The town of Fengdu, said
to be the abode of devils, is one of the first
stops on your Yangtze River cruise. The famous
'Ghost City' Situated on the northern bank
of the river between Zhongxian and Fuling,
the city was depicted as the 'City of Ghosts'
in two ancient, classic Chinese works - "Monkey
King" and "Strange Stories from
a Chinese Studio". The origin of the
town's extraordinary reputation can be traced
back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. - 220 A.D.)
when two officials, Yin and Wang, became Taoist
recluses here and eventually Immortals. Later
in the Tang Dynasty, their names were combined
to mean "King of the Underworld".
Today, the town throngs with many tourists who come to visit temples and shrines dedicated to the gods of the underworld. Landmarks here bear horrific names - Last Glance at Home Tower, Nothing-to-be-done Bridge, and Ghost Torturing Pass - the three trials for ghosts who wanted to enter the nether world.
Temple of Heng and Ha
The origin of the two vajras can be traced back to ancient Indian Buddhism. In one classic Chinese legend, they were transformed into two guardians with supernatural strength. Guardian Heng could roar or bellow a dazzling light and Han a yellow wind. A ghost who had misbehaved when alive would be knocked down by the light and wind, and prevented from entering the nether world.
Nothing-to-Be-Done Bridge
This three-arched marble bridge is acknowledged to be the second inspection point. A ghost who could stride across it in three steps was considered as a virtuous man while those who could not were considered villains. They would drop down into the river below, and would forever more be deprived of choosing a new life.
Ghost Torturing Pass
Ghost Torturing Pass is the last test before entry to the nether world. Temples display instruments of torture and horrible demon images. Two devilish guards (Shopkeepers) kept a basin of water into which customers threw their coins; if the coins sank they were genuine, but if they floated, the coins were ghost money and unacceptable. For the sum of one dollar, visitors can obtain a 'Passport to Heaven', stamped by the local magistrate and the abbot.
On the other side of the Bridge, Mt. Shuangguishan is reputed as being This World, which is considered a fairyland of tranquility and harmony with lush greenery. There stand some commemorative buildings such as Confucius Temple, Luming Temple, Yuming Spring and En'lai Pavilion, consecrated to Zhou En'lai.
The Ten Courts of Chinese Hell
Court 1: Mirror of Retribution. Ruled by QIN-GUANG-WANG.
Court 2: The Pool of Filth and the Hell of Ice. Ruled by QU-JIANG-WANG.
Court 3: Black Rope Hell and the Upside-Down Prison. Ruled by SONG-DI-WANG.
Court 4: The Lake of Blood and the terrible Bee Torture. Ruled by WU-GUAN-WANG.
Court 5: Sixteen Departments of Heart Gouging. Ruled by YEN-LO-WANG.
Court 6: Screaming Torture and Administrative Errors. Ruled by BIAN-CHENG-WANG.
Court 7: Torture by Mincing Machine. Ruled by TAI-SHAN-WANG.
Court 8: Hot Suffocation Hell. Ruled by DU-SHI-WANG.
Court 9: Iron Web and Office of Fair Trading. Ruled by PING-DENG-WANG.
Court 10: The Wheel of Rebirth. Ruled by ZHUANG-LUN-WANG.
When your agony is complete and you've repented for all you're worth, it's time to be reborn. You're summoned to the Tenth Court, where ZHUANG-LUN-WANG decides the manner of your next existence. (Human being or slug?) Then Lady MENG-PO gives you the Tea of Forgetfulness, which erases your memory and ensures that you completely forget all the punishments you've just been suffering. There is a very good reason for this, but we don't know what it is.
Finally you are given a free ride on the Wheel of Life. Round and round you go, faster and faster, until you shoot off into the void and land in the body of a newborn baby. Or, if you haven't repented enough, the body of a slug.
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