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Movie Watching Ghosts at East Town Theatre

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The East Town Theatre in Hong Kong was meant to be a grand new and luxurious cinema for the modern ages. There was only one problem – they had built it on top of a former funeral parlor and many of the people in the cinema watching the movie turned out to be ghosts.

Today, having a haunted reputation can be good for business, and there are plenty of examples of owners milking the ghost stories for all it is worth. For this once luxury cinema though it was the end of business as it had to close down due to the rumors of it being haunted. 

Read More: Check out all of our ghost stories from China

East Town Theatre was built in 1964 at the junction of Lockhart Road and Fenwick Street in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The cinema had 1300 seats and the best equipment in town to enjoy the movies when they started rolling into the dark rooms. There was only one problem, many of the movie goers at the East Town Theatre were said to be ghosts. 

The Ghost Spectators at the East Town Theatre

After noticing that there seemed to be more admissions than sold tickets from the sales counter, the management suspected it to be counterfeit tickets, but when they checked it out, they found no evidence for it, and it looked like every ticket was real. 

One day they decided to get to the bottom of the mystery of what was going on in the dark at the East Town Theatre, and did a headcount of the audience as the movie started rolling in the dark room. It was then they noticed mysterious shadows sitting among the audience and they realized just how haunted the building was. 

The Woman in the Toilet

There were also reports about ghosts in the women’s toilets of the East Town Theatre, perhaps one of Asia’s most haunted places to be. 

The legend about this ghost though was a little easier to spot though than the ghosts seated in the dark cinema. The ghost of the woman would remove her head and put it in the sink and start to brush her hair in front of shocked and traumatized movie-goers.

There is also this one legend that claims that a woman was at the East Town Theatre with her boyfriend and was quickly going to the toilet to freshen up her makeup and saw a girl standing next to her. The girl seemed normal at first glance, but on further inspection, she realized it was a ghost and she hurried out from there. 

She screamed and tried to get back to her boyfriend, but the ghost appeared in front of her and separated her from him. When she finally reached him, she fell over, dead. 

Although this seem like a made up story, this one writer claims that this case made the news, although not really providing any further sources for it. 

The Old Funeral Parlor

The building of the East Town Theatre was built on top of a demolished funeral parlor, a place of particular haunted activity according to Chinese ghost lore.

This history and all of the legends that kept piling up in the cinema were too much for the cinema to deal with. Perhaps it would have been different today as the modern world now has a more interesting and relaxed relationship to the haunted. 

But back then, the haunted rumors circulating the East Town Theatre was not good for business at all, and 10 years after the opening, they had to close its door and the building was later demolished. 

Now the area is completely rebuilt and there is for example a parking lot where the  cinema used to be. If the haunting is still going on is unclear, but what we do know is that the ghost managed to linger through one demolition. Perhaps they did so again?

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References:

https://hauntedinhongkong.weebly.com/the-wan-chai-walk.html

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/12670 

8 places in Hong Kong you never knew were haunted 

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The Haunted Dragon Lodge of The Peak

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On the way to The Peak in Hong Kong sits the most haunted house in the city. The Dragon Lodge certainly looks abandoned, but who is said to haunt the place and whose voices echo in the night?

The Dragon Lodge (龍廬) is a haunted abandoned building at The Peak in Hong Kong that has passed through the hands of several owners over the years, and haunting legends keep piling up every time the building exchanges owners. 

Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from China

Victoria Peak, or just The Peak, offers panorama views of skyscraper-flanked Victoria Harbour, Kowloon peninsula and craggy mountain peaks. It used to be a popular place for Europeans to settle and it shows in the architecture from the buildings in the area, the Dragon Lodge being one of them.

The Cursed Mansion on Top of The Peak?

Once a grand mansion, only the shell of it remains today with broken windows and graffiti on the walls. No one lived her but ghosts and trespassers. Today the estate on No. 32 Lugard Road struggles with ghost hunters trespassing and thrill seekers that try to get a glimpse of some of the ghosts that are said to haunt the place. 

According to records, the Dragon Lodge was built in 1945 which means that it was built pre World War 2. We reckon that it was built in the early 1900s, possibly 1920s. For many of the owners, it didn’t go so well. One went bankrupt and another one died in the house and it seems like no one of the owners can keep the house for long.

There have been theories that the very house or the ground it sits on is cursed. 

Decapitated Nuns in the Dragon Lodge

The worst legends about the house comes from the World War 2. At this time Japanese soldiers occupied the Dragon Lodge and used it for some sort of operation. The legend goes that they rounded up and decapitated several Catholic nuns on the premises.

Although hard sourcers for this atrocity are hard to come by, there were similar cases of horror all across Hong Kong and for the world for that matter in this time, so the very idea is not that hard to believe could have happened.  

