Tag Archives: Superstition

Red Embroidered Shoes (红色绣花鞋), A Chinese Horror Story

Text: 

Ming and Hong were from the same class in middle school and had always been neighbors. The two grew up together and were close friends who walked home together every day. When they were ninth graders, the school’s evening study hall was extended to 9 PM due to heavier course load. Unlike their peer who had parents to escort them, Ming, the braver one, escorted Hong back every night. On their way home, there was a graveyard, and they sometimes saw will-o’-the-wisps floating around there, but the two got used to all the peculiarities and even joke about them.

It was an ordinary night just like the others, Ming and Hong walked past the graveyard after a drizzle. But this night, one could see no moon in the sky and it was dark everywhere. Ming was usually fearless and sometimes sang aloud for Hong to be courageous, but this night he couldn’t for some reason. Out of nowhere, an old woman in shabby clothes walked towards them from the other end of the road. Hong clenched to Ming and trembled, said: “Look at her shoes!”

Ming looked down and saw a pair of red embroidered shoes. The old woman’s clothes were all black. She had pale skin and lifeless eyes that gleamed in the dark. Though the two couldn’t see much in the dark, every detail of her red embroidered shoes was clear as if only the shoes were strangely lit in the night.

Ming and Hong walked past the old lady quickly and felt a chill. The two were so startled that they ran back home as fast as they could.

Hong asked if Ming could stay for the night, Ming said yes, given Ming’s family had been away for the week, and accompanied Hong to sleep. At midnight, Hong was woke by the sounds of his parents returning home from a long day’s work. Hong pled his dad to pick him up starting tomorrow, and asked if he saw Ming.

“Ming? When did Ming come?” asked Hong’s dad.

Hong was baffled: “He was just there before I fell asleep!”

Hong’s dad comforted Hong that Ming must have gone home while he was asleep.

However, when Hong went to school the following morning, there was no sign of Ming. So Hong left school early and visited Ming’s family with his dad, but the house was empty. 

Having been worried for two days, Hong heard that the local police had found a dead body in the river. The body wore a pair of red embroidered shoes. It was Ming.

Ming and his mom only had each other. After Ming was gone, Ming’s mom went delusional so Hong spent time accompanying her when he was free.

It was Friday night when Hong watched a Japanese horror film with Ming’s mom. There was a shot of someone standing there with blood dripping down their legs and stained their shoes red. Ming’s mom screamed out of horror, so Hong had to calm her down before running back home. By the time Hong walked past the graveyard, it was already dark and chilly. Hong was so scared that he could sense his heart pounding in his chest. The imagery of red embroidered shoes soaked in blood kept flashing back. Suddenly, someone grabbed Hong from running. Hong turned back and saw Ming’s mom. Her lifeless eyes gleamed in the dark. Hong was almost scared to death but managed to get away. The moment he arrived home he turned on all the lights to cast away the darkness. But the lights were red. Hong fainted.

When Hong woke up he had his parents by his bed. Hong’s mom apologized for switching on the red emergency lightbulbs because the regular lightbulbs didn’t work last night. But Hong wouldn’t listen, he kept murmuring: “Red embroidered shoes… I want red embroidered shoes…”

Hong’s dad decided to drive Hong to the hospital with his motorcycle. By the time he rode past the graveyard, he could feel Hong no longer leaning on his back. Hong’s dad looked back and saw no sign of his son.

Hong’s dad recruited all the men from the neighborhood to search for Hong in the graveyard. Someone from the search party swore that he saw Hong with Ming’s mom, wandering in the graveyard, but as soon as he ran towards them the two disappeared. Hong’s dad had to report to the police. The police patrolled this area every night until one night, a pair saw a teenage boy walking towards them with a middle-aged woman from the other end of the road. As they walked close, one whispered: “Look at their shoes!”

The other looked down and saw two pairs of red embroidered shoes. The pair was so frightened that they paced faster to walk past the teenage boy and the middle-aged woman. The moment they passed, they felt a chill.

