J is for Jiang Shi

A Jiang Shi is a Chinese vampire/zombie that's name translates to 'stiff corpse'. It is also known as a Chinese "hopping" vampire/zombie and is a type of reanimated corpse in Chinese legends and folklore. It is a horrific creature that usually hops along, and when it comes across a victim it will suck the life force out of them ('qi').

The Jiang Shi is said to be raised by a necromancer, or when the soul of a dead man cannot leave his body due to reasons in life, such as they were a horrible troublemaker, or if they commit suicide. The body looks different due to when they were raised. If they are raised soon after death, their appearance looks like a normal human, however if they have decomposed some time before they come to life, they can look horrific and ghastly.

These zombies are usually described as a pale white colour with furry green hair, moss, or mould growing on their flesh. The Jiang Shi also has pale, long white, messy hair atop their heads. They are said to have extremely long tongues and black, sharp fingernails, and they walk along with their arms outstretched.

The Jiang Shi may be distracted if small objects are thrown about, in which case, like most vampires, it will stop to count them. Also, they are blind, and if one holds their breath when it passes, they may remain unnoticed. To deter them from entering a house a 15cm piece of wood nailed to the width of the bottom of the door will stop them.