But when did the building start to become haunted? It was people living there all the way up to the 80s, at least in the 60s and 70s. After this though is when rumors started coming from the area as the inner roads started to become overgrown and the very building started to fall into disrepair. Today it is known as one of Hong Kong’s most haunted houses. 

The Renovation of the Haunted House

In 2004 the house was bought for 74 million HKD and there was a glimmer of hope that it would be renovated to its former glory, but the house remained vacant and no one got the chance to move in. From the outside it looked like the curse was still holding up.

The new owners tried to renovate the house in 2017, but the construction workers were convinced that the place was haunted as they kept hearing strange noises of a child crying they couldn’t see or find anywhere. 

The House only got a renovation on the outside then and updated on their security measures, leaving the inside completely untouched. As to why, perhaps we will never know.

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References:

Urbex Haunted Dragon Lodge Mansion in Hong Kong 

The Peak’s haunted Dragon Lodge – Hong Kong Living 

Top 10 spooky stories in Hong Kong

Exploring Dragon’s Peak Lodge, “Hong Kong’s Most Haunted House” | the Beijinger 

Dragon Lodge Peak’s Mystery Mansion — CULTURE Magazine – Art, travel, lifestyle, food, wine & community

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The Disappearance of the Last Bus to Fragrant Hill in Beijing

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In China they tell about an urban legend about the disappearance of Bus 330 or the last bus to Fragrant Hills that involves both a ghost story as well as a murder mystery. 

One of the most famed urban legends from China is the mysterious story about the Bus 330 that disappeared and the close call one of the passengers had to become one of the victims of something supernatural if we are to believe the legend. 

Read More: Check out all our collection of ghost stories from China

So what really happened inside of the mysterious Bus 330 to Fragrant Hill on this cold November night in 1995 on the roads in Beijing, and how much of the retold story is true?

The Last Bus to Fragrant Hills

In 1995 the last bus of No. 330, or 375 in some variations, departed from the main station of Yuanmingyuan at 10 o’clock on November 14th to Fragrant Hill in Beijing. In this legend and ghost story there was a young couple, a young man and an old woman in addition to the driver and the conductor involved.

At first it was just another late night bus in the dark, but it soon started to take a dark turn. After a few stops the bus picked up two passengers on the way back to the terminal and this is when it all changed. 

The men were running after the bus, trying to wave it down in the cold November night. Although some passengers protested as they just wanted to get home, the bus driver stopped and opened the doors for the two men with a person between them, propped up that looked passed out drunk. 

The passed out man was not the strangest thing about them as the two men were wearing Qing Dynasty costumes and although a little peculiar attire, no one gave them too much attention as they thought they might have been filming something and the bus ride continued in peace through the dark night with only a few dimly lit street lights on the close to empty road. 

The Legless Ghosts

The driver and the conductor were laughing and talking together and the young couple got off the bus three or four stops later on their way to Fragrant Hill in this smoggy Beijing Night. 

Only the old woman watched the two men closely and suddenly got up and claimed that the young man had stolen her wallet, yelling at him and telling him they needed to head to the nearest police station to settle the matter. 

Two passengers, a young man and an old woman disagreed about the wallet, and the old lady insisted they get off the bus that was making its way through Beijing. When they were safely off the bus, she told the young man, annoyed for getting off at the wrong bus stop, that the two strange passengers on the bus actually turned out to be ghosts from the Qing Dynasty. 

She had noticed that the two men had no legs at all and she had made the story about the wallet up to get him to get off the bus with her. Who knows, the ghosts could very well be dangerous.

The Death and Disappearance of the Bus

The Last Bus to Fragrant Hill never made it back to the terminal, and when questioned by the police, the young man and old lady told them about the ghost passengers. It seemed to have simply disappeared. No one believed them, but the ending of the story seemed to be the most mysterious about it all. 

The Last Bus to Fragrant Hill: Did this ghost story start to be told in the 90s because of a trend or did it actually happen in the 90s. Did it happen at all?

The Last Bus to Fragrant Hill was found three days later in the Miyun Reservoir, over 100 kilometers from Xiangshan and its original route. According to the legend the bus was already rusted like it had been there for years, not just a couple of days and then there were three bloody murdered bodies found inside of it, already starting to decompose. 

The Truth of the Last Bus to Fragrant Hill Disappearance

Was this story really a sensation in 1995 as the legend of the Last Bus to Fragrant Hill wanted it to be, and do the details really hold up ?

The case of the the Last Bus to Fragrant Hill that went missing has today been solved according to many people, and there were no ghosts, the bus wasn’t rusted and the bodies were decomposed as it time had moved quicker than the rest of the world. But they were indeed dead according to this version as this was a straight up murder case, not a ghost story. 

