Editor's Note:
The brutal killing of former Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi last week received wide coverage in China. The explicit nature of the pictures shocked many, and caused others to reflect on the legacy of a controversial leader and the future of Libya and other nations.
Kuang Shengming, 53, male, staff member of a public institution
His death came as no surprise for me at all because the opposition was resolved to kill him from the very beginning of the war.
But their way of disposing of his body, including beating and storing him in a butcher's freezer for the public to see, is a gross insult and blasphemy against life.
People may have different political views but the same dignity. His actions should have been judged through legal means such as a trial. I think the Arab world still needs strongmen as leaders considering its special situation.
Xu Xinlei, 24, male, media worker
There are no real winners in war. But his death was a really great victory of democracy for the whole world.
It warns other authoritarian governments that people, rich or poor, should be given full freedom. Otherwise, they will be overthrown by the people some day, no matter how long they have ruled, as has been shown in Libya.
Dictators and tyrants will eventually be buried in the ruins of history. The international community has to help the Libyan people on the track to development and democracy.
Zhang Bingzheng, 30, male, company employee
I feel very sorry about his death. Gaddafi was a strongman in politics, and to some extent a national hero. He dared to say no to the hegemony of Western countries. Such a strongman ended up with such a disgraceful death. It is really a pity. The fighters against US hegemony lost another member. Actually, he was not overthrown by the Libyan people but the Western powers.
He Liao, 23, male, graduate student
Gaddafi ruled Libya for more than 40 years and became famous, or infamous, in the international community. He had so much power and a very large amount of money, but all of these were meaningless because they did not really belong to him and could never last.
Once they meet outside interference, these external things disappear easily. The lesson for us is that houses and cars, which people work so hard to chase nowadays, are vulnerable to outside influence and our happiness cannot be built on them.
Nan Yujie contributed to this story