On a wet October afternoon in Beijing, a group of teenage students gathered around a mediation table to discuss a potential court case. Some scrutinized "evidence bags" and debated "property allocation", while others consulted the Civil Code to confirm the validity of "wills".

在一個陰雨綿綿的十月午后，北京的幾名青少年學生圍坐在調解桌旁，討論一起潛在的法庭案件。有人仔細檢查“證據袋”，有人爭論“財產分配”，還有人查閱《民法典》來確認“遺囑”的有效性。

This was not an actual trial but an immersive legal workshop where students took on the roles of plaintiffs, defendants and judges to navigate an inheritance dispute.

這並非真實審判，而是一場沉浸式法律工作坊，學生們分别扮演原告、被告和法官的角色，共同處理一起遺產糾紛。

The session, centered on wills and property division, was part of an innovative initiative by Haidian District People's Court to make the law more relatable and accessible to young people.

本次以遺囑與財產分割為主題的講座，是海澱區人民法院推出的一項創新舉措，旨在讓法律更貼近年輕人生活，更易於理解。

Under the guidance of Sun Jiayun, who assists judges in case handling at the court, the students from Beijing 101 High School completed the workshop within an hour, learning not only about the legal validity of wills, but also judicial procedures such as court investigation, evidence exchange and statements.

在北京一中學生的參與下，在法院協助法官處理案件的孫佳韻指導下，學生們僅用一小時便完成了工作坊課程。他們不僅學習了遺囑的法律效力，還了解了法庭調查、證據交換和陳述等司法程序。

Legal education in China is undergoing a transformation, and it now offers customized courses for different participants, according to Sun.

孫佳韻指出，中國的法律教育正在經歷轉型，如今為不同參與者提供定制化課程。

This transformation is a result of the implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, which emphasizes the need to focus on the effectiveness of legal education, particularly by strengthening law education for young people.

這一轉變源於習近平法治思想的貫徹實施，該思想強調必須注重法律教育的實效性，特别是加強青少年法律教育。

On Monday and Tuesday, at a central conference on work related to overall law-based governance in Beijing, President Xi Jinping instructed that efforts should be intensified on advancing the rule of law across various sectors in the nation's modernization drive.

週一和週二，在北京市召開的關於全面依法治國工作的中央會議上，習近平主席指示，要加大力度推進各領域依法治國工作，為國家現代化建設提供有力保障。

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for across-the-board efforts to ensure society-wide observance of the law.

習近平同時擔任中共中央總書記和中央軍事委員會主席，他呼籲全社會共同努力，確保法律得到全面遵守。

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, also underscored the priority of law-based governance, stressing the need to deepen the endeavor to build a law-abiding society.

全國人大常委會委員長趙樂際也強調了依法治國的優先地位，指出必須深化依法治國、依法治黨、依法治國、依法治民的實踐。

The meeting coincided with the fifth anniversary of the introduction of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, which requires upholding a people-centered approach in advancing the building of the rule of law, and continuously enhancing the legal awareness and literacy of the entire public.

此次會議恰逢習近平法治思想提出五週年。習近平法治思想要求堅持以人民為中心推進法治建設，不斷提高全社會的法律意識和法律素養。

激發興趣

Sparking interest

Han Chu, a sophomore from the high school, played the role of a "judge" that afternoon.

該校高二學生韓儲當天下午扮演了“評委”的角色。

During the workshop, he listened carefully to the statements of classmates playing the plaintiff and defendant, verified the various items of evidence they provided, and frequently consulted the provisions related to wills in the Civil Code.

在研討課上，他認真聆聽了扮演原告和被告的同學們的陳述，核實了他們提供的各類證據，並頻繁查閱《民法典》中關於遺囑的相關條款。

The script, adapted from real cases, revolved around three siblings who brought their deceased parents' handwritten, printed and audio-recorded wills to court, with each claiming sole inheritance.

該劇本改編自真實案例，圍繞三兄妹展開——他們將父母生前手寫、打印及錄音遺囑帶至法庭，各自主張獲得全部遺產繼承權。

Han, guided by Sun, concluded that all three wills had legal flaws in accordance with the code, ruling that the family's assets should be divided equally among the three children.

韓儲在孫佳韻的指導下認定，根據該法典，三份遺囑均存在法律瑕疵，裁定該家族資產應由三名子女均分。

"Not only was this activity incredibly interesting, but it truly helped me grasp legal concepts. I've gained a much deeper understanding of the law by taking part in the workshop," Han said.

韓儲說：“這項活動不僅極其有趣，更讓我真正掌握了法律概念。通過參與研討會，我對法律有了更深入的理解。”

His classmate Hu Shihan said: "The activity felt much more real than just reading textbooks. By stepping into a character's shoes, I experienced the courtroom process firsthand, which let me understand what I learned in class."

他的同學胡世涵（音譯）說：“這次活動比單純讀教科書真實得多。通過扮演角色，我親身體驗了法庭流程，這讓我真正理解了課堂上學到的知識。”

Sun beamed with satisfaction at the students' engagement. "For young people, such an immersive method is key to providing legal education," she said. "Reading law books and observing trials used to feel distant. By becoming the judges and litigants involved, their engagement and understanding deepen."

孫佳韻對學生們的投入感到十分滿意。“對年輕人而言，這種沉浸式教學法是開展法律教育的關鍵，”她說道，“過去閱讀法律書籍和旁聽庭審總讓人覺得遙不可及。而當他們親身扮演法官和訴訟當事人時，參與度和理解力都會顯著提升。”

"Our primary goal was never just to teach them laws, but to ignite a genuine interest. After all, interest is the best teacher, and that's the most important foundation for any learning," Sun added.

