🏮 The Jiangshi

A stiff-limbed corpse that hops through the night, draining the breath of life

Also known as Jiangshi, Hopping Vampire, Chinese Hopping Vampire, Kyonshi

📺 "Boing, boing, boing. That's not a kangaroo on the roof, folks. Tonight's guest hops, and holding your breath is strongly recommended."

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Origin: Chinese folklore
First appeared: Chinese ghost stories (recorded in 18th-century story collections)
Pack: World Folklore

terminal-of-terror monster jiangshi

💀 Facts

Jiangshi means 'stiff corpse' in Chinese
It hops with arms outstretched because its limbs are too stiff to bend
It is usually dressed in the robes of a Qing dynasty official
A yellow paper talisman stuck to its forehead stops it in its tracks
It hunts by sensing breath, so holding yours can save you
Hong Kong's Mr. Vampire (1985) made the hopping vampire a movie star

📜 Legend

Jiangshi means 'stiff corpse'. Its limbs are so rigid that it can only hop, arms stretched out in front. Rather than drinking blood, it drains qi, the life force carried on the breath. One popular origin story involves the 'corpse walkers' of western Hunan, Taoist priests said to guide the dead home for burial at night, their charges hopping behind them. 18th-century writers such as Ji Yun and Yuan Mei collected jiangshi tales, and Hong Kong cinema made the creature a star.

🎭 Myth vs Movie

True or false? Make your guess, then click a card (or press r) for the verdict.

Jiangshi drink blood like European vampires.

✘ FALSE

Traditionally they drain qi, the breath of life. The blood-drinking came later, from Western vampire stories.
Holding your breath can hide you from a jiangshi.

✔ TRUE

The creature finds the living by their breath, so holding yours makes you invisible to it.
A jiangshi hops because its body is too stiff to walk.

✔ TRUE

Its limbs are locked rigid, so it bounds along with arms outstretched.

🃏 Stat Card

Strength: 7
Speed: 4
Cunning: 2
Dread: 8

⚡ Powers

Draining qi, the breath of life
Relentless hopping pursuit
An iron-hard body

🧄 Weaknesses

Yellow paper talismans
Sticky rice
Mirrors
A rooster's crow
Held breath

Stats power the Monster Mash: terminal-of-terror mash jiangshi

🎞️ Legacy

Mr. Vampire (1985) and its many sequels
Countless video games, anime and comics

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