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Dead Fengmen Village

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In an abandoned village deep in the Chinese mountains, there are legends that people never leave the Fengmen Village, not even after death. Because of the bad Feng Shui and strange customs it has become the country’s number one ghost village, some would even say cursed.  

Deep in the forested Taihang Mountains outside of Qingyang city in the Henan Province,  there is a mysterious village now abandoned Fengmen Village. Dead Fengmen Village in most English sources. With its strange customs, people that have visited it, have come back with stories about something strange, and perhaps even evil. Some have not made it back from the village at all. 

Read More: Check out all of our ghost stories from China

Why is the place abandoned? Legend says it was abandoned overnight and that the inhabitants were taken away by ghosts. Legend says a lot of things, but what really happened when the village became a ghost village?

The Strange Customs of a Secluded Place

The entrance to the Fengmen Village is difficult to find and when entering it a feeling of dread comes to you because of the anti Feng Shui of the place. The place is filled with a heavy sense of Yin and this is what many claim makes this place so haunted. 

In Chinese lore, ghosts have a hard time getting out of places with a heavy Yin, and many claim this is why this village is said to be so haunted. In addition, the village is built like a maze, and the ghosts are trapped, unable to wander out from it and move on. 

Strange customs are what seems to be worshiping mysterious two figures. Two statues that are no Gods like Buddha or the like, but rather seem to be of two normal people are found in the nearby temple. Who these two idol statues were they haven’t been able to figure out. There is a theory that it is actually that of ghosts and that the famed ghost village actually worshiped these ghosts. 

There are also strange burial customs that completely differ from the surrounding area and Han people. The corpses in Fengmen Village are buried with masks and it was said that people would not leave the village, even after death as the dead would be buried close to the home of the deceased. It is said that is why the people in Fengmen Village wore masks, as it was meant to suppress ghosts. 

Haunting Tales of Dead Fengmen Village from Hikers

Over the years as the Fengmen Village population dwindled and hiking became more popular, many hikers decided to make their destination this strange and remote village. Some hikers have claimed to have called out their names into the dark night as they were camped outside the now abandoned village, and to their surprise, something called their names back. 

Travelers faint or feverish when they step into the village and wake up with scratches all over their body they have no idea where it came from. 

People that choose to travel to this far away place come back and tell of unusual noises and shouts can be heard and there is no phone reception to call for help when needing it. 

The Haunted Taishi Chair

Fengmen Village has over a hundred houses of Ming and Qing styled architecture, and are today mostly empty, covered only by cobweb and dust. There is one house however that became more talked about than others because of the mysterious chair that was placed there, said to be clean, as if someone sits on it regularly. 

The chair is a Qing Dynasty Taishi chair placed in the living room in one of the houses facing north-south as the Feng Shui tradition would have it. The legend is that people that have sat in it, have died under strange circumstances or encountered something supernatural. 

According to legend the grand master chair is not for the living to sit on, but for ghosts. It is also said that if a living man sits on it, he will be unable to find a wife, and if its a woman, she will not be able to have children. 

The Legend of the Pillow Ghost

One of the more well known legends of the place comes from the story of three young men who visited the Fengmen Village in 1963. It is worth noting that this story started circulating on various internet forums after the village became deserted and has yet to be confirmed. 

In 1963, three young people from Zhengzhou came to Fengmen Village to paint. Before entering the village they saw a pillow in the middle of the road and they kicked it aside. They were just in time for the funeral held in the village where a family of three had died of a high fever .

The three men were placed in the deceased family’s house to sleep. And although they found it a bit creepy, they didn’t want to offend the village or admit to being scared. After they moved in, strange things happened again and again. They often heard children calling out for their mom in the middle of the night, but when they went out to see, there was no one around the house. 

The three med also had the same nightmare of a ghost climbing into bed in the middle of the night. One day, one of them opened the closet to look for clothes during the day, and suddenly screamed and passed out. After waking up, he said that he saw a face hidden behind the clothes in the closet, which was exactly the same as the face in his dream.  When they searched the closet, they found nothing suspicious, but the following night, the one who had seen it developed a high fever. 

The next day one of them dreamed of the ghost face again. When he woke up, he heard the sound of splashing water in the yard outside, so he looked out the window. Under the moonlight, he saw the back of a woman standing naked in the well in the yard. Suddenly the woman turned her head, gave him a strange smile, and jumped into the well. 

When they searched the well with flashlights, the water in the well was calm with no ripples and the stone platform by the well was dry. After this, the man often dreamed of the woman who jumped into the water and also developed a high fever.

The third young man was very anxious about his friends developing high fevers, but it was far from a doctor. One night he also started dreaming about the ghost face and he could not breathe. When he woke up, he found that one of his friends was on top of him, strangling him. Fortunately, the third man came to rescue. After that, the three people finally realized the evil nature of living in this house, and hurried to find the elders in the village. The elder in the village asked the three if they had done anything against the village customs. 

The young man said that he had been respectful since entering the village, not even thinking about the pillow they had kicked out of the way before entering it. The elder slaughtered a chicken and prayed in front of the enshrined stone statue and the grave of the family of three that originally had owned the house. After that, their fever gradually subsided, and the nightmare gradually disappeared.

So why was the house haunted? Many claim it was because of the burial customs, where the family were buried by the house, and therefore bound by it, returning home each night unable to find their way out from the village. 

The True Story Behind Fengmen Village

Stories about the supposedly haunted ghost village of Fengmen Village have gone around the internet the last decade, and made it into the list of some of the more haunted places in China. It has been made into more than one horror movie, especially the movie from 2014 garnered much attention, further fueling the haunted rumors of the abandoned mountain village. 

It is now known as the number one ghost village in the country, but what are the legends coming from this place, and how much of it is true?

What Does Fengmen Village mean?

The name Fengmen Village has been written in Chinese like 封門村, meaning Closed Door, leading to more legends than the correct spelling 風門村, meaning Wind Door. Even on military maps from 1972 it is written with the wrong spelling. 

The true origin of the name of wind door was often given to places with a rather dangerous geographical location and from a military standpoint, easy to defend, but rather difficult to attack. 

The name of the village when the incorrect spelling gave people association of something sealed, secretive and started speculating about something evil concealed inside of the deserted mountain village. 

The Strange Worshiping of Ghosts

As for the strange idols the Fengmen Village seems to have worshiped it is unclear just what it was, but more than likely there could have been some form of ancestral worship rather than straight up a ghost as the legends would have it. The clothing of the statues seems to be of a woman and man from the Ming Dynasty though. It could also be modeled after some real people that did something significant for the village. Today it is unclear. 

The Bad Feng Shui

Some of the suspicion and eeriness to the village is their complete disregard for the Feng Shui of the buildings. According to legends, most of the houses face east-west, the complete opposite of Feng Shui, leading some people to think this is the reason why the place is so off and strange stuff is happening here. 

When actually looking at the almost 200 houses though, not all are facing the wrong way according to Feng Shui. Being built in the steep mountains, they had to use the natural layout of the landscape to build the houses compared to flatter terrain with more room for Feng Shui rules. 

Why did People Abandon Fengmen Village?

So why is the Fengmen Village now abandoned? In contrast to the legend where the people just disappeared overnight, the abandonment from the village happened gradually. From 1981, the state arranged a collective relocation of villages like Fengmen Village and people started leaving the village and moving to the bigger cities, and by 2007, there was no one living in the old village anymore. Why? 

Could it be because of the haunted rumors and the legends of bad Feng Shui? Perhaps it was due to more logical causes, like the dwindling water resources from the mountain, the inaccessible roads to schools and the rest of society. 

The village had relied on traditional farm life, and with the dwindling water resources, they were no longer able to sustain their crops and had to search elsewhere for other sources of income. 

During the many wars the territory faced, the accessibility of the place was seen as paradise, but it turned to its curse in modern times because of how hard it was to reach the remote place as it is a two hour hike through the mountain. 

The Remains of the Ghost Village

After the village became abandoned for life, people started coming there to see the ghost town and have a look for themselves if the rumors were really true. And in the following years, live streams in the ghost village, explorers and new legends started spreading on the internet. 

Today the ghost Fengmen Village is slowly receding back to nature, as the trash hikers leave behind is piling up, covering the last remains of the secluded town that used to do things in its own way. 

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References:

風門村_百度百科

https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hant/%E5%B0%81%E9%97%A8%E6%9D%91

河南封门村为何会人称为“中国第一鬼村”？它有多神秘？ 

https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20201103a07ux500

行政區劃中的封門村位於河南省焦作市沁陽市王屋山鄉 

How mysterious is China’s first ghost village “Fengmen Village”?The anchor runs into the ghost village at night, and calls the police for help late at night 

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The Dark History of the Caishikou Execution Grounds

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Explore the grim history of the Caishikou Execution Grounds in Beijing where countless executions took place, and some say that is haunted by the people that met their end there.

Caishikou Execution Grounds (菜市口法场), located in Beijing, held a dark and important place in the city’s history. The place was also called the Vegetable Market Execution Ground and was established during the late Ming dynasty when China entered into the Qing Dynasty and continued for centuries.

During the Qing dynasty, execution procedures changed significantly. Executions took on a more formal character, with punishments being imposed according to the severity of the offense and the status of the victim and many well known victims from Chinese history were executed right there. 

Read Also: Check out all of the ghost stories from China

Corpses of the beheaded convicts were often placed outside of Caishikou as an example to discourage others from committing similar crimes, and later, it was even turned into a macabre tourist attraction with the spectacle of death as well as selling postcards with photos of the dead bodies well into the 1900s. 

Caishikou Execution Grounds: A famous photograph, taken at Caishikou crossroad, during the execution of Boxers’ leaders in 1900. It has been later turned into a postcard, colorized, published in books, etc. On the back, pencil, ill-written: “26e year of Koang-hsu” (1900)

Because of its dark history and the blood that was shed on the spot, many claim that this is one of the more haunted places in the city and there have been many reports about people seeing the ghost of the executed convicts in the old vegetable market. 

The History of Caishikou Execution Grounds

Caishikou Execution Grounds were an important part of the Chinese legal system for centurie and served as a centralized execution site and symbolized the ultimate power of justice in the hands of the dynasty. Executions were conducted publicly with little mercy, punishing those found guilty of capital crimes such as treason, theft, counterfeiting, murder, and other offenses, and if it was a famous convict, large crowds would gather to watch. 

The Caishikou Execution Grounds is also known for the many famous people that died here. The House of Zhu that ruled in the Ming Dynasty was purged and executed here when the Manchu led dynasty came into power for example. There were also many people that were a part of the Boxer Rebellion who met their end here. 

The Exact Location of the Caishikou Execution Grounds

The exact location of the execution grounds in modern day urban Beijing has been a matter for debate for some time as it was definitely not the only place in Beijing they held executions. While most people agree that it is located in what is now the Chaoyang District of Beijing, there is disagreement about exactly which area it was located in and its size. 

It was located at the crossroad of Xuanwumen Outer Street and Luomashi Street, but today when looking at photos, it is most likely across from the Heniantang Pharmacy.

The Executions

When a convict was scheduled for an execution it was at 11:30 AM and the convict was escorted in a cart to the Caishikou Execution Grounds from the jail. Before reaching the final stop, the cart stopped at a wine shop called Broken Bowl Tea House on the east side of Xuanwu Gate that was called The Gate of Death. 

This was the last stop before the final stop and  the convict would be offered a last bowl of rice wine. After it was drunk the bowl of rice wine would be smashed and the convict sent to their deaths. It was also the place where the executioners retired after a day’s work to have a drink after. 

If they were sentenced to death by beheading they were lined up east to west in the autumn before winter solstice when most executions took place. But if you had done a particular horrible crime, you could also be sentenced to Linchi, or slow death where they slice you up, piece by piece. 

Death by a Thousand Cuts

One of the more gruesome methods of execution during the Qing dynasty was death by a thousand cuts or Lingchi (凌遲) as it was known in China. This method typically involved a series of deep cuts being inflicted on the criminal’s body and then left to bleed until the person died from extreme blood loss. 

This form of torture was considered especially cruel and often took over an hour for the prisoner to expire, making it one of the most agonizing executions employed at Caishikou until the method was outlawed by the government of the Qing dynasty in 1905.

Lingchi Penalty in China: Torture victim in China (lingchi torture in Beijing around 1910] otherwise known as Caishikou Execution Grounds : [press photograph] / [Agence Rol]

It was not only because of the torture aspect of the death it was considered particular cruel, but also what it did for the afterlife. The body was important to have whole in Chinese tradition and eunuchs even kept their severed parts in glass jars to have them buried with them so that it wouldn’t affect their afterlife or next life. 

Lingchi was an execution method only given to crimes that were especially bad, like treason. Several well known Chinese figures in history died by this way, like General Yuan Chonghuan, one of the people executed at the place on September the 22nd, 1630. It is said he has his own ghost story where he is haunting his tomb, but the execution ground itself is said to be haunted as well.

The Ghost of the Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days Reform

The Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days Reform (戊戌六君子) or the Six Gentlemen of Wuxu was young officials who put forward a preposition to the Guanxu Emperor of reform in the empire after it was met with pushback from the conservatives at court. 

They were arrested by the Empress Dowager Cixi and executed in Caishikou Execution Grounds in 1898 by beheading without having gotten a trial by the Ministry of Justice. 

These executed men are said to be haunting the place as well as Chinese history and the what if of what would have happened to the course of the country if the reforms had been successful. 

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References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingchi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caishikou_Execution_Grounds

https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2022/10/21/horrifying-history-behind-beijings-most-notorious-execution-grounds

City of Heavenly Tranquility – The Globalist 

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The Ghost House in Jinsong Terrorizing the Residents

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In Beijing there was an apartment building so haunted that in 1984 several of the residents moved out from the building because the hauntings became so bad. What really happened that year? Was it really a haunted house, or just an elaborate prank?

In 1984, there was a collective panic of the locals living in a residential building near Jinsong in Beijing as they claimed that the building they lived in was haunted by ghosts. The haunting got so bad that it even made the news and made more than one resident move out.

Jinsong: Apartment building found in Jinsong subdistrict in Beijing. One of these buildings was the location of a mass haunting in the 80s if we are to believe the rumors.

Jinsong (劲松街道) is a subdistrict, pretty much in the central of the city, and part of the larger district known for its foreign embassies as well as the urban business districts.

In the dark when they came home from work or peeked outside in the corridors, the people living there could hear miserable crying as soon as you stepped inside the building. There were also ghostly shadows that roamed around on the walls as the lights flickered on and off. 

Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from China

In the middle of the night there would be so loud noises in the corridors it was impossible to get a good night’s sleep. There were voices talking as well as fighting or what sounded like scolding children. There were also loud noises of things moving inside of certain rooms and in the hallways. 

When people walked in though, the sound stopped and there was no one roaming the corridors and the neighbors in the hallway just stared at each other, having all heard the same thing.

Fleeing from the Ghosts

People didn’t want to live in this haunted building in Jinsong, even though the building itself was brand new. And after a while of experiencing all the paranormal stuff going on, the residents moved out, one by one and the building was left empty. Or was it?

There are stories of the hauntings the residents experienced that the ghost moved with them to their new place and for a while it seemed like that building was quiet. 

Then, some of the residents that didn’t really have anywhere else to go moved back into the haunted building in Jinsong, thinking that maybe it was all over now. And for a few days there was nothing paranormal happening that they could pinpoint. 

A Ghost in front of the Door

Then one day an old lady was coming back from a walk and went up the stairs towards her apartment. The old lady saw a long haired woman standing in front of her house and she asked the lady who she was looking for as she didn’t know who this woman was. There was no answer and no reaction from the stranger outside of her door.

After asking two times without a response, the old lady called for her spouse and son as she tried to push through the woman to get into her house. The woman turned around slowly after being shoved and the old lady yelled before collapsing on the floor, passing out by the sight of her. 

Her family finally opened the door and saw the woman on the floor and she was sent to the hospital. When she woke up she was trembling and scared as she told them about the frightful woman. 

The poor woman was so out of it, babbled about how the woman outside of her door didn’t seem alive at all, became paranoid and couldn’t get out of bed for days. She was eventually sent to her hometown in the country to get well again. 

After this, the haunting just seemed to get worse and it got so famous that it ended in the news, and scientists came to investigate the reasons behind it all and published papers on the matter in order to encourage residents to move back. 

But just for safety, they dispatched the police to guard the building. 

The Truth Behind the Haunting in Jinsong

So what really happened that year in 1984 in Jinsong that spooked so many of the people that they took the extra step of fleeing the building? Why haven’t we heard about hauntings from the building later than 1984? And how did it really all come to an end? According to some living in Jinsong at the time, the background for it all was not a paranormal reason at all. 

According to them there really was crying and talking that kept the residents up at night, but they went to the police to get help. When the police did a search they allegedly caught a group of teenagers that used some of the empty rooms as their own personal party place. 

However, is that enough explanation to give when so many residents felt the haunting moved with them, even when they tried to find a new place to live? And how about the woman outside of the old woman’s door? Just a rude high school girl there to party? A figment of the old ladies imagination? Or perhaps there really was something strange going on in Jinsong in 1984.

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References:

5 Famous Beijing Urban Legends – Panda!Yoo 

https://kknews.cc/story/mmrnkgp.html

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The Secrets of Beijing’s Haunted Forbidden City

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The Forbidden City in Beijing still has some parts that are off limits for tourists, but they can never block the path to the alleged ghosts that are said to linger. These Imperial Palaces are said to be haunted by former concubines, and according to legend, possibly cursed as well.

Built in the early 1400s, Beijing’s Forbidden City, or Zijin Cheng in Chinese (紫禁城), literally means the purple forbidden city and is a complex of majestic buildings and grounds that bears witness to the rise and fall of China’s powerful emperors and countless of people that lived and worked inside of the imperial walls. 

Chock-full of ancient secrets, cultural treasures, and hidden stories, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Beijing’s most iconic attractions where almost 20 millions visit each year and according to the legends, it is supposedly haunted, although in 2015, the Forbidden City publicly went out to deny these rumours.

Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from China

The Forbidden City is only open in the daytime and closes its door at 5 usually except from a few special occasions. This fact has gotten people to speculate that the reason for it is the paranormal activity that happens during the night inside of the Imperial Palace. 

Beijing’s Forbidden City

The Imperial Palace, known as the Forbidden City, dates all the way back to 1406 and was the former imperial palace and a winter residence of the Emperor of China from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty when Yongle Emperor moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. 

Filled with over 980 buildings including centuries-old palaces, gardens, and monuments, this site can tell us a lot about the grandeur of China’s dynastic rulers enclosed by a 10 meter high wall. 

Members of the ruling family, aristocrats, and high-ranking officials would live in one of the nine inner court halls at the Palace. Each hall was responsible for holding different types of ceremonial gatherings or major events arranged by the Emperor himself.

There is no one living i the Forbidden City anymore. China’s last emperor, Puyi, was evicted after a coup in 1924, and the palace complex was turned into one massive museum you can visit today.

Ghosts of the Forbidden City

Confucius once said: “Respect the ghosts and gods, but keep away from them.” This can seem to be a bit tricky at this location however, as it is said to be plentiful of ghosts around the Forbidden City. 

Rumors of mysterious phenomena have swirled around the Forbidden City for centuries, especially in the western parts of the place at it is said to have a strong Yin energy. As the palace was once reserved for China’s imperial family, it’s believed to be haunted by their ghosts and other supernatural occurrences. 

Given its immense history and cultural significance, it’s only natural for the Imperial Palace to be filled with tales of ghosts and spirits. When the palace was due for renovation in the 1940s, the guards that were placed outside of it had tales to tell when they returned about strange animals running around as well as the ghosts of people that had died in the palace. 

According to stories told by the eunuchs that used to work in the palaces, the haunted places in the Forbidden City included a passage behind Yonghe Palace where ghosts strangle their necks. There were also said to be a well outside Jinghe Gate where a group of female ghosts live. Fortunately there was an iron plate on Jinghe Gate to suppress them, otherwise they would come out every day. In the middle of Sanhai On the Jin’ao Jade Bridge it was said that every three years a person walking over it would be pulled down by a ghost under the bridge.”

There are tales about hearing a strange flute music heard in the dark hours in the empty city, but perhaps it’s the story about the weeping women that are most told. 

But why is the Forbidden City said to have been haunted? Surely 600 years of deaths would warrant a place perfect for ghosts, but it is also speculated that the place was cursed to begin with.

The Forbidden City is Cursed?

The Yongle Emperor, also known as Zhu Di, was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty. He reigned from 1402 to 1424.

Emperor Yongle did a lot of great things during his reign, including making Beijing the capital, building the Forbidden City for over 15 years, surrounding himself with global masters of philosophy, religion and did long strides in making peace and war with neighboring countries. He is however remembered as an emperor that always sought out power and for his cruelty to his subjects.

He spent most of his reign asserting his claim to the throne, as he was for many seen as a usurper as his nephew Jianwen was really in line for the throne. 

After he took the throne from him he killed the palace’s servants and loyalists that could bear any doubt about his position as emperor. The nephew he burned to death. 

When he was opening the Forbidden City he invited nobles from all around to show them he was the true emperor and cement his claim to the throne in the splendor of the newly founded Imperial Palaces. But his grandeur was built in top of a huge scandal that are said to have left a haunted imprint on it ever since.

The Massacre of his own People

Over 2 800 concubines, servant girls and eunuchs belonging to his harem were executed to suppress a sex scandal that would humiliate Emperor Yongle when he was going to show the banquet in the newly built imperial city in 1421 when the opening ceremonies were being held on New Years Eve. 

One of his favorite concubines had been found after taking her life. She had an affair with one of the eunuchs, and the shame for the Emperor was that he didn’t have his subjects in order and didn’t have control. 

Chinese Imperial Concubines: Chosen for their beauty, grace, and other qualities, concubines lived within the imperial palace and were often selected from noble families to serve the emperor. These women could attain various ranks within the hierarchy and played a vital role in the continuity of the imperial lineage. While they enjoyed privileges and luxuries, they also faced intense competition, intrigues, and strict rules within the palace. Their lives were marked by both opulence and limitations, reflecting the intricate dynamics of the imperial court in ancient China.

A few years later a fire took down over 250 buildings after the lightning struck it and killed numerous men and women as well. It was speculated that this was damnation and a punishment for his evil acts that no lucky charms could prevent. 

Emperor Yongle fell into a depression, og this or something else is not for certain. He died a few years later in 1424. A clause for the concubines was that they would never take another man, and the only way to ensure it was that they would die along with the emperor. So when he died, he collected 15 of his favorite concubines and their servants and hung from a silk noose in the Forbidden City. 

It would be another 15 years before the new Emperor rebuilt the destroyed halls, but would reside there until 1911 when the imperial rule was ended by revolutionaries. 

The Yin Yang Alley

Inside of the Forbidden City, there is one particular place that are said to host more paranormal activity than other. The Yin Yang Alley was originally called East Tongzi Alley and is today sealed off to visitors. It is said that the sound of footsteps walking down the alley is heard at night.

There is one picture a visitor manage to take of the place, showing that the alley now is mostly covered in weeds and dust.

The Yin Yang Alley: This is a picture someone manage to take through the crack of the door, showing the Yin Yang Alley.

There is one story about the ghosts walking the lane from the 1960s. This was a time the nation aimed to eradicate religion and discouraged belief in the supernatural. A young man was stationed within Beijing’s Forbidden City as a soldier, dismissing ghosts and deities, decided to challenge these notions.

He learned of the infamous Yin-Yang Alley within the Forbidden City, a place teeming with ghostly legends, and determined to venture through it at night to defy the old, feudal beliefs. The man embarked on a daring journey to the most haunted spot in the Forbidden City and decided to take a walk there at night.

When his comrades asked him the next day how his walk through the haunted lane had been, he turned pale. He asked them never to speak of it again.

The young man’s experience soon became a topic of discussion, as he recounted his eerie encounter with an unseen entity that led to a deterioration in his health, a loss of appetite, and a series of inexplicable afflictions.

The Concubine Ghosts

One story that keeps being repeated is that of the crying women, and in the Forbidden City, there were plenty of them throughout the years. Many speculate it is the ghost of one or more concubines as the crying woman is often seen in or around the quarter for the imperial concubines. 

This story spread like wildfire in 1992, when some tourists insisted that they had gotten the concubines on camera close to the Zhenfell Well. News media got hold of the story and there was even a special investigation, even though they concluded with that there was something in the paint creating this phenomenon, the story continued.

The Concubine Ghosts: The story is often illustrated with this picture of four seemingly looking ghostly figures walking in front of the red wall. But what is the truth behind these pictures?

The investigation claimed that the iron tetroxide in the red paint acted like a camera when the light ionizes the air. So that if a palace maid was walking past at one time, her figure would be preserved until next time light, like a camera flash would reflect this. It is also said that it was a thunderstorm that day that could also activate this.

However, it is most likely just an edited version of this photo under. It is also said that the story bears a striking resemblance to the 1981 ghost movie Qian Ying or Shadows of a Ghost by Baochang Guo. The movie is about an old mansion that has been sealed off for years, re-opens as a museum. A ghost is sighted by the museum’s guide and a quest to get to the bottom of the mystery starts.

The Palace Maids: This picture taken by a foreigner in 1910 of Qing Dynasty Palace Maids going shopping have also been connected to the ghosts of The Forbidden City and is most likely the origin photo of the viral ghost photo.

Although the viral story of the ghosts in the pictures were inspired by 80s movies and books, there have always been talk about seeing ghosts of women in the Forbidden City. One young man once insisted that he had seen one of these crying women, dressed in all white , walking the grounds. He approached her and tried to speak to her from behind, but she didn’t hear, and didn’t even turn around. 

Read Also: The Courtesan Haunting the Songpo Library

There are also some that claim that the weeping women, or perhaps something else entirely.  The story is that one night in 1995 there was a woman, this one reportedly dressed in all black with long black hair. One night a guards were watching TV when two of his colleagues burst in, their face white of fear. The guards all thought the woman they had seen was a thief and chased her around within the Forbidden City. When they cornered her, she turned around and revealed that she had no face before disappearing. 

When they together tried to find her, there was no trace of a woman ever having stepped into the Imperial Palace.

The ghost of the Concubines Haunting the Forbidden City: One of the most common told story is the sightings of women haunting the place, or the sound of them weeping. It is believed that it could be the ghosts of the many concubines that met a tragic end at the Imperial Palace.

But who could it be that is haunting the Imperial Palace? One famous story is about a ghost concubine from the Ming dynasty. Consort Zhen was also known as the Pearl Concubine and was believed to be the most beautiful woman in the palace born in 1876. The emperor fell in love with her, but their relationship was forbidden by the strict rules of the imperial court.

They used to meet secretly in a hidden garden inside the palace, but one day the empress discovered them. Legend has it that she was drowned in a well on the orders of Empress Dowager Cixi. Out of jealousy, the empress ordered the concubine to be executed and her body was thrown into a well in the palace grounds when she was only 24 years old. It is said that the ghost of the concubine still haunts the Forbidden City. She seeks revenge against the empress who betrayed her.

The Hidden Room in the Imperial Palace

Another legend that are told is about a supposed hidden room within the palace. A group of construction workers found a hidden room in a palace they were renovating. Inside, they discovered a pile of bones and a note saying it was the body of a traitor who plotted against the emperor.

After that, strange things started happening. The workers heard eerie whispers and footsteps, and some even saw the ghostly figure of a man in imperial robes. They refused to work in the haunted building, so it was left abandoned.

The Ghosts of Beijing’s Forbidden City

In conclusion, Beijing’s Forbidden City stands as a magnificent testament to China’s imperial past, with its grandeur, secrets, and hidden stories. As millions of visitors flock to this UNESCO World Heritage Site each year, they are captivated by its architectural beauty and cultural significance. However, beyond the ornate palaces, gardens, and monuments lies a realm of mystery and intrigue.

Amidst the eerie silence of the Forbidden City, stories abound of strange flute music resonating through the night and the lamenting cries of weeping women. The souls of these concubines, trapped in a realm between the living and the dead, evoke a sense of both sorrow and intrigue. Some have even spoken of encounters with spectral figures, dressed in white or black, their presence leaving a chilling impact that defies explanation.

While the Forbidden City remains a daytime attraction for tourists, one cannot help but wonder about the secrets concealed within its walls during the night. It is a realm where the past intertwines with the present, where the ethereal and the earthly coexist. The tales of ghosts and curses serve as a reminder that even the most majestic and revered places can hold hidden dimensions beyond our comprehension.

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References:

Haunted Beijing: The Forbidden City

Forbidden City – Wikipedia 

Revenge of the evil emperor: Mass slaughter in Beijing’s Forbidden City | Daily Mail Online 

Ghost stories about the Forbidden City – chinatripedia 

故宫闹鬼最严重的地方，阴阳巷闹鬼吓得健壮小伙百病缠身 

https://www.toutiao.com/article/6634789247100387843/?wid=1699171990514

百鬼夜行在故宫？真实的紫禁城其实披着一层你不知道的黑暗面纱？ 

Shadow of a Ghost (1981) – IMDb 

https://read01.com/kzdeROn.html

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Hidden Haunted Wonders of the Great Wall of China

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The Great Wall of China is one of the most well known wonders of the world and also has some haunted rumors wandering the wall about the souls of dead soldiers still patrolling the walls. 

The Great Wall of China, also known as 萬里長城/万里长城 (Wànlǐ Chángchéng), stands as a monumental symbol of Chinese civilization and power, stretching majestically across the ancient landscapes of China. For centuries, it has stood as a testament to human ingenuity and perseverance, embodying both the triumphs and challenges of China’s rich history.

This architectural marvel, with its winding path along the undulating terrain, not only showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of its builders but also serves as a poignant reminder of the remarkable achievements of ancient Chinese civilizations.

There are many myths about The Great Wall of China that turn out to be not so true. It is said you can see it from the moon, that Mao climbed the walls when he was six and said you could not be seen as a man without doing it. 

Read More: Check out all our collection of ghost stories from China

It is also said to be haunted and an ancient Chinese ballad says the wall is stacked with the bones of the dead soldiers. Can this also be one of those myths?

A Brief History of the Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China, spans centuries and civilizations. It has its roots in the 7th century BC, when small walls were first built to safeguard against the relentless invasions of nomadic tribes from the north. As time passed, these defensive structures evolved and expanded, eventually culminating in the awe-inspiring wonder that encompasses the modern concept of the Great Wall.

The Great Wall of China: Is this one of the most famous haunted places? According to those that have visited the more secluded parts of the wall it is. // Source: Photo by Paulo Marcelo Martins on Pexels.com

These protections were built upon by various dynasties throughout the centuries, with construction reaching its peak in the Ming dynasty at around 1368-1644 C.E when they built the walls we know of today.

It is estimated that more than 1 million people ended their life on the wall to protect their homeland, and many are claiming it is these people that are haunting the wall today, patrolling the walls, watching for enemies and marching for their country. Could it be that one of the most well known human structures is also haunted?

Exploring The Remnants of Yesteryear

The Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure in the world and stretches for 8,850 km. It is over 6,000 km long when it takes into account all branches and spurs of the wall, making it far longer than originally thought. It follows a rugged terrain along mountain ridges stretching across northern China, with an average height of 8 meters and reaching up to 15-20 meters as it climbs mountains.

Embarking on a journey through the Great Wall of China is truly like stepping back in time. As you meander along its brick-laid wonders, you can experience the past and present coming together to create an unforgettable adventure. 

Not only does it boast stunning architecture, but also it’s full of tales from a bygone era – from the brave warriors who fought against Mongol invaders, to those who built the Wall under various dynasties. From grand gates to watchtowers, each stone or brick tells a story that can be revisited time and time again.

The Wild Wall: Just how many ghosts are haunting the Great Wall of China, the parts also known as the Wild Wall of China. // Source: Photo by Diana on Pexels.com

The Ghosts of The Wild Wall

Many of the stories about the Great Wall of China being haunted, are told about a part of the wall known as the Wild Wall that is a bit further away from Beijing and the tourists, that were more covered with bushes and more desolate than other parts. Could it be that this part is more haunted than the more touristy places?

Tourists and visitors claim to have seen soldiers patrolling the wall as well as hearing the sound of marching footsteps belonging to no one. The worst stories are those claiming to be overcome with a sudden nausea and dizziness that must have been something else than the steep steps of the wall.

Mysterious deaths of travelers have also been said to have occurred, so step with caution on these parts of this old and stoned wall taking you up to what sometimes seems like the end of the world.

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Great Wall of China – Wikipedia

Facing ghosts of the past atop the Great Wall – Los Angeles Times

WildWall | Origins

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Haunting of the Huguang Huiguan Opera House

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Behind the colorful masks at the Peking Opera stage at the Huguang Huiguan Opera House in Beijing, there are some ghostly visitors that were there long before the opera house was built and may be there long after. 

Step back in time to the haunting world of the Huguang Huiguan Opera House (湖广会馆) that are the most renowned Peking Opera theaters by the Hufang Bridge in Beijing, China. For decades, this legendary venue was home to macabre performances and mysterious stories that have remained alive even today. 

Read More: Check out all our collection of ghost stories from China

Peking Opera has an easily recognizable and distinct style and with the plot being ingrained in the movement of the actors, colorful masks and were the color of the robe show what rank the character are the high pitched singing and traditional musical instruments like the jinghu being used. 

History of the Huguang Huiguan Opera House

Huguang Guild Hall in Xicheng District, Beijing//Source

The Huguang Huiguan Opera House was first established in 1807 during the Qing Dynasty made mainly for Hunan and Hubei people in Beijing and the building itself was mainly made for living and gathering people at first.

Over the years it transitioned until it became the famous opera house it is today and it has  held magnificent performances of traditional opera and other theatrical shows and at its height, Huguang Huiguan Opera House was known as one of the four great opera houses in Beijing.

Mysterious Tales Surrounding the Opera House

Rumors and stories of a supernatural presence at the old opera house have indulged the imaginations of guides, visitors and locals alike for a long time. Tales have been spread about strange occurrences involving ghostly apparitions, eerie noises, and unexplained events that occur within its walls. 

Read Also: Check out the story of The Legend of the Phantom of Opéra Garnier as well

Other legends say it is even rumored that wandering souls can be seen drifting in and out of the building at night. Who are these specters, and how did they come about?

Ghost of the Opera House

But who is it that is haunting this old opera house? According to the legends, the opera house was actually built as a place for poor people that had lost their home in a war. Not all talk about it being built for poor people as it did turn out to be a pretty exclusive and popular place among the celebrities and powerful people in society.

They made one crucial mistake when they built the building though. They managed to build it upon an ancient burial site and it is said that it angered the spirit and awoke them from the dead and came back to haunt the building. 

Apparently they can hear screaming as well and a local legend say that if you throw a stone into the courtyard, you can hear voices screaming at you. This is said to be of the old groundskeeper, an old man with leprosy that had a face so disfigured that no person wanted to come up to him and have a conversation. It is said that after he died he joined the ancient ghosts and stayed on to keep an eye on the opera house. 

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虎坊桥湖广会馆 四大凶宅之一 

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The Haunted History of Prince Gong’s Mansion in Beijing

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The ghost of a woman i white has been spotted in the haunted Prince Gong’s Mansion in Beijing. It is said it is the ghost of a grieving mother that never recovered after the death of her son. 

Prince Gong’s Mansion (恭王府) is today a tourist attraction in Beijing, but it used to be a grand mansion for some of the most powerful people in China, and also the home to one of the richest ghost. 

The mansion is considered one of the most exquisite Chinese imperial mansions, representing the elegant lifestyle of Qing Dynasty royalty. 

Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from China

The mansion is also known to be one of the more haunted places in the country, and there are several reports going on for centuries about a woman in white walking the grounds as a ghost, still crying and mourning the loss of her lost son. 

Prince Gong’s Mansion

Prince Gong’s Mansion is a true testament to the siheyuan-style that characterized this period in history and named after a Manchu prince, Yixin or better known as Prince Gong that was an important statesman during the 1800s. 

The Manchus are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group from Manchuria in Northeast Asia and led the Qing Dynasty from the 1600s until the imperial rule ended in 1912.

But the haunted rumors started long before Prince Gong moved into it. 

The Richest and most Corrupt Man in China

Before the mansion was given to Prince Gong it belonged to another. Prince Gong’s Mansion was originally built in 1777 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor for his favorite adviser, Heshen (和珅). 

As one of the most powerful court officials during the Qing Dynasty, Heshen was remembered for his lavish lifestyle and incredible influence over imperial politics. He was also remembered to be one of the most corrupt officials in Chinese history and one of the richest as well.

The Death of Feng Jiwen

He lived together with his family and loved his wife, Feng Jiwen who he loved more than anything and they had a loving relationship even before he got into all the money. It is worth noting he had around 80 concubines as well in the house, but historical writings actually say his wife even encouraged it. 

No matter how much money and gold a person has though, it isn’t enough and Feng Jiwen didn’t get to live out her loving family life until the very end though and got her heart broken to bits when her youngest son died in a battle fighting rebels. 

Heshen, who was prepared to do anything for his beloved wife, hired monks to care for his wife and was hoping to pray for her to come back to her senses and health. His efforts were in vain though and it’s said she died of a broken heart.

She certainly fell ill and Heshen even offered 500 000 silver to the one able to cure her illness. After her death he was distraught, didn’t show up to work for months and wrote 6 poems about her to mourn her. 

The Fall of Heshen

And even Heshen ended in tragedy as he was eventually apprehended when the throne got a new emperor that didn’t look at him as favorably when the Qianlong Emperor abdicated in 1796. They made him hang himself and had all of his belongings, as well as the mansion confiscated. 

After her death she stayed on in her afterlife unable to move on. She and several of former escorts for Heshen have been seen around the palace, and the guards working there have claimed to have seen a woman in white walking the premises. You can hear the cries of a mother echo through the old mansion.

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和珅- 维基百科，自由的百科全书

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The Haunted Tomb of General Yuan

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In the middle of the busy and modern city of Beijing is an old tomb of a Chinese hero hidden away. And the Tomb of General Yuan is said to be haunted by the military leader who were framed and sentenced by the death of a thousand cuts. 

The Tomb of General Yuan is shrouded in mystery and legend as it is said to be haunted by the one that resides in it. It is the tomb of a famed General of China who died in 1630 after he was framed by his own court and sentenced as a traitor to the country he gave his life to protect. 

Read More: Check out all our collection of ghost stories from China

The final resting place of General Yuan Chonghuan is hard to find as it is smacked in the middle of the busy city of Beijing. In a small park behind apartment buildings and offices there is a small memorial house and museum for him that a certain family has been protecting since he died. 

Who Was General Yuan?

General Yuan Chonghuan (袁崇煥) was one of the most important figures in Chinese history and is remembered as a national hero today. He lived from 1584 to 1630 during the Ming Dynasty and is best known for his defense against the Jurchen tribes coming from the north and regarded as a great patriot of the country. 

General Yuan Chonghuan was a well traveled man and is said to have taken a particular interest in European cannons to use in the military as his speciality. He quickly rose through the ranks after passing his imperial examination, even though he didn’t really have any formal military training prior to working his way up. 

The History of the Ming Dynasty

General Yuan Chonghuan is perhaps best known for protecting China’s southwestern borders and Liaoning from attacks from Jurchen and Mongolian forces under the rule of the Tianqi Emperor. 

His greatest military achievement was defeating the Later Jin ruler, Nurhaci in the first Battle of Ningyuan in 1626. General Yuan managed to hold back 130 000 of Nurhaci’s soldiers with just 9000 of his own. 

In the last years before his arrest and execution he served as the governor in Liaodong, a place of great importance to him in life, and if we are to believe the legend, also in death.

Death by a Thousand Cuts

Death by a Thousand Cuts: One of the more gruesome methods of execution during the Qing dynasty was death by a thousand cuts or Lingchi (凌遲) as it was known in China. This method typically involved a series of deep cuts being inflicted on the criminal’s body and then left to bleed until the person died from extreme blood loss.

Although he is remembered as a hero today, he died a traitor. His fame also gave him a lot of enemies and he was accused of treason and collaborating with the enemy he was a part of defeating. 

The Chongzhen Emperor had General Yuan arrested in 1630 and despite lack of evidence he was sentenced to death by lingchi, or death by a thousand cuts, a punishment meant for the most severe crimes and heinous criminals. 

Apparently, General Yuan last words before his execution was a poems he produced that went like: 

“A life’s work always ends up in vain; half of my career seems to be in dreams. I do not worry about lacking brave warriors after my death, for my loyal spirit will continue to guard Liaodong.”

According to the imperial records it took half a day to day and according to legend people were so enraged thinking that he had betrayed his country that they lined up to buy and eat his remains as soon as they were sliced off his body. 

His Reputation Restored After a Century

After the execution, there was only his head that remained, which  a guard named She brought outside the walls of Beijing to bury. He and his family were assigned to guard his tomb, which they did for generations to come, and the last caretaker is said to have died in 2021 in her 80s after a lifetime of caretaking of the Yuan Chonghuan Memorial and tomb. 

After the fall of the Ming Dynasty nearly a century later it was replaced by the Qing Dynasty and the Emperor Qianlong. He was the one finding the evidence in the imperial archives that General Yuan had been framed and ordered to restore his reputation and find his descendants to be compensated. They were never found. 

The Haunted Tomb of General Yuan

Over the years the tomb has gotten a haunted reputation and it is said that it is General Yuan that is haunting his final resting place that the She family has been guarding since his death. 

He vowed that his soul would guard the Liaodong Peninsula forever. Who is to say his exact reasons to haunt the place? To revenge those who wronged him? Or perhaps he did as he said and will forever guard the land?

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Museums of Beijing: Yuan Chonghuan Memorial – Koryo Tours

Yuan Chonghuan – Wikipedia 

袁崇焕纪念馆- 维基百科，自由的百科全书

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The Ghost Bride – The Book and the Real Ghost Marriage Behind it

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Ghost Marriage is not something we only read about in fictional books and watch in horror movies. Sometimes the fiction is inspired by the truth, like with the Malaysian book, The Ghost Bride from 2013.

Malaysian author Yangsze Choo (朱洋熹) heard many types of lore, legends and myths when she was growing up in Malaysia. Being a fourth generation Chinese Malaysian, many of the stories she heard were rooted in Chinese tradition. “As a kid, you’d sometimes hear, ‘So-and-so got married to a ghost or to a dead man.’ And that always really sparked my interest,” she told InsideEdition.com once.

And when she wrote her book, The Ghost Bride, she wrote a fictionalized version of a real thing based on the stories she heard about Ghost Marriages. The book was published in 2013, but painted a story from a very different time. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Malaysia

The book The Ghost Bride is set in 1890s Colonial Malacca, a Malaysian Chinese woman accepts a marriage proposal from a wealthy family to be the “ghost bride” to their deceased son who died a mysterious death to save her family from going bankrupt. Desperate to escape the situation, she needs to battle both the dangers of real life as well as the dangers of the afterlife and the hauntings of the dead. 

Her book was a great success and even got its own Netflix TV-series adaptation. Although The Ghost Bride is a fictional story, the concept of Ghost Marriage is anything but.

Ghost Marriage or Mínghūn in Chinese Culture

The tradition of Ghost Marriage or Mínghūn 冥婚 is an ancient Chinese custom in China and among Chinese communities abroad, representing deep cultural beliefs surrounding death and the afterlife. In this unique ritual, the family of the deceased takes on the responsibility of arranging a marriage for their loved one who has passed away, ensuring that the bond continues even beyond the grave. This practice is believed to provide comfort and peace to the deceased, allowing them companionship in the afterlife, as it is thought that they will not be lonely without a spouse.

In more extreme cases, there is a living person that are to be married to a dead one. This happened more when parents had this choice or to send their children to brothels or servants. “In many ways, it is a choice between two evils. Never an easy choice,” Choo said.

Although Ghost Marriage is fairly uncommon, but these poignant ceremonies are still very much alive today, with families sometimes going to great lengths to conduct elaborate rituals and find suitable partners for their deceased relatives, demonstrating the enduring significance of family ties and filial piety even after death.

Read Also: Ghost Marriage — The Chinese Way to Marry the Dead

The Ghost Bride took three years to write and a lot of things inspired what would eventually be her book. When she researched for it she remembered all of these stories she had heard about and read in the papers. She also learned that her friend’s family had been involved with a Ghost Marriage many years ago in the 90s or early 00s. 

The Wedding of the Dead that Inspired the Ghost Bride Book

The Ghost Bride: The cover of the book that Yangsze Choo was inspired to write after the old tradition.// Photo

One night, Yangsze Choo’s friend’s grandmother woke up from a dream. She said to the family the next day that it was her son who had visited and told her that he had met a girl in the underworld and wished to marry. 

Her son gave his mother the girl’s name and address to her family so that the grandmother could go see for herself. So the grandmother went to the address she had gotten in her dream and according to the story, actually found the family. 

Read More: Check out the book The Ghost Bride

When she talked to the mother of the girl who had died, it turned out that she had the same dreams as the grandmother had. She had been visited by her dead daughter in the dream and said that she too wished to get married. 

The two families got together and held a wedding for their belated children. Just like they would have if they were alive they had a ceremony with Chinese bridal sedan chairs as well as a feast after they had taken their vows and they got their soul tablets. 

After the wedding the two families were joined and worked as any extended family would, joining them for large family happenings. 

