The Study of the Traffic Law System in Ancient China

Ancient Chinese people put forward many traffic regulations from long-term social practice. For instance, keeping to the right on city roads, prohibition against traveling fast in downtown area; ships with the current go first when sailing in the river. Rich in life philosophy, some of these regulations are used even today. However, some of the traffic regulations in ancient China were quite inappropriate. For example, it was written in law by the rulers of every dynasty that ordinary people should give way to the emperor and the aristocracy so that strict social hierarchy can be maintained. Night travel was forbidden in case of mass rally. The travelling right of peasants was limited in form of law in order to tie them to the land for agricultural production. As to those inappropriate elements, we should discard and criticize them.