Jiangxis

Jiangshi, often written jiangshi or jiang-shi, is a creature in Chinese folklore and East Asian myth described as a reanimated corpse. The standard image is a stiff, undead being that moves by hopping rather than walking, commonly clad in traditional Chinese official robes with outstretched arms. In many tales they feed on the life energy, or qi, of the living rather than blood.

Origins and control: In folk tradition, a jiangshi can arise when a death is improperly handled or through supernatural manipulation. Some stories link the form to unsettled or corrupted souls; others describe Taoist rites that briefly reanimate a corpse for protection or malice. In popular depictions, a Taoist priest can govern a jiangshi by affixing talismans (fu) to its forehead and body, or by other magical constraints.

Appearance and behavior: Jiangshi are typically portrayed with pale, sometimes greenish or bluish skin, a long tongue, and a stiff, upright posture. Their movements are slow but they can leap or lunge over short distances; their primary motive is to absorb the life force of the living, though intellect is often limited.

Legacy: Jiangshi occupy a prominent place in Chinese cinema, literature, and video games. The modern popular image was shaped by late-20th-century Hong Kong horror-comedy cinema, notably the Mr. Vampire series, which fused Taoist ritual and martial arts with the hopping corpse motif. Scholarly studies treat jiangshi as expressions of cultural fears about death, contagion, and social upheaval, rather than historical beings.