Village upholds old gambling rule
A small village in Lishui, Zhejiang Province, has been following a special
rule since 1843 anyone in the village who wants to gamble must invite all
the local families for a meat-filled meal. The rule was established by the
ancestors of the village's Xie family during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
and has been duly followed since. Senior residents read the rule to
villagers on December 10 every year. According to one senior resident, the
rule was set up in the 19th century because the villagers had become
impoverished through gambling. Inviting all the other families to eat a meal
of meat would have cost any gambler dearly and was considered a hefty
punishment.
rule since 1843 anyone in the village who wants to gamble must invite all
the local families for a meat-filled meal. The rule was established by the
ancestors of the village's Xie family during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
and has been duly followed since. Senior residents read the rule to
villagers on December 10 every year. According to one senior resident, the
rule was set up in the 19th century because the villagers had become
impoverished through gambling. Inviting all the other families to eat a meal
of meat would have cost any gambler dearly and was considered a hefty
punishment.
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