Top 10 paranormal events in China | 1963 Fengmen Village paranormal event

**Fengmen Village: A Mysterious and Abandoned Settlement**



Nestled deep within an unnamed mountain range at the border of Qinyang City in Henan Province and Shanhe Town in Jincheng City lies Fengmen Village, originally named "Fengmen Village." Despite its lush and picturesque riverside, the village, though dotted with several houses, is eerily deserted, earning it the title of "China's First Ghost Village."



**The Legend and Reality of Fengmen Village**



According to local legend, "Fengmen" is said to imply "sealing off households," suggesting that men could not find wives and women could not bear children. Eventually, the entire village was abandoned, leaving behind bones in every gully and wandering spirits around every bend. Thus, it was also called the "Valley of Spirits." However, this legend has been debunked by experts who have investigated the area.



On January 5, 2008, a team of 16 experts and scholars, including representatives from Henan TV Station, Henan Hu Meng Outdoor Sports Club, Henan Outdoor Rescue Team, and Jiaozuo Hunter Eagle Outdoor Sports Club, conducted a detailed two-day investigation of the village to uncover the truth behind the rumors of paranormal activities.



**Introduction to the Village**



Fengmen Village stands in the deep mountains, with hundreds of houses built in the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. One notable feature is a large courtyard with a Qing Dynasty armchair in the living room. It is said that anyone who sits on this chair will experience strange occurrences.



The local sky is as blue as washed silk, with rolling mountains and the Yaoyao River Reservoir shimmering below. The village is located at the foot of the mysterious Fengmen Mountain. Travelers must pass through several historical sites, including Tianjing Pass, Confucius Temple, Xingyao Post Station, Hengwang Pass (Da Kou Village), Wan Zi City, Xiao Kou, and Jiao Zan City in Zeguo County, Jincheng. These places are steeped in history, with ancient battlefields and the ancient Yangchang Slope Road. It is said that the famous generals Jiao Zan and Meng Liang once stationed their troops here. The village is notorious for its rumored paranormal events.



**Name Origin**



The name "Fengmen" is a misnomer. The village was originally called "Fengmen," but it was mistakenly written as "Fengmen," leading to widespread confusion. Even some maps printed the name as "Fengmen." According to the team leader Xiao Qingtian, who referred to the "Historical Administrative Division Evolution of Henan Province," on August 11, 1956, the natural villages of Yun Tai, Fengmen, and Xi Dong Shui in Xiyao Township (now Xiyao Village in Shanhe Town, Jincheng City) were transferred to Qinyang City in Henan Province by approval of the State Council. The 1972 military map also labeled the village as "Fengmen." Moreover, the stone inscriptions found in the village also recorded the name as "Fengmen." In fact, the village truly named "Fengmen" is located in Wangwushan Township, which is now adjacent to Jiaozuo and under the jurisdiction of Jiyuan City.



**Historical Records and Cultural Significance**



From the inscriptions on three temple repair steles related to "Fengmen Village," it is known that the earliest existing record dates back to the fifth year of the Jiaqing era, i.e., 1800 AD. The most detailed record is from the twelfth year of the Tongzhi era: "To the north of Tanhuai, there is a steep mountain called Yun Tai, with beautiful mountains and clear waters. People settled here and named the place Fengmen Village. The land was fertile, and the families were affluent. The villagers were all kind and generous. In the past, there was an ancient temple dedicated to the mountain god, which had been damaged by years of wind and rain. The villagers collectively discussed and pooled their money to repair it. In the late summer and early autumn, they began the work, spending a total of more than 56,000 coins. It is inscribed: 'The Taihang Mountains are vast, and the Qinyang River is mighty.' — Inscribed in the late winter of the twelfth year of the Tongzhi era."



**Etymology of "Fengmen"**



1. **Dictionary Definition**: In the Chinese dictionary, "fengmen" can mean:

- An acupuncture point, the meeting point of the hand and foot Taiyang meridians.

- A windproof door installed outside a room door in winter, also called a wind door.

- A term related to the playing technique of musical instruments.



2. **Cihai (Comprehensive Dictionary) Definition**: In ancient architecture, it refers to a double-layered outer door. The outer layer is called the wind door. It can be attached to a single door or a partition door, with dimensions matching the frame. The wind door usually opens outward and is often used with a curtain rack to block wind and dust.



3. **Geographical Significance**: In ancient times, locations that were strategically important and difficult to attack were called "fengmen." They were also known as "xuanguan" or "fengmen ao."



