The New York Underground Railroad

The New York Times has a great video tour of places in Brooklyn that many believe may have been stops on the Underground Railroad. These were buildings in which escaped slaves could hide as they traveled north to freedom.

Though it's not profiled in the video, Bialystoker Synagogue in Manhattan (shown above) is also thought to have played a role in the abolitionist movement back in the days when it was known as the Willett Street Church.

According to the synagogue's website, "In the corner of the women’s gallery there is a small break in the wall that leads to a ladder going up to an attic, lit by two windows. Legend has it that the synagogue was a stop on the Underground Railroad and that runaway slaves found sanctuary in this attic." Oddly enough, they don't mention what lies UNDER the building.

How to Feed a Hungry Ghost

In the past decade, some of the most successful horror films in America have been based on Asian movies and ghost stories. (The Ring, The Grudge, and The Eye to name a few.) There's a good reason for this. Most Asian cultures, including the Chinese, take ghosts very seriously, and the existence of spirits is simply taken for granted by much of the population. (By comparison, less than half of Americans claim to believe in ghosts.)

Though Chinese ghosts come in a remarkable variety of shapes and sizes, the most common image of a spirit is the one shown above--a pale young woman dressed in white, with long black hair hiding her face from view. (The photo is from the movie The Grudge.) So simple, so creepy.

Each year in late summer, China celebrates the Ghost Festival. In Chinese tradition, it is said that on the fourteenth day of the seventh month, the dead return to pay their relatives a visit. It's the living's job to make sure the spirits have a good time. Offerings and incense are burned and food is left at altars to appease what are known as Hungry Ghosts. These are the spirits of people who've died traumatic deaths or whose families did not provide them with supplies for the afterworld.

Should a Hungry Ghost be left uncared for, its revenge can be terrifying, as Oona Wong discovers in The Empress's Tomb.

Below: A woman burns "Ghost Money" in the hopes that her ancestors receive it in the afterworld and don't return to haunt her.

China's Diva Mummy

Say hello to Lady Dai. She may not be much of a looker anymore, but many scientists insist that she's one of the best-preserved "mummies" ever discovered. You see, though Lady Dai was already more than 2000 years old when she was unearthed in 1971, her skin remained moist and there was said to be blood still left in her veins.

Thirty-six years ago, a group of Chinese workers were digging an air raid shelter when they uncovered an enormous underground tomb. It turned out to be the final resting place of the Marquis of Dai, a Chinese nobleman, and his wife Xinzhui, who died in the year 168 B.C.

Archaeologists found Lady Dai's burial chamber filled with precious goods--fine fabrics, bizarre delicacies (such as caterpillar fungus), and opulent furniture--as well as painted figurines of the servants who would tend to her needs in the afterworld. Inside four interlocking coffins lay the remains of a middle-aged woman. Once a renowned beauty, a life of overindulgence had left her sickly and obese. An autopsy revealed that she had died of a heart attack at age fifty.

While she may be the most famous mummy discovered in China, Lady Dai is by no means the loveliest or most impressive.

That honor belongs to a young woman known only as the Traitor Empress.

Yes, Virgina, Giant Squirrels DO Exist

The Empress's Tomb will be out on Tuesday, so I figured I should spend the next few days answering some of the questions that are bound to arise. I'm labeling this series of posts, "Things You Should Know."

For instance, a few people who've read the latest book have wondered if I "invented" a species of rodent known as the Malaysian Giant Squirrel. I assure you all that I did no such thing. (As if!!) Intrepid travelers who've explored the rainforests of Southeast Asia often report spotting enormous rodents perched in the treetops. Though they look much like American squirrels, these beasts can measure more than three feet in length. Imagine finding something like that in your backyard!

Need more proof? Click here.

I've also heard from certain people who believe that cute, fluffy squirrels (even giant ones) could never be responsible for all the mischief they cause in The Empress's Tomb. For the education of these naive individuals I've provided the following evidence of squirrel-related crimes around the world.

1. The Iranians recently arrested 14 squirrels as spies.
2. Many squirrels have become master thieves.
3. Though they appear innocent, they can attack when you least expect it.
4. Squirrels regularly plunge the world into darkness.
5. They're all masters of disguise.

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