The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Most cultures around the world have a type of Vampire legend.
European vampires are predominantly human looking,they can speak,dress and think as a human.They can fool People around them and feed on blood.However in Chinese culture,the Vampire or as it is called in Mandarin ``Jiang Shi`` is hardly any of these things.

The word Jiang Shi translates to ``zombie`` more than it translates to ``vampire``.The chinese depict the Jiang Shi as an arisen dead corpse,which for some time Looks and even acts entirely like a human.But as time passes,the body and the mind of the Jiang Shi begin to rot and decay.This is also accompanied by the Jiang Shi turning green from the mold,hence giving us the stereotypical green color which was a staple in zombie movies and 90`s Cartoons.

Chinese vampires attack people in order to drain their qi (life energy) from them.This again separates them from their Western Counterparts as they do not ingest blood to survive,rather they feed on the very essence of life.

Just like the myths of the western Vampire,once a human has been fed upon by a Jiang Shi,he/she will start to turn into a weaker Version of a Jiang Shi,which is totally obedient to its` creator.

Common characteristics of Chinese vampires include jagged teeth, white or green hair and skin, and green claws; they also have pale skin and dark circles under their eyes. All of the corpses are dressed in attire from the Qing Dynasty

According to legend when a person died and was buried outside of their hometown,their family would hire a sorcerer or Taoist monk to retrieve the person’s corpse for a proper burial in their place of birth. The sorcerer/Taoist Monk would cast a spell where the person died, using a piece of paper that contained their name and birth date.The paper was placed on the forehead of the deceased.This was called a ``chi seal``

Once the spell is cast the corpse would arise out of the grave and the sorcerer or Taoist Monk would lead it to the hometown for a proper burial.If the paper ever came off of the corpse, then the sorcerer would lose power over the person and it would become a jiangshi, a being capable of destruction, murder and mayhem.

There were suppossedly six Levels of Jiang Shi:

1)When corpse entered suitable vampire-breeding location for 1 month. It began growing white hair and was called ``white vampire``. At this stage, the vampire can not move quickly, and can be easily killed. Level 1 vampires dread sunshine, fire, water, rooster, dog and let alone human beings.

2)If a level 1 vampire consumes enough ox and sheep blood, years later, the White hair would peel off and a layer of black hair will emerge. A level 2 vampire is still afraid of sunlight and fire. But a vampire at this period can boldly confront roosters and dogs. A Level 2 vampire will avoid human beings, and only drink people’s blood once the victim(s) fall asleep.
To fend off a Level 2 jiangshi use mirrors, a rooster call, fire, vinegar, wood from a peach tree and sticky rice.

3)After 5 years of blood drinking and the loss of White hair, a vampire can change from an awkward movement to a dangerously swift bouncing gait and no longer fears any domestic animals, with only cats being an exception that can still warn humans of the presence of a Level 3 vampire by growling at it. It appears cats can act as an early warning system

4)After several hundred years of growth, a vampire enters Level 4, at this level a vampire has the the ability to fly, which means the creature can stalk and attack its prey with Little effort

5)A level 5 vampire is almost a demigod.He can transform into any creature to confuse human beings, fly into heaven to slaughter dragons and even work with a plague god to bring disease to humans

6)At this phase, the vampire is more of a god than a demon,because according to Chinese texts a Level 6 Vampire can challenge any heavenly and celestial god