Just like in other eras, during the feudal period, criminals were punished. Beheading was the harshest punishment for criminals at that time. However, beheading could not always be carried out; it had to be done according to regulations. One of the regulations we often see in movies is the time of execution. Officials always chose the hour of noon (3:30 PM) to execute criminals.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, it was stipulated that from the beginning of spring to the autumnal equinox each year, in the months of January, May, and September; on major sacrificial days; on days falling within the 24 solar terms; on fasting days; on the first, fifteenth, half-moon, and the 8th, 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th, and 30th of the lunar month, executions were not permitted. Furthermore, executions were also forbidden before sunrise and before the rain stopped. Therefore, there were fewer than 80 days each year when executions were permissible.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, similar regulations were established as in the Tang and Song dynasties, but without specific time constraints.
What does "three quarters past noon" mean?
In ancient times, before clocks were invented, people relied on astronomical phenomena and animal cycles to tell time. The Chinese used the 12 zodiac animals for timekeeping. In this system, "time" and "hour" were used as units to divide time. Specifically, a day was divided into 12 "times," each lasting 2 hours, and further divided into 100 "hours," each lasting 15 minutes. They used markings on a water container, then drilled holes for water to drip through. After a day and a night, all the water in the container would have drained out.
In the book "Shuowen Jiezi" by the scholar Xu Shen of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it is written: "Regarding time periods, day and night are divided into 100 periods." This means that a day and night consist of a total of 100 periods, evenly divided. Each period is 14.4 minutes (equivalent to 15 minutes today).
Of the twelve time periods, the first is the Hour of the Rat, from 11 PM to 1 AM, and the Hour of the Pig is the last, from 9 PM to 11 PM. According to this calculation, the Hour of the Horse corresponds to 11 AM to 1 PM.
Therefore, the third quarter of an hour of noon is 11:45 AM according to modern time.
The third quarter of an hour of noon is 11:45 AM according to modern time. (Photo: Sohu)
What is special about the third quarter of an hour at noon?
The third quarter of noon is the time around 12 noon, when the sun is at its zenith and shadows on the ground are shortest. Ancient Chinese believed that the third quarter of noon was when the sun was strongest, yang energy reached its peak, and yin energy was weakest.
Why were prisoners executed at three quarters past noon?
According to historians, the ancient Chinese chose the hour of noon (3:30 PM) as the time to execute criminals for two main reasons.
Firstly, it's based on spiritual beliefs. Ancient people believed that life and death were decided by the gods. After a person died, the King of Hell would send his soldiers to the mortal world to escort them back. Ancient Chinese people believed that the time of the third quarter of the hour of the Horse (3:30 PM) was when the yang energy was strongest, and it could suppress the yin energy of the deceased.
Secondly, it stems from a humanistic perspective. From a scientific standpoint, people generally feel most tired at noon and most energetic in the morning. Choosing the hour of noon (3:30 PM) would make the condemned prisoner feel tired and less focused on their impending execution, thus quickly alleviating the pain. Simultaneously, those witnessing this moment would be more easily distracted.
(Source: Vietnamese Women)
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