Context: 

The informant is a 24-year-old female who was born and raised in China, and currently studies in the United Kingdom. The informant first heard the story of red embroidered shoes from her middle school peers when they were all about the same age as the protagonists of the story, Ming and Hong. The story is set to happen to middle school teenagers she could relate to. After hearing the story, the informant couldn’t find the courage to walk home by herself for a while and remembered the story vividly due to horror.

Interpretation: 

Given the age group of the audience, it seems natural to me that middle school teenagers were drawn to a horror story with relatable settings. The evening study hall has been a part of a Chinese student’s daily schedule as required by most Chinese schools, and it was no surprise that teenage students came out with a horror story to address their fear of walking back home alone at night after evening study hall ends. It’s also possible that one of the parents first came up with the story to warn their children about the danger of returning home alone at night and to remind them to always be alert on their way, because many Chinese school-age children walk themselves home when the parents are too busy to pick them up. In the informant’s case, the story’s warning message was proved to be effective; the informant pled her dad to pick her up after evening study hall just like Hong did in the story, teamed up with peers to walk together, and even at times she had to walk alone she walked quickly and carefully. 

Besides its thematic purpose, the story appeals structurally with some typical motifs of Chinese horror such as the red embroidered shoes. According to the informant, Chinese horror is personally most frightening to her because it often involves outdated traditions or folk objects (such as the red embroidered shoes) that are regarded as nuanced or peculiar from today’s view. Notably, supernatural agents including the cross-culturally common will-o’-the-wisps and the old woman (which is likely a ghost), alongside the graveyard touch on the theme of blurring life and death, which is regularly found in Chinese horror narratives because the culture emphasizes death. Furthermore, the story embodies chromatic symbolism, and symbolizing blood with the color red is not only cross-culturally relatable to a wider audience, but also has a horror story connotation that helps establish a dreadful ambiance so the story is more easily remembered and emotionally impactful.

Welcoming the God of Wealth on the 5th Day of the Chinese New Year

Text: 

“On the 5th day of the Chinese New Year, my family used to have this ritual to welcome the God of Wealth into our home because the 5th day of the New Year is believed to be the birthday of the God of Wealth. We set off fireworks before they were banned, had a feast, and worshipped a portrait of the God of Wealth on this Buddha altar we had in our home which usually closeted a Buddha statue. Our worshipping usually involved burning incense and pouring him a cup of Chinese liquor. Though I believe the God of Wealth was not actually a Buddhist god, my family didn’t believe in either and it was rather a casual superstition to wish for prosperity in the following year.”

Context: 

The informant is a 23-year-old female who was born and raised in Guangzhou (the capital city of Guangdong province in China), and is currently a graduate student at USC. Her family is a typical Cantonese family that values tradition and according to her, is a little superstitious. Due to fire hazards, fireworks are now not allowed in cities like Guangzhou, so her most vivid memory of welcoming the God of Wealth dates back to when she was a child. The informant openly expressed her nostalgia for a grand celebration as a remnant of the past.

Interpretation: 

Though most Chinese families are atheists, worshiping the God of Wealth is more of a casual superstition and is often considered a part of the Chinese New Year celebration. This was reflected in the informant’s case, given how the family had a Buddha altar and placed the portrait of the God of Wealth there, yet they believed in neither Buddhism nor Taoism (the God of Wealth is considered a Taoist god). Wishing upon Buddha and the God of Wealth was a superstitious ritual carried out lightheartedly to wish for good fortune and prosperity, the typical wishes for a new year. 

On a personal level, this memory mattered to the informant because it reminded her childhood, her time spent with her family, and the many celebrations that had been lost as she grew up including fireworks. Today’s public discourse on Chinese mainstream media frequently complains about why the celebration of traditional festivals, most notably Chinese New Year, doesn’t feel as grand and enjoyable as it used to be. The informant acknowledged and agreed that the past was already lost, and spoke of this specific experience she used to have once a year nostalgically.

