Vietnam

Vietnam’s green landscapes are home to many ghosts and spirits, mixing old beliefs with new fears. Ma lai (scary witches) take off their heads to fly at night, looking for victims. In misty rice fields, the ghost of Muc Dong lures children to watery graves. Mountain forests echo with sounds of nguoi rung (Vietnam’s “wildman” or Bigfoot). Con tinh (beautiful tree spirits) trick men to their doom, while ma ca rong (Vietnamese vampires) hunt in cities. Coastal areas have cô hồn (ghosts of people who died at sea). War-torn places have ghosts of soldiers still fighting old battles. Shape-changing fox spirits called hồ ly tinh and scary oni demons (from Japanese stories) add to Vietnam’s spirit world. From busy cities to far-off villages, these beliefs are still an important part of Vietnamese culture, connecting the past to the present through scary stories.