Tradition: Chinese Mythology, Taiwan Mythology
Alternative Names: Headless Spirit, Madman
Category: Ghost
The Myth
The Headless Ghost is a supernatural being found in Chinese and Taiwanese legends. It appears much like an ordinary person, wearing normal clothing and possessing an otherwise human body, but it has no head. The ghost is said to be someone who was beheaded or killed, returning from death in a horrifying, headless form.
Some stories describe the Headless Ghost as a spirit seeking justice and revenge for the wrongs committed against it during life. One account tells of a ghost whose appearance exposes the crimes of corrupt officials who had killed innocent people. Through its return, the spirit reveals injustice and demands that the truth be acknowledged.
In Dajia, Taichung, a local tale tells of a strange headless ghost that appears at night to buy rice cakes and porridge. Headless ghosts are also known in the traditions of the Yi people of Liangshan, where they are among the many forms of spirits represented in ghost dolls and ritual drawings intended to drive away harmful supernatural beings.
Sources
“无头鬼 (Wútóuguǐ).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%97%A0%E5%A4%B4%E9%AC%BC