In the “Zhengyi Fuzuan,” there are records about zombies, which are categorized into four types: White Zombie, Black Zombie, Green Zombie, and Flying Zombie.
White Zombie: These are the ordinary mummies that are unearthed normally. Due to the passage of time, the bodies have long since lost all moisture, making them extremely fragile. Some mummies even disintegrate upon being lifted, so they rarely undergo reanimation. Even if they do, their lethality is minimal, and they can be easily subdued or destroyed.
Black Zombie: When unearthed, Black Zombies are usually wet corpses, though there are rare instances of them being dry. Due to the accumulation of a large amount of corpse poison within the body, the skin of the corpse turns dark black. When the corpse reanimates, the corpse poison inside undergoes a transformation, growing black corpse hair, thus becoming a true Black Zombie. The corpse hair on a Black Zombie is extremely hard and impervious to weapons, making it highly lethal. If a person is scratched or bitten by a Black Zombie, the corpse poison quickly infects the victim. Without timely treatment, the victim will succumb to the poison and turn into a zombie. Most zombie outbreaks are attributed to Black Zombies.
Green Zombie: When a corpse has been buried for many years, its hair and nails continue to grow, and green fuzz appears on the surface of the body. Such a zombie is called a Green Zombie, commonly known as the Green-Haired Zombie in folklore. These zombies generally do not reanimate to harm people, but when a Green Zombie appears, the area where it is found often experiences large-scale plagues and disasters.
There is indeed a story about a Green-Haired Zombie. This took place during the Republic of China era in a small town in the southern region. A group of shirtless young men, braving the scorching midday sun, were digging a well. Suddenly, the youngest among them stuttered, “Uncle… Uncle! There’s a coffin down here!”
The leader of the group was the patriarch of the Zhao family in the town, known as Uncle Four. Respected and knowledgeable, Uncle Four immediately halted the work upon hearing about the coffin and called for some strong young men to lift it out. Everyone turned to Uncle Four, who was also at a loss, unsure whether to continue digging.
Among the workers, an older man said, “Finding a coffin isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Coffins can symbolize promotion and wealth. Maybe there are rare treasures inside.” Encouraged by this, Uncle Four called for some brave individuals to open the coffin.
Inside the coffin was not the expected treasure but a zombie covered in green fuzz, damp and emitting a peculiar stench. Everyone was stunned. Uncle Four thought it best to inform the town mayor, as he was merely the work leader and unsure whether the discovery was auspicious or ominous. The decision to continue digging would be up to the mayor.
The mayor quickly arrived and saw the Green-Haired Zombie, but he was also indecisive. Uncle Four suggested, “Mayor, this Green-Haired Zombie is indeed ominous. Perhaps we should choose another location to dig a well.”
The mayor, disheartened by the zombie, also considered relocating. However, the town was severely short of water, with over 20,000 residents relying on a single well. Water was as precious as oil, with people waiting around the clock to draw water. Having finally found a water source in the town center, how could they easily abandon it?
After some thought, the mayor ordered, “Bring the Maoshan Taoist here to assess the situation before we decide.” The so-called Maoshan Taoist was actually a local fraud who had learned some Maoshan techniques from a wandering Taoist for two months and claimed to be a divine savior sent by the Jade Emperor. He ran a Taoist hall in town, deceiving the gullible for small profits.
Ironically, this fraud had a stroke of luck. On his first outing, he gained fame when a wealthy man named Zhang, suffering from an unbearably itchy skin disease, sought his help after failing to find a cure elsewhere. The Maoshan Taoist, having learned only to mimic rituals like waving a peach wood sword, remembered a simple remedy from the wandering Taoist: crush scallion whites, mix with honey, and apply to the affected area.
He applied this remedy to Zhang and performed a ritual with the peach wood sword, declaring, “Mr. Zhang, you are plagued by a snake spirit. Today, I have exorcised it, and your itch will be gone in three days.”
As he was about to finish, a patterned snake suddenly fell from the ceiling onto his head! Though terrified, he remained composed, had everyone leave, and killed the snake with a stick before showing it to the Zhang family.
Witnessing this, the Zhang family was awestruck, believing the Taoist had truly subdued the snake spirit. Although Zhang’s skin disease wasn’t cured, the itching stopped, and he trusted the Taoist. Thus, the Maoshan Taoist’s reputation spread.
When the Maoshan Taoist arrived at the well-digging site, he inspected the scene and told the mayor, “We must burn this zombie immediately, or it will bring calamity upon the town, endangering everyone’s lives.”
