Shuangjiang Autonomous County, located on the Tropic of Cancer, is known for its lush forests, developed water systems, and fresh air. It is hailed as the “place where the sun turns around” and the “land of China's diverse ethnic cultures.” Halfway up the mountain, a Cup of Tea, observing all things in tranquility. Clear tea comforts the years, sitting quietly, listening to the passage of time.

In recent years, the Mengku People's Court has blended the spirit of “judicial service for the people and fair justice” with the local Tea culture—where tea is used for sustenance, drinking, medicine, and cooking. By integrating the principles of tea, Zen, and Daoism into legal practice, the court has developed a unique “Four Cups of Tea” mediation method. This approach aims to infuse the calming and harmonizing effects of tea into judicial mediation. Inspired by the “Fengqiao Experience,” it has become a model for Shuangjiang and contributes to grassroots governance and rule of law, providing valuable lessons for the construction of a law-based China.

Focusing on Prevention and Resolving Disputes Before They Escalate, Truly Resolving Conflicts and Warming Hearts

“Judge, I can't thank you enough. I thought it would take months to resolve my case in court, but I never expected that your pre-litigation mediation could resolve it so quickly. I got back my tea money within half a day,” said Mr. Zhang, deeply moved after his case was satisfactorily resolved.

Since 2025, Mr. Bi had purchased tea worth over 60,000 yuan from Mr. Zhang multiple times, paying only 10,000 yuan. Despite Mr. Zhang's repeated requests, Mr. Bi refused to pay the remaining 50,000 yuan. Fearing he would lose his hard-earned money, Mr. Zhang turned to the Mengku People's Court for help.

No matter how small, matters concerning people's livelihood are significant. After understanding the details of the case, the presiding judge utilized the pre-litigation mediation process, communicating separately with both parties. The judge engaged in substantive dialogue about contentious issues, analyzed the parties' demands, guided them to empathize with each other, and patiently sought a mutually acceptable solution. After persistent efforts, the two parties reached an agreement, shook hands in reconciliation, and agreed to a phased payment plan.

Justice must be clear and efficient; it is what the people wish for. How can ordinary people genuinely enjoy “zero distance” and “zero cost” fairness and efficiency in the fast lane of justice? The Mengku People's Court provides an answer through its actions. Since 2025, the Mengku People's Court has handled a total of 379 civil and commercial cases, among which 91 cases were resolved through pre-litigation mediation, accounting for 24% of all cases received. 198 cases were settled on the spot, with a settlement rate of 57.39%.

Understanding the Needs, Delivering Results, Making Ethnic Flowers More Vibrant

Wherever the needs of the people lie, litigation services follow. In early 2024, Mr. Gu sued his uncle, Mr. Lu, requesting the court to order him to continue fulfilling their tea field lease contract. As the saying goes, “An aunt and uncle are like parents.” Blood is thicker than water; why did it come to this? The chief judge of the Mengku People's Court, Ms. Feng Minghui, said, “Let's go to Mr. Lu's house,” and everyone headed toward the tea mountain.

In June 2013, Mr. Lu leased his tea field to Mr. Gu under a land lease contract, valid until 2028. Recently, seeing his fellow villagers prosper from the tea business, Mr. Lu wanted to reclaim the tea field to operate it himself. Understanding the situation, considering that Mr. Lu is Dai and has limited Mandarin proficiency, which hindered his ability to fully express his views, Judge Feng invited a special mediator and Village committee staff to mediate on-site to protect the rights and interests of the ethnic group and ensure smooth communication.

“You are nephew and uncle, and should not let personal gains and losses cause discord. Harmony, kindness towards neighbors, and integrity are traditional Chinese virtues, especially when you share blood ties,” said Judge Feng, alternating between Dai and Mandarin, speaking at a moderate pace, making the reasoning simple and straightforward. Ultimately, the two parties reconciled.

“Chief Ma, today we're slaughtering a pig for the New Year, and we've invited the neighboring Wa dance troupe to celebrate tonight. We'd like to invite you to have New Year's pork dinner with us and dance together. Thank you! Without you, I wouldn't have been able to get my tea money back, and we wouldn't be able to slaughter the pig!” “Chief Ma,” is the nickname given to Ms. Feng Minghui by the people of Mengku Town. During the Water Splashing Festival, Torch Festival, and New Year's pig slaughter, Ms. Feng receives many invitations from ethnic groups to visit the Mengku People's Court.

The waters of the two rivers not only nourish the land but also cultivate a harmonious and integrated multi-ethnic culture. Since 2025, the Mengku People's Court has handled 297 cases using bilingual mediation, conducted 21 bilingual legal education sessions, and provided door-to-door legal services to ethnic minority groups 27 times.

Carrying and Letting Go, Settling Disputes with the “Four Cups of Tea”

“Come to the court to reason with me!” A couple involved in a divorce dispute entered the courtroom, their words sharp, the atmosphere tense and confrontational. Seeing the escalating conflict, court staff quickly led them to the “Bao Weizhong Mass Work Method Mediation Studio.” It turned out that due to the husband's chronic alcoholism and neglect of family and children, the wife could no longer bear it and came to the court in anger seeking resolution.

Rather than rushing into mediation, the court staff inquired about the couple's basic circumstances and engaged them in casual conversation. Discussing the case directly might provoke arguments and escalate tensions, but serving a cup of tea and chatting while sipping it helped calm their tempers, making it easier to conduct work and resolve disputes. After drinking less than four cups of tea, the couple's anger had significantly subsided, allowing the court staff to begin formal mediation.

“I didn't expect that, coming to the court to reason, our marital dispute would be resolved after just a few cups of tea.”

A cup to calm down, a second to discuss the issue, a third to talk heart-to-heart, and a