In the imperial era, anxiety over unexplained serial murders, missing persons, accidents or diseases sometimes led to instances of mass panic requiring imperial intervention. Exorcism was a court function during the Zhou dynasty, led by ritual specialists known as fangshi. In later dynasties, roving Taoist sorcerers, Buddhist monks, as well as eccentric folk magicians, plied their services in warding off, exorcising, countering or defeating these demons through the use of amulets, charms, spells, and chants.
in the imperial era anxiety over unexplained serial murders missing persons accidents or diseases sometimes led to instances of mass panic requiring imperial intervention exorcism was a court function during the zhou dynasty led by ritual specialists known as fangshi in later dynasties roving taoist sorcerers buddhist monks as well as eccentric folk magicians plied their services in warding off exorcising countering or defeating these demons through the use of amulets charms spells and chants