Chinese Hopping Vampire

2021

Movies and TV

Jiangshi, often romanized as "Jiang Shi" or "Geung Si," is a type of reanimated corpse in Chinese folklore, deeply ingrained in both movies and television. They are typically depicted as stiff, hopping vampires or zombies recognizable by their outstretched arms, rigid posture, and pale skin. This distinctive appearance is rooted in the belief that rigor mortis prevents them from bending.

Jiangshi's origins are murky, with theories linking them to people who died far from home and were transported back for burial, or to grave robbers using methods that led to the corpse's reanimation. In popular culture, they are often created when a person dies violently, is not given a proper burial, or is subjected to dark magic.

In film and TV, Jiangshi are vulnerable to various methods of subjugation, including peach wood swords, mirrors, sticky rice, and the sounds of a rooster crowing. They are frequently controlled or deterred by Taoist priests using spells and talismans, particularly those written in vermillion ink on yellow paper. These characters are often the central antagonists or comical figures in Hong Kong horror-comedy cinema, becoming a staple of the genre and influencing depictions of zombies in other cultures.