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Jiangshi Fiction

Speculative and Fantastic Fiction

Jiangshi fiction is a literary and cinematic genre of horror based on the jiangshi of Chinese folklore, a reanimated corpse controlled by Taoist priests that resembles the zombies and vampires of Western fiction. The genre first appeared in the literature of the Qing dynasty, and the jiangshi film later became a staple of the modern Hong Kong film industry, with films such as Mr. Vampire and Encounters of the Spooky Kind following a formula that mixes horror with comedy and kung fu.

Facts
Place of Origin
China 1
Notable Example
Mr. Vampire (1985), directed by Ricky Lau 1
Defining Trait
Horror based on the jiangshi, a reanimated corpse controlled by Taoist priests 1
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Jiangshi fiction - Wikipedia
  • Literature, sentence 1
    Derived from Chinese folklore, jiangshi fiction first appeared in the literature of the Qing dynasty
  • Hong Kong cinema
    The 1985 film Mr. Vampire, directed by Ricky Lau, was the breakthrough success of the genre
  • Lead, sentence 1
    a literary and cinematic genre of horror based on the jiangshi of Chinese folklore, a reanimated corpse controlled by Taoist priests
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