Lingchi: The Gruesome Legacy of Death by a Thousand Cuts

Being executed is rarely a good way to go, but Lingchi—also known as "death by a thousand cuts"—is one of the worst. This brutal method of execution was used in imperial China from the 10th century until its abolition in 1905. Reserved for severe crimes like treason or patricide, Lingchi involved slowly dismembering the victim's body, prolonging their suffering before death. It was not just a means of punishment but a tool of terror, designed to humiliate and send a chilling message to others. The gruesome nature of Lingchi made it infamous, and rumors of its continued use continued long after its abolition.

WARNING: Includes graphic photo of the last Lingchi recorded.

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Lingchi- An Awful Way to Go. The Method

As far as execution methods go, Lingchi is actually one of the simpler ones. It simply required the executioners to tie the condemned person to a wooden post, normally in a public place, and then start cutting until the target died. If they happened to die before the process was finished (which they almost always did), the executioner would carry on regardless as an act of humiliation.

The devil, however, was in the details, which we don’t have a lot of. We know that the cuts normally started at the chest, where the breasts and surrounding tissue were sliced away until the rib cage was almost exposed. Then the executioner would move on to the arms and legs, cutting away increasingly large chunks of flesh until the condemned passed. Towards the end of the process, entire limbs could be amputated, and it often ended with decapitation or a stab to the heart.

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Lingchi execution in Beijing c. April 1905, apparently of Fou-Tchou-Li (Public Domain)

There was also some leeway in how the execution was carried out. If the executioner was feeling merciful (or if the condemned’s family could afford a bribe), the executioner could start by slitting the throat or piercing the heart. On the other hand, if the emperor was feeling particularly vindictive or wished to send a message, the process could be dragged out over multiple days.

Lingchi also evolved over time, arguably becoming crueler. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271 to 1368) records show 100 cuts were made. However, Ming dynasty records show upwards of 3,000 cuts being inflicted. Sometimes the act was finished within 20 minutes, other times it could take hours, or as mentioned earlier, days.

Origins

Lingchi can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), but it didn’t become a favored execution method until the Song (960–1279), Ming (1368–1644), and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. In a society based on the importance of order and hierarchy, Lingchi was the ultimate punishment. 

Its effectiveness in discouraging certain acts was threefold. It could be used for torture, execution, or as a form of humiliation after death. In a culture deeply concerned with status and respect, Lingchi was the worst form of humiliation and shame. It also really, really hurts.

Lingchi also had religious implications. Under the Confucian idea of filial piety, it was seen as immoral to make alterations to one’s body or cut it. Normally, this meant things like tattoos and piercings were a big no-no, but it also made Lingchi particularly abhorrent.

Since the method involved making fairly major changes to the body, it had huge implications for the deceased’s soul. Since their body was no longer whole, neither would their soul after death.

The Condemned

For the most part, Lingchi was saved for those criminals deemed to have committed only the most heinous crimes. If one had carried out treason, mass murder, patricide, fratricide, or the murder of a master or employer, they were likely to be on the receiving end of Lingchi. On top of this, whether someone received the punishment could depend on things like their social status, their victim’s status, and their motivation. 

For example, records show a serial rapist was condemned to Lingchi after assaulting 182 women. Likewise, in 1542, 16 maids at the royal palace received the punishment after a plot to assassinate the emperor was uncovered. 

However, Lingchi could also be used as a political tool. The emperor sat at the top of the judicial system, and no one could argue with him. This meant some emperors were known to wield it against those convicted of minor offenses as a threat to keep the populace in check. Lingchi was often used on those the emperor held a grudge against, and forced convictions and wrongful executions weren’t exactly uncommon.

Case in point: in 1510 a eunuch serving the Zhengde Emperor was sentenced to death by Lingchi. His crime? Becoming too powerful. According to legend, he received more than 3,000 cuts over two days. Supposedly, people lined up to purchase his flesh and ate it with rice wine.

Political dissidents were also prime targets. The most famous example of this is Fang Yizhi, a famous scholar, scientist, and loudmouth in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. After repeatedly criticizing the Manchu rulers, he was convicted of sedition in 1665 and sentenced to death by Lingchi.

An 1858 illustration from the French newspaper Le Monde illustré, of the Lingchi execution of a French missionary, Auguste Chapdelaine, in China (Public Domain)

Abolishing Lingchi

Lingchi was practiced for over 1,000 years, but it was always controversial. Unsurprisingly, people disliked being threatened with such a horrific fate. Records show that as early as the 12th century Chinese citizens were speaking out against it. The Chinese power and historian Lu You even wrote a letter to the emperor that basically argued Lingchi should be morally beneath a wise and benevolent government. The government disagreed.

By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, one thing had become clear. Lingchi was a PR disaster. China was increasingly being influenced by Western powers, and its rulers knew that if China were to survive, it needed to modernize. 

The West had long been fascinated by practices like Lingchi, and the Chinese government was well aware that Westerners saw traditional practices like this as overly brutal and backward. Simply put, Lingchi made China look bad.

They were right to be concerned. The last official use of Lingchi came with the execution of Fu Zhuli in 1905. He had been sentenced to Lingchi after killing his master, a Mongolian prince. Unfortunately for the government, a French soldier was present and used his camera to record the execution. The photos made their way to the Western media and caused a massive international uproar.

The result was that the Qing dynasty officially abolished the practice that same year, and Lingchi was never carried out again. Right?

Rumor has it that Lingchi was used at least twice more. Supposedly, following the assassination of Yang Zengxin, the governor of Sinkiang, in 1928, the assassin was executed via Lingchi. Supposedly, he was made to watch his daughter’s murder first. Apparently, in 1936, a Communist rebellion leader received a similar fate. Of course, this is pure conjecture, and the last official use of Lingchi was in 1905. 

Conclusion

Lingchi stands as one of history's most horrifying methods of execution, symbolizing the extreme lengths to which societies can go to enforce power and control. Its practice reflected the harsh realities of justice in imperial China, where the state used fear to maintain order. 

The abolition of Lingchi in 1905 marked a shift towards more humane forms of punishment, but the memory of this gruesome practice endures. Today, Lingchi serves as a stark reminder of the brutality that can arise in the name of justice and the importance of safeguarding human dignity in all legal systems.

Top image: Lingchi execution of Joseph Marchand in Vietnam, 1835. Source: PHGCOM/CC BY-SA 3.0

By Robbie Mitchell