When you wander the sickeningly quiet halls of the J. Ward Lunatic Asylum or stumble upon the remains of Ned Kelly in Pentridge Prison, you're stepping into a paranormal world of mystery, terror and frightening intrigue. Many of our Western spirits make it into popular culture, too, perhaps few more-so than the vampire. But what are vampires like on the other side of the world?
China
Though the idea of a strange, hopping corpse might sound comical at first, you won't be laughing when said hopping corpse catches you to feast on your bones. In Chinese culture, the jiang shi is one of the most common vampire legends. After a sudden or violent death - such as a suicide or drowning - souls can become restless and not cross over properly. If this happens, they may transform into the vicious jiang shi, developing a lust for blood and supernatural powers. Until they gain the ability to fly, their legs are too stiff to walk so they hop instead. If you ever encounter one, try and drive it away with fire and protect yourself using barriers of rice.
Malaysia
Spawned from the darkness of black magic, the Malaysian penanggal is perhaps one of the most terrifying creatures in existence. By day, the penanggal is a beautiful woman who may work as a midwife. By night, however, her grotesque form emerges. The head detaches from the body and her entrails dangle below as she swoops through the air, glowing with unnatural light. The penanggal prefers to feed on new born babies, hence their occupation as midwife. To protect your child, line the windowsills with sharp objects like thorns so her entrails become entangled and stuck, giving you the opportunity to strike. Also, if you happen upon her body as she is detached you can sprinkle broken glass down the hole in her neck so she destroys herself in the morning.