A jiangshi is a re-animated corpse in Chinese mythology, similar to vampires or zombies. The appearance of a jiangshi's varies from unremarkable to horrifying, such as rotting flesh or rigor mortis. Due to their extremely stiff bodies, it has to move around by hopping while keeping its arms stretched out for mobility. Another peculiar feature is its greenish-white skin; this is due to fungus or mould.
Causes
There are numerous causes for corpses being re-animated, including:
- The use of supernatural arts to resurrect the dead
- Supernational possession of a dead body
- When a person's soul fails to leave the deceased's body
- The dead person is not buried after a funeral has been held
Counters
There are many ways to items used to counter jiangshi:
- Mirrors
- Items made of wood from a peach tree
- A rooster's call
- Fire
- Jujube seeds
- Vinegar
- Glutinous rice
- Azuki beans
- Blood of a black dog
- Axes
- Brooms