Stories I've Heard Over the Years in China

The Headless Stranger of Chashan

It was a humid summer night in 2007, and the town of Chashan in Dongguan lay quiet under the dark sky. The heavy, damp air made the night feel oppressive. Around midnight, my two friends and I decided to go out for a late-night snack. The food stalls weren’t far, just about a kilometer from where we were staying. The streets were almost empty, with only the dim streetlights casting a faint glow. Occasionally, a car would drive by, bringing a light breeze that briefly cut through the warmth.

The three of us were walking along the sidewalk, chatting casually. To be honest, going out at this hour already felt a bit unsettling. Suddenly, I looked up ahead and noticed a figure on the opposite side of the street, slowly walking in our direction under the dim light. Since there was no one else around, I naturally looked a bit longer. A strange feeling crept over me — it was a man, judging by his build, but I just couldn’t see his head!

I rubbed my eyes, my heart pounding faster. I tried to focus again — no, I wasn’t mistaken; he had no head. The light cast over his shoulders, illuminating his upper body faintly, but where his head should have been, there was… nothing. I felt a chill run through me as the oppressive heat was replaced by a sudden wave of cold.

I swallowed, trying to keep calm, thinking maybe it was just a trick of the light, or maybe I was seeing things. Trying to sound casual, I asked my friends, “Did you guys see that person across the street?”

“Yeah, I saw him. Why?” One friend responded, sounding unconcerned.

I hesitated, then kept what I saw to myself, deciding not to say more. When we reached the food stalls, I was preoccupied the entire time, even as we ate. I couldn’t shake the image of that strange figure from my mind, though I tried my best to push it away.

After finishing our snack, we started walking back. When we reached the entrance to where we were staying, I couldn’t resist and quietly asked them, “Are you sure you didn’t notice anything weird? I feel like… I couldn’t see his head.”

“No head?” One friend frowned, sounding confused. “I think I saw someone there too, but I didn’t look closely. Maybe it was just the lighting.”

Another friend laughed, patting me on the shoulder. “You’re not getting spooked, are you? Probably just a shadow or something.”

I fell silent, feeling an indescribable unease. Maybe it was my imagination, maybe it really was just the light… but deep down, I knew what I saw wasn’t a trick of the eyes.

The next morning, the feeling still lingered. I went to talk to the neighboring shop owner, hoping for some kind of explanation. I told him everything, especially about the “headless” figure. After listening, he fell silent for a moment, a serious look on his face.

“You haven’t heard, have you?” he said, lowering his voice. There was something strange in his tone. “Just three hundred meters from where you walked, at a rental property down the road, there was a murder last night.”

“A murder?” I felt a chill go down my spine.

“Yes.” He nodded, his expression dark. “They say it was a man, and… his head was cut off by his mistress. Police were there all night.”

I felt dizzy as the memory of that headless figure rushed back to me, now clearer than ever. I could see him, his shoulders hunched as he walked slowly under the dim streetlight, as if he was still searching for something. I didn’t want to think about it further — but in my mind, I could still feel those invisible eyes staring at me through the darkness, watching me.