The two passengers boarded the bus with the person between them already dead and covered up the blood with wine and pretended to be drunk rather than dead. They killed both the driver as well as the conductor and drove the bus to a remote place to hide it and got away with the crime. 

So could this be it? Could the incident of the Last Bus to Fragrant Hill be a murder case more than a ghost story? There are however no found written records about a crime case like this either from this time and place and the story lives on as an urban legend, even without the supernatural elements to it. 

The Urban Legend Evolves to Modern Times

There has also been a shift in the bus number in recent years, and it looks like the newer generation often credit the bus number as 375, not 330 anymore. Recent retellings of the Last Bus to Fragrant Hill also add on newer technology like that it was a phone that was stolen, and puts more focus on surveillance cameras that were not as widespread in the 90s. 

The fact it has such a specific date, makes the story much more believable at once, but when looking closer it is also easier to see there really wasn’t a mystery in any papers at the time.

There were however several stories similar to the Last Bus to Fragrant Hill circulating even before 1995, and some sources put the event at 1992, and perhaps even earlier. However, as the legend stands today, there are several things that can debunk the story. Online the earliest entry found of this story so far dates back to 2015. 

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References:

北京330公交车事件真相？来看看真正北京人的讲述 

北京公交车失踪事件，轰动北京的灵异案件(谣言解密) 

北京的330路公交车，司机死相诡异(实际上是捏造出的故事) 

https://kknews.cc/society/q2bzqkr.html

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The Fox Demon at Windsor House

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The legend about the Fox Demon often occurs in Asian legends, and at Windsor House it was said it was deadly. Children were said to have been killed because of it and today the house is considered haunted. 

In Causeway Bay in what is now known as the Windsor House (皇室堡) we find one of the most told urban legends from the 1980s in Hong Kong.

Today it is both a shopping mall as well as an office tower, but back in the day it was used to hold banquets in the big room with the marbled walls. The problem was that it was haunted by a spirit fox. 

Fox Spirits in Chinese Folklore

Huli jing (狐狸精) are Chinese mythological creatures usually capable of shapeshifting, who may either be benevolent or malevolent spirits. In Chinese mythology and folklore, the fox spirit takes variant forms with different meanings, powers, characteristics, and shapes.

Read More: Check out all of our ghost stories from China

They can be both good and bad omens, and the fox spirits could be malevolent spirits. And in the case of the Windsor House it is said it turned deadly. 

Huli Jing: The Fox Spirit, known as Huli Jing in Chinese, is a mythological creature capable of shapeshifting and can be either benevolent or malevolent. These spirits appear frequently in Chinese folklore and come in various forms, such as huxian (fox immortal), hushen (fox god), husheng (fox saint), huwang (fox king), huyao (fox demon), and the famous jiuweihu (nine-tailed fox). In Chinese mythology, the presence of a fox spirit can signify good or bad omens, and this motif of nine-tailed foxes has also influenced Japanese and Korean cultures. Throughout history, fox spirits have been linked to transformations and other mystical abilities. They were believed to transform into humans and even celestial beings with age. In various stories, they could become humans by wearing skulls and worshiping constellations.

Forgetting to Toast to the Fox

Back then Windsor House was known as the Duke of Windsor Social Service Building, a place of parties and social gatherings and they used to hold banquets there. Chinese parents usually hold a huge party for their child when it gets 30 days old. 

A couple was in the building of Windsor House to celebrate their child’s becoming one-month old when they toasted to the child for good health and a long life.

After the celebration the parents dreamt of a red-eyed fox that lived in the building that threatened to kill their child because they didn’t toast to her during the celebration. 

They woke from the nightmare and rushed to their baby and found it dead, the blood drained from the body. 

The Fox in the Marble

After the death of the baby, a pattern of the marble walls of the Windsor started to form that resembled a fox.  The strange incident attracted a huge crowd and the company had to close for a day. The security put a piece of cloth to cover the marble wall and the whole thing was removed at midnight.

The Fox In the Marble

According to legend, this was not the only baby that was brought to the Windsor House to be celebrated that ended up dead. 

On the rooftop of the building there is said to be a secret children’s playground that has never been open to the public and there are no children that have played on it. Or is it? It is said that the playground was built for the children who were killed by the fox demon. 

The legend of the Fox Demon and the haunted Windsor House continues to intrigue and captivate the imaginations of those who hear it. Although the building has transformed into a shopping mall and office tower, the ghostly presence of the spirit fox still lingers within its walls.

The Fox Demon Haunting Windsor House

Over the years, more stories have emerged about the tragic fate of innocent children who met their untimely demise at the hands of the vengeful fox demon. Whispers of a secret children’s playground on the rooftop persist, a haunting reminder of the lives lost.

Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, the legend of the Fox Demon of Windsor House serves as a reminder of the deep-rooted folklore and rich cultural traditions that shape our understanding of the world. It is a testament to the power of storytelling, captivating generations with its blend of mystery, tragedy, and the timeless allure of the unknown.

As the Windsor House stands tall, its haunted reputation serves as a chilling reminder that sometimes, the spirits of the past refuse to rest, forever lingering in the shadows, waiting to be discovered by those brave enough to seek the truth.

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References:

HK Fox Spirit Terror (香港狐仙事件) 

Local Myths: 5 Famous Hong Hong Urban Legends – Shroffed

True Weird: The Role of the Supernatural in Hong Kong’s National Identity, Part 2 of 2 – MYS Universe

皇室堡- 维基百科，自由的百科全书 

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The Princess Tomb under the Summer Palace

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In the imperial Summer palace there is supposedly an ancient princess tomb under the Longevity Mountain. When they tried to disturb the grave there, it came with a warning that those who disturbed the peace would read the repercussions for it as well. 

The Summer Palace (颐和园) is more of an ensemble of both lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing and covers almost 3 square kilometers, mostly water. It dates back to the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty in 1153 when an imperial palace was constructed here. It is perhaps known for being the residence of the infamous Empress Dowager Cixi. 

The Summer Palace is perhaps less known for having some buildings that may or may not hide a soul that may not rest for ever after. 

Read More: Check out all of our ghost stories from China

The Tower of Buddhist Incense (佛香阁; 佛香閣;) or the Fóxiānggé Pavilion is found right in the center of Longevity Mountain. This was a place the Empress Dowager Cixi visited to offer incense and pray when she stayed at the Summer Palace. Originally the Buddhist tower was meant to be a pagoda like the Yellow Crane Tower ub Wuhan ordered by the Qianlong Emperor. 

The plans change however because of fear of supernatural retribution. 

The Legend of the Princess Tomb

There was once an emperor that wanted to build the most beautiful garden in Haidan. According to folklore though, there was already an ancient tomb under Longevity Mountain of a Ming Dynasty Princess. 

It was therefore unwise to move or disturb it, but Emperor Qianglong ignored the warnings against building a garden there, commanding the people to follow his orders. He was not afraid of heaven and earth and certainly not of the ancient princess tomb under the mountain. 

So they dug on the imperial decree, and they found the Princess Tomb with a stone gate to it. Emperor Qianlong heard about it and came to the place to see for himself. Over the gate of the tomb they had found, there were engraved: You don’t move me, I don’t move you! 

When the emperor saw this he was immediately frightened and ordered to cover the Princess Tomb as it had been by refilling the soil and not to disturb anything ever again. 

Instead he built a large temple on the mountain to suppress the ghost that could come back to the afterlife to haunt the one disturbing her peace. 

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References:

https://kknews.cc/story/mmrnkgp.html

颐和园灵异事件：佛香阁竟是为了镇鬼而建？

Summer Palace – Wikipedia 

颐和园灵异事件：佛香阁竟是为了镇鬼而建？ 

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The Ghost Village of So Lo Pun

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In this remote ghost village in Hong Kong, it is said it was deserted after a tragedy that killed most of the villagers. What really happened in So Lo Pun that makes it a desolate place today?

One of Hong Kong’s oldest villages is an abandoned one and the remains are found in a dense forest northeast in the New Territories. 

Hong Kong is perhaps best known for its small living spaces and they have even reclaimed land from the sea to build more space for their residents. In the New Territories that takes up almost 90 percent of Hong Kong’s territory, it only stands for half the population. 

Read More: Check out all our collection of ghost stories from China

Within the many jungles there are plenty of abandoned buildings and whole ghost villages. And some of them have a haunted legend attached to why it’s abandoned. 

The Prosperous Village too far Away

So Lo Pun (鎖羅盆)  is found within the Plover Cove Country Park surrounded by the thick forest. The village was once the home of generations of the Wong family. They migrated from Mainland China and a person named Wong Wai hing was the founding father of the So Lo Pun village around 872 AD. 

This area used to be quite prosperous, with rich and fertile soil, but today it’s seen as an inconvenient way to the more urban areas and therefore not really a place modern people wanted to live. Or could there be something more to this story?

Today the village is completely abandoned and according to many people, also haunted. There are many reasons as to why the village got a haunted reputation. 

The Locked Compass at So Lo Pun

One of those is from the hikers that have been hiking around the Plover Cove Country Park and when entering the village area, the compasses have stopped working. That led to the village being called So Lo Pun that literally means that the compass is locked. 

There are also more wild rumors saying that one of the hikers met a ghost and got so scared he died of a heart attack. 

The Drowned Villagers

But what really happened to this once so prosperous village? It really wasn’t that many decades ago that the residents left. Why did it end up abandoned and reclaimed by the wild after such a long history and generation that called it their home?

