A father and son hurry down a dark, dusty road, scanning ahead for the light of an inn or place to rest. Roads in 18th century China can be dangerous, and desperate men prey upon the weak and unwary. Yet even the bandits seek shelter indoors when night falls, for some things that lurk in the shadows are deadlier than any brigand or cutthroat.
Recorded folk tales and local legends from the Qing era reveal a world of fox spirits, malevolent demons, wandering ghosts, sorcerers, and soul stealers. Even the official records maintained by supposedly sober-minded Confucian scholar-officials feature numerous reports detailing supernatural encounters and otherworldly phenomena.
In China, the seventh month of the lunar calendar is Ghost Month, a time of the year when the spirits of the deceased are most active. As with the North Atlantic tradition of Halloween, Ghost Month is a time when thoughts turn spooky, and in China there is a long history of spirits interacting with the living.