Wandering the “Ghost City” of Fengdu and the Realm of Immortality

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I as of late headed out to the modest community of Fengdu, arranged on the banks of the Yangtze Stream in a far-off area of Chongqing region. However, a couple of vacationers make it here, Fengdu is prestigious for its nearby association with Chinese folklore about the great beyond and is frequently called the “Phantom City.”

As soon as I stepped onto the narrow streets of the town, I was greeted by an onslaught of bizarre statues and strangely architected buildings. Ancient temples and rock-carved monuments evoked the realm of the departed. I felt a distinct atmosphere as if I had entered a parallel kingdom reserved for the souls of the dead.

According to Chinese Taoist and Buddhist mythology, Fengdu is the place where the dead are judged. The statues depict gods of the underworld, grim demons, or guardians of Hell itself. A massive sculpture portrays none other than himself, who decides the fate of each soul arriving here.

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After exploring the shrouded temples, I followed the steep rock-cut steps up to the Ghost Gazing Cliff, named as such because the souls of the dead are believed to drift by here before judgment. The vistas offered over the winding Yangtze between the mist-shrouded cliffs were truly spectacular.

I concluded the tour at the Nothing to be Done Bridge over the Milky Way River, which links the mortal world to the spirit realm according to local beliefs. Crossing this bridge (symbolically, of course!), I felt a profound connection to the mystical musings about life and death that enraptured ancient Chinese dreamers.

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Fengdu is undoubtedly a unique and spiritually powerful destination for those wishing to immerse themselves in China’s ancient mythology and explore that realm of immortality so quintessential to Oriental philosophy. An experience that transported me to another sphere, one I could hardly tear myself away from upon leaving.

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