Li Yang became a Buddhist at the Shaolin Temple located in Dengfeng, Henan Province where he was bestowed his new Buddhist name, Yan Yi.

As part of his conversion, Li announced his intention to help the temple learn English to better help them connect with the outside world, and donated 10,000 English books.

Long known as the charismatic leader of Crazy English, a company that encouraged its English students to actively “lose face” in order to conquer this foreign language, Li gained infamy when his Amercian wife and Crazy English co-founder Kim Lee posted pictures online in 2011 that exposed her as a victim of domestic abuse, something Li vehemently denied until he finally admitted it online.

Among many quotable statements Li made to the press about beating his wife, he said he did it because he believed ”a man’s career is more important than his family,” and he needed to “educate” her, something that would be supported by the Chinese Communist government.

Li’s conversion to Buddhism isn’t the first time he has publicly changed religions. When Kim Lee was actively trying to divorce him, Li refused to sign the divorce papers, citing his conversion to the Muslim religion in November of 2011.

Kim Lee was eventually granted a divorce, winning a US $1.9 million settlement and becoming a role model for battered women in China.

Photo: jiangsu.china, sohu, dict.cn

Another question has been vexing China recently, namely: “Which cities’ husbands are more subservient to their wives, Shanghai or Chengdu?” Sichuan Online decided to turn the question into an actual survey that has stoked controversy among Chengdu husbands who are not satisfied with the results.

While details of how the survey was done remain unclear, the results show that 36.8% of respondents said Shanghai while only 31.6% believe Chengdu men are more subservient.

However, Chengdu husbands are apparently not satisfied with their position at #2, despite their apparently familiarity with it. Comments criticizing the survey results include:

Simply can not accept this. We’ve been at it neck and neck with Shanghai men, and we’ve given all of our earnings over (to our wives).
This clearly destroys the image of the Chengdu husband! Could it be?
This is definitely a trick!

A ranking of cities by how afraid husbands are of their wives begins with Shanghai, and is followed by Chengdu, Wuhan and Chaozhou. But one Chengdu male said they are simply misunderstood:

This isn’t called ‘being afraid of one’s wife’, but ‘loving one’s wife’.

The meek behaviour among men around their wives or girlfriends comes from the phrase “burning ear”. It is used to describe when a wife punishes her husband by twisting his ear, but the husband remains too afraid to use physical force against his wife so quietly accepts his punishment.

There were other questions as part of the survey, too. One was: “Are Chengdu husbands willing to allow themselves to be coerced by their wives with the public fully knowing the extent of their emasculation?” Twenty-six percent answered “yes”, 15.8% said “no”, while 57.9% said husbands are willing to be coerced by their wives, but only in private.

When asked why this is a particular phenomenon in Chengdu, 20.8% of respondents said that “Chengdu women have a spicy attitude”, 20.8% said “Chengdu men are mild and amenable”, while 29.2% stated, “This is a modern trend.”

If this is a modern trend, we wonder where people get the idea that domestic abuse within a marriage is acceptable, or even humorous.

He’s holding a yellow rose and saying, “I love frying pans.”

Photos: meilishuo, media.163， news.tigercity

The man in white dragged his wife by the hair for dozens of meters.

On June 27, a man in Baiyun District of Guangzhou was seen beating and stomping on his wife’s stomach in public and dragging her by the hair for dozens of meters in broad daylight in front of their son,  Guangdong TV reported on June 29.

The violence went on for more than 10 minutes. While the man was dragging the woman along the road, the woman was carrying her son on her back. This caused the boy to sustain bruises and bleeding to his scalp according to witnesses quoted in the report, but this did not stop the man from laying his hands on his son, the witness said.

Although the man’s mother arrived and tried to stop the beating, the man continued to beat the woman with the intent to “beat her to death,” another witness told the TV station.

It was not immediately known what caused the violent beating, but a neighbour said it was a “family matter”. We have noticed increasing reports on domestic violence in Guangzhou driving up divorce rates and child abuse in the city. Despite bystanders recording the beating on their phones, it appears no one offered to help.

