10 Haunted Places in Hong Kong With Spine-Chilling Backstories

Want to see Hong Kong from a different point of view? Continue reading to discover places in Hong Kong you didn’t know were haunted…

Hong Kong’s culture is deep-rooted in superstitions and beliefs and after reading this article you’ll discover some places in Hong Kong that are surrounded by superstitions and stigma. For a socially and economically developed city, the last thing you would expect to have is a multitude of locations that are allegedly haunted. From abandoned villages and luxurious houses to converted office blocks, the one thing that connects these places are the chilling stories behind them. In true Halloween fashion, join us as we dive straight into ten of the most haunted places in Hong Kong with horrifying backstories. 

Dragon Lodge

Located on The Peak, one of the most expensive areas for real estate in Hong Kong, it’s difficult to believe that anything eerie could be attached to Dragon Lodge, however its history tells a different story. Dragon Lodge has seen many owners: the first owner who built the famous property in 1920 went bankrupt, forcing it to be sold. During World War II, it is said that Dragon Lodge was occupied by Japanese soldiers, some of whom allegedly executed Catholic nuns in the courtyard. After the 1980’s, Dragon Lodge became known as Hong Kong’s most haunted house. Despite the stigma surrounding the house, the property was purchased in 2004 by its most recent owner. There were plans for development under the supervision of retail company, Hudson Group, but nothing came of it after construction workers became convinced that Dragon Lodge was haunted due to reports of hearing a young child crying in the mansion. To this day, Dragon Lodge has been left untouched by its current owners and it has succumbed to the elements. 

Address: 32 Lugard Rd, The Peak

Nam Koo Terrace

Nestled in the concrete jungle of Wan Chai, Nam Koo Terrace has a century of history behind it. Built in 1915 by a wealthy Shanghainese family involved in the silk trade, Nam Koo Terrace was lived in by the same family until WWII, which saw the property abandoned after the owners fled Hong Kong. Japanese soldiers began seizing properties within the Wan Chai area for comfort women and prisoners of war, Nam Koo Terrace being one of them. Inside these ‘brothels’, comfort women were tortured and beaten, with some sadly passing away. Since then, there have been rumours of ghosts wandering the house and some passersby tell tales of hearing people screaming in the house or seeing strange shadows in the dark windows. 

In 2003, a group of students decided to venture into and stay the night at Nam Koo Terrace in the hopes of seeing a ghost. Police were abruptly called when one girl claimed she was possessed by a spirit and she was subsequently hospitalised. The property lay empty for over 18 years, until recently, when the current owners, Hopewell Holding, announced plans to restore the building and convert it into a wedding registry. 

Address: 55 Ship Street, Wan Chai 

Bride’s Pool

Named after the legend surrounding its waters, Bride’s Pool is one of the most infamous haunted locations in Hong Kong. Bride’s Pool is a beautiful rock pool in New Territories which is fed by numerous waterfalls surrounding it. The stigma surrounding Bride’s Pool is due to the misfortune of an ancient bride. The story has it that four men (porters) were carrying a bride-to-be to her groom’s village on a sedan chair, passing over one of the waterfalls that feeds into Bride’s Pool on their way. One of the porters slipped on a rock, resulting in the bride and her porters falling into the pool below. Unfortunately, because of the heavy weight of her Cheongsam (a traditional, tight-fitting dress), the bride drowned, along with all her porters. Never making it to her groom, she lurks below the pool’s surface dressed in her Cheongsam waiting for her groom to return.

There have been reports of people taking their lives in the surrounding areas of Bride’s Pool and shockingly, the remains of a man murdered by his fiance were discovered in 1982.

Not only does Bride’s Pool seem to have a never ending string of bad luck, so too does the road sitting above it. The road has been coined ‘The Deadly Curve’, after being labelled a junction blackspot due to the extensive number of fatal accidents. Regardless of this rock pool’s history, many people find themselves visiting Bride’s Pool out of curiosity or to take in the beautiful surroundings.

Address: Plover Cove Country Park, Shuen Wan, New Territories

Murray House

With over 150 years of history, it is no surprise that stories about Murray House exist. Built in 1844 in the Central district, the structure was originally used as officer quarters of the Murray barracks for over 100 years until 1960. During WWII, the property was used for the Japanese military police and allegedly, over 4,000 Hong Kong civilians were tortured and murdered on the property. 

After serving its time as officer quarters, Murray House was converted into an office space. However, between 1960 and 1970, there were reported sightings of poltergeists, while documents within offices mysteriously went missing. These reports were so concerning that in an effort to put an end to this strange behaviour, the government ordered an exorcism of the building. 90 Buddhist monks performed an exorcism on the building in 1963, which lasted 10 hours. Despite their efforts, the exorcism wasn’t successful and a second one was performed in 1974. 

Since being dismantled and moved to Stanley in the early 2000’s, no further activity has been reported. However, some people still claimed to hear strange things in the building in the dead of night….

