In Guizhou Province, Guizhou City, a man was sentenced to death for stabbing to death a 19-year-old motorcyclist due to being tormented by the loud noise of modified motorcycles around him for a long time. The man has appealed the sentence. This news was widely reported by multiple Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong media on August 12th.
According to reports from various media outlets in Mainland China, Wang, who resides in Yunyan District of Guizhou City, is engaged in electrical installation and has a wife suffering from cancer, as well as two children.
Since 2019, there have been frequent late-night occurrences of modified motorcycles making loud noises around Wang’s residential area. Wang’s bedroom is close to the road, and the constant noise disturbance has caused him severe insomnia, pushing him to the brink of a breakdown.
In the early morning of May 29, 2025, after being awakened twice by the noise of the motorcycles, Wang went downstairs with a knife to confront the individuals causing the noise. He attempted to stop the 19-year-old Fu, who was riding in the area, but when his attempts failed, he ended up stabbing Fu to death.
After his arrest, Wang admitted to the crime, and the prosecution charged him with intentional homicide. During the trial, Wang and his defense lawyer argued that the modified motorcycle ridden by the victim generated noise exceeding 110.9 decibels, suggesting it played a role in the incident and sought leniency and forgiveness from the victim’s family. Ultimately, Wang was sentenced to death for intentional homicide in the first instance, and he was ordered to pay 100,000 RMB in compensation to the victim’s family.
Wang has appealed the first-instance judgment. His family has indicated willingness to increase the compensation amount to 600,000 RMB if forgiveness is granted.
The deceased, Fu, was a police assistant at the local police station. A friend of Fu, Yang, told Hua Shang Daily News that Fu’s motorcycle had been modified with the exhaust silencer removed, resulting in a very loud noise coming from the exhaust pipe, which disturbed the residents. Yang stated, “When we ride motorcycles with loud exhaust pipes, especially at night, it does indeed disturb the peace. That night, he revved the throttle very high, and I found it very noisy.”
On October 27th of the same year following the incident, the Yunyan Branch of the Guizhou Public Security Bureau commissioned the Beijing Motor Vehicle Judicial Appraisal Center to conduct an evaluation of Fu’s motorcycle.
The center’s evaluation concluded that the vehicle’s exhaust pipe and silencer were missing, altering the original structure and construction of the vehicle’s exhaust pipe. When the vehicle was started, the engine exhaust emitted a roar. The measured noise level of the vehicle was 110.9 dB(A), exceeding the standard requirement of 92 dB(A) for vehicles with engine displacement greater than 125ml. The motorcycle’s exhaust pipe was found to have been modified and produced noise that did not comply with relevant national standards.
Several nearby residents have confirmed that they have been adversely affected by the loud noise from the modified motorcycles, disrupting their normal rest.
“Zha Jie” is an internet slang term originated from mainland China, used to describe the behavior of driving modified vehicles (especially motorcycles or sports cars) on the streets with high decibel roars, high-speed racing, or revving the engine loudly to attract attention. “Zha” describes the explosive sound and intense roaring noise from the exhaust pipe, resembling an explosion on the street. “Jie” refers to the street or community roads.