Taiwan Culture

Why Are So Many of Taiwan’s Famous Ghosts Women?

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By Yuan Tuan/Andy Hsueh/Isabel Wang/Ting Yeh

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It’s Ghost Month in Taiwan, when tales of the spirit world and folk beliefs return to the spotlight. Many of the country’s best-known ghost stories feature women, often reflecting the social constraints they faced in the past. Among the most famous is Chen Shou-niang, whose legend is rooted in the southern city of Tainan, where a walking tour is revisiting her ill-fated story. This report has been reuploaded to update an interviewee's photo.