Address: 96 Stanley Main Street, Stanley

Sai Ying Pun Community Complex

Originally built in 1892 with the purpose of providing housing for medical staff, the story of ‘High Street Haunted House’ never fails to send shivers down spines. It was rumoured to have been used as an execution ground during WWII and afterwards, was used as a psychiatric hospital until 1961. Following the building’s abandonment in 1970, it was badly damaged when two fires were started by trespassers. Despite the fire, the government decided to preserve the building and in 2001, it was transformed into the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex.

Strange things have been heard throughout the building, like women crying and mysterious footsteps, while there have been alleged sightings of a devil-like man wearing traditional clothing roaming the halls. Despite the rebranding and modern preservation of the building, the nickname ‘High Street Haunted House’ still remains.

Address: 2 High Street, Sai Wan

Tak Tak School

Abandoned since 1988 and on the National Geographic’s list of Asia’s Top Ten Creepy Places, Tak Tak School isn’t for the fainthearted. The village where the school is located has a history of misfortune; residents were killed and buried by British intelligence after refusing to give up their land. It has also been said that a large number of villagers were massacred during the Japanese occupation, with remains being buried in the hill next to the school. Shortly before the school closed in 1988, the headmistress took her own life in one of the bathrooms while wearing a red dress, supposedly leaving behind a spirit clothed in red.

In 2011, students were exploring the school when one of the girls reported seeing a woman in red. Whilst they all began to rush back towards the MTR station, one of the girls began strangling herself and attacking her friends when they attempted to stop her. An ambulance was called and two teenagers were hospitalised. Tak Tak School now remains a shabby site littered with broken glass, rubbish and graffiti.

Address: Ping Shan, Yuen Long

Waterfall Bay Park

Located in the Pok Fu Lam district, Waterfall Bay is a hotspot amongst locals, nature enthusiasts and dog walkers. However, beautiful scenery isn’t the only thing this waterfall is known for. Legend has it that pirates during the Qing Dynasty would use this bay as a place to rest until they one day went on a rampage, attacking villagers and dumping their bodies in the bay. 

After the Wah Fu estate was built in 1970, many children would use Waterfall Bay as a playground, resulting in a lot of young children drowning. Many people believe that the bay is full of water ghosts (Shuǐ guǐ 水鬼) who are the reason for the drownings. To prevent more drownings, the government put up railings to prevent people from making their way into Waterfall Bay. If you’re thinking of visiting Waterfall Bay, don’t go on a rainy day and keep your distance from the railings!

Address: Waterfall Bay Park, Pok Fu Lam

White House Compound 

White House Compound, also known as the Victoria Road Detention Centre or the Mount Davis Concentration Camp, has long been a fixture in the minds of Hong Kongers. Used by the police to hold political prisoners and suspected spies during the 1967 leftist riots, many prisoners were tortured and executed.

Prisoners were held in appalling conditions, in tiny cells, while some were held in solitary confinement for months on end. After the riots, the detention centre sat abandoned and ignored by all except those who endured the pain of their experiences in the building. From when it was abandoned to only recently, the centre sat without signposts and remained unmarked on maps, until it was converted into the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2018.

Address: Victoria Road, Mount Davis

So Lo Pun

In the far northeast of the New Territories, lies the remains of the abandoned village of So Lo Pun. Its name means “Locked Compass,” and is so named because of reports that compasses eerily stop working nearby and in the village.

Although So Lo Pun is frequently visited by curious passersby, the definite reason for its abandonment is unknown, but there are of course, many rumours. Some believe that everyone went missing overnight as the current condition of the village makes it appear as though everyone simply got up and left. Others believe that an epidemic killed all the villagers, while others still believe that the villagers died on the way to a wedding in a boating accident and the survivors couldn’t stand to remain in the village. Although the reason for the abandonment is unknown, it apparently gives visitors feelings of great unease. If you’re interested in making a visit to the So Lo Pun village, the closest road is three hours away, so the most convenient means of getting there is hiking.

Address: So Lo Pun, New Territories

31 Granville Road

31 Granville Road is the site of one of the most gruesome murders in Hong Kong’s history. The “Hello Kitty Murder” of 1999 saw a 20-year-old hostess kidnapped, tortured and killed after she stole a wallet.  

The apartment block was demolished in 2012 due to tresspassers hoping to see the site of the murder and in 2016 a hotel was built on 31 Granville Road. There have been reports of the woman’s spirit being caught on CCTV wandering outside and around the hotel.

Address: 31 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

That wraps up the list of the top 10 haunted places in Hong Kong with chilling backstories. We wish you a very spooky Halloween!

Feature photo courtesy of Shutterstock, Photo 1 courtesy of The Beijinger, Photo 2 courtesy of The Loop HK, Photo 3 courtesy of Youtube, Photo 4 courtesy of HKU Online Learning, Photo 5 courtesy of South China Morning Post, Photo 6 courtesy of Time Out, Photo 7 courtesy of Through The Looking Glass, Photo 8 courtesy of HKFP, Photo 9 courtesy of HKFP, Photo 10 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons