A jiāngshī is a reanimated corpse from Chinese folklore—neither a ghost nor a zombie in the Western sense, but a stiff, hopping undead being animated by residual qi (vital energy) or dark magic. The character 僵 (jiāng) means 'stiff, rigid, motionless', while 尸 (shī) means 'corpse' or 'dead body'; together, they literally denote a 'stiff corpse'. Traditionally, jiangshi are said to arise from improper burial, sudden death, or lingering resentment, and they move with arms outstretched and stiff-legged hops, often wearing Qing-dynasty official robes.

Jiangshi appear widely in Cantonese horror films, modern novels, and video games, where they’re frequently depicted as vulnerable to talismans, chicken blood, or sunlight. Though rooted in folk belief, the term today is used mostly in fictional, humorous, or pop-culture contexts—not in medical, legal, or everyday serious discourse. It carries strong connotations of superstition, suspense, and traditional Chinese cosmology.