One of the earliest forms of literature in ancient China were ghost stories. They are believed to be part of the oral tradition during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE) and continue to be popular in today’s China. However, ghosts were a serious matter to the ancient Chinese. According to traditional Chinese belief, when a person dies their soul travels across a bridge to the afterlife. On this crossing, they are judged as either worthy or unworthy. If considered “good,” they continued on; if deemed “evil,” they plummet from the bridge into hell. Depending on one’s beliefs, if they reach the [...]