Photos: Guangdong TV

Three out of every four children in China have been abused, according to this infographic published by People’s Daily Online.

If that sounds like an incredible ratio, this infographic also provides detailed statistics on precisely which cruel acts are construed as child abuse. For example, a child hitting a child — that’s child abuse. Same goes for corporal punishment and also something curiously described as “forcing them to hand over their money”.

It may be that abuse on children is defined in China in broad terms, the same way knife attacks are now inextricably linked to terrorism. Whatever the case, here’s the proof that explains * how 75% of all Chinese children have been abused:

Analysis of Violent Abuse and Infringement of Rights of (Chinese) Children

74.8% of children (under 16 years old) have been abused

Physical Abuse

Using bare hands to strike them
Using sticks, brooms, or belts to hit them
Constricting their movements
Suffocation, burning, pricking

Mental Abuse

Humiliating and making them feel bad, stupid, or worthless
Forcing them to hand over their money
Telling them that you wished they were never born, or telling them to die
Threatening to abandon them, or forcing them to leave home
Having them witness serious fights and disputes done by family members or friends close to the family
Threatening them with serious injury or death

Sexual Abuse

Verbal sexual harassment
Sexual harasser directly exposing their genitals
Being touched in a private area
Making them touch the private area of another person
Attempted unconsentual sexual intercourse
Unconsentual sexual intercourse

Rate of Abuse in Children (Under 16 Years of Age)

Physical Abuse
Males 64.2%
Females 45.1%

Mental Abuse
Males 65.7%
Females 55.4%

Sexual Abuse
Males and Females 25.6%

Using bare hands to strike them:
Males 54.6%, Females 32.6%
Using sticks, brooms, or belts to hit them:
Males 39%, Females 28.5%
Constricting their movements:
Males 4.3%, Females 2.4%
Suffocation, burning, pricking:
Males 4.3%, Females 2.4%

Humiliating and making them feel bad, stupid, or worthless:
Males 55.9%, Females 29.9%
Forcing them to hand over their money:
Males 24.6%, Females 6.2%
Telling them that you wished they were never born, or telling them to die:
10.5% Both sexes
Threatening to abandon them, or forcing them to leave home:
Males 13.6%, Females 10.5%
Having them witness serious fights and disputes done by family members or friends close to the family:
Males 7.5%, Females 2.4%
Threatening them with serious injury or death:
Males 7.5%, Females 2.4%

Verbal sexual harassment:
Males 12.2%, Females 13.8%
Sexual harasser directly exposing their genitals:
Males 6.5%, Females 11.9%
Being touched in a private area:
Males 9.7%, Females 13.5%
Making them touch the private area of another person:
Males 1.9%, Females 2.7%
Attempted unconsentual sexual intercourse:
Males 1.3%, Females 3.3%
Unconsentual sexual intercourse:
Males 1.7%, Females 2.1%

The home is where MOST abuse occurs

Home Abuse
Hit with bare hands: 26.6%
Hit with an object: 26.2%
Humiliated and shamed: 5.6%
Witness to domestic violence: 19.3%

The school is another major place where abuse occurs, namely corporal punishment from teachers and bullying from other students

Abuse from Teachers
Hit with bare hands: 15%
Hit with an object: 7%
Humiliated and shamed: 12.9%

Abuse from other students
Hit with bare hands: 12.5%
Hit with an object: 3.5%
Humilated and shamed: 18.2%
Sexual harassment and infringement: 12.9%

Ages at which violent behavior has a clear influence upon abused children during their childhood

0:
Males 9%, Females 1.2%
1-2:
Males 14.7%, Females 3.1%
3-4
Males 18.9%, Females 5.8%
5-6
Males 29.9%, Females 7.4%
>7
Males 38.5%, Females 17.2%

* UPDATE: We neglected to mention this: we couldn’t find any reasoning or justification that backs up the huge figure of “75% of all children in China have been abused.”

Photos: Guangzhou Public Security Bureau via Weibo

[This story may have content that some readers may find disturbing]

On May 14, photos of a ten year-old boy from Heyuan, Guangdong showed bruising and scars all across his body from being physically abused by his step-mother surfaced.

