Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Bargain Stone stands in the churchyard.
Bargain Stone
The Ernst Thälmann Monument
Ernst Thälmann Monument
One of the BHS murals tells the origin story of Stockport.
The BHS Murals in Stockport
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Ōmori Nori Vending Machine
Parkway Bakery and Tavern has been slinging these sandwiches since 1929.
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
Parkside Plum Juice
Dishes at Aksorn are grounded in deep historical research.
Aksorn
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?
2 days ago
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
3 days ago
Petrified Forest National Park.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
6 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All China Chongqing Fengdu Ghost City

Fengdu Ghost City

The ancient settlement attracts tourists from all over looking to learn about the Chinese vision of the afterlife.

Chongqing, China

Added By
Rachel Markham
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The Ghost King in the Ghost City.   China Photos/Stringer/Getty
The Ghost King in the Ghost City.   China Photos/Stringer/Getty
The Ghost King   Robin/Flickr
Fengdu   Michael Lusk on Flickr
Candles for those already in the afterlife, or for those hoping never to go to this one.   hannah.lund252
Demons in the afterlife.   hannah.lund252
The Gate of Hell   hannah.lund252
Dead men tell many tales, in fact.   hannah.lund252
The Viewing Terrace   hannah.lund252
  Matt Ryall/Flickr
  Robin/Flickr
A bad place to get lost.   hannah.lund252
  Robin/Flickr
Scream 5: Temple Terror   hannah.lund252
One of the tests to see whether a person was good or bad - nowadays hands-on for visitors.   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
Demons are trying to scare you all along the way…   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
Testing stone at the entrance to Tianzi Palace: you are supposed to stand on a small rock pillar inside this square on ONE foot, not on two taking a shot of your feet… :)   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
If you don’t pass your tests you are not allowed in!   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
Some benign (or even cute?) detail on the journey…   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
Lavish decorations on a temple ceiling   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
Hall of Sun Simiao (King of Medicine)   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
Another detail - the colours are stunning,,,   petrahudson / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

High on the Ming Hill, Fengdu, the "City of Ghosts," is situated at the northern end of the Yangtze River. It attracts tourists from all over and even many visitors from within China as it is the place to learn about Chinese ghost culture and the afterlife. Visitors to the area find that they are moved by the ancient craftsmen, the unique styles of architecture, and the nagging lesson that good is rewarded with good, and evil with evil.

The city has been around for nearly 2,000 years, filling it with a spooky sense of the past. Its origin story begins back in the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), when two officials decided to run away to the area and live out their lives, where they eventually, the story goes, became immortal. Yin and Wang, the names of the officials, were combined during a later dynasty to mean "King of the Underworld."

Most of the popular landmarks in the City of Ghosts have names that reference the afterlife: "Last Glance at Home Tower," "Nothing-to-be-Done Bridge," "Ghost Torturing Pass." Covering the sites are statues and other artistic depictions of ghosts and devils — terrifying works that represent what happens to those who haven't lived good lives after theirs is taken from them. Less popular, but no less fascinating is the theme park/haunted house made to represent the terrors within the afterlife, complete with neon paint and vendors hawking Scream masks alongside an alleyway.

The giant face seen in the hill is called "The Ghost King," and it holds a Guinness World Records title as the biggest sculpture carved on a rock. At 138 meters tall and about 217 meters wide, "The Ghost King" can be seen from all around the city.

Related Tags

Intriguing Environs Ghost Towns Cultures And Civilizations Ecosystems

Know Before You Go

Though accessible via land transport, many travelers visit Fengdu Ghost City while on the Yangtze River Cruise to see the Three Gorges. The Ghost City is within walking distance from the Yangtze River, and makes for a fun side trip. The site is divided into two parts - heaven and hell - and a different ticket is required for each (price is 100 yuan per ticket). A lot of tour groups.

Community Contributors

Added By

foofoonoo

Edited By

hannahlund252, balbala, Allison, EricGrundhauser...

  • hannahlund252
  • balbala
  • Allison
  • EricGrundhauser
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • petrahudson

Published

December 2, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.tellthetruthtravel.com/Ghost_City.htm
  • http://www.travelchinaguide.com/river/yangtze_attraction/fengdughostcity.htm
  • http://www.china-travel-tour-guide.com/attractions/fengdu-ghost-city.shtml
  • http://chinatour.net/fengduthe-ghost-city-i-40.html
Fengdu Ghost City
Chongqing
China
29.863565, 107.730833

Nearby Places

816 Underground Nuclear Plant

Fuling, China

miles away

Three Natural Bridges

Chongqing, China

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Chongqing

Chongqing

China

Places 3

Nearby Places

816 Underground Nuclear Plant

Fuling, China

miles away

Three Natural Bridges

Chongqing, China

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Chongqing

Chongqing

China

Places 3

Related Stories and Lists

11 Hidden Spots to Enter the Underworld

ruins

By Darmon Richter

Into the Jaws of Doors: The Open-Wide World of 11 Mouth-Shaped Portals

architecture

By Eric Grundhauser

Hell on Earth: Five Experiences of Eternal Damnation before Death

rites and rituals

By Rebecca Burgan

Related Places

  • Water tower and other building in Fordlandia, Brazil.

    Aveiro, Brazil

    Fordlândia

    Henry Ford's failed rubber plantation in the middle of the Amazon rain forest.

  • Georgia

    Uplistsikhe Cave Town

    Ancient rock-hewn town that witnessed key events of Georgian history.

  • Bolivia’s Witch Market

    La Paz, Bolivia

    Bolivia's Witch Market

    Popular tourist destination where witches in dark hats sell dried llama fetuses for good luck.

  • Oymyakon

    Oymyakonsky District, Russia

    Oymyakon

    The villagers of the coldest inhabited place on Earth adjust to unique challenges presented by day-to-day living.

  • The Krblin Jihn Kabin.

    Joshua Tree, California

    'Krblin Jihn Kabin'

    While exploring the desert, you can stop by the home of a fictional heretic from a parallel universe.

  • Japanese lake with stone lantern. (Wikimedia Commons)

    Cowra, Australia

    Japanese War Cemetery and Garden

    Final resting place for hundreds of prisoners of war.

  • One of the darkened tunnels.

    Breezewood, Pennsylvania

    Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike

    An abandoned stretch of highway, deteriorating next to the operational one.

  • Markings on the Heavener Runestone.

    Heavener, Oklahoma

    Heavener Runestone

    One believer transformed a local curiosity into proof of Vikings on the Great Plains.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.