Tradition: Taiwanese Mythology, Chinese Mythology
Alternative Names: Chúi-kúi, Shuí-guǐ, 水鬼, Water Spirit
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Water Ghosts are vengeful spirits that haunt rivers and other bodies of water, waiting for unsuspecting people who approach the shore or attempt to cross a river. They are the souls of people who drowned, including those who deliberately took their own lives in the water. Because they died unnatural deaths, they are believed to remain trapped in the water, filled with resentment and unable to reincarnate. They can seize the living and drag them beneath the surface, drowning their victims in the depths.
A Water Ghost seeks to escape its restless existence by catching a substitute. It drags a living person underwater and drowns them, forcing the victim’s soul to take its place. The original spirit can then move on, while the newly drowned person becomes a Water Ghost and waits for another victim. This cycle of death and replacement continues indefinitely, making rivers and waterways dangerous places in which to encounter these spirits.
Some legends describe Water Ghosts haunting people who survive floods or rescue drowning victims and bring them home. Their presence may bring further misfortune, including disease, madness, and additional drownings. In Taiwan, people have developed rituals to appease these spirits and prevent them from causing harm. Ceremonies are held to deliver the souls of those who died in floods, while shrines and protective structures are built near waterways to restrain or honor the spirits. Some drowned individuals are even worshipped as water deities known as Water-Flowing Lords, whose supernatural power is believed capable of bringing both good fortune and disaster.
Sources
“疫鬼 (Yìguǐ).” Chinese Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%96%AB%E9%AC%BC