A wandering monk, dressed as an ascetic, stepped forward from the crowd, chanted a Buddhist mantra, and said to the Taoist, “Brother Taoist, this zombie must not be burned.”
The Maoshan Taoist, highly respected in the area, was angered by the monk’s challenge but hid his fury. He coldly asked, “Master, what is your reasoning?”
The monk, unaware of the Taoist’s anger, replied, “As far as I know, Green-Haired Zombies do not reanimate to harm people. The best course is to return it to its original place. Burning it may bring disaster.”
The Taoist sneered, “Since ancient times, Taoists have dealt with exorcisms. When did monks, who preach detachment, start meddling in such matters? And what proof do you have that this zombie won’t harm people? If it does, can you bear the responsibility?”
The crowd jeered at the monk, accusing him of seeking money and causing trouble. Disheartened, the monk left amidst the insults.
The mayor, trusting the Maoshan Taoist, ordered the Green-Haired Zombie to be burned publicly. The next day, a catastrophic plague broke out in the town. Infected individuals died from internal bleeding within two hours, and within three days, the entire town of over 20,000 people perished, their bodies covered in green fuzz.
Had the zombie been buried quickly as the monk suggested, the plague might have been averted. Scientifically, the Green-Haired Zombie likely contained highly contagious viruses. Prolonged exposure accelerated the virus’s spread, leading to the devastating plague.
The emergence of Green-Haired Zombies is often linked to deteriorating geographical environments or the transformation of auspicious feng shui sites into inauspicious ones, largely due to human activities. It is likely that the well-digging disrupted the town’s feng shui, altering the earth’s energy flow and causing the corpse to transform into a Green-Haired Zombie.
**Bai Jiang**: These are the typical mummified corpses unearthed. Because of their ancient age, all moisture has long since evaporated from the bodies, making them extremely fragile. Some mummies even fall apart the moment they are lifted out of the ground. Therefore, they rarely undergo corpse transformation. Even if they do, their destructive power is minimal and they are easily subdued or destroyed.
**Hei Jiang**: When unearthed, Hei Jiang are usually fresh corpses, although occasionally dry ones are found. Due to the accumulation of corpse toxins inside the body, the skin turns dark black. Once the corpse undergoes transformation, the toxins activate and black hair begins to grow from the corpse. At this point, it becomes a true Hei Jiang. The black hair on the Hei Jiang is extremely hard and impervious to blades or bullets, and its destructive capability is immense. If a person is scratched or bitten by a Hei Jiang, the toxin quickly spreads to the victim. Without immediate treatment, the person will perish from the toxin and transform into a Jiangshi themselves. Most reported cases of Jiangshi attacks usually involve Hei Jiang.
**Lu Jiang**: After many years of burial, the corpse may continue to grow hair and nails, and green fur may grow on its body. This type of Jiangshi is known as Lu Jiang, or the “green-haired vampire” commonly referred to in folklore. These Jiangshi generally do not rise to attack people, but when they appear, they often bring widespread epidemics and disasters.
There is a real story about a Lu Jiang that took place in a small town in southern China during the Republican era. A group of young men, shirtless and sweating under the scorching midday sun, were digging a well. Suddenly, one of the younger men at the bottom shouted nervously, “F-fourth Uncle! D-down here… there’s a c-coffin!”
The leader of the group was the head of the Zhao family in the town, respectfully known as “Fourth Uncle.” He was a respected elder with considerable knowledge. Upon hearing about the coffin, he immediately halted the work and ordered several strong young men to lift it out. Everyone turned their eyes to Fourth Uncle, who was equally puzzled about whether to continue digging.
An older worker said, “Finding a coffin might not be a bad omen. After all, the word ‘coffin’ (guan) sounds like ‘official rank’ (guan), which could mean promotion or wealth. Perhaps there are rare treasures inside.” Encouraged by these words, Fourth Uncle ordered several brave men to open the coffin.
Inside the coffin was no treasure, but a horrifying sight: a corpse covered in green fur. The fur was damp and emitted a foul, strange odor. Everyone was stunned. Fourth Uncle thought it best to inform the town mayor, since he himself was only the labor supervisor and unsure whether this was a good or bad omen. Whether to continue digging depended on the mayor’s decision.
The mayor arrived quickly, saw the green-furred corpse, and was equally uncertain. Fourth Uncle said, “Mayor, finding a green-furred Jiangshi is an ill omen. Perhaps we should choose another site for the well.”
