Ghost Blows Out the Light

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Ghost Blows Out the Light
Author	Zhang Muye
Original title	鬼吹灯 (Guǐ Chuī Dēng)
Country	China
Language	Chinese
Genre(s)	Fantasy novel
Publication date	March 2006 (online) and October 2006 (print)
Media type	Online, Print

Ghost Blows Out the Light (Chinese: 鬼吹灯; Pinyin: Guǐ Chuī Dēng), also referred to as Candle in the Tomb, is a fantasy novel written by Zhang Muye about two grave robbers seeking hidden treasure, and first published online in March 2006.^[1] It quickly became the bestselling online novel in China with an estimated readership of six million,^[2] and when published in print form in October the same year,^[3]^[4] went on to sell over 500,000 copies,^[1] although the book had to be rewritten to remove references to the supernatural before it could be released.^[5]

Set in the 1980s, the novel follows former soldier Hu Bayi and his partner as they raid tombs in search of valuables.^[4] The two team up with an American archaeologist after they fall victim to a curse, and to release themselves from it they must seek clues found among ancient mythical sites in China and Tibet.^[4]

The title is derived from an old Chinese saying, credited by the author to genuine grave robbers: "A human lights the candle and the ghosts blow it out."^[3]^[4] According to Muye, grave robbers would place a candle in the south-east corner of a tomb after entering, in an attempt to make contact with the dead. If the candle was extinguished it was a sign that the spirits within opposed the intrusion, and the robbers would be obliged to depart, leaving everything intact and undisturbed.^[3]^[4]

In July 2007, it was reported that Hollywood film studio New Line Cinema was planning a movie adaptation of the novel.^[1] It was stated that one of the two lead actors was to be Qian Zhijun, the teenager whose face was behind the Xiao Pang internet phenomenon, while other roles would be played by established Hong Kong movie stars.^[1]^[6]