Wildman Fever by Ruben Lundgren

Imagine a time when science and folklore collided in a feverish hunt for the unknown. As China’s Cultural Revolution waned in the 1970s, a strange obsession gripped the nation—one that danced between fact and fiction, between legend and scientific pursuit. The elusive “Wildman,” or Yeren, China’s answer to Bigfoot, emerged from the misty mountains of Hubei, stirring the imaginations of scientists, journalists, and local villagers alike.

Eyewitnesses spoke of a towering, tawny-haired figure—part ape, part man—roaming the wilderness. Expeditions were launched, footprints measured, mysterious hairs collected, and testimonies documented. What began as a state-sponsored investigation soon ignited a nationwide craze, a phenomenon now known as Wildman Fever.

In this book, Ruben Lundgren presents a fascinating archive of rare photographs, handwritten notes, and press clippings from the height of the Yeren craze. More than just a search for a mythical creature, this collection captures a moment in history when China’s scientific curiosity was set free, blurring the lines between belief, evidence, and the desire to uncover the unknown. Whether the Wildman was real or not is beside the point—this is the story of how a nation got lost in the wilderness of its own wonder.