These criminals are exposed to the public gaze with their offence written on the pillory.
There is even a three-hole cangue into which three people are fixed. This is generally inflicted on gamblers and the smart-fingered gentry.
The boy's cangue is used for boys addicted to gambling or who have entered the boys' secret society known as the 棒棒會.
The chüeh p‘ên (脚盆) chia or pan t‘ou (蟠頭) chia, foot tub or dish cangue, is light, and can easily be carried about the streets. Such is sometimes put on the tax gatherer when he fails to collect the taxes; and he carries it from market to market.
A chain is fastened to a heavy stone and the criminal is chained all day and released at night to sleep in the guardhouse. This is t‘ieh lien shih têng (鐵鍊石磴).
The hand cangue, shou chia (手枷), confines the hands as well as the head; the foot cangue, chüeh (脚) chia, is a wooden block round the two ankles; the wearer can move about slowly. The yüan yang (鴛鴦) chia confines one foot and one hand of each of two persons. The yüan and yang are the mandarin drake and duck which never leave their mates.
Cutting off the ears, hsüeh êrh to (削耳朶) , was a punishment in use up to the present year.
Branding on the forehead, mei hsing (墨刑), or ts‘ŭ tsŭ (東字), is an ancient punishment and was still in use until the revolution. A needle is used to prick the characters on the skin, then indigo is rubbed into the wound, and when healed the blue characters are seen. The punishment is generally inflicted on pickpockets and swindlers.
Ko chüeh chin (割脚筋), to cut the tendons at the back of the foot is also a very ancient punishment and is still practised. It is generally inflicted upon robbers only, as the man is lamed for life.
Another punishment is to carry an iron bar of from 30 to 40 catties in weight, pei t‘ieh kan (背鐵杆). An iron ring is welded round the neck and the bar is attached to this with
