Caishikou Execution Grounds (), also known as Vegetable Market Execution Ground,
was an important execution ground in
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
during the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
era. It was located at the crossroads of Xuanwumen Outer Street and Luomashi Street. The exact location is under debate today. However, contemporary sources and photographs put it across from the Heniantang Pharmacy ( zh, 鶴年堂藥店).
Executions were usually carried out at 11:30 AM. On the day of the execution, the convict would be carted from the jail cell to the execution grounds. The cart stopped at a wine shop named ''Broken Bowl'' ( zh, 破碗居) on the east side of
Xuanwu Gate, where the convict would be offered a bowl of
rice wine. The bowl would be smashed after it was drunk. During the executions of infamous convicts, it was common for a large crowd to gather and watch. The torture
death by a thousand cuts was also carried out at the execution grounds.
The Catholic bishop
Alphonse Favier wrote about the execution ground in the 1890s:
Notable individuals executed at Caishikou
Most of these executions were carried out by beheading, with only specific crimes being punished by death by a thousand cuts.
*
Zhu Yousong, Hongguang Emperor, first emperor of the
Southern Ming Dynasty
*
Zhu Changfang, member of the royal family of
Southern Ming Dynasty
*Zhu Cunji (
朱存極), Ming dynasty Prince of Qin (秦王)
*Zhu Shenxuan (
朱审烜), Ming dynasty Prince of Jin (晉世子)
*Zhu Youzou (
朱由棷), Ming dynasty Prince of Heng (衡王)
*Zhu Ciyue (
朱慈爚), Ming dynasty Prince of Chong (崇王)
*Zhu Youli (
朱由櫟), Ming dynasty Prince of De (德王)
*Zhu Cikui (
朱慈煃), Ming dynasty Prince of Ji (吉王)
*
Zheng Zhilong, father of
Koxinga
*
Jahangir Khoja,
East Turkic Uyghur rebel leader (death by a thousand cuts)
*
Six gentlemen of the Hundred Days' Reform:
**
Tan Sitong
**
Lin Xu
**Yang Rui (
杨锐)
**Yang Shenxiu (
杨深秀)
**
Liu Guangdi
**Kang Guangren (
康广仁)
*
Xu Jingcheng, Qing diplomat during the
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, was an anti-foreign, anti-imperialist, and anti-Christian uprising in North China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious F ...
.
*
Qixiu (启秀), Manchu pro-Boxer official
*Zhong Renjie (
鍾人傑)
*Lin Fengxiang (
林鳳祥),
Taiping rebel
*
Li Kaifang, Taiping rebel
*Li Hanjie (
李漢傑)
See also
*
Caishikou
References
{{Xicheng District
History of Beijing
Law in Qing dynasty
Execution sites in China