The Hong Kong film and television industry in the 1980s and 1990s was an era when a hundred flowers bloomed and high-quality products were produced. Especially during the peak period that was later known as the "Golden Decade", dozens or even nearly a hundred works were released

The Hong Kong film and television industry in the 1980s and 1990s was an era when a hundred flowers bloomed and high-quality products were produced. Especially during the peak period that was later known as the "Golden Decade", dozens or even nearly a hundred works were released almost every year.

even created "Hong Kong Speed" because of this. Without a script, lack of props, and tight schedule, a movie was shot in a week.

Although there were many movies and TV series that were called bad movies back then, they still created many box office miracles in an era when demand exceeded supply. In an era when romance movies are king and action movies are second, Lam Ching-ying has taken a different approach and created the era of "zombie movies" in Hong Kong. Zombie movies such as "Mr. Zombie", " Zombie Family " and "One Eyebrow" have become popular All over the country and at home and abroad.

In these classic zombie movies, the images of zombies are green faces, fangs, long nails, and jumping up and down in official uniforms of the Qing Dynasty, which not only gives people a very scary feeling, but also an inexplicable sense of joy.

So why do the "zombie" wear official uniforms of the Qing Dynasty? What is its historical origin? It's not nonsense, the real answer makes a lot of sense.

First, what is a "zombie"

Whenever zombies are mentioned, it will make people shudder, especially when watching zombie movies in the dead of night, you will feel a numb scalp.

I believe that many people born in the 70s and 80s have had this experience. The video studios that could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys back then were fond memories for many people. interprets "zombie" from a medical point of view as actually a manifestation of zombie vitiligo, but there is a big essential difference between the two.

Rigor mortis, or "rigor mortis", cannot become a zombie, or it is just a natural change after death. But zombies are indeed feared folklore ghosts.

zombies are also known as leaping zombies and moving zombies. The "Xiangxi Corpse Drive" is chasing this kind of zombies. From a distance, the zombies are shoulder to shoulder with each other and lined up. Each zombie is wearing an official uniform of the Qing Dynasty and has a sticker on its forehead. Charms.

Then walking in front of the zombies were the corpse chasers . They held rattles in their hands and shook the bells while talking eloquently, and then the zombies jumped and followed. It is said that this very curious custom of expelling corpses also appeared in the 1950s and 1960s.

However, it was later discovered through decryption that the reason why these so-called "zombies" were able to follow the corpse chasers was because they had two long bamboo poles placed under their armpits, and the corpses were carried on the shoulders of living people one behind the other. Walking on the bamboo pole, because the bamboo pole has good toughness, it will give people an illusion.

In Chinese folklore, "zombie" specifically refers to the transformation of a corpse due to excessive Yin energy after death. The zombies that become ghosts in have no thoughts, breathing and have lost their minds. They stretch their hands forward and spread out horizontally. Their legs keep jumping when they walk, but they will always keep this posture unchanged, but their heads and limbs can move stiffly. .

According to legend, zombies with fangs specialize in sucking human blood, which is similar to what vampires in the West eat. "Mr. Zombie" starring Lam Ching-ying can be regarded as the pioneer of Hong Kong zombie movies.

People only learned about zombies after this movie became a household classic. So why do zombies wear official uniforms of the Qing Dynasty?

Second, the secret of zombies wearing Qing Dynasty official clothes

Since the legends about zombies basically come from the Qing Dynasty, it can be known from this point that since zombies are products of the Qing Dynasty, they must also wear Qing Dynasty clothes.

Also, due to the corruption of officials at the end of the Qing Dynasty, they often ran rampant in the countryside and preyed on the people, which led to people's livelihood and complaints.

Since the common people were unable to compete with the Qing officials, they could only use folk ghosts to express their bad feelings. They hoped that the Qing officials who were corrupt and oppressed the people would get the retribution they deserved.

That’s why zombies in ghost stories wear the clothes of Qing Dynasty officials, and have hideous faces, green faces and fangs, and no humanity.

The Hong Kong zombie film market, led by Lin Zhengying, will conventionally dress up zombies as Qing Dynasty officials. The reason is that the colors of official uniforms in the Qing Dynasty were mostly navy blue and dark black, so they looked particularly depressing and terrifying.

In addition, the Qing Dynasty official hat will have a layer of bright red tassels on the top, and the combination of black and red is even more weird. In addition, the official uniforms of the Qing Dynasty were very loose, which was more in line with the image of zombies jumping up and down.

So when this artificial zombie image was put on the big screen, it suddenly became a popular classic. The Maoshan Taoist priest "Nine Uncle" played by Lin Zhengying is more in line with the image of a man who upholds justice but is obsessed with water and fire.

Conclusion

In summary, in order to vilify the corrupt officials of the Qing Dynasty at that time, the common people would regard their image as zombies who kill without blinking an eye.

Around the 1990s, zombie movies took a new approach and became unique, becoming memories of several generations. Therefore, the image of zombies wearing Qing Dynasty official uniforms gradually spread among the people and became the spokesperson of zombies.