4. **Feng Shui Perspective**: According to ancient beliefs, the southeast 90-degree direction was considered the most auspicious area, known as "fengmen." The Qing Dynasty scholar Jiang Dahong wrote in "Yangzhai Tianyuan Wuge": "There is also a fengmen through which the eight energies pass; walls with gaps and missing roofs cannot avoid it. If auspicious winds come, blessings increase; if killing winds come, misfortune arises immediately." Fengmen refers to the eight directions around a residence where wind can enter through gaps or missing parts of buildings, not necessarily through an actual door.



**Conclusion on the Naming of Fengmen Village**



Based on the various definitions and the geographical layout of the village, it is concluded that "Fengmen Village" was named for its strategic location and feng shui considerations. The village's name reflects its significance as a place with both geographical and cultural importance, rather than being associated with any supernatural or ominous connotations.

**Historical Inference**

The expedition team learned from the _Qinyang Chronicles_ that Qinyang City (formerly a county) is located at the southern foot of the Taihang Mountains, bordered by Bo'ai to the east, Jiyuan to the west, Wen and Meng counties to the south, and Jincheng to the north. During the Xia Dynasty, it was the capital of Tanhuai and belonged to Ji Province; in the Shang Dynasty, it was part of the royal capital area. When King Zhou of Shang enfeoffed the Marquis of E in Han, this area became part of the Han State. In the Qin and Han dynasties, it was known as Hedong Commandery, and in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was the seat of Huaiqing Prefecture.

Based on these records, Qinyang had already been an economic and commercial hub in northern Henan since the Xia Dynasty. Jincheng City (known as Jianxing Commandery in the Qin and Han dynasties, and later as Zezhou Prefecture in the Ming and Qing dynasties), neighboring Qinyang, was influenced by it and shared many cultural and customary similarities.

During the investigation of "Fengmen Village," the team was surprised to find a temple with a pair of stone statues of an official couple. The statues, with the man on the left and the woman on the right, exuded an air of dignity and solemnity. The man was depicted as a fierce warrior, while the woman was a civil official, flanked by a night demon and a maid. Judging from their attire, they appeared to be from the Song or Ming dynasties.

The team then reviewed the characteristics of Song and Ming dynasty clothing. Compared to Tang clothing, Ming attire had a more pronounced inversion of the proportion between the upper garment and the skirt, with a longer upper garment and shorter skirt. The collars evolved from the Song Dynasty's open collars to predominantly round collars in the Ming Dynasty. The most notable change was the introduction of buttons on the front of the garment, replacing the traditional ties that had been used for thousands of years. However, buttons were not entirely new; they had appeared on the waistbands of Yuan Dynasty clothing. The use of buttons represented a significant advancement in clothing design. Additionally, the prevalence of Neo-Confucianism influenced the style of clothing during the Ming Dynasty.

Ming Dynasty women's clothing featured a three-collar, narrow-sleeved blouse that was three feet long, with the skirt showing two to three inches below. A new style in Yangzhou at the time was a women's blouse that was two feet eight inches long, with sleeves one foot two inches wide. The sleeves were often decorated with embroidery, and in winter, they were lined with fur. Skirts in the early Ming Dynasty favored lighter colors. Pleats were very popular, with both fine and wide pleats. The pleats were meticulously decorated. Some skirts were made by hand-pleating an entire piece of satin, known as "hundred-pleat skirts," while others, with twenty-four pleats, were called "jade skirts." This style was widely worn at the time. The shape of the xiapei (a type of sash) resembled a long, colorful ribbon. Each xiapei was three inches and two fen wide and five feet and seven inches long. When worn, it was draped over the neck and hung in front of the chest. The sash was adorned with gold or jade pendants at the bottom, adding to its elegance.

Ming Dynasty scholar's attire included a round-collar, wide-sleeved robe, which was worn by Confucian scholars and other officials, all with detailed regulations. For example, "The student's robe, made of jade-colored cloth, has wide sleeves with black edges and a black ribbon with a drooping sash. Those who are candidates or supervisors do not change their attire." This is a set of scholar's clothing unearthed from a Ming Dynasty tomb in Yangzhou, Jiangsu. It was called "zhi duo" or "zhi shen" at the time, and many scholars in _The Scholars_ wore this kind of clothing.

Ming Dynasty official court and formal attire featured officials wearing black gauze hats and brocade dragon robes. The main types of clothing for civil and military officials included court robes, ritual robes, formal robes, regular robes, and granted robes. The dragon robe was a special type of clothing granted by the emperor. Wearing a dragon robe required a jade belt. The dragon robe was similar to the dragon robe worn by the emperor and was not originally part of the official uniform. Instead, it was a special grant from the emperor to eunuchs of the Inner Court and high-ranking officials. Receiving such a robe was considered a great honor.

Due to the age of the statues in "Fengmen Village" and the poor preservation, they were severely eroded and the identities of the figures could not be determined. However, it was faintly discernible that the man in the main seat had some kind of inscription on his chest, and judging from his attire and official hat, he was likely an official. But why did the villagers of "Fengmen Village" not worship deities but instead a pair of official couple? According to our understanding and expert introductions, such a practice was typically associated with ancestral temple worship.

Moreover, before we entered, we had heard that "Fengmen Village" was once a place where an official had retired. Although we could no longer verify these facts, various signs indicated that "Fengmen Village" indeed had an extraordinary history. Judging from the content to be introduced later, the person who established this village likely had some management skills and cultural refinement.

**Overview of the Village**

**Architecture and Population**

The first impression of Fengmen Village, after a long and arduous journey, was nothing short of breathtaking. The village, surrounded by mountains on all sides and built along the mountain slopes, featured houses that were neatly arranged. A river flowed in front of the village, with the settlement established on its right bank. Despite the depth of winter, its beauty was still palpable. Particularly striking was a tree over five hundred years old at the entrance of the village. Part of its roots were buried in the ground, while the other part was exposed, clearly wrapped around stones, like a solitary general guarding the village.

Except for one house (which had a chair placed in the middle of the first floor, the site of strange occurrences), almost all the houses in the village were oriented east-west. The majority of the houses were three-story buildings, made of wood and stone, with gray tiles on the roofs. What was remarkable was that the houses were built so densely that there was almost one person per two square meters, all concentrated within a radius of one kilometer. Moreover, they were mostly built relying on the terrain and artificially constructed foundations; it seemed that the villagers would rather go through several times the effort to build foundations than leave the community to find flatter places to build houses nearby.

There was a drainage channel in the village, large enough for an adult to crawl through on their knees, winding for a hundred meters under the houses. It was evident that the houses in the village were built with some planning. In the middle of the village stood the only four-story building, with houses on three sides, all artistically connected by bridge-like structures, forming a layout where all rooms were interconnected.

During the two-day investigation, the team from Jiaozuo Hunter Eagle and other sub-teams conducted a census of the buildings in the village (excluding the collapsed ones). There were 39 buildings in total, with more than 200 rooms.

**Reasons for Relocation**

After extensive inquiries by the expedition team and television reporters, they visited the majority of the villagers of "Fengmen Village" who had relocated to the urban resettlement community in Qinyang City in September 2007. The villagers revealed the true reasons for their relocation from Fengmen Village in 1981, which mainly included three factors:

Firstly, education was a significant challenge. Although Fengmen Village had a primary school with three classrooms for the first and second grades, the remote location and low teacher salaries meant that teachers were unwilling to stay for long periods. As educational needs evolved, children had to attend school outside the village. The long distances, coupled with concerns about student safety and the additional costs of boarding, led to the consideration of relocation.

Secondly, there were issues with water supply and food production. In front of Fengmen Village flowed a river that once had a constant stream of water. However, over time, the river began to dry up intermittently, posing problems for both human and livestock drinking water. While the villagers built reservoirs to ensure daily water supply, these were insufficient for irrigating farmland, making survival a critical issue. The village relied on state relief for years, and it became clear that a fundamental solution was needed. In 1981, the state arranged for the collective relocation of villages in similar situations to Fengmen Village.

Thirdly, transportation was a major obstacle. Many villages, built deep in the mountains due to historical reasons, faced extremely poor accessibility. Given the small and scattered nature of these mountain villages, it was impractical for the state to invest substantial funds to build roads for each one. As a result, villagers faced significant difficulties in purchasing goods and selling their produce. Many elderly people never left the mountains in their entire lives, and some young men were unable to find wives, living solitary lives. Relocation thus became an inevitable and unavoidable solution.

**Unraveling the Mysteries of the Village**

Is the eerie reputation of Fengmen Village along the Yaoyao River in Qinyang City due to ghostly spirits or magnetic fields? Why do women and the weak seem to be possessed by ghosts, unable to control themselves?

