The Nine-Tailed Fox of China
In Chinese folklore, a fox that lives a thousand years grows nine tails and can take the form of a beautiful woman, to charm, to help or to deceive.
What was reported
Huli jing, fox spirits, appear in Chinese writing from ancient times. A fox that lives long enough gains magical powers, and at a thousand years it has nine tails and can take human shape, usually as a lovely young woman.
Some fox spirits are tricksters who drain the life of the men they seduce; others are loyal companions or grateful helpers. Pu Songling, who lived near Zibo in the 1600s, collected many fox stories in his famous book Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.
Explanations offered
The fox spirit spread across East Asia, becoming the kitsune of Japan and the kumiho of Korea. It's a figure of folklore and literature, still popular in Chinese films and television.
- When
- Told for more than 2,000 years
- Where
- Zibo, Shandong, China
- Witnesses
- Chinese folklore and literature
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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