Wikimedia CommonsCulture
Chinese
Location
Chongqing, China
Key Figures
Ten Kings of Hell, Meng Po, Yin Changsheng, Wang Fangping
Images via Wikimedia Commons
The Myth
The story as told by the culture
Fengdu has been known as the 'City of Ghosts' (Guicheng) for nearly 2,000 years. According to tradition, the mountain overlooking the town — Ming Shan — is the earthly location of Youdu, the capital of the Chinese underworld (Diyu). When a person dies, their soul travels to Fengdu to be judged.
The underworld in Chinese mythology is a vast bureaucracy modeled on the imperial government. The soul passes through multiple courts, each presided over by a judge (the Ten Kings of Hell), who reviews the person's earthly deeds. Punishments for sins are graphically specific: liars have their tongues pulled out, corrupt officials are ground in mills, the unfaithful are thrown into a pit of snakes. After enduring punishment proportional to their sins, souls drink the tea of forgetfulness (Mengpo Tang) served by the old woman Meng Po on the Bridge of Helplessness, erasing their memories before reincarnation.
The temples on Ming Shan recreate this entire journey, making Fengdu the most elaborate physical model of the Buddhist-Daoist afterlife in China.
Want more like this?
Get one sacred site deep-dive every week — myth, history, and travel tips.
By subscribing, you agree to receive occasional emails from Mythic Grounds. Unsubscribe anytime.
Myth types
The Place
The physical location today
Fengdu sits on the north bank of the Yangtze River in Chongqing Municipality, roughly 105 miles east of Chongqing city. The Ghost City temple complex covers Ming Mountain above the old town.
The construction of the Three Gorges Dam flooded the original old town of Fengdu, and its population was relocated to a new city on the opposite bank. The temple complex on Ming Mountain, however, sits above the waterline and was preserved. Visitors typically arrive by Yangtze cruise ship or by road from Chongqing. The temple complex includes the 'Last Look at Home Tower,' the 'Nothing-to-be-Done Bridge,' and graphic statue displays of underworld torments.
Visit information
Access
Ticketed — Fengdu Ghost City scenic area
Nearest city
Chongqing, China (105 mi)
Notes
Most visitors come on Yangtze River cruises that stop at Fengdu. The climb up Ming Mountain is steep — a cable car is available. The graphic underworld punishment displays are not for young children. Best visited with a guide who can explain the mythology.
The History
What archaeology and scholarship tell us
Fengdu's association with the underworld dates to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 CE). According to legend, two officials — Yin Changsheng and Wang Fangping — practiced Daoist cultivation on Ming Mountain and became immortals. Over time, their names were conflated (Yin + Wang = 'King of the Underworld'), and the mountain became identified as the seat of the afterlife.
The temple complex was developed primarily during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) and expanded through the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It synthesizes Daoist, Buddhist, and folk religious traditions into a unified vision of the afterlife. The Chinese concept of a bureaucratic underworld — with judges, courts, record-keepers, and a procedure for reincarnation — has no exact parallel in other mythological traditions and reflects the profound influence of Confucian administrative culture on Chinese cosmology.
Mythological Connections
Nearby Sites
Related Entries
Mount Kunlun — Abode of the Immortals
The mythological axis of the world in Chinese cosmology — dwelling of the Queen Mother of the West and source of the Yellow River
Xinjiang / Tibet border, China
Pompeii
A Roman city frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE — temples, houses, streets, and people preserved in volcanic ash
Campania, Italy
Hadrian's Wall
A 73-mile Roman frontier wall built in 122 CE — marking the northern boundary of the Roman Empire and the division between civilization and barbarism
Northumberland, United Kingdom
Chumash Painted Cave
A small sandstone cave in the Santa Ynez Mountains bearing Chumash rock art that may record a supernova observed in 1006 CE
California, United States
Eastern Han Dynasty origin (c. 200 CE) — continuously developed
Mythic Grounds acknowledges that many sites documented here are sacred to Indigenous peoples and living cultural communities. We strive to present information respectfully, drawing only from published and authorized sources. If you are a member of a community represented on this site and believe any content is inaccurate or culturally inappropriate, please contact us.