The Chinese are not alone in their fascination for creatures that dance on the boundary between the human and animal worlds. Maoist ideology in China had long criminalised such interest in the superstitious or paranormal but as the Cultural Revolution drew to an end in the mid 1970s, room for more scientific freedom emerged. Chinese paleoanthropologists turned their attention to the existence of Bigfoot and Yeti-like mammals. This trend closely paralleled, and indeed was fuelled by widespread enthusiasm in Western countries for the same phenomena.

The topic quickly captured the Chinese popular imagination, with scientists descending on mountainous areas of Hubei province to investigate reported sightings of a strange being called: the Wildman or ‘Yeren’ in Chinese. Footprints were found, hair samples collected and dozens of testimonies from local farmers about this legendary creature were given. They typically agree that it walks upright and stands over two meter tall; is covered in tawny hair all over the body and has a face reminiscent of both an ape and a human. Officially sponsored research, followed by stories from many amateur enthusiasts, sparked a nationwide phenomenon called ‘Wildman Fever’ that would last for decades.