China, often referred to as Shenzhou 神州, meaning ‘the continent of the spirits,’ has been inhabited by a myriad of spirits, deities, ghosts, and ancestors since the dawn of its culture. This chapter sets the groundwork for the entire book by positing that the rich and multifaceted spirit world of China acts as the ‘dancing floor’ for the Holy Spirit. To establish this premise, the chapter begins by defining several essential terms: shen 神 (spirits), ling 靈 (spirits), gui 鬼 (ghosts), and zuxian 祖先 (ancestors), which collectively shape the Chinese spiritual landscape. The majority of the chapter will then conduct a brief survey of China’s three-millennia-long history, divided into seven distinct stages, paying special attention to how spirits and ghosts have been embraced and enriched by various Chinese traditions, including Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, shamanism, and folk/popular traditions, among others.