The Chinese Ten Courts of Hell: A Visual Introduction
In this Singapore statue park, King Qinguang judges all souls at the first court of hell.
The Chinese Ten Courts of Hell (十殿阎罗)
The concept of hell existed in many civilizations since antiquity. It might not always have been called that name, but the notion of lifelong evil resulting in horrific punishments after death has long been around. For equally as long, most humans have also been kept in line by the fear of ghastly, eternal torment after death.
Without surprise, the Chinese have a distinct vision of hell, too. However, even among the Chinese, what exactly “hell” constitutes is often debated. If not, it is a subject of confusion.
In short, this confusion is caused by the two commonest names for the Chinese version of hell being contradictory. Sometimes it is Shiba Ceng Diyu (十八层地狱), or the “Eighteen Layers of Hell.” Other times, it is Shidian Yanluo (十殿阎罗), or the “Ten Courts of Hell.”
In addition to these two titles are also the more lyrical names for the Chinese underworld, such as Diyu (地狱 | The Earthly Prison), Huangquan (黄泉 | The Yellow Spring), or Jiuyou (九幽 | The Nine Nether Realms). The more one researches, the more confusing it gets. The situation is made worse by how the names are frequently interchangeable.
Whichever name or version, though, there is no shortage of gruesome, infernal punishment in Chinese depictions of the afterworld. Freezing caverns, dismemberment racks, and dagger pits are all there, and more.
In this article, we take a look at the Ten Courts of Hell version. Like Dante’s Inferno, wrongdoings in the mortal world result in very specific punishments. The Ten Courts of Hell are, in turn, overseen by 10 esteemed and feared judges/kings of the dead.
The Chinese Ten Courts of Hell summons you. Are ye ready?
“Visiting” the Ten Courts of Hell
In his story, Dante Alighieri went through some pretty arduous experiences before reaching Hell. Luckily for us, the Chinese Ten Courts of Hell are far easier to visit. A copy conveniently exists in the south of the city-state of Singapore, at the heart of a largely ignored statue park named Haw Par Villa.
Previously a top tourist attraction in the 1970s, Haw Par Villa is nowadays a deserted, somewhat rundown, and absolutely macabre spot free for all to enter. This desolation, in turn, greatly adds to the ambiance of its key attraction. This being that of a gloomy man-made cave depicting the gruesome Chinese Ten Courts of Hell, aptly named as Hell’s Museum.
Note for travelers: Haw Par Villa doesn’t completely follow what’s denoted in Taoist or Buddhist text, or Chinese mythology. It is more of a dramatized interpretation of the Ten Courts of Hell based on Chinese folklore. As of late 2021, the hellish display is no longer free to enter too, although Haw Par Villa itself remains so. For 2023, the entrance fee is SGD 18/- before discounts.
Haw Par Villa is Singapore's most macabre statue park. It was also previously known as the Tiger Balm Gardens.
Court 1: The Court of King Qinguang (秦廣王)
The entire Chinese Ten Courts of Hell is an embodiment of justice and fairness. Therefore, no punishment is meted out in the Chinese underworld without meticulous examination of records, a task performed by the court of King Qinguang.
Similar to Minos in Dante’s Inferno, King Qinguang differentiates good from evil by rigorously assessing past deeds. The good and virtuous then cross over a golden or silver bridge to reach paradise, while the wicked are dragged to face a magical mirror to confirm their sins.
Upon confirmation of evil, imps also lead the wicked to the other courts to receive appropriate punishment. Note that King Qinguang's first court of hell does not enforce any punishment. The king’s task is merely to sort the good from the evil.
King Qinguang judges all souls at the first court of hell.
Court 2: The Court of King Chujiang (楚江王)
Things begin to get hellish in the expanses of King Chujiang's court, no pun intended. Robbers and the physically violent are shoved into volcanic streams to be burned alive. Corrupted officers, burglars, and compulsive gamblers are thrown into an icy cavern to suffer freezing torment.
For those guilty of the defilement of sacred places such as religious institutions, eternal drowning punishment awaits in the vast Pool of Defiled Blood.
A curiosity here. The concept of a “large pool of blood in hell” exists in other cultures too. For example, in Dante’s Inferno. Is this pure coincidence? Or perhaps it is a hint at actual existence? Best be careful with your conduct in sacred places from now on.
Court 3: The Court of King Songdi (宋帝王)
King Chujiang’s court gives the impression of being massive, containing within it volcanoes, icy caverns, even an immense pool of blood. In comparison, King Songdi’s third court feels far smaller, with punishments executed right before his disapproving glare.
Here, the ungrateful, the disrespectful, and those who had escaped from prison are punished by having their hearts ripped out by gleeful imps. Next to them, drug addicts, drug traffickers, tomb robbers, and unrest inciters are chained to red-hot copper pillars to be grilled alive.
Of note, the hot pillar torture, known as Paoluo (炮烙), is a legendary Chinese punishment featured in many older Chinese movies, particularly those about the hated Di Xin of the Shang Dynasty. It is unclear which inspired which, or whether such gruesome punishment even existed in Ancient China.
King Songdi overseeing gutting and grilling in the third court of the Chinese Ten Courts of Hell.
Court 4: The Court of King Wuguan (五官王)
Based on his portfolio, King Wuguan appears to be the patron god of all taxmen and business investors. He owns a huge mortar, in which tax and rent dodgers, and business crooks are pounded to bits by a spiky pestle.
Other than the mortar and pestle, the feared king also has an immense grindstone. This gruesome device is reserved for those who were not filial to their parents or were disrespectful to their siblings.
The City of Unnatural Death
The City of Unnatural Death, or Wangsi Cheng (枉死城), is within King Wuguan’s court too. This walled city accommodates those who died unnaturally or unjustly, so that they can view the sufferings of their enemies before proceeding to their own punishments or reincarnation.
Like the Pool of Defiled Blood, the concept of a city in the middle of hell exists in other cultures too. Again, just a coincidence? Or …
Viewing the ultimate fate of one's enemies.
Court 5: The Court of King Yanluo (阎罗王)
King Yanluo’s court is in the middle of the Chinese Ten Courts of Hell. It is thus befitting that the fifth court of Chinese hell deals with the root of mankind’s evils. Money.
There is only one punishment here. That of a mountain of knives. (Daoshan, 刀山) Thrown onto this spiky elevation are those who had plotted for money or the death of others. Loansharks, legal or otherwise, suffer the same fate too.
Of note, King Yanluo’s title is frequently used in Chinese mythology to refer to hell in general. The Chinese Ten Courts of Hell itself is called Shidian Yanluo (十殿阎罗). What brought about this? Most likely it’s because “yanluo” is the Chinese pronunciation of Yama, i.e., the Vedic/Buddhist Lord of the Underworld. In some Western texts, Kang Yanluo is also known as “Yama King” or “Lord Yama.”
There, there, I'll put you down nice and slow.
Court 6: The Court of King Biancheng (汴诚王)
Don’t be shocked. The sixth court punishes those who have indulged in pornography. Yes, down you go, to be sawn in half, if you have owned just one piece of pornography.