Do you know the cost of fighting in public in China?

Speakers: Li Ningjing, Sam Duckett and Lu Sirui

[Photo: Baidu.com]

The Yunxi police station in southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu recently posted warning signs listing the financial penalties for fighting in public. The novelty of this gesture caused photos of the sign to go viral on Chinese social media site Weibo recently.

The cost for fighting largely depends on the degree of injury caused.

"Minor injury caused direct costs: detention for 5 to 15 days with 500 to 1,000 Yuan (76 to 152 US dollars) in fines. Also with medical bills, lost wages and other compensation for detention and less earn wages. Moderate injuries caused direct costs: less than three years in prison, detention, compensation, medical treatment, lost wages and other compensation."

According to police officer Feng Shaolin, the "cost of fighting" sign is aimed at letting people handle conflicts properly. This makes it easier to understand the hazards of fighting, and is a reminder for people to control their emotions and reduce violent cases from happening.

"The warning sign has been very effective for many people, after it was placed in August. There have been less fighting cases happening recently." Feng said.

Most netizens appreciated this smart idea, but there were Weibo users who asked "how do I control myself when I was become really angry?"

The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI.