Chinese Ghosts – Fact or Fiction? Ghosts are commonly featured in Chinese folklore. Ghost stories existed as part of the old oral tradition during the Shang Dynasty (1600 – 1046 BCE) and expanded further as Chinese literature began to flourish. Ghost stories continue to be popular today, not just in China but also in the Southeast Asian region. Generally, the ghost is perceived to be the non-corporeal manifestation of a person who has died. According to folklore, Chinese ghosts are usually malevolent in nature, cause harm and create chaos for the living. The ancient Chinese were huge believers in ghosts as they thought that when a person died, their soul would journey across a bridge to the afterlife. During this crossing of the bridge, the deceased would be judged if they were worthy. If they had lived a life of virtue, they could continue on. Once they reached the other side, they either took rebirth as human beings or animals, or went to live with the Gods, depending on their beliefs. However, if they had performed evil deeds, they would fall from the bridge into Hell. Each of the eighteen levels of Hell had specific punishments for different sins. Thus, […]