From hungry ghosts to fox spirits, Daoist exorcism to the courts of hell — the complete guide to China
Urban LegendsEvery Chinese city has its own urban legends — the haunted building that no one will rent, the subway station where ghosts ride after midnight, the...
Urban LegendsThe internet didn
Underworld CourtsThe Chinese underworld has ten courts, ten judges, and a legal system more detailed than most earthly ones.
Urban LegendsEvery Chinese university has its ghost story — from the library specter to the dormitory fourth floor.
Urban LegendsSmartphone ghost photos, haunted livestreams, and AI-generated spirits — how technology is transforming Chinese supernatural culture.
Underworld CourtsChinese hell has ten courts, each with a specialized judge, specific punishments, and a bureaucratic process that would make any government agency pro
Urban LegendsThe haunted last train, the phantom passengers, and the ghostly woman at Yonghegong — Beijing
Temple LegendsEvery old temple in China has stories — of monks who achieved enlightenment, of demons who were defeated, of ghosts who still wander the halls at nigh
Underworld CourtsBefore you
Underworld CourtsThe Chinese underworld has rules — and where there are rules, there are ways around them.
Underworld CourtsWhen your time is up, two figures come to collect you — one with the head of an ox, one with the face of a horse. They
Temple LegendsChinese temples are supposed to be sacred ground, protected by divine power. So why are some of them the most haunted places in the country?
Spirit MediumsIn Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, Chinese spirit mediums pierce their cheeks with skewers, speak in tongues, and dispense advice from the gods.
FolkloreTen courts, eighteen hells, and the most organized afterlife bureaucracy in any mythology — welcome to Diyu.
Temple LegendsDoor gods, stone lions, and spirit walls — the protective entities that guard Chinese temples from evil.
DemonsA Classification of Chinese Monsters
Temple LegendsHaunted mirrors, possessed jade, and unlucky antiques — the objects that carry supernatural danger in Chinese tradition.
Temple LegendsEven holy ground isn
Spirit MediumsTaiwan has more active spirit mediums per capita than anywhere else on earth. In a society with universal healthcare and high-speed internet, the gods
DemonsThe Chinese Hopping Vampire
Spirit MediumsFor centuries, Chinese communities have received messages from deities through a Y-shaped stick that writes in sand.
Spirit MediumsSpirit mediums — people who claim to channel the dead — have been part of Chinese culture for three thousand years.
ShapeshiftersFrom Liaozhai
DemonsFrom Demon to Deity
Spirit MediumsBefore Daoism, before Buddhism, before Confucius — there were the wu, the shamans who danced between worlds.
ShapeshiftersThe most powerful and controversial fox spirit in Chinese mythology — how the nine-tailed fox went from blessing to curse across centuries.
ShapeshiftersThe thousand-year-old serpent who became a woman for love — China
ShapeshiftersSeductive, wise, and morally ambiguous — the fox spirits who have haunted Chinese imagination for 3,000 years.
LegendsChina
ShapeshiftersCats, snakes, weasels, hedgehogs, and fish — the surprisingly diverse roster of Chinese animal spirits beyond the famous fox.
ShapeshiftersIn Chinese mythology, the line between human and animal is permeable. Any creature that lives long enough can learn to take human form — and the resul
Shapeshifters500 years of moonlight absorption, a lightning tribulation, and suddenly your neighbor
ShapeshiftersShape-shifting foxes who seduce scholars, grant wishes, and challenge the boundary between human and animal — a complete guide to fox spirit mythology
FolkloreChina
GhostsBeauty and Tragedy
RitualsAncestor worship isn
RitualsFrom simple ghost money to paper iPhones and designer bags — the tradition of burning paper offerings for deceased loved ones.
RitualsChinese funerals are elaborate, expensive, and precisely choreographed — because getting the send-off wrong means the dead person
RitualsTalismans, swords, incantations, and spirit commands — the complete toolkit of the Daoist exorcist and how they battle ghosts and demons.
LegendsThe Demon Queller
LiaozhaiWritten over 300 years ago, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio remains the most influential collection of supernatural fiction in Chinese literature.
LiaozhaiA beautiful ghost, a righteous scholar, and a demon tree — the most beloved love story in Chinese supernatural fiction.