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Featured Image: Netflix ‘The Ghost Bride’ (2020)

What Is a Ghost Marriage? The Real Story Behind the Unusual Practice in New Netflix Show ‘The Ghost ‘ | Inside Edition

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Ghost Marriage — The Chinese Way to Marry the Dead

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In China there was a tradition of ghost marriage where the family of the dead arrange a marriage from beyond the grave, and there are still cases where the old tradition is not quite dead. 

The practice of mínghūn (冥婚), yinhun (阴婚) or Ghost Marriage in China, has been practise for over three millennials in some form in the country. There have also been found forms of Ghost Marriages in Sudan, India and France, Germany in various forms, but not like in the traditional sense that mínghūn is considered to be. 

The mínghūn is used about a marriage when one or both of the parties in a marriage are deceased at the time of the wedding. The bride’s family demands a dowry, all in the form of paper tributes, which is what you offer the dead. 

Read More: Check out the article about the book about ghost marriage and the real history behind it: The Ghost Bride – The Book and the Real Ghost Marriage

There is even a ceremony and a banquet to marry the two for eternity. The one thing that sticks out from a normal wedding between two living people is the digging up the bones of the bride if she was buried to place them inside her new groom’s grave. 

Why Marry The Dead

The reason for the Ghost Marriages is so that the dead won’t be alone in the afterlife. Many elders particularly believe that people dying without fulfilling their wishes to get married will not rest and come back to haunt the living. There is also the case of connecting family bonds for the living. 

The Horror Marriage: The Ghost Marriage or mínghūn have strong traditional ties that are still hanging on in modern day China. It is often used a motifs in Asian horror movies and series. Here from the movie, The House That Never Dies (2014), featuring a Ghost Marriage. Read here about the haunted mansion it is set in.

One of the more practical reasons for marrying off your dead relative in a Ghost Marriage, was the custom that dictated that a younger brother shouldn’t marry before the elder one was. And if the elder brother was dead, a Ghost Marriage would be proper to not disturb the brothers ghost. 

In many cases, Ghost Marriages were and are means to bury their loved ones in a proper way. A nice idea and sentiment, but can this practice be dangerous for the living or even the unvilling dead?

An Old Tradition that Lives On

Although the origin of this practice and the ritual is mainly unknown, there are still some cases that still uphold the tradition of Ghost Marriage, especially in northern China and other more rural parts. 

Read More: Check out all our collection of ghost stories from China

In 2015, there were no less than 14 female corpses stolen in one village in the Shanxi province to meet up the demand of corpse brides. There was a market for it, and so was the opportunity of making money from it as the price of a corpse of a young woman has skyrocketed, and could go for up to 100 000 yuan, even if the sale of corpses was made illegal in 2006. 

The price is determined by how complete the bones are, how pretty she was, family background, and cause of death. For example would a woman that died of an illness be worth more than one that died in a traffic accident. 

Stealing and Murdering for the Dead

The Living Ghost Brides: In modern media, Ghost Marriages are often presented were a living woman is being sacrificed to a dead man as his wife. Here from the Filipino horror movie, The Ghost Bride (2017).

In 2021 the ashes of a popular live-streamer were stolen from Shandong province in eastern China. The internet celebrity named Luoxiaomaomaozi had taken her own life during a lifestream, but her ashes were stolen by a staff member of the funeral home to be sold to a local family as a ghost bride to their dead son. And this is not the only case in recent times where some went too far to get a body.

Like a case from April 2016 were a man was charged with the murder of two women with a mental disbility, claiming he wanted to sell their corpses to be used in ghost weddings. This happened in Shaanxi province, north-west in China, but it isn’t the only place. 

In 2015, a man in Inner Mongolia was arrested because he killed a woman so he could sell it to a family, looking for å ghost bride. The man, only known as Ma, had promised the woman to find them husbands, but ended up killing them instead to sell their corpses. 

Why are these cases so prominent in northern and central China such as Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan and Inner Mongolia provinces? There are several factors included here as well as cultural beliefs and strong traditional practices. There are also very practical reasons. The ratio of men to females is extremely high, and the coal mining community sees many young men die before their time and before their marriage. A gift from a ghost bride seems like a small compensation.

How to Arrange a Ghost Marriage

Although the practice was banned in 1949 by the Chinese Communist government, there are still those who practice this in secret, and in many cases it is considered almost a profitable business. There are several ways the Ghost Marriage can be arranged. 

Often it is a standard arranged marriage where the parents seek a matchmaker to find a suitable spouse for their child. In fact, ghost marriage matchmakers have seen a big profit in their business over the years. 

Sometimes, the family of the deceased goes to a divination and hears about the wishes from beyond the grave that the family member is seeking to be married or they have a dream themselves. Then it is up to the family to seek out a suitable spouse the deceased already has pointed out or help in the quest of finding one. 

The Dangers with Ghost Marriage: Even though, in the rare cases it happens, most ghost marriages happens between two already dead children with both their parents consent to join the families. However, there have been instances with the corpses of women being stolen in order to use them as ghost brides.

Then when the two families are all agreed, it is just to host the ceremony, where they give gifts to the couple. They do this by burning either paper money or paper pictures of things they would need in their home, like a fridge, chairs, a bed, tables. They burn these papers as the costume is to bring it to the spirit world where they can use it. Then there is the banquet and a feast to join the two families. And then the similarities between the marriage of the living and the marriage of the dead ends. 

Then the rest of the marriage ceremony takes a darker turn. Because then all that is left is to dig up the corpses and bury the two dead together in a grave where they will be together for the rest of time. 

Variations of the Ghost Marriages

However, in recent times, some have begun to practice to marry off a living person to the dead. If the girl’s fiance died before their wedding, she could choose to go through with it to be married. This is not only seen in China, but also in places like Korea and Japan. Some would be hesitant to this though as it would require her to go through with a funeral ritual as well as take a vow of celibacy and live with his family. 

It is not only in mainland China where this practice is held. In Taiwan, there is also a tradition of marrying off an unmarried woman, although no bones dug up are necessary. 

In this tradition, the family of the woman places a red envelope with paper money, a lock of hair or a fingernail in the open and waits for a man to pass by and pick it up. The first man is the winner and it is seen as bad luck to refuse the marriage. He may be allowed to marry a living woman later in life, but the ghost bride should always remain as the first and primary wife. 

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References

China’s ghost weddings and why they can be deadly – BBC News

China’s ‘ghost marriages’ see dead dug up for macabre marriages despite government crackdowns | South China Morning Post

GHOST MARRIAGES IN CHINA | Facts and Details

Chinese internet celebrity’s ashes stolen for ghost marriage – Global Times