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Yeren

Last reviewed Oct 25, 2026 Next review Nov 9, 2026

Painted illustration: reddish hair-covered upright figure in misty Shennongjia mountain forest — AI rendition based on witness descriptions, not an actual photo.

A cliff inscription reading 'Ye Ren Dong' (Wild Man Cave) beside a cave entrance in western Hubei, China. — A cliff inscription reading 'Ye Ren Dong' (Wild Man Cave) beside a cave entrance in western Hubei, China · Rolf Müller · CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons) · Image source · License

A hairy wild man of Hubei's Shennongjia forests.

Folklore Verdict: Unproven; no specimen has been found.

Region: Asia · China
First reports: Ancient texts; 1970s expeditions in Hubei

Key sightings

The Chinese Academy of Sciences organized searches in 1977.

Best evidence

Hair samples and footprints, none confirmed.

Sources

Wikipedia: Yeren ↗