Feng Du
Feng Du is the realm of the dead in Chinese mythology. (Pronunciation: 'Fung Doo')
Unlike hells in most other mythologies, Feng Du is not underground but actually housed in Fengdu mountain. Ruled by Yen Lo Wang, the King of Hell, it is a maze of levels and chambers where souls are taken to atone for their earthly sins.
Incorporating ideas from Taoism and Buddhism as well as traditional Chinese folk religion, Feng Du is a kind of purgatory place which serves not only to punish but also to renew spirits ready for their next incarnation. There are many deities associated with the place, whose names and purposes are the subject of much conflicting information.
The exact number of levels in Chinese Hell - and their associated deities - differs according to the Buddhist or Taoist perception. Some speak of three to four 'Courts', other as many as ten. Each Court deals with a different aspect of atonement. For example, murder is punished in one Court, adultery in another. Punishment also varies according to belief, but most legends speak of highly imaginative chambers where wrong-doers are sawn in half, beheaded, thrown into pits of filth or forced to climb trees adorned with sharp blades.
However, most legends agree that once a soul (usually referred to as a 'ghost') has atoned for their deeds and repented, he or she is given the Drink of Forgetfulness by Meng Po and sent back into the world to be reborn.