Supposedly there was a terrible accident that started the abandonment of the village decades ago. According to this legend, most of the villagers were on a boat on their way to a wedding when tragedy struck and they all died when the boat went down. 

The remaining survivors from the village didn’t want to stay and almost overnight the town was abandoned, leaving haunted rumors behind. 

The Descendants Left

What did and didn’t happen is up for debate, but it is true that the people living in the village eventually packed up their belongings and left for other more urban places in Hong Kong or even foreign nations. 

Supposedly they only return to their ancestral village during the Taiping Qingjiao. But what the true villagers or descendants of the village have to say about the haunted rumors, is unclear.

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References:

So Lo Pun – Wikipedia 

9 of the most haunted places in Hong Kong 

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The Ghost on the Eighth Floor of the Fusuijing Building

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In one of the old communist high rises in Beijing, it is said that the ghost on the eighth floor is still haunting the Fusuijing Building after being wrongly accused. 

As a product of the Great Leap Forward period in China, they built the Fusuijing Building in 1958. The leap was an economic and social campaign by the Chinese Communist Party to reconstruct the country to a communist society with the commune life as the goal. 

Read More: Check out all our collection of ghost stories from China

Through the Great Leap Forward  from 1958 to 1962, the country saw an economic and agricultural disaster leading to the one of the largest famines in human history that ended with the death of millions of people. 

The Home for Communism in the Fusuijing Building

It was not only the agricultural and farming aspects of the country that was turned into a commune based and not privately owned thing, but also the cities were affected. One of the things they decided was to build high rise buildings designed for commune living, also in the big cities. This was the idea when they built the huge Z shaped Fusuijing Building (福綏境公寓) in Beijing. 

“The building is equipped with gas, heating and elevators; residents don’t have to cook at all – they can go to the canteen and eat whatever they want; there will be a club where people can play board games or do sports, a movie room where they can watch movies any time, and a library, public bathroom, a medical center and a grocery store… The building is like society itself, a miniature version of an ideal society, where people live like a big family. It will basically be communism,” 

This was written by the celebrated Chinese writer Shi Tiesheng who had his teacher talking about the building that rose high above the traditional hutong area surrounding it. 

The building is on No. 1 Santiao in Xicheng District, eight storey high and was the first residential building to install elevators in the city. But even if the dream of the building was designed for the perfect communist life with a collective dining hall, activity rooms and kindergartens, the commune living boom came to an end pretty quickly. 

The cafeteria was only open for a few days as there was food shortage and people started cooking in the hallways and the walls of the building were blackened with soot after a few years. After decades of decline in people living there, the building itself started to deteriorate and the place has in many places become a hazardous place to be. 

The Ghost on the Eighth Floor

This has now become one of the  four major ghost houses in Beijing and is well known among Beijingers. The famous legend about the Ghost on the Eighth Floor started circulating as the residents of the building moved out and now the building mostly attracts those interested in ghost hunting.  

According to one version of the legends there was a woman who was framed by her husbands’ lover as a rightist and enemy of the state. She was then imprisoned on the eighth floor in the building where she died. For how long and from what is not often mentioned.

Every year on her death anniversary, although not really specified when, the whole building seems to darken almost and the lights are difficult to keep on and only gives off a dim light. You can also hear the sound of a woman crying. 

The Mysterious Fusuijing Building

There have been more than one movie about this particular legend, which according to the stories, scared people to death in the theaters. There have also been several horror movie adaptations that tanked in the box office, but nevertheless draws people to the building from time to time to explore these haunted rumors. 

The fame of the Ghost on the Eighth Floor has attracted many curious individuals and thrill-seekers over the years. Urban legends and tales of paranormal encounters continue to circulate, adding to the mystique surrounding the haunted Fusuijing Building.

Visitors who dare to venture into the building often claim to feel an eerie presence as they ascend to the eighth floor. The atmosphere becomes palpably colder, and whispers echo throughout the dimly lit hallways. Some have reported seeing a shadowy figure lurking in the corners, while others have experienced inexplicable phenomena, such as doors slamming shut or objects moving on their own.

Fusuijing Building: The facade of the Fusuijing Building were it it said that the 8th floor is haunted by a woman that were held captured there. //Source: Wikimedia

Whether one believes in the paranormal or dismisses it as mere folklore, the Ghost on the Eighth Floor of the Fusuijing Building continues to captivate the imaginations of those intrigued by tales of the supernatural. The building stands as a testament to an era defined by lofty ideals and the tumultuous consequences of societal experiments.

