Magical beasts, ghosts from China, Japan will haunt you

A new exhibition with illustrations and sculptures created by young Chinese artists and inspired by “The Classic of Mountains and Seas” and “Night Parade of Dead Souls,” as well as Japanese masters’ ukiyo-e paintings, will give visitors a clear and terrifying image of what such supernatural figures might look like.

Illustrations and sculptures created by young Chinese artists and inspired by “The Classic of Mountains and Seas” and “Night Parade of Dead Souls,” as well as ukiyo-e paintings, are on display at Yealife. Photos from WeChat account “yea-life”

“The Classic of Mountains and Seas” is a Chinese classic text and a compilation of mythic geography and magical beasts. Early versions of the text may have existed since the 5th century B.C. It is largely a fabulous geographical and cultural collection of Chinese mythology. The book mainly records mountains and rivers, the ceremonies of offering sacrifices to the gods and the articles used, as well as power of the gods and magical things, such as the nine-tailed fox.

Japanese ghost images go back to the very first painted scrolls in ancient Japan. “Night Parade of Dead Souls” collects the most striking and disturbing Japanese ghost images in folk tales. A large number of ukiyo-e woodblock printings created in Edo Period (1603-1868) also depict these monstrous beings in popular folk tales and horror stories.

Ukiyo-e art pieces involving ghost images created by great masters such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Katsushika Hokusai and Kitagawa Utamaro have been passed down through the years and many of today’s Japanese art genres, including manga and games, are heavily influenced by them.

Dates: Until Feb. 5, 2023

Hours: 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

Tickets: 88 yuan per person, 168 yuan for two persons

Venue: Yealife Art Space, 4/F, Yitian Holiday Plaza, Nanshan District (益田假日广场四楼Yealife艺术空间)

Metro: Line 1 or 2 to Window of the World Station (世界之窗站), Exit L