Six chi away, but closer together

1 Narrow lanes are very common in China. They are usually about two metres wide, or six chi in traditional Chinese units. Most of them are nothing special. But Liu Chi Xiang (Six-chi Lane) in Tongcheng, Anhui, is perhaps the most famous one.

2 Its story started back in the Qing Dynasty. Two local families, the Zhangs and the Wus, argued over the dividing line between their houses. They couldn’t reach an agreement. The Zhang family was angry. Their relative, Zhang Ying, had a position high up in the government. They wrote him a letter, asking for advice. When his reply came, they opened it to find a poem inside.

A letter from far away just for a wall

Is not right or good at all.

Three chi to your neighbour as a gift

Is nothing as time continues to drift.

3 After reading it, the Zhang family felt ashamed. They stepped back three chi for their neighbour. This act deeply moved the Wu family. In return, they decided to do the same thing. They gave up another three chi. And so came the six-chi-wide lane between the two houses.

4 Hundreds of years have passed since then, and the lane is still there. The people of Tongcheng still keep the poem in mind. Whenever they walk down the lane, they remember how kindness encourages more kindness.