SINGAPORE, Sept 8 — Halloween Horror Nights’ decision to spotlight the old Changi Hospital this year cleverly plays on the fact that the abandoned hospital is a well-known and “real” haunted spot. There have been numerous sightings of paranormal activities reported, and the location has been listed as one of the world’s most-haunted places on international websites such as Ghostsstory.com and The Lineup (www.the-line-up.com), featuring crowd-sourced ghost stories and horror-centric and macabre tales, respectively.
Changi Hospital’s reputation stems from its past as a Prisoner of War camp during World War II when the Japanese occupied Singapore. More than 50,000 prisoners were held captive there, and there was allegedly much brutality and torture that took place. The hospital was also the subject of a local film, Haunted Changi, in 2010.
If visiting the likes of the old Changi Hospital sounds like your idea of fun and exploration for a holiday, here are some places in the region that might just give you a holiday you will not forget.
1. Minxiong Ghost House, Chiayi, Taiwan
A regal, European-style house in the middle of nowhere in Chiayi County, Taiwan, has become a minor tourist attraction—so much so that a cafe called Haunted House Coffee has opened up beside it to cash in on its popularity. Also called the Liu Family Mansion, the house was built in 1929 and abandoned in the 1950s after a series of supernatural incidents. It is said that the family servant drowned herself in the well, members of the family were struck with misfortune and Japanese soldiers had died there mysteriously. Well, haunted or not, the mansion’s crumbling beauty, with gigantic trees engulfing the structure, has made it a rather popular spot for photography. Minxiong’s Ghost House is also one of Taiwan’s famed four haunted houses—the other two are located in Keelung and one in Hsinchu. We wonder if Taiwan’s ghostly appeal might be a reason why Taipei tops the list of destinations for Singaporean visitors during the Halloween weekend, according to data from travel search site Kayak.
2. Hashima Island or Ghost Island, Nagasaki, Japan
Located off the coast of Nagasaki, Hashima Island has turned into a morbid draw for travellers, snapping photos of its dramatic ruined concrete structures and housing estates. It used to be a busy coal mining facility, with a population of 5,259 contained within 6.3ha at its peak in 1959. However, many miners also died on the island because of poor diet and harsh working conditions. The island was finally abandoned when the mines were closed for good in 1974. But thanks to a guest appearance in Christopher Nolan’s Inception and in Skyfall, where it served as the liar of villain Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem)’s lair, it has become a must-see for some cinephiles. In fact, parts of Hashima Island have been re-opened to the public since 2009 and you can visit it with certain licensed tour groups.
3. Tat Tak School, Hong Kong
One of Hong Kong’s most notoriously haunted places, Tat Tak School in Yeun Long, New Territories, was a burial site for villagers who died protesting the British colonisers in 1898. Its eerie reputation was further sealed when a female teacher hanged herself in the toilet. There have been umpteen stories told about this place since it was closed in 1998 — from tales of a spirit possessing trespassers, to objects being thrown at brave souls venturing here, to sightings of a woman in a red dress (said to be the deceased teacher). The school was the first location featured in National Geographic Channel’s TV series, I Wouldn’t Go There, highlighting Asia’s top 10 most haunted locations, and there are even taxi drivers who refuse to drive past the school. Enough said.
4. Ghost Hill, Penang
This is where Penang War Museum is located, and it used to be a formidable British fortress. Alas, the Japanese came and it became their army base, which housed prisoners who were tortured for information and was reportedly where public beheadings were also held. You can imagine why the locals steered clear of it after that. Still, the fortress — with its sprawling grounds, tunnels and impressive bunkers — became a privately owned museum that opened to the public in 2002 with World War II relics and artefacts on display. While some have shuddered at its eerie atmosphere, other visitors have complained on travel review website TripAdvisor that the museum’s authenticity is “questionable” and that it is a waste of time and money. Want to find out for yourself? ― TODAY
