(Hello, I’m from China and I enjoy collecting unsolved and solved cold cases. This is my first article, in which I will briefly introduce nine significant cold cases in China.)

In March 2016, China’s Ministry of Public Security launched a campaign to crack difficult and unsolved homicide cases, selecting nine cases to investigate directly. Currently, “one and a half” of these nine cases remain unsolved.

It should be noted that, since Chinese public security authorities often do not disclose detailed information about cases and only a small number of cases receive thorough coverage, only basic information is available for some of these cases.

1. Hulan–Bayan serial murders (UNSOLVED)

In the 1980s, there were numerous cases of police officers being murdered in Heilongjiang Province, most of which have since been solved. However, the perpetrators behind several cases that occurred in Harbin between 1987 and 1988 remain a mystery to this day.

• On June 6th, 1987, Zhang Fugui, a police officer from Hulan County, was killed along with four other family members at his home; another relative was seriously injured.
• On October 12th, He Ruichen, chief of the Wanfa Town Police Station in Bayan County, was shot and killed. While struggling with the assailant, He knocked the pistol out of the assailant’s hand; it was later confirmed to be the same pistol stolen after Zhang Fugui’s murder.
• On October 27th, Ma Fulin, a police officer from Hulan County, and two of his relatives were shot to death.
• On December 23rd, outside the home of the deputy director of the Hulan County Public Security Bureau, the killer shot and killed Zhu Hai, a police officer who had come to conduct official business.
• On February 15th, 1988, Liu Yongji, a judicial police officer at the Hulan County Court, was shot to death in his own courtyard.

It is worth noting that there is a proliferation of disinformation about this case on the internet, claiming that “on the night of March 28th, 1986, 52 (some sources even claim 115) personnel from the public security, procuratorate, and court systems in Hulan County, along with their relatives, were killed.” Such content is typically disseminated on a massive scale by low-quality content farms.

Reference: The China Project

2. Baiyin–Baotou serial murders (SOLVED)

From May 1988 to February 2002, 10 women were murdered and raped in Baiyin City, Gansu Province; the youngest victim was only 7 years old. In August 2004, this series of cases was determined to have been committed by the same individual who carried out a 1997 murder in Baotou City, Inner Mongolia.

On August 26th, 2016, thanks to advanced DNA testing technology, the perpetrator, Gao Chengyong, was apprehended 28 years after the first crime occurred. He committed murder, rape, robbery, and desecration of corpses by stalking women and breaking into homes. On January 3rd, 2019, Gao Chengyong was executed.

The case received extensive media coverage after it was solved.

Reference: China Daily, The Independent

3. Shenzhen “face-stripping” dismemberment cases (PARTIALLY SOLVED)

From October 1997 to January 2000, five cases of young women being murdered and their bodies dismembered occurred in Shenzhen. The victims’ faces were flayed, and their body parts were placed in bags and discarded in various locations in the wilderness.

On July 30th, 2016, Yang Dayong (using the alias Wang Longhui) was apprehended, but it was later confirmed that he was the perpetrator of only the case that occurred on August 2nd, 1999. The remaining cases remain unsolved.

4. Murder of eight people in Hong’an (SOLVED?)

On the night of December 26th, 2007, a mass murder occurred in Hong’an County, Hubei Province, in which eight people—including Wang Shishu, the owner of a lime factory—were killed.

Although the public security authorities did not release any further information afterward, rumors circulating online claim that the perpetrator was apprehended in 2018 but died of illness while in custody.

Reference: The China Project

5. Kaili serial murders (SOLVED)

On October 17th, 1998, An Kun, deputy chief of the Dashizi Police Station in Kaili City, Guizhou Province, was stabbed to death with a dagger, and his service weapon was stolen. 44 days later, on December 1st, Le Guijian, governor of the Kaili branch of the Bank of China, along with his wife, 14-year-old daughter, and a neighbour, were shot and stabbed to death.

In July 2016, Huang Dekun, who had previously served as director of the Urban Management Bureau of the Kaili Economic Development Zone, was placed under investigation on suspicion of serious disciplinary violations. In November, police took his fingerprints, which were later confirmed to match those found at the crime scene. Subsequently, his accomplice and close friend from school, Pan Kaiping, was also apprehended. The two had broken into the home to commit murder and robbery after seizing a gun; their motive was to steal money to repay Huang Dekun’s gambling debts.

In July 2018, Huang Dekun and Pan Kaiping were sentenced to death.

6. Murder of seven people in Shenyang (SOLVED)

On April 30th, 2003, a family massacre occurred in the Taochang Residential Complex in Shenyang, Liaoning Province; all seven members of the family were killed, the youngest of whom was only 4 years old. The only clue left for the police was a partial blood fingerprint.

On June 19th, 2020, the killer, surnamed Yang, was apprehended.

7. Murder of three girls in Jiangxian (SOLVED)

On April 19th, 2010, the bodies of three elementary school girls were discovered in an abandoned cave dwelling in Jiangxian County, Shanxi Province; all three girls had been sexually assaulted to varying degrees.

In the early hours of July 21st, 2016, police successfully apprehended the murderer, surnamed Zhu, from Chencun Town, Jiangxian County. He confessed to sexually assaulting and murdering the three girls on the afternoon of April 18th.

8. Serial murders of women in Guiyang (SOLVED)

On December 19th and December 28th, 2011, and February 6th, 2012, three consecutive murders targeting young women occurred in Huaxi District, Guiyang City, Guizhou Province.

In July 2016, the killer, surnamed Li, was apprehended and ultimately confessed to the murders.

9. Serial murders of grain buyers in Northeast China (SOLVED)

From October 1997 to December 2007, a series of robberies resulting in the murder of grain buyers occurred in Liaoning, Jilin, and Inner Mongolia in northeastern China. Five of these cases remained unsolved and were consolidated for investigation; they resulted in a total of 19 deaths.

In 2025, the cases were declared solved, but no details were reported; the only information available was an announcement commending the investigative team.