孫佳韻補充道：“我們的首要目標從來不只是傳授法律知識，而是要點燃他們真正的興趣。畢竟，興趣是最好的老師，這也是任何學習最重要的基礎。”

簡明語言

Easy language

However, when educating the elderly, Sun uses a different set of materials — large fonts and case studies without legal jargon or complex provisions.

然而，在為老年人提供教育時，孫佳韻采用了一套不同的材料——大字體和案例研究，避免使用法律術語或復雜條款。

"The key of offering legal education to older people lies in plain language and everyday cases," she said after sharing the topics of a will and property allocation with seniors at Yanyuan community in Beijing's Haidian district.

她在北京市海澱區燕園社區向長者講解遺囑與財產分配相關話題后如是說：“向老年人提供法律教育的關鍵在於使用通俗易懂的語言和日常案例。”

Sun compared "making a will" to "cooking your own meal" in her course, explaining: "If you want to distribute your house and money according to your own ideas, you need to specify in the will who gets what and how much. It's like cooking for yourself — you decide what to eat and how much."

孫佳韻在課程中將“立遺囑”比作“自己做飯”，解釋道：“若想按自己的想法分配房產和財產，就需要在遺囑中明確指定誰獲得什麼以及多少份額。這就像自己做飯——你決定吃什麼以及吃多少。”

For statutory inheritance, she compared it to "ready-made meals", saying: "If you don't have specific ideas, the Civil Code will help you. It prepares 'meals' for you, which means your assets will be divided equally."

對於法定繼承，她將其比作“現成的套餐”，表示：“若無具體安排，民法典將為你提供指引。它為你準備了‘套餐’，意味著你的資產將被平均分配。”

Zhang Dejun, 66, welcomed these comparisons. "They make it easier for me to understand the legal issues," she said. "At my age, it's natural to start thinking about making a will and distributing assets. The legal course is exactly what I need, and I've learned a lot."

66歲的張德君（音譯）對這些類比表示歡迎。“它們讓我更容易理解法律問題，”她說，“到了我這個年紀，開始考慮立遺囑和分配資產是很自然的。這門法律課程正是我需要的，我學到了很多。”

Sun highlighted that when educating seniors, it is crucial to use language that they can easily understand. "They don't need the legal definition of a 'legacy support agreement', but they must understand the risks of not planning ahead."

孫佳韻強調，在為老年人提供教育時，使用他們容易理解的語言至關重要。“他們不需要‘遺產支持協議’的法律定義，但必須明白不提前規劃的風險。”

定制化教育

Tailored education

Thanks to the tailored education, Qian Shuo, another judges' assistant from the Haidian court, said the public's overall legal awareness has been enhanced.

海澱法院另一名法官助理錢碩表示，通過定制化教育培訓，公眾的整體法律意識得到了提升。

"Many people coming to us are more knowledgeable. Instead of saying 'I don't know the law, but this is unfair', they can cite specific legal provisions and fight for their legitimate rights," she said.

錢碩表示：“現在來找我們的人普遍更有法律知識。他們不再說‘我不懂法律，但這太不公平’，而是能援引具體法律條款來維護自身合法權益。”

Official data shows that since 2021, the court's staff have visited more than 100 communities, schools and enterprises across the district, providing in-person legal education nearly 600 times.

官方數據顯示，自2021年以來，法院工作人員已走訪全區100多個社區、學校和企業，開展現場法律宣講近600次。

The staff have stimulated the public's interest in the law through short videos, and helped build legal education centers in parks, libraries and technological compounds.

工作人員通過短視頻激發公眾對法律的興趣，並協助在公園、圖書館和科技園區建立法律教育中心。

"Legal education is not a one-way street; it's a two-way interaction," said Fang Xu, who works for the court's litigation service center. "Through this process, I've learned to see things from the residents' perspectives and empathize with their conflicts, with deeper understanding about their legal demand."

法院訴訟服務中心工作人員方旭（音譯）表示：“法律教育不是單向灌輸，而是雙向互動。通過這個過程，我學會了站在居民角度看待問題，體察他們的矛盾衝突，對他們的法律訴求有了更深的理解。”

In addition to face-to-face interactions, legal-based television dramas and films have also found audiences over the past few years, attracting millions of viewers and encouraging judicial workers to interpret legal issues on the screen.

除面對面交流外，近年來以法律為主題的電視劇和電影也吸引了大量觀眾，數以百萬計的觀眾通過熒幕了解法律問題，這促使司法工作者開始在影視作品中解讀法律議題。

Zhang Tongyu, from Beijing's Chaoyang District People's Court, has interpreted the laws involved in the relevant cases in No More Bets, a film about telecom fraud, providing an analysis of these related legal issues to the public.

北京市朝陽區人民法院的張彤宇（音譯）法官，就電信詐騙題材電影《别再賭了》中涉及的相關案件所適用的法律進行了闡釋，向公眾剖析了這些關聯法律問題。

According to a law on publicity and education regarding the rule of law, which took effect on Nov 1, legal education, as a lifelong education for citizens, should be incorporated into the national education system.

根據11月1日生效的《法治宣傳教育法》，法律教育作為公民的終身教育，應當納入國家教育體系。

The law stipulates that schools and internet platforms should provide stronger legal education for young people.

法律規定，學校和互聯網平臺應加強對青少年的法律教育。

Civil Code

《民法典》

judge and litigant

法官和訴訟當事人

legacy support agreement

遺產支持協議