Cultivating gu sorcery in the south

Gu was a special form of black magic that came to be associated with the southern lands in early and medieval China. This study explores the historical evolution of the concept and practices of gu , its retreat into the further southern reaches, and its invasion of the Central Kingdom. As people from central China continued migrating southwards, the constantly negotiated border between China and its southern neighbours made the murky and dangerous appearances of gu sorcery ever darker and seemingly more imminent. The multidimensional evolution of gu thus contributed to establishing China&s;s southern border while simultaneously challenging its frontier. This evolution further reveals some of the deepest geographical, medical, and cultural biases harboured by people in early and medieval China.