A horrific photo showing a brutal capital punishment once used in China has resurfaced - leaving people online in shock.
Over the years, we've heard countless stories of varying ways different countries used to punish those who decide to disobey the rules.
From being locked in a wooden crate in Mongolia, to the ancient Greek authorities' bronze bull, there are some shocking punishment stories out there that may you think, 'How on earth was that allowed?'
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And this particular form of punishment previously used in China certainly reaches that category of 'shocking'.
The photo
The horrifying snap was brought to the attention of many people online by Reddit user u/Clean_Chard_2570, who took to the thread r/interestingasf**k to reshare a post from r/SnapshotHistory.
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"In 1930s China, a murderer was publicly caged in a 'cangue,' left to die from exposure, starvation, and thirst as a form of severe punishment and deterrent," a caption for the post reads.
The image shows a man standing inside a wooden cage, with only his head peaking out of the top.
As the man awkwardly stands there, crowds can be see gathered round watching on.
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However, it's important to note the timeframe is likely slightly different to the date the original user first stated.
Time period
A user u/Weinsteinjin questioned the timeframe for the image, noting The Qing Dynasty which was 'famous for using various harsh methods of torture and execution, including the one in this photo' fell in 1911.
U/AgentDagonet then responded by sharing another image of a similar torture method, adding the photo is more likely from around '1899'.
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And if you thought the capital punishment method was simply forcing someone to stand in a wooden cage, then sadly you're gravely mistaken.
The method
Get ready, this is quite gruesome.
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U/granniesmeatflaps revealed: "Sometimes, a quick beheading was the easy way out. Here, a man is pictured standing in a box, as a crowd watches his progress. This is not a posed shot.
"The convicted man has been here for a few days. He is standing on a pile of thin stones (or wooden planks). Every day, one piece is pulled out, until you can no longer stand, and either your neck snaps under the weight of your body pulling on it, or else you slowly strangle to death.
"The worst part is when you think you can put off death by standing on your tip-toes, and start to panic in that position... ….and then you discover that you cannot stay your toes for as long as you thought you could.
"Those last hours are the worst, until the moment comes when you let your body go limp for a moment to long - that moment when you hope for a rest and respite for your exhausted legs that have been struggling on and off to remain on tip-toes - and then the stretching and snapping of the neck, or strangulation against the collar of splintered wood that holds your neck in the final grip of death."
Callum Jones