As the legend endures and each passing year marks the anniversary of the ghostly apparition’s existence, the Fusuijing Building remains a destination for those who seek an encounter with the inexplicable. Although the truth behind the legend may forever remain a mystery, the ghost on the eighth floor continues to haunt both the building and the collective imagination of those drawn to its haunted history.

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References:

Why did the once glorious “Communist Building” become one of the “Four Haunted Houses in Beijing”? 

https://kknews.cc/story/mmrnkgp.html

NewsChina Magazine – Print Article

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward

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The Ghost in Red at Ping Shan Tat Tak School

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Some of the most haunted places in the world are easily old schools. The empty hallways seem different after school. Empty classrooms seem wrong and if the school has a dark background, it is most certainly connected to a ghost story or two. This is the case with Ping Shan Tat Tak School in Hong Kong that had more than one haunted legend behind it before it closed down.

In the New Territories north on mainland Hong Kong there is a haunted school called Ping Shan Tat Tak School (達德學校). The original school that was established in 1931 was set up in the centuries old Yu Kiu ancestral hall in Ping Shan, Yuen Long and was the first school institution to teach the nearby villagers children in the New Territories. 

In 1974 the primary school reached more than 700 students and needed bigger space. The school moved location to North-South Road before closing completely in 1998, 67 years after it opened it was abandoned and people now claim the place is haunted. 

Read More: Check out all of our ghost stories from China

The deserted school is occasionally utilized as eerie shooting sites for television and film productions, featuring frightening and spine-chilling props left behind by the crew. The two-story main building is structured in a U-shape, with the central hall flanked by classrooms in the other two wings. The encompassing open area comprises a basketball court, encircled by trees planted around the premises.

Ever since the opening and well after Ping Shan Tat Tak School closed it has been the subject of haunting ghost stories. But what made it go from one of the first and biggest schools to this abandoned place said to be haunted?

Tat Tak School: Abandoned building of Tat Tak School, Ping Shan, Hong Kong, in February 2024. The trees and bushes are taking over it all and the courtyard is empty except those seeking the paranormal rumors. This school with a long institutional history is thought to be haunted by multiple ghosts. // Source: Wikimedia

The Ghost from the War at the Haunted School

There are a couple of different stories circulating about exactly what is haunting the school. One is from war times. During the Second World War and the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong classes were suspended. It is said that the school was used as a burial ground as it was believed that it was a place where a horrible massacre happened during the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941.

There is worth noting though that these are stories told, not verified facts.

Read More: Check out our Top 10 List of Haunted Places in Hong Kong

There are also a few stories about the ghosts of the original residents of the New Territories when the British came and took over the area in 1899. At the time, the Six Day War of the New Territories broke out where around 500 people died.

The bodies of the villagers from Ping Shan were buried on the side of the mountain that became a mass grave according to these stories and the school is surrounded by these visible graves. These victims are the ghosts that are thought to haunt the school, although, they are not the most told about ghosts at all.

The Ghost in the Red Dress at Ping Shan Tat Tak School

After a while of retelling of things in the past there started to evolve a proper ghost story from Ping Shan Tat Tak School that was original to the school and the rumors of the abandoned haunted school was complete. 

A legend goes that one of the schoolmistresses, perhaps even the principal committed suicide and hang herself in the school toilets, wearing a red dress. In many of the variations she is said to have been raped.

She is now said to haunt the school. A woman haunting the bathroom in schools are widely told across Asia, and also the fact that she is wearing red like in these stories:

Read More: Check out more ghost stories about Women in Red Ghosts like The Lady in Red of Bang Pakong River or The Haunted Bela Vista Villa

The Woman in Red: One of the ghosts said to haunt the Ping Shan Tat Tak School in Hong Kong is the woman in red. It is said that a headmistress hanged herself in one of the toilets and has ever since been haunting the school.

Since there are no police reports or even a news article about this, it is impossible to confirm that such a rumor is true. A former student claims it was the headmaster’s wife who died at her home. Nevertheless, this story has become one of the most told about from Ping Shan Tat Tak School.

Student Ghost Investigation Gone Wrong

Because the haunted rumor about an abandoned school exists, there will naturally thrill seekers that are attracted to the stories, especially for other students wanting to test their bravery and spook their friends. Normally the explorations come from the famous stories, but this time, one of the fateful explorations turned the story about the haunted school and the ghost wearing red to new heights.

On September 10th in 2011, 12 students from a middle school visited Ping Shan Tat Tak School and came back with haunted tales. They claimed to have heard footsteps in the abandoned building as well as hearing an ominous scraping noise from the walls. 

Paranormal Investigations: The school has in later years been the subject of paranormal investigations by various groups of people. Many of them are school children themselves and not ready to deal with the horror that awaits them. Be it psychological or paranormal. // Source: Wikimedia

According to reports, three of the girls kept fainting and one completely lost control of himself, pinching his own neck and biting so he needed the friends to help stop him and they called the police for help. 

