China

From: The Next World: Extraordinary Experiences of the Afterlife - Gregory Shushan

The earliest references to the afterlife appear on Shang dynasty oracle bones (animal bones used for divination) around 1766–1046 BCE. They describe souls of kings ascending to a heavenly realm and joining the “Lord-on-High” (Ching 1993: 19). The world of the ancestors appears to be the same as that of the gods.

One text contains perhaps the world’s earliest documentary NDE account (if we do not accept the Sumerian “Death of Bilgames” as such). It describes how in 7th century BCE, a provincial ruler recovered from an illness and reported an enjoyable journey to the home of the Emperor of Heaven, who gave him precognitive information which was later verified.

Although there were changes over time and variations between regions, certain ideas about the afterlife persisted throughout Chinese history: ascent to a heavenly realm, meeting deceased relatives, and dwelling with the gods in a divine-like state.