Diyu

 

Welcome to Diyu, the traditional Chinese depiction of hell. It is translated as “the realm of the dead.” It has a melting pot of origins drawing from the stories of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Chinese folk beliefs.

To reach Diyu, there are many real world locations which are said to be places where spirits go after death. Based on tests conducted at these locations, souls are either marked as virtuous or condemned for torture in Diyu. These real world locations are meant to be a replica of Youdu, the capital of Diyu.  There are three tests which souls go through. First they must cross the “Bridge of Helplessness;” the good pass, but the bad are pushed into the river below by demons. Then they must go through Ghost-Torturing Pass where they are judged by the ten Kings of Hell. The final test which souls must go through to determine if they go to hell is at Tianzi Palace; they must stand on one foot on a stone in the entrance. If one passes, they may enter the palace which leads to Heaven, but if the soul fails, it is sent directly to Diyu.

This realm is said to be more of a purgatory since the Chinese culture believes in reincarnation. It is a maze of eighteen levels with a multitude of chambers which have different forms of torture for individuals to atone for their different sins. Sinners can be set on fire or frozen into ice. There are many depictions of individuals being tortured through the removal of body parts or mauling by animals. They can also be drowned in pools of blood or forced to climb trees with knives instead of leaves. Each time the sinners die from the torture, their bodies are healed so they can endure it once more. At the end of their stay in Diyu, all sinners visit the goddess named Meng Po who administers the “Broth of Oblivion” which wipes all of their memories of life and their time repenting.