One of them claimed to have had visions of people dying in horrific ways. But visions were not the only thing the students claimed they saw. Worst was the sighting of a female ghost dressed in all red and long hair. The chilling whispers of her presence sent shivers down the spines of those who dared to cross her path.

And all the while the building sits there abandoned with its secrets. And while the local villagers claim that they have never seen a ghost in these parts, and the thing with the students losing control has been said to be a case of acute reactive psychosis, the legend says otherwise. 

The Haunted Tat Tak School

In conclusion, Ping Shan Tat Tak School in Hong Kong remains an intriguing and haunted place with a rich history and mysterious legends. While the truth about the reported supernatural occurrences is difficult to ascertain, the stories surrounding the school continue to captivate the imagination of locals and visitors alike.

Whether it’s the restless spirits of the villagers from centuries ago or the ghostly presence of the woman in the red dress, Ping Shan Tat Tak School has become synonymous with tales of hauntings and eerie encounters. The abandoned school’s dilapidated halls and eerie atmosphere only amplify the sense of unease that surrounds it.

Empty Classrooms: Only graffiti on the walls and broken windows are left of the once big school that housed over 700 students. Could it be that only the ghosts remain? // Source: Wikimedia

To this day, Ping Shan Tat Tak School stands as a cautionary reminder of the power of urban legends and the allure of the paranormal. Whether the haunting stories are true or not, the school continues to fascinate those with a penchant for the supernatural and a love of abandoned school corridors.

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References:

新界六日戰- 维基百科，自由的百科全书 

9 of the most haunted places in Hong Kong 

Top 10 spooky stories in Hong Kong

達德學校- 维基百科，自由的百科全书 

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The Poetic Haunting in No. 33 Xiaoshihu Hutong

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One of the four most well known haunted houses in Beijing is No. 33 Xiaoshihu Hutong. People have talked about the sound of a woman reciting poetry in the night for centuries, and used to be the home of one of the most important authors in Chinese Literature. 

The Chinese writer, Cao Xueqin (曹雪芹) who lived from 1710-1765 was a famous novelist and poet from the Qing Dynasty and used to live in the house that is now known as one of the four most haunted houses in Beijing. He is best known as the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, a family saga about the rise and fall of the family and about the social relations in 18th century China. 

The book, Dream of the Red Chamber is considered one of the Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature together with Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, The Plum in the Golden Vase and The Scholars.

Read More: Check out all our collection of ghost stories from China

Like the situation of the family in the novel Dream of the Red Chamber, Cao Xueqin’s family was once important but later purged after the death of the Kangxi Emperor and the ascension of Yongzheng Emperor to the throne. His family’s once affluent family’s assets were confiscated and his family fell into poverty.

Moving into a Haunted House to Write

Cao Xueqin moved into No. 33 Xiaoshihu Hutong, Xidan in Beijing where he started to write and rewrite his novel for over ten years that would once be one of the country’s cornerstones of literature. Back then the housed used to be No. 7 and No. 8 before being renumbered in the 1960s. 

The No. 33 Xiaoshihu Hutong is known as one of the four haunted houses in Beijing, the other being Songpo Library, Hufang Bridge Huguang Guild Hall, Chaonei No. 81 and Xi’an Menli Palace. But exactly who is said to be haunting the place?

Many have lived and passed in this house, and the only thing that has seen it all is the Jujube Tree in the courtyard which is said to be more than 600 years old. It even used to be the residence of the Kangxi Princess Jianning, before her family were destroyed and according to legend, left an ominous omen in the place. 

The Jujube Tree: In the courtyard of the No. 33 Xiaoshihu Hutong, it is said that an ancient Jujube Tree stands that used to stand there even before the house got the haunted reputation.

Cao Xueqin didn’t have a peaceful ending though, and was one of the residents in the house that had a tragic death. The writer died suddenly after a time being confined to the bed of what was considered grief after the death of one of his sons or poverty. 

The Ghost Reciting Poetry at Night at No. 33 Xiaoshihu Hutong

Although No. 33 Xiaoshihu Hutong is now a wedding photography studio, believing locals all over the city claim to hear the ghostly sound of traditional instruments at night being played, accompanied by a woman reciting poetry. 

Who is this woman that recites poetry in the night, long after the writers of the house moved out and died? Could it be someone from his family, or perhaps one of his lovers? There is a legend that Cao Xueqin once had a lover that he was separated from by the Yongzheng Emperor that also was the cause of his family’s downfall. Could they have reunited in their afterlife, reciting poems and playing music? 

Perhaps the poetic ghost said to haunt No. 33 Xiaoshihu Hutong is someone completely else not linked to Cao Xueqin at all. Perhaps the ghosts are much older than so. Could it have something to do with the Kanxi princess that lived in grief after all of her family was slaughtered? Today, only the  Jujube Tree in the courtyard knows.