The mayor was also reluctant to continue digging, but the town had a severe water shortage. Over 20,000 people relied on a single well for survival—water was as precious as oil. Around the well, people waited in line 24 hours a day. Now that they had finally found a new water source in the center of town, how could they easily abandon it?
After a moment of thought, the mayor ordered, “Go fetch the Maoshan Taoist priest. Let him inspect it before we decide.” The so-called Maoshan Taoist priest was actually a local fraud. He had studied Maoshan techniques for two months under an itinerant Taoist priest and then claimed to have attained divine powers, sent by the Jade Emperor to save people from suffering. He opened a Taoist hall in the town and made a living by deceiving the ignorant.
By sheer luck, he gained fame on his first assignment. A wealthy man surnamed Zhang suffered from a severe skin disease that caused unbearable itching. He had visited countless doctors and spent a fortune, but his condition did not improve. Desperate, he turned to the Maoshan fraud. The priest had learned nothing from the itinerant Taoist except how to wave a peach-wood sword and perform rituals. However, he remembered a simple remedy the Taoist had used for skin diseases: crush the white part of scallions, mix with honey, and apply to the affected area.
The priest applied this remedy, waved his peach-wood sword dramatically, and told Zhang, “Mr. Zhang, you have been possessed by a snake spirit. Today I have used my magic to exorcise it. In three days, you will no longer itch.”
Just as he was finishing his performance, a real striped snake fell from the ceiling and landed right on the priest’s head! The priest was terrified but managed to keep his composure in front of Zhang’s family. He first asked everyone to step back, then used his peach-wood sword to fling the snake away and kill it with a stick before inviting the family to witness.
Everyone in Zhang’s household was awestruck, praising the priest as a true divine being. The wealthy Zhang, though his skin disease did not fully heal, found that the itching had indeed subsided after three days of the remedy and thus believed the priest’s words. From then on, the priest’s reputation spread far and wide.
Now, back to the well-digging site. The Maoshan priest examined the corpse and told the mayor, “This Jiangshi must be burned immediately. If the green-furred Jiangshi gains strength, it will bring disaster to the town.”
At that moment, a monk dressed as a wandering ascetic stepped forward from the crowd. He recited a Buddhist chant and said to the Taoist priest, “Reverend, this Jiangshi must not be burned.”
The Maoshan priest was highly respected in the area, and his words were usually unquestioned. Seeing a ragged monk challenge his authority, he was furious but maintained his composure. He bowed slightly and asked coldly, “And what wisdom does the master have to share?”
The monk, unaware of the priest’s anger, continued, “From what I know, a green-furred Jiangshi will not rise to harm people. The best course is to return it to its original place. Burning it may bring disaster.”
The priest sneered, “Since ancient times, it has been the duty of Taoist disciples to exorcise ghosts and subdue demons. When did Buddhist monks start interfering? And what proof do you have that this green-furred Jiangshi will not harm people? If it does cause deaths, can you bear the responsibility?” His words were sharp and convincing.
The monk was momentarily at a loss for words. The crowd began to jeer, “Monk, are you short on money? Don’t come here to fool people! Leave before you embarrass yourself!” The monk, though lacking in exorcism skills, was a well-traveled man of knowledge. He had spoken out of concern, but the townspeople’s reaction was unexpected. Sighing deeply, he turned and left amidst the jeers.
The mayor naturally trusted the Maoshan priest and ordered the green-furred Jiangshi to be burned on the spot. The next day, a catastrophic plague broke out in the town. Infected individuals bled from every orifice and died within two hours. Within three days, the entire town was wiped out—over 20,000 men, women, and children, all dead, their bodies covered in green fur.
In fact, if the townspeople had listened to the monk and quickly reburied the green-furred Jiangshi, the plague could have been avoided. This can be explained scientifically: the corpse carried a highly contagious virus. If left exposed, the virus would gradually release into the air and infect people or livestock.
Trusting the Maoshan priest’s advice, the townspeople burned the Jiangshi, accelerating the virus’s spread and triggering the catastrophic plague.
The appearance of a green-furred Jiangshi is usually caused by environmental deterioration or the transformation of a once-fortunate feng shui site into a cursed one. In most cases, such environmental changes are caused by human activity. In my opinion, the townspeople digging the well had disturbed the feng shui of the area, altering the flow of earth energy, which led to the corpse’s transformation into a green-furred Jiangshi.
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