I read The Soul of the Great Bell which is a Chinese ghost story by Lafcadio Hearn. The collector of these stories said in the foreword That he wanted to share ancient Chinese stories of deep personal sacrifice and a strong sense of respect for family.
This story is not traditionally scary like horror stories today. To me, it feels more morbid and sad than scary. The sound that the great bell makes when it's rung is supposed to be the scary part. For example, the sound of the bell is so scary that the stone gargoyles shiver. The children from all around know the story of the great bell because their parents make sure their children know about the sacrifice of the bell makers daughter.
This is definitely a cultural difference from the western world because we in America are not taught to be devoted to our parents to the extent that we give our life. Without cultural belief, this story wouldn't have survival throughout the years. Parents here make lots of sacrifices for their children but when the children grow up they don't always make sacrifices for their parents.
It's funny how in their culture, it's interesting that a scary story is actually about parents manipulating their children.
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