Wuhan court adopts 'forget it' plush toy to help settle disputes

A mediation room named "Suan Niao" (literally "forget it") at the Hongshan district Nanhu people's court of Wuhan, Hubei province, has adopted a humorous local cultural symbol to settle more than 500 cases since it was set up.

The room's name is a local phrase commonly used by neighbors or passersby to stop people from fighting each other. It has spawned a plush toy of a chubby white bird with a green garlic sprout on its head. Pressing the toy produces a recording that repeats the phrase "suan niao, suan niao". Suan means garlic, and niao means bird. The toy has become one of this year's most popular gifts in the area.

One of the room's first cases was a rental dispute. Wang, who had leased part of a venue for training services, sued the landlord Chen after Chen failed to pay rent to the building management on time, which forced Wang to move out immediately. Chen, angered by the lawsuit, argued that Wang shouldn't have sued him directly and accused Wang of previously disrupting his business.