The great Yellow Emperor not only ruled the world of gods but also governed the realm of ghosts. He appointed his two brothers, Shen Tu and Yu Lei, to oversee the wandering spirits on Earth. Shen Tu and Yu Lei lived on Taodu Mountain in the Eastern Sea, where a giant peach tree stood. This tree’s branches, which stretched over three thousand miles, were thick and twisted, and atop the tree stood a beautiful golden rooster. Every morning at sunrise, the golden rooster would call out, along with the jade rooster on the Fusang Tree, to mark the beginning of the day.
The jade rooster on the Fusang Tree was said to call the people of the human world to work, while the golden rooster’s crow was a reminder to Shen Tu and Yu Lei to guard the gates of the realm of ghosts. They would rush to the northeast branches of the peach tree where the Gate of Ghosts stood, to inspect any spirits returning from the human world. These wandering ghosts had to return to the realm of ghosts before hearing the crow of the golden rooster, or else they would be burned by the sunlight.
Shen Tu and Yu Lei carefully examined the ghosts returning from the human world. If they found any spirits who had caused harm to humans, especially those who had wrongfully injured or killed innocents, the two brothers would not hesitate to punish them. The guilty ghosts would be bound with reeds and fed to the tigers of Taodu Mountain.
The tradition of pasting door gods on the doors during the Chinese New Year originated from this legend. Initially, people carved two figures from peach wood, placing them above their door frames, along with an image of a tiger to ward off evil spirits. Over time, this evolved into simply painting the figures of the two gods on the door, to drive away evil and protect the household.
In addition to Shen Tu and Yu Lei, there were sixteen gods from the southern wilderness who also helped the Yellow Emperor govern the realm of ghosts. These gods were described as having narrow faces and red shoulders, with their arms intertwined. They guarded the nights at the foot of Kunlun Mountain because ghosts were known to roam at night. Their red shoulders would glow like lanterns in the darkness, causing the ghosts to fear them and refrain from causing trouble during the night.
An old saying in the human world goes that children should never turn their heads while walking at night because each person has a light on their shoulders. If one turns around, the light would be extinguished, allowing ghosts to attack. This belief likely stems from the legend of the sixteen gods.
The Yellow Emperor also had a high-ranking official named Hou Tu (后土), who was in charge of the seasons and the four directions. Hou Tu carried the measuring cord, a symbol of order and balance, which was straight and unbroken, reflecting the natural laws that governed both the spiritual and physical worlds. In addition to his role in managing the seasons, Hou Tu was the ruler of the underworld and the guardian of the realm of ghosts.
In the Underworld, there was a mountain called Youdu Mountain, located in the Northern Sea. From this mountain, black water flowed, and it was inhabited by various dark creatures like black birds, black snakes, black panthers, black tigers, and even a large-tailed black fox. Nearby, there were also Xuanqi People (玄丘民) with dark skin and Chijing People (赤胫民) whose feet were red. These regions, including Da Xuan Mountain and Da You Kingdom, were considered part of Youdu.
The gate to Youdu was guarded by a giant named Tu Bo, who had the head of a tiger and the body of a man. He had sharp horns on his head, three enormous eyes, ears like fans, a mouth like a volcano, and legs like giant pillars. His massive body made him an imposing figure at the entrance of Youdu, and when he lost his temper, he would shake his enormous form, bare his blood-stained hands, and chase after the unfortunate ghosts in the underworld. During these outbursts, the underworld would echo with the cries of the tormented spirits.
However, despite his fearsome appearance, Tu Bo would eventually be sent to the Ice Prison by Hou Tu whenever his temper caused chaos. There, he would calm down and reflect on his actions. Afterward, he would dutifully guard the gate of Youdu, restoring peace to the underworld.
It was said that whenever a major war or widespread injustice occurred in the human world, Tu Bo would suddenly lose his temper, causing unrest in Youdu. This was when wandering ghosts had the rare opportunity to meet Hou Tu and recount their grievances from both the human world and the underworld. Hou Tu would then report these matters to the Yellow Emperor, who would help restore order in both realms. As a result, after such interventions, peace would return both to the underworld and the human world, leading to a period of prosperity and stability.
Although the Yellow Emperor had his realm of ghosts under control, he was never quite sure just how many ghosts and monsters roamed within it. He longed to understand this mystery more clearly. By coincidence, one day, while visiting Heng Mountain in the eastern part of Kunlun Mountain, he encountered a very intelligent divine beast named Bai Ze, who could speak human language. Bai Ze was knowledgeable about the ways of the world, including the changes in qi (energy) that brought about various ghosts and spirits, such as mountain spirits, water monsters, robbers, and ghosts.
Bai Ze impressed the Yellow Emperor with his understanding of the supernatural world, and the emperor ordered that Bai Ze’s descriptions of the different types of ghosts and monsters be illustrated and annotated. There were a total of 11,520 types of ghosts and spirits, each explained in detail. From that point on, the Yellow Emperor had a clear understanding of the scope of the realm of ghosts, making it easier to manage.
With this detailed illustrated guide, the Yellow Emperor summoned all the ghosts and spirits from around the world to Youdu for a grand meeting. At this meeting, he assigned each spirit a specific task. From then on, the realm of ghosts, like the human world, was organized with rules and regulations, leading to a period of peace and order in both realms.