possession

  • Jiao Ming: When a Ghost Story became a satire on power and privilege

    Pu Songling’s Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio is famous for its ghost stories, but beneath the supernatural surface lies a sharp eye for social criticism. One tale, “Jiao Ming”, appears at first glance to be a straightforward exorcism story: a high official’s house is haunted by foxes, and a Taoist priest from the…

  • Jiao Ming

    From Liaozhai, high‑ranking official Dong Mohan’s household is plagued by a fierce fox‑spirit. Taoist priest Jiao Ming’s red talisman fails. He uses a possessed maid as medium, subdues and expels the fox pack, bringing peace.

  • The duke’s fatal hospitality

    A sea-gull alighted in a suburb of the capital of Lu. The Marquis of Lu welcomed it and feasted it in the temple hall, ordering the royal music and grandest sacrifices for it.