The yeren (“Wildman”) has figured in central and southern Chinese folk traditions for centuries. Many encounters are recorded in the thickly forested regions of central and south China. The Yeren is said to be bipedal, a little over six feet tall with a heavy coat of red-brown hair. Large footprints, fourteen to sixteen inches in length, are found. In some locations, a second form of Yeren reportedly goes about on all fours and has longer red hair. Chinese researchers suggest that the first type of Yeren is a surviving Gigantopithecus, while other cryptozoologists sense the term Yeren may also apply to a second type of cryptid, which may be an undiscovered variety of mainland orangutan (Xing-xing), perhaps a relict population from the Pleistocene era.
SOURCE:
The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters,Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature
Written by Loren Coleman and Jerome Clark – Copyright 1999 Loren Coleman and Jerome Clark
Also called the wildman or Chinese wildman, the yeren is an apelike creature that has been reported in China since ancient times. It is also mentioned in Chinese folklore. The precise descriptions of the yeren vary. Some people say that the creature walks on two legs and looks somewhat like a 6-foot-tall (1.8m) man covered in thick but short brown hair (similar to a yeti), but others say it is a four-legged ape-man with long red hair. A similar Chinese apeman, the xing-xing, is described in much the same way, though it is said to be a bit smaller than a human. Cryptozoologists suspect that both creatures might be an undiscovered species of ape related to the orangutan, perhaps existing since prehistoric times.
SEE ALSO:
- Yeti
- Abominable Snowman
- Bigfoot
SOURCE:
The Greenhaven Encyclopedia of Paranormal Phenomena – written by Patricia D. Netzley © 2006 Gale, a part of Cengage Learning