This Chinese primate has been stirring up controversy for centuries. While some think it’s a descendant of Gigantopithecus others believe it to be more of a mythical creature tied to the magic rooted tradition of China. It could simply be an unidentified primate that’s stayed mostly hidden from human eyes. It’s said to have reddish or occasionally white hair and be mostly peaceful. It’s a bit smaller than the American Bigfoot as well. Most of the knowledge about the Yeren comes from stories and personal sightings of the creature.
People all over the world continue to see strange primates in the wild. Maybe they really are seeing these creatures. I’d love for someone to come forward with some compelling evidence of their existence. But it’s also possible that people are seeing what they want to see-another creature like them. People will continue to pass the stories of these ape-like creatures to others over the years and they will live on in the legends and stories we tell. And why not? Those stories are a lot of fun. They give us something to hope for, something to search for. And we’re going to keep searching.
I had never heard of the Yeren before. Of course, I haven't spent a lot of time studying Chinese folklore.
ReplyDeleteI've never understood the fascination with large ape-like creatures hiding in the mist, but perhaps the fact that the Chinese have a myth similar to the American sasquatch myth means there's more to it than I have given it credit for.
I think the Yeren is slightly more credible than the American Bigfoor tales, mostly because there is evidence of actual primates living in China in the past. There are a suprising amount of stories about uknown primates around the world though, so who knows.
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