LiaozhaiPu Songling spent forty years collecting and writing ghost stories. The result — Liaozhai Zhiyi — is not just a horror anthology.
RitualsThe orientation of an ancestor
LiaozhaiRepeatedly rejected by the imperial examination system, Pu Songling channeled his frustration into nearly 500 supernatural tales that changed Chinese.
LiaozhaiA demon wearing human beauty — the Painted Skin story has horrified and fascinated readers for 300 years. Here
Horror FictionHalf zombie, half vampire, entirely Chinese — the jiangshi is a reanimated corpse that hops instead of walks, is repelled by sticky rice instead of...
Horror FictionThe viral supernatural stories that spread through WeChat and Weibo — China
GhostsThe Spirits That Pull You Under
LiaozhaiPu Songling wrote over 490 supernatural tales in the 17th century. Most are better than anything in modern horror cinema.
Horror FictionBeyond Liaozhai — the modern Chinese horror fiction scene that
GhostsFrom the Dragon Kings to local river spirits — the complex hierarchy of water deities that governs China
Horror FictionFrom Mr. Vampire to The Eye — the films that defined Chinese supernatural cinema.
GhostsChina
Horror FictionChinese horror didn
GhostsNot all Chinese ghosts are the same. There are hungry ghosts, vengeful ghosts, water ghosts, child ghosts, and bureaucratic ghosts who file complaints
GhostsThey lurk in rivers, lakes, and wells, waiting to drag swimmers under — the terrifying water ghosts of Chinese folklore.
FolkloreTraditions and Taboos
Ghost StoriesFrom a fox spirit seducing a scholar to a ghost bride seeking justice, these are the stories that Chinese children grow up hearing — and that Chinese.
Ghost StoriesChinese ghost stories are not just scary. They are moral tales, love stories, social satires, and philosophical puzzles — wrapped in supernatural...
GhostsThe eerie tradition of marrying the deceased — a practice that persists in parts of China today.
Ghost StoriesThe Three Kingdoms period produced China
GhostsHungry ghosts, ancestral spirits, and restless souls — understand the complex system of ghost beliefs that shapes Chinese culture to this day.
GhostsNew to Chinese supernatural fiction? Start here — the essential concepts, the must-read stories, and the cultural context you need.
Ghost StoriesEvery year, the gates of hell open for thirty days. The hungry ghosts pour out. And across the Chinese-speaking world, people adjust their behavior...
Ghost StoriesEvery Chinese university has its ghost stories — the empty bed in room 404, the girl in the mirror, the library that closes at midnight for reasons no
FolkloreA thousand-year-old snake spirit, a simple herbalist, and a meddling monk — the legend that has captivated China for centuries.
FolkloreThe ugliest god in Chinese mythology is also one of the most beloved — the ghost-catching scholar who became a divine protector.
FolkloreFrom fierce warriors on your front door to kitchen gods watching your family — the protective spirits that guard Chinese homes and communities.
FolkloreBefore novels, before television, before the internet, there were grandmothers telling stories.
ExorcismDaoist talismans look like abstract art but function like software code — precise instructions written in a language that spirits can read.
ExorcismChina
ExorcismDaoist priests, Buddhist monks, spirit mediums, and your grandmother all have different methods for dealing with ghosts. Some involve talismans.
ExorcismDaoist exorcists now use WeChat to schedule appointments and YouTube to learn techniques. The demons haven
Dream SpiritsDreaming of fish means wealth, dreaming of teeth falling out means family trouble — the Chinese dream dictionary.
ExorcismDaoist exorcism isn
Dream SpiritsThe ancient Chinese belief that your soul wanders during sleep — and the dangers of waking someone too suddenly.
Dream SpiritsIn Chinese folklore, dreams are not random brain activity. They are visits — from the dead, from gods, from fox spirits with agendas.
Dream SpiritsIn Chinese tradition, dreams aren
DemonsYaoguai, mogui, and gui — navigate the complex taxonomy of supernatural beings in Chinese mythology with this comprehensive guide.
Dream SpiritsWhen you wake up but can
RitualsMethods of Spirit Removal
DemonsTalismans, rituals, and peach wood swords — the rich tradition of Daoist exorcism that has fascinated and protected Chinese communities for millennia.