On the very same day, a published survey revealed only 37.5% of its Guangzhou respondents believe beating a child constitutes domestic violence.

We’re not sure which news to be more shocked at, so we’re going to talk about them both.

Binbin’s abuse was reported by a homeroom teacher that saw a bruise on his face. For years, Binbin had been beaten by his stepmother once or twice a week, first with fists and then with clothes hangers. Despite the abuse, authorities could only force the step-mother to take classes, and having failed that, they could take criminal action against her.

Meanwhile, for the past four years, an average of 500 domestic abuse cases have been reported each year in the province, many not unlike Binbin’s case, according to a survey done by Sun Yat-sen University and the Women’s Federation of Guangzhou. Despite the abuse, there are only available six shelters in the province that offer protection, and they have only provided assistance to 17 women and children over the last two years.

Here is what Feng Yuan, co-founder of the Anti-Domestic Violence Network, told the Global Times:

There is no legal framework for public institutions like schools and hospitals to report child abuse…The nation has yet to deprive a single abusive parent of guardianship or to exercise national guardianship to guarantee the best interests of children.

Here’s a fact for you: 100% of me is disgusted, outraged, and saddened, but perhaps not in that order. 

Photos: Southern Metropolis Report via Weibo

[This article contains content and images that some readers may find unsettling or offensive]

“Knife attack at train station” isn’t something you’d think you’d be hearing again so soon especially with a public frayed with anxiety, and yet it did so recently at Shenzhen North Railway Station.

At around 8am on April 13, a woman walking into Entrance A of Shenzhen North Railway Station was stabbed in the abdomen by a man wielding a knife, who would later turn the blade upon himself, Nandu reported. Named Zhang, the man was despondent that the victim, his wife, was transferring to Shanghai to work for two months, said a source belonging to the woman’s family. The woman had been working at Foxconn and was the sole breadwinner for the family that includes their seven year-old son.

In the wake of the deadly knife attacks in Kunming that killed 33 people, we’ve seen a focus on strengthening homeland security in China. The beginning of April saw an increased police presence at Yinhe Park that was described as “the most heavily-guarded Qingming Festival in history. Furthermore, public security in nearby Guangzhou is planned to be strengthened next month with increased patrols by armed police.

However, one the heroes that would save the victim from further injury, Ma Xingwang, 40, described a situation that was not reflective of this renewed vigor for security:

After he got up, he picked up his knife to chase after me. We ran several circles around the plaza. As he wasn’t able to catch me, he finally stopped and just glared at me, so I just glared back at him.

That sounds pretty absurd, but let’s add the additional details of this story as told by Ma in successive order by which they are “mind-blowing”:

1. This occurred at Shenzhen North Railway Station during rush hour
2. The plaza is packed full of people
3. Not one person helped Ma during this time
4. Station security guards stood to the side and watched as they arrived *
5. The entire attack lasted for ten minutes before Ma’s brother was able to trip the attacker from behind, and finally subdue him

Yes, ten minutes. Ten minutes. There was no police response or help from the dozens of people watching for ten whole minutes. Besides missing his train, Ma and his brother could have done several other things for ten minutes besides being chased by a violent attacker armed with a knife: boil two eggs, have a quick nap, order their meal from KFC with a line of ten people waiting behind them, anything at all.

If we are critical at the inaction of others, it remains that bystanders affect the ultimate outcome: they can all attest to the heroism of the Ma brothers because they watched it all happen.

* From the report:

One security guard stated that he rushed to the plaza when he heard a report that people were fighting during his patrol at around 8am. The security guard stated that there were many spectators at the scene, but no one was willing to get too close.

Photos: Shanghai Online, iFeng, Huagu

Xiao Bao, image courtesy of Southern Metropolis Daily

2 year-old Xiao Bao (alias) was taken to hospital last week with severe burns on his head, scars across his face and a 5cm wound on his left arm. His father admitted responsibility for the injuries but said “he was just educating” the boy, Nandu Daily reports.

