 20 days outside the yamen (magistrate’s office).
His crimes were inscribed in large characters: “Robber, murderer.”
Crowds were allowed to view him daily.
After execution by decapitation, his head was displayed at the marketplace for three days.
Impact:
This created a powerful symbol of state authority in rural areas.
CASE 6 — Modern PRC (1950s–1970s): Public “Struggle Sessions” (批斗会) and Parading
While radically different in ideology from imperial China, the PRC in the Mao era revived types of public humiliation as political tools.
Case Example: Landlord Zhang Shun (张顺案), 1952 Land Reform Campaign
Accused of exploitation and tax evasion.
Paraded through the village with a board listing “Landlord, Oppressor.”
Forced to confess during a mass meeting with hundreds of villagers.
The event was photographed and used as propaganda.
Though not always legally codified, these practices functioned as quasi-legal punishments.
Significance:
This case shows continuity of public shaming as a way to enforce ideological conformity.
CONCLUSION
Public shaming punishments have existed in China for over 2,000 years. Their functions ranged from:
Deterrence
Moral education of the public
Maintaining hierarchy and social order
Expressing state authority
Although such punishments were abolished in the late 20th century in formal legal procedures, their historical legacy still influences cultural views on ‘face,’ reputation, and social discipline.
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