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". 在一个阴雨绵绵的十月午后，北京的几名青少年学生围坐在调解桌旁，讨论一起潜在的法庭案件。有人仔细检查“证据袋”，有人争论“财产分配”，还有人查阅《民法典》来确认“遗嘱”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. 这并非真实审判，而是一场沉浸式法律工作坊，学生们分别扮演原告、被告和法官的角色，共同处理一起遗产纠纷。 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. 本次以遗嘱与财产分割为主题的讲座，是海淀区人民法院推出的一项创新举措，旨在让法律更贴近年轻人生活，更易于理解。 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. 在北京一中学生的参与下，在法院协助法官处理案件的孙佳韵指导下，学生们仅用一小时便完成了工作坊课程。他们不仅学习了遗嘱的法律效力，还了解了法庭调查、证据交换和陈述等司法程序。 Legal education in China is undergoing a transformation, and it now offers customized courses for different participants, according to Sun. 孙佳韵指出，中国的法律教育正在经历转型，如今为不同参与者提供定制化课程。 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. 这一转变源于习近平法治思想的贯彻实施，该思想强调必须注重法律教育的实效性，特别是加强青少年法律教育。 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. 周一和周二，在北京市召开的关于全面依法治国工作的中央会议上，习近平主席指示，要加大力度推进各领域依法治国工作，为国家现代化建设提供有力保障。 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. 习近平同时担任中共中央总书记和中央军事委员会主席，他呼吁全社会共同努力，确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. 全国人大常委会委员长赵乐际也强调了依法治国的优先地位，指出必须深化依法治国、依法治党、依法治国、依法治民的实践。 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. 此次会议恰逢习近平法治思想提出五周年。习近平法治思想要求坚持以人民为中心推进法治建设，不断提高全社会的法律意识和法律素养。 激发兴趣 Sparking interest Han Chu, a sophomore from the high school, played the role of a "judge" that afternoon. 该校高二学生韩储当天下午扮演了“评委”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. 在研讨课上，他认真聆听了扮演原告和被告的同学们的陈述，核实了他们提供的各类证据，并频繁查阅《民法典》中关于遗嘱的相关条款。 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. 该剧本改编自真实案例，围绕三兄妹展开——他们将父母生前手写、打印及录音遗嘱带至法庭，各自主张获得全部遗产继承权。 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. 韩储在孙佳韵的指导下认定，根据该法典，三份遗嘱均存在法律瑕疵，裁定该家族资产应由三名子女均分。 "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. 韩储说：“这项活动不仅极其有趣，更让我真正掌握了法律概念。通过参与研讨会，我对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." 他的同学胡世涵（音译）说：“这次活动比单纯读教科书真实得多。通过扮演角色，我亲身体验了法庭流程，这让我真正理解了课堂上学到的知识。” 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." 孙佳韵对学生们的投入感到十分满意。“对年轻人而言，这种沉浸式教学法是开展法律教育的关键，”她说道，“过去阅读法律书籍和旁听庭审总让人觉得遥不可及。而当他们亲身扮演法官和诉讼当事人时，参与度和理解力都会显著提升。” "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. 孙佳韵补充道：“我们的首要目标从来不只是传授法律知识，而是要点燃他们真正的兴趣。毕竟，兴趣是最好的老师，这也是任何学习最重要的基础。” 简明语言 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，在为老年人提供教育时，孙佳韵采用了一套不同的材料——大字体和案例研究，避免使用法律术语或复杂条款。 "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. 她在北京市海淀区燕园社区向长者讲解遗嘱与财产分配相关话题后如是说：“向老年人提供法律教育的关键在于使用通俗易懂的语言和日常案例。” 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." 孙佳韵在课程中将“立遗嘱”比作“自己做饭”，解释道：“若想按自己的想法分配房产和财产，就需要在遗嘱中明确指定谁获得什么以及多少份额。这就像自己做饭——你决定吃什么以及吃多少。” 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." 对于法定继承，她将其比作“现成的套餐”，表示：“若无具体安排，民法典将为你提供指引。它为你准备了‘套餐’，意味着你的资产将被平均分配。” 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岁的张德君（音译）对这些类比表示欢迎。“它们让我更容易理解法律问题，”她说，“到了我这个年纪，开始考虑立遗嘱和分配资产是很自然的。这门法律课程正是我需要的，我学到了很多。” 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." 孙佳韵强调，在为老年人提供教育时，使用他们容易理解的语言至关重要。“他们不需要‘遗产支持协议’的法律定义，但必须明白不提前规划的风险。” 定制化教育 Tailored education Thanks to the tailored education, Qian Shuo,
