The Chinese Bell Murders: A Judge
Dee Detective Story by Robert Van
Gulik
The Best Of The Judge Dee Mysteries
Meet Judge Dee, the detective lauded as the Sherlock Holmes of ancient
China Fans of Alexander McCall Smiths No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
series will thrill to this reissue of the first volume in Robert van Guliks
classic Chinese Murders series. The Chinese Bell Murders introduces the
great Judge Dee, a magistrate of the city of Poo-yang in ancient China. In
the spirit of ancient Chinese detective novels, Judge Dee is challenged by
three cases. First, he must solve the mysterious murder of Pure Jade, a
young girl living on Half Moon Street. All the evidence points to the guilt of
her lover, but Judge Dee has his doubts. Dee also solves the mystery of a
deserted temple and that of a group of monks terrific success with a cure
for barren women.

Personal Review: The Chinese Bell Murders: A Judge Dee
Detective Story by Robert Van Gulik
I have read all the Judge Dee mysteries at least twice, and really love
them. However, I have just read a number of books on China and discover
that van Gulik has purposefully mislead readers to make ancient Chinese
justice just like Western justice and rather appealing. The truth is almost
the exact opposite.
If you are interested, a standard history of china by harvard professor
John Fairbank and Merle Goldman, China A History, explains that the
Chinese justice system was openly corrupt (corruption did not have to be
secret - it was and is the accepted way), relied on torture of both plaintiff
and defendent, had no consistent laws, no equal punishments for the
same offence (everything was based on class and kinship status) and
bascially was just like modern Communist law: it was a vehicle for the state
to control behavior. The goal was not 'justice' in the Judeo-Christian sense
but state control.
Also like Communist China under Mao, imperial law relied on collective
punishment to terrorize the populace. The entire population was divided
into groups of ten and one hundred families, and if anyone in the whole
group was condemned, the entire group could be executed. For serious
offenses against the state, thousands of families could all be executed.
Van Gulik is always showing citizens bringing disputes before the court. In
reality, this was never done (as both sides could be tortured and both sides
had to pay the court and both sides had to bribe the court). Instead,
people relied on their village elders or clan heads to rule on disputes, as
the court system was too dangerous.
Most of the ideals that Van Gulik gives to Judge Dee of fairness, protecting
the weak against the strong etc. are Christian values that go back to the
Jewish Bible (God creating all men equal, protect the weak and the
stranger, equality before the law etc). They are antithetical to Chinese
values from imperial to modern times. It is very important not to pretend
that foreign cultures are the same as we are...or that our values are
universal. They are very special treasures that we should be incredibly
grateful for.
The Judge Dee books also mention women's tiny feet at times, but he
never tells the reader that until 1900, all upper class and middle class
women in China had their feet broken and maimed leading to their being
crippled for life, unable to walk normallyeuphemism - binding their feet).
From the 19th century, this custom of torturing and crippling women
spread among the peasants also. 10% of girls probably died from this
treatment.
Van Gulik prominently features 'courtesans' and 'prostitutes.' A more
accurate term might be slaves or sex slaves.

We are often told that China was 'more advanced' than the west until
modern times. In truth, they were most comparable to ancient Rome, a
cruel and despotic slave-owning culture with admirable roads and art. But
Rome at least had rule of law, something China never had.
So, enjoy Judge Dee - but take it for what it is, bascially a fun Western
mystery story set in a lovingly recreated period piece, kind of like most
Hollywood movies - great costumes, great settings, fun plots, endearing
characters - all basically unrealistic.
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