In the Raipur district of Chhattisgarh, a territory once under the control of Maoists has gained new notoriety. The area, which was previously a forest zone, has now transformed into a large inter-state cockfighting carnival.
Players from across Chhattisgarh, as well as from neighboring states Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, gather here. One can see tents, music, food, and cars, but the main elements are the roosters and bets, which reach hundreds of thousands of rupees.
A dispute over the land boundary between two neighboring families in China, which lasted for over two centuries and became a topic of discussion on social media, was settled using a document dated 1781 after intervention by the court and local authorities.
The police and the village committee repeatedly tried to mediate, but the conflict did not subside. To resolve the situation, a meeting was held where the Zhang family presented an ancient land document. It was established that this document dates back to the 46th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong during the Qing Dynasty, i.e., 1781.
This document contained an agreement defining the boundary between the lands of both families. A fig tree growing in the courtyard was mentioned for identifying the plot. Although the paper of the document had yellowed and some parts were torn, the inscription remained clear.
This document showed that the land dispute between the families had been ongoing for more than two centuries, and information about disagreements over this boundary appeared even shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
To resolve the current case, local authorities drew inspiration from a well-known historical case in China involving the Qing Dynasty official and scholar Zhang Ying. It is said that his family also had a dispute with a neighbor over land and a wall. Zhang Ying wrote a letter to his family, advising them to reach a peaceful agreement with the neighbor and forgo escalating the conflict, suggesting they leave three feet of land. In the letter, he wrote: 'The letter about the wall came from afar, so why not leave three feet? The Great Wall still stands, but the First Emperor cannot be seen.'
Following this advice, Zhang Ying's family moved their wall back by three feet, and the neighbor also moved their wall back in response. Thus, a six-foot alley was formed between the two properties, which is now a tourist attraction in Tongchen, Anhui Province, and is considered a symbol of mutual agreement.
In the current case, the authorities conducted multiple checks of the boundaries of both houses and developed a renovation plan that would satisfy the concerns of both families. Ultimately, the Du family was able to renovate its kitchen, and the Zhang family reached a peaceful resolution.
