If you’re tired of the usual werewolves and Marvel superhero costumes for Halloween, maybe it’s time you turn to the rich history of Chinese mythology and culture for a local take on this Western tradition. Check out the following stereotypes in Chinese horror tales and movies for some fresh costume ideas!
JiangShi 僵尸 Jiāngshī
Screenshot from Mr. Vampire (1985)
Basically the Chinese version of a vampire-zombie fusion, the jiangshi is a hopping corpse and one of the earliest faces of Chinese horror. It is all brawn and no brain. In older Chinese horror films, they hopped around using both legs rather than slowly stalking their prey, and could be contained by talismans and holy bells wielded by monks or priests. As a kid watching those films, it was much more of a joke than a scare. To this day, it is unclear if they want to drink blood or eat human flesh (read brains), but who’s sticking around to ask?
Search JiangShiFuZhuang in TaoBao for costumes such as these!
YaoGuai 妖怪 Yāoguài/MoGui 魔鬼 Móguǐ
The YaoGuai is an all-encompassing term for monsters and the MoGui refers more specifically to demons or the devil. It sounds scary, but really, it’s usually portrayed like this in Chinese literature and media:
So it’s really not as bad as it sounds. The YaoGuai is often an animal spirit or fallen celestial being, much like Lucifer. MoGuis, on the other hand, are usually born out of undesirable emotions such as greed or lust. Their ultimate aim is generally to attain immortality, through lots of human sacrifices or some such nefarious plan.
The Vengeful Bride
It must be said that Asian horror is obsessed with female ghosts and villains. Just think of Ringgu (1998), which is the original Japanese version of Gore Verbinski’s 2002 The Ring, or more directly, the many iterations of the horror film The Bride (2013, 2015) and its myriad spin-offs. Perhaps it has to do with the long history of the female gender’s repression in society, and subsequent revenge for the many injustices women have faced. Whatever the reason, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially a bride on her wedding day!
Interesting note: According to folklore, when a woman dies wearing red, she comes back as an angry ghost seeking vengeance. If she wears white, she becomes a mourning ghost looking for solace, and usually more pitiable than vengeful.
You could always put a simple spin on it and just don a white or red dress and let your hair down to cover your face. Don’t give yourself a scare looking into the mirror!
The Monk/Priestess
Always an archetype in Chinese horror films, the Taoist/Buddhist monk or priest will have to save the day with either his knowledge or demon-exorcising skills. Updating this for our modern, inclusive society, we can have priestesses and nuns too! This is a super cute one for younger kids, especially if you’ve ever watched the Little Shaolin Monk films!
The Monkey King a.k.a 孙悟空 Sun Wu Kong Sūnwùkōng
One of the most famous Chinese folk tales, The Monkey King needs little introduction, but here it is anyway: After leading a failed rebellion against heaven and being imprisoned under a mountain by Buddha, a mischievous Monkey God is tasked to escort a monk and sacred Buddhist scriptures from the West (India) in order to earn his place back in the celestial realm. There are many movies and cartoons about this legendary character that the whole family can watch together, my favorite being the trilogy A Chinese Odyssey (1995-2016) featuring Stephen Chow as the famed hero.
Search sunwukong in TaoBao and get a fun costume like this one, and maybe teach your kid to do the twirling stick trick too!
KEEP READING: Tell Me You Forgot About Your Kid’s Halloween Costume Without Telling Me
Images: Courtesy of films, TaoBao