USC Knights Protection

The informant, a part of a special group on campus, helps protect and look after tradition and school spirit, particularly among the active student body. Once a year during the week in which the USC Trojan face off in football against the UCLA Bruins, the informants group will camp out and live on campus in rotations in order to protect Tommy Trojan, Traveler the Horse, Tirebiter, among other statues on and around campus. It is thought that if this does not happen, UCLA will dishonor our school and the rivalry by messing with the USC campus and students. This informant has participated in the exchanging of rivalry customs for the past four years and says there are often many fun and competitive actions between the two schools that commence throughout the week each year. Informant has heard many stories about past years when the statues were not protected well and UCLA students have defaced and messed up Tommy Trojan or Traveler the Horse.

Context – Every year during rivalry week, the Trojan Knights and the Helenes watch over the wrapped statues and figures of USC. This is done to make sure UCLA(“FUCLA”) does not do anything to mess with campus property or the statues of the University of Southern California figures. 

Analysis – This both serves as a fun activity for the students involved in the spirit leading groups but also as a way to invoke and celebrate the school spirit of two different schools. This also creates a superstition or lesson of protecting your “sovereign” against enemy forces especially a rival team such as the UCLA Bruins.

USC Pre-Game Pole Kick

While going to a USC football game, it is tradition to kick the bottom of one of the poles on your way out of the entrance closest to Exposition Boulevard. There is both a light and flag pole that have wide bottoms as you go through the gates towards the coliseum. If you look at them on your way out you will both see and hear the effects of people kicking them as they go to cheer on the football team. It is said to be good luck for the team to kick either pole as you head to the game. At certain times in the season, the bottom guarding will actually break off from all of the kicking, but one of the poles will always be open. There are constant markings from the ware and tear on the pole and well as the ringing that follows the kick. If you do not kick the pole, many students believe the team will have bad luck and lose the game, or get injured. Informant was taught this by other individuals headed to the football games, and by noticing others kicking the pole as they went by.

Context – It is believed if you do not kick the pole, the team will have bad luck! It is unknown exactly what year or who started this tradition at the university but it is a widely accepted and practiced tradition, especially those who attended or currently attend USC. All kinds of people, from kids, adults, women, and men will do this as they head from campus to the coliseum for games.

Analysis – This is a common superstition practice at work. Many teams, schools, or even athletes have superstitious tendencies that help place the results of a game or wager on a “higher power.” This can be explained as a relaxer and a way to handle the stress of an upcoming event that a fan may have little to no control over.

Hawaiian Legend – Night Marchers

The legend of the Night Marchers is known by the informant due to their ethnic background. They grew up with a Pacific Islander cultural background in Hawaii where there is a lot of folklore. This legend in particular was about the Night Marchers who were often seen and heard at night throughout Oahu, and it was said to be the ghosts/spirits of the royal army. They were often unseen but heard until very close and were said to take the spirit of those who disrupted their path or did not pay their respects. There were many stories told to the informant about said Marchers, but the one specific story remembered was from the informant’s father who said he had fallen asleep on the beach in the path of the marchers and he woke up to the sound of them getting closer and closer, he quickly got his story together and moved before it was too late, and he paid his respects as they passed by, but he could hear their calls and drums the entire time although they could not be fully seen in front of him.

Context – the Night Marchers are said to appear at night on the islands as they travel through the island, stories include seeing the marchers, seeing their torches travel up mountains, hearing them march, and their drums. Hawaii is filled with many legends and tales as the culture is very tradition and folklore based, and the Night Marchers are just one legend of the many. For many islanders, these legends are very real and not just tales or stories.

Analysis – this legend gives place to spirits of those who have passed and are said to have served to protect those of the Hawaiian royal family as well as the islanders themselves. This legend gives respect to the spirits of those who follow the tradition and who want to pay respect to the royal army themselves, it teaches younger islanders about the history of their culture as well as lays grounding for respect of the culture. Like the informant, for many within this culture, these legends are a big part of the culture which not only shows respect but also has fun, interesting stories about interactions with these marchers.