The sword, bow and quiver of arrows hanging in front of the south-facing front gate of a courthouse in Changchun, Jilin province, has sparked an online debate.

The ancient weapons are in place at the suggestion of the feng shui master whom the present chief justice of the court consulted after outside agencies investigated several judges for mishandling of cases. The sword, bow and arrows were hung in front of the gate to exorcize evil spirits that cause misfortunes of this nature.

Many netizens protested, saying that this is an act based on feudal superstition. Others offered more constructive advice: that peachwood swords are much more effective than those worked in metal for deflecting unwelcome attention.

(China Daily July 10, 2008)