According to records of strange events in Fengmen Village from 2002 to 2007, compiled by the Hunter Eagle Outdoor Club:

- A group of seven people lost all their belongings, including backpacks and tents, while traversing "Fengmen" Village. It's hard to believe, but Xin Tianyou and I can vouch for it.

- A group of over twenty people camped in the Yaoyao River Valley. A frail female teammate suddenly went into shock and started speaking incoherently by the campfire. Shan Hu, I, Lao Han, and Ban Xiao can attest to this.

- Fifteen people camped in Dongdong Shui Village (an uninhabited village in Shanxi) in the Yaoyao River Valley during a heavy rain. In the middle of the night, in dense fog, the village suddenly echoed with strange shouts calling out "Zhang Jie, Zhang Jie..." The group was terrified. Da Sheng, Da Xiang, and Da Pan Ji can confirm this.

- Over twenty people camped below Dongshui Village in the Yaoyao River Valley and felt someone wandering around their tents, seemingly trying to break in. The entire camp was filled with terror. The next day, they claimed to be followed. Shan Hu, Da Pan Ji, and Zhen Zhen can vouch for this.

- A female team member camping below Dongshui Village in the Yaoyao River Valley slipped into the water while washing up in the morning. After returning to the city, she felt an intense chill in her calf and was unable to work normally. Medical treatment was ineffective, but a "master" eventually resolved the issue. Shan Hu and Bei Xue, fellow travelers, can confirm this.

- Two hikers, planning to meet us in the Yaoyao River Valley, accidentally entered the uninhabited "Fengmen" Village after getting lost. Forced to camp for the night, one team member had a high fever, while the other felt extremely cold. In the morning, they discovered a house behind their tent... Yue Yue can vouch for this.

- A group of four people hiking to Dayue Temple got lost in the "Fengmen" Valley and spent a terrifying night. They were safely rescued the next day. Fellow hikers can confirm this.

- Over thirty people camped below Dongshui Village in the Yaoyao River Valley. Despite a night of heavy wind and rain that soaked their gear and caused strange insomnia, they were fortunately unharmed. However, upon returning to the city, something terrifying happened in their unsorted tents. It seemed they had brought something "unclean" back with them. Chong Chong, Hunter Eagle, and JJYY can vouch for this.

- Traveler Dengta posted two photos on Tianya that even he found terrifying. In one photo, two people had no shadows, and in another, there was an odd object behind a person. Dengta said the photos were unaltered.

- Traveler Chun Chun, who had no prior medical history, experienced a mysterious mental breakdown after visiting the village with friends. The next day, a mole inexplicably appeared on his upper lip.

During the two-day investigation, the team learned about local customs and solved the mystery of the "Fengmen Village" coffins. Although the villagers had relocated, many elderly people still cherished their birthplace. Even after death, they were buried in Fengmen Village. Thus, there was a custom in this area: when one elderly person passed away while another was still alive, the deceased's body would be temporarily stored in a house in "Fengmen Village" until the other person also passed away and they could be buried together. This explains why the Hunter Eagle Club found coffins in the abandoned village in previous years. During this investigation, all the bodies that should have been buried were interred. The team searched the entire village and found only one empty coffin, indicating that another elderly person's body would be placed there in the future.

**Deciphering the Mystery of the Armchair in Fengmen Village** (Rumor: There is a Qing Dynasty armchair in the living room, and it is said that anyone who sits on it will soon pass away). The house where the armchair is placed is the only one oriented north-south. Inside the spacious room, apart from the armchair, there are no other objects, as if the house was built specifically for the armchair. The armchair appears to be made of pear wood. The seat is not very wide, and the backrest is formed by a round wooden frame at a 45° angle, which seems quite comfortable to sit on. However, considering the structure of the house, the terrain dictated that it could only be built in the north-south direction. The entrance to the first-floor room faces south, directly towards the sun, making it an ideal spot for sunbathing and enjoying the view of the fields and laborers. We speculate that there might have been an elderly person with limited mobility living in the house, who would sit there to bask in the sun and watch their relatives working in the fields and enjoy the scenery when they had nothing else to do. Unfortunately, we were unable to confirm this with the villagers later on, so for now, it remains a mystery.

**Investigating the Strange Phenomena in Fengmen Village**

To verify whether there were any other strange occurrences in the village, the expedition team re-entered the village at nine in the evening. They visited almost every house and even crawled through the drainage channels, but found no evidence of anything unusual. That night, the team deliberately left some food outside their tents. To their surprise, the food remained untouched the next morning, which struck them as odd. In an abandoned village, they expected some signs of animal activity, but there were none.