DemonsChinese demons are not fallen angels. They are animals, objects, and natural forces that have accumulated enough spiritual energy to become conscious
DemonsFrom the Spider Demonesses to the Bull Demon King — the inventive, terrifying, and sometimes hilarious demons that challenge Tripitaka
DemonsStiff-limbed, dressed in Qing Dynasty robes, and hopping after victims — the Chinese vampire is unlike anything in Western horror.
FolkloreGuardians Against Evil Spirits
Death CustomsThe annual tomb-sweeping holiday that brings millions of Chinese families to their ancestors
Death CustomsIncense, food offerings, and family altars — the daily practice that keeps Chinese families connected across generations.
Death CustomsEvery year, billions of dollars in fake currency go up in smoke across the Chinese-speaking world.
LegendsA Complete Retelling
Death CustomsProfessional mourners, spirit money, hell bank notes with denominations in the billions — Chinese funeral traditions are practical, elaborate, and...
GhostsA practical guide to surviving Ghost Month — from offerings and taboos to festival food and community celebrations.
Death CustomsWhite clothing, paper money, and the number seven — understanding the elaborate customs that honor the Chinese dead.
AfterlifeNot all ghosts in Chinese tradition are malevolent. Many are simply lost, hungry, or lonely — and their stories reveal more about the living than the
AfterlifeChinese hell has ten courts, a memory-erasing soup, a bridge of helplessness, and a wheel of reincarnation.
AfterlifeIn Chinese mythology, death is not the end — it is the beginning of a very long administrative process.
AfterlifeDuring the seventh lunar month, the gates of the underworld open and the dead walk among the living — how Chinese communities prepare and respond.
AfterlifeSix realms, ten courts, and a bowl of forgetfulness soup — the elaborate Chinese system that decides where your soul goes next.
AfterlifeNot one hell but ten — each with its own judge, punishments, and purpose. The Chinese afterlife bureaucracy that makes Dante
GhostsWedding the Dead
RitualsProtecting Your Home
RitualsSending Wealth to the Afterlife
Urban LegendsDive into Chinese supernatural folklore, revealing rich traditions of ghosts, spirits, and beliefs about the afterlife.
DemonsDiscover the fascinating world of Chinese demons and their profound influence on culture and beliefs.
GhostsDiscover the rich tapestry of Chinese supernatural folklore, focusing on ghosts, spirits, and traditional afterlife beliefs.
RitualsExplore the rich tapestry of Chinese supernatural folklore, focusing on its ghosts, spirits, and beliefs in the afterlife.
Death CustomsExplore the rich tapestry of Chinese folklore surrounding ghosts, spirits, and concepts of the afterlife.
Modern TalesExplore the rich tapestry of Chinese supernatural folklore encompassing ghosts, spirits, and beliefs about the afterlife.
AfterlifeDiscover the rich tapestry of Chinese supernatural folklore surrounding ghosts, spirits, and afterlife beliefs.
Haunted PlacesExplore the rich tapestry of Chinese supernatural folklore, ghosts, and beliefs surrounding the afterlife.
DemonsExplore China
AfterlifeDiscover the fascinating world of Chinese supernatural folklore, spirits, and beliefs about the afterlife.
Regional TalesDiscover the rich tapestry of Chinese folklore involving ghosts, spirits, and afterlife beliefs.
ProtectionDiscover the rich tapestry of Chinese supernatural folklore, featuring ghosts, spirits, and beliefs about the afterlife.
FestivalsDiscover the profound connections between Chinese folklore, ghosts, and afterlife beliefs.
Supernatural BeingsUnravel the intricacies of Chinese folklore surrounding ghosts and the beliefs about the afterlife.
FolkloreDiscover the rich tapestry of Chinese supernatural folklore encompassing ghosts, spirits, and enduring afterlife beliefs.
GhostsUncover the rich tapestry of Chinese folklore centered around ghosts, spirits, and afterlife beliefs.
Spirit AnimalsExplore the fascinating role of spirit-animals in Chinese supernatural folklore and their connection to ghosts and afterlife beliefs.
DivinationExplore the rich tapestry of Chinese supernatural folklore, focusing on ghosts, spirits, and afterlife beliefs.