Cultural Allusions and Humorous Effects of Occult Depictions in Night Ferry

??? Yehang Chuan ‘Night Ferry’ is an encyclopaedic masterpiece and the chef-d’oeuvre of ?? Zhang Dai (circa 1597-1689), illustrious historian, poet, dramatist, essayist, aesthete, musician gastronomist in late Ming early Qing China. Night Ferry cumulates more than four thousand entries encompasses a veritable cornucopia topics elephantine range. In this research, I investigate Chapter Twenty Fang Shu ‘Alchemy Sorcery’ Ferry, which comprises Section Fu Zhou ‘Amulets Incantations’ Fa ‘Prescriptions Practices’. Both sections abound with depictions pertaining to occult acts paranormal forces, vast majority embody cultural allusions concerning religion, divination patriarchy. Furthermore, featured by humorousness, though not dedicated jestbook. The humorous effect attained via sarcasm or homo-/hetero-erotism, as manifested derisive prurient jokes compiled renowned pre-modern jestbook entitled ????Xiao Lin Guang Ji ‘A Collection Classic Chinese Jokes’.