Xiao Bao’s 7 year-old sister Rong Rong (alias) told doctors that their father often beat her and Xiao Bao, especially while drunk. Police in Shunde are now investigating their father, Mr. Luo.

On January 2, Mr. Luo took the boy to hospital claiming that two days earlier the toddler had suffered burns while being given a bath and the wounds may now be infected. The doctor who treated Xiao Bao doubted this story, claiming that the burns on his head could only be made by boiling water. The doctor also wanted to know why Xiao Bao had so many other injuries.

On Wednesday (Jan.8), a reporter from the paper went to Foshan No. 1 Hospital and spoke to Rong Rong, who was sitting at her brother’s bed side. Rong Rong explained that, after having a row with her father, her mother walked out several months ago.

For over a year now, Mr. Luo has been beating getting drunk and hitting Rong Rong and Xiao Bao, saying they are too naughty. He has even been known to refuse to feed them if they are bad, the family claims. Neither child had eaten meat in months. Rong Rong’s face has traces of a cigarette burn and the father is accused of threatening to disown the children if they tell any strangers about his behaviour.

Mr. Luo tearfully confessed to the paper that he would scold and hit his children. But he claimed he never hit them hard enough to injure them and he only did it to “educate”. He claimed to feel remorse for his actions and also claims to get sleepy rather than violent when he is drunk.

In answer to the accusation that he never fed his children meat, he said there were two reasons. Firstly, he was quite poor, and secondly, the family did not much like meat anyway, they prefer fish.

As well as having a dysfunctional marriage, Luo is also 1000 yuan behind on his rent, according to his landlady. The landlady also says she often hears the children screaming after he has gone home drunk. Once, she knocked on the door after hearing particularly piercing screams. When confronted, Luo asserted that he had just given the child a smacked bottom.

Luo is now under investigation. It ain’t looking good for him.

A man in Guangzhou’s Baiyun District has accused his wife of beating him, according to the Information Times. The man, surnamed Zhang, is appealing to have a restraining order taken out against her.

Zhang met the woman, surnamed Li, 18 years ago, and after a two-year romance they got married and had a son. However, after they got married, Li became a much more irritable person, and began to get violent. It got to a point where Zhang could not take it anymore.

When Zhang initially suggested getting a divorce, his tearful wife resisted. But after Zhang filed for divorce, Li appeared outside his place of work with a muscular man and demanded he come out. The security guard eventually managed to turn them away. In the end, Zhang applied for the restraining order which will prevent his ex-wife from harrassing him, including by telephone.

Guangdong Province’s first case of a man taking out a restraining order against a woman was in Zhuhai’s Xiangzhou Court in July last year. The reason cited was that the wife had threatened to have male relatives come and beat the husband.

Couples going through messy break-ups are never far form the news in this part of the world. In January this year, one couple threatened to publish each other’s nude photos online after a dispute.

Shenzhen, a city that prides itself on entrepreneurship and independence is now trying to take the lead in levelling the playing field.

The Shenzhen Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress released regulations to boost gender equality on June 29, according to Xinhua. “The Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Gender Equality Regulations” are aimed at combating sexual harassment, domestic violence and gender discrimination.

According to a 2010 survey by the Shenzhen branch of the Women’s Federation, 33% of respondents had been victims of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is defined as intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature or the promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favours. Victims will be given channels through which to complain, and violators will be fined.

To tackle domestic violence, Shenzhen People’s Court will open a protection program for people who claim to be victims. This could lead to the suspect receiving a restraining order, or the victim being given police protection. The Women’s Federation will help victims receive medical care and psychological therapy.

Residents can also report cases of sexual discrimination in job recruiting to the police. Employers who are found guilty of sexual discrimination will be fined from 3,000 to 30,000 yuan.

The move received support from netizens. One Sina Weibo user said he hoped the rest of the country would follow Shenzhen’s example. Another said it was very important that children who come from families where there is domestic violence should receive support.

Having said all this, there is no guarantee that gender equality will continue to improve in the city. Just last weekend, local women were involved in a competition, which included a housework test, for the chance to marry an eligible bachelor. Half the sky indeed.