• The phrase “上演铁公鸡” can often be seen in local Chinese newspaper reports and mainly refers to incidents which involve people fighting or intentionally disturbing the public peace.
• The term “铁公鸡” is said to have originated from a play of the same name, which is also the nickname of the play’s protagonist. The play is set against the backdrop of the Taiping Rebellion during the Qing dynasty, with the protagonist fighting his enemies with swords and spears. Therefore, people use the term “铁公鸡”’, which is associated with fighting, to describe people having a fist fight.
• In the 1970s and 1980s, both the opera and movie versions of the play were exceptionally popular among Chinese audiences in Singapore.

The female tow truck driver and the male car driver were seen having a fist fight along the road. The female driver even took out a metal rod to smash the car’s windows. Both parties were
arrested and charged with affray. (Shin Min Daily News, 1/8/2019)

• Many characters in the play “铁公鸡” wore pigtails. This hairstyle was forced on Han men by the Manchu government in the mid-17th century, and was deemed to be humiliating. In the 1950s, the Chinese government banned the Peking Opera version of the play.