The house on No. 33 Xiaoshihu Hutong had haunted rumors from way back, perhaps even from before Cao Xueqin’s lifetime. However, many attribute this ghost of being someone close to him. A man called Ji Xiaolan once said of the house: “This mansion has been in existence for a long time, so it will inevitably become strange sometimes, but it is not harmful to people.”

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References:

Dream of the Red Chamber – Wikipedia

Classic Chinese Novels – Wikipedia

Cao Xueqin – Wikipedia

北京四大凶宅

北京四大凶宅之一：小石虎胡同33号院，地处西单究竟有何玄机 

Princess Jianning in history, her life will make you sigh

京城4大鬼宅／小石虎胡同33號死全家 夜半驚傳女人吟詩| 國際 

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The Haunted Bela Vista Villa

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A vacation inn in Hong Kong has been called haunted after people staying there have claimed to have seen ghostly apparition of people that have ended their life in the Bela Vista Villa. 

Close to the sea there is a vacation home in Cheung Chau in Hong Kong where couples visit to have a romantic time together in the little bungalows by the beach. When staying at the place though, things can according to legend become more haunted than romantic though. 

Read More: Check out all of the ghost stories from China

Cheung Chau island (長洲) is just southwest of Hong Kong Island has a long history of being haunted and filled with spirits. There is even a festival that could have originated because of these evil spirits. This version tells that the island was plagued by pirates and even the plague itself in the 18th century and the local islanders wanted to get rid of them. Local fishermen then brought an image of the ancient god Pak Tai, the mysterious black God of the north to the island they paraded with throughout the island and it is said that the deity drove away the evil spirits. 

But what is it about this quaint beachfront vacation home that draws so many people to end their life there in what has been known as The Haunted Bela Vista Villa, one of the most haunted place in Hong Kong?

The Resort of Charcoal Suicides

The Bela Vista Villa (東堤小築) is a collection of vacation bungalows in central Cheung Chau, close to the Tung Wan Beach and a popular vacation location that in later years changed the name to Miami Resort.

It is said that the building is the place for over 20 murders and suicide cases over the last 30 years and the Bela Vista Villa has been dubbed The Resort of Charcoal Suicide. People have come to this place from the rest of Hong Kong to end their life there for all sorts of reasons. What happened over the years was that it started to be a rumored haunted place as well though for the people that stayed there for their vacation. 

The Ghost Haunting the Bela Vista Villa: It is said that people that have stayed there have seen a woman wearing red or traditional Chinese clothing as she is haunting the Bela Vista Villa as well as the beach.

The people that have stayed in the vacation home claim to have heard wailing screams in the night coming from the ghosts of the victims and seeing ghost apparitions of them, and it is said that the haunted ghost stories all started with a singular case.

The Murder Suicide and Ghosts of the Mother and Son

It is said that it all started the summer of 1989 when a woman together with her son vacated in one of the units. The 35 year old woman was having marital problems and was highly unbalanced. According to the stories, the woman was said to be the estranged wife of a Hong Kong pharmaceutical tycoon. He was cheating on her and the infidelity drove her mad.

She killed her son before herself. The mother dressed up in an all red outfit, possibly a Chinese traditional costume before hanging herself. 

Read more: There are stories about jaded women haunting places wearing red all over the globe. Like with the haunting of

Read more: There are stories about jaded women haunting places wearing red all over the globe. Like with the haunting of The Lady in Red of Bang Pakong River

After this incident, it is said that the residents on the island have seen the mother and son wandering around. There have even been those who claim that they have been possessed by their ghosts as well.

Reclaiming life in the Bela Vista Villa

While the history of this place holds tales of tragedy and ghostly apparitions, the past is not destined to repeat itself forever. Over the years, efforts have been made to bring about an aura of peace and tranquility in the Bela Vista Villas, fostering a sense of harmony between the living and the departed.

The ghosts that once haunted this place fade into the annals of history, their presence becoming nothing more than whispers carried in the sea breeze. Now, the only spirits to be found are those of joy, laughter, and blissful contentment. As day turns to night, the vibrant atmosphere transforms into a serene sanctuary, where the only sounds to be heard are the distant hum of the waves caressing the shore.

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References:

History · Cheung Chau Bun Festival – CCCH9051 Group 25 

Cheung Chau – Wikipedia 

Top 10 spooky stories in Hong Kong

28 year old man rents a unit at the haunted Bela Vista Villa Miami Resort in Cheung Chau to end his life – Dimsum Daily 

Debunking the myth of ‘suicide haunt’ at Cheung Chau’s Bela Vista Villa – Dimsum Daily