In folk tales and supernatural culture, "suicide while wearing red" is often described as an act to amplify resentment and transform into a vengeful ghost.
In some Asian traditions, red symbolizes blood and strong vitality. Superstition holds that wearing red before death allows the soul to possess greater power after death (i.e., a "vengeful ghost"), thus enabling it to take revenge on enemies.
From a psychological perspective, choosing specific clothing (such as red) for suicide often reflects the extreme despair, anger, or resentment of the person committing suicide. It is a symbolic act of trying to regain control or express strong protest in the final act of despair.
The very 1st record about 'Lady Ghost In Red' came from the book <<閱微草堂筆記>> (pinyin: Yuèwēi cǎotáng bǐjì) - Notes of the Thatched Abode of Close Observations, also translated as 'Random Jottings from the Cottage of Close Scrutiny and Fantastic Tales'.
It is a collection of purportedly true supernatural stories compiled by Qing Dynasty scholar-official Ji Yun (纪昀), also known as Ji Xiaolan (simplified Chinese: 纪晓岚). Roughly comprising 1,200 entries, the majority of Ji's stories were collected from his friends and colleagues. Others were based on his own experiences during childhood and encounters during the course of his long official career.
<<阅微草堂笔记>> 卷十三·槐西杂志三: "季廉夫言，泰兴旧宅后有楼五楹，人迹罕至，廉夫取其僻静，恒独宿其中。一夕甫启户，见板阁上有黑物，似人非人，瞏瞐长毳如蓑衣，扑灭其灯，长吼冲人去。又在扬州宿舅氏家，朦胧中，见红衣女子推门入，心知鬼物，强起叱之。女子跪地，若有所陈，俄仍冉冉出门去。次日问主人，果有女缢此室，时为祟也。盖幽房曲室，多鬼魅所藏，黑物殆精怪之未成者，潜伏已久，是夕猝不及避耳。缢鬼长跪，或求解脱沉沦 乎。廉夫壮年气盛，故均不能近而去也。俚巫言凡缢死者著红衣，则其鬼出入房闼，中癲神不禁。盖女子不以红衣敛，红为陽色，犹似生魂故也。此语不知何本，然妇女信之甚深。故衔愤死者，多红衣就缢，以求为祟。此鬼红衣，当亦由此云"。
*Notes from the Thatched Cottage of Close Observation*
Volume Thirteen, Huai Xi Magazine, Part Three:
Volume Thirteen, Huai Xi Magazine, Part Three:
“Ji Lianfu said: In Taixing, there was an old house with five rooms in the backyard, rarely visited by anyone. Ji Lianfu, drawn by its tranquility, lived there alone.
One night, as soon as he opened the door, he saw a dark, monstrous creature on the attic, resembling a human yet not quite, covered in hair, as if wearing a raincoat. The creature extinguished the lamp, roared loudly, and ran away.
Another time, Ji Lianfu was staying at his uncle's house. In a hazy state, he saw a woman in red enter through the door. Knowing it was a ghost, Ji Lianfu mustered his courage and stood up to rebuke her. The woman knelt on the ground, seemingly speaking, and after a while, floated away.
The next day, he asked the owner and learned that a woman had indeed hanged herself in the house and often came out to cause trouble. Most quiet houses harbor ghosts and spirits. That dark creature was probably a monster that hadn't yet fully cultivated its powers, lurking there for a long time, and that night, in its haste, it hadn't had time to escape.
The hanged ghost knelt for a long time, perhaps pleading for release from its torment? Ji Lianfu was in his prime, full of vigor, so ghosts dared not approach him and avoided him.
Local shamans say that the ghosts of those who hang themselves wearing red can freely enter and leave rooms, unrestrained by the spirits of the underworld.
The basis for these words is unknown, yet women believed them wholeheartedly. Therefore, many wronged and aggrieved women wore red clothes to hang themselves, hoping to cause trouble after death. The red-clothed female ghost that Ji Lianfu encountered, of course, also believed these words.”