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10 Spooky Haunted Houses and Places in China

China has a rich historical and cultural background and there are countless legends from different eras of the country.

History proves that this nation has had one of the largest empires in the world. Legends about haunted sites have formed the core part of many tales and folklore passed on from generation to generation.

With over 5,000 years of history, China鈥檚 bound to have a few ghosts waiting in the nooks and crannies. From the wails of eunuchs in Beijing to deserted mansions in Shanghai, China鈥檚 chock full of possible encounters of the spooky kind.

There is no scientific evidence to back them up but the locals residing in and near the sites have had encounters with spirits and their experiences from these tales. Some of these haunted sites exist today day.

While some of the stories are groundless and have no actual proof, the sheer bone-chilling factor attached is enough to make these places attractive in a mysterious sense.

China鈥檚 legends and tales of the paranormal and the unexplained will haunt you.  You will need nerves of steel to visit these 10 spooky haunted houses and places in China.

1. Fengdu Ghost City – Chongqing

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Nestled on the banks of the Yangtze River, Fengdu Ghost City鈥檚 spooky past dates back over 2,000 years.

Fengdu 鈥淕host City鈥� is a popular stop with Yangtze river cruises. It used to be a burial area with scores of temples and shrines and a small ancient town.

Due to the construction of the 3 Gorges Dam, the ghostly city is underwater. However, a hill and dozens of temples remain in the big artificial lake behind the dam.

According to legend, two Eastern Han Dynasty imperials officials used Taoist practices to become immortal in the nearby Ming Mountain.

Their names combined to mean 鈥楰ing of Hell鈥� and they dragged all local villages into the underworld.

Today, the area is surrounded by temples and shrines dedicated to the underworld.

Visitors can journey through the dark side of traditional Chinese culture with the paintings and sculptures lining the temple walls 鈥� each depicting scenes of villagers being tortured for their sins.

2.  The Great Wall of China

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Aside from being one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the expensive restaurants this place has, this site is also known for its stories of paranormal activities.

It is about 13,170 miles long and its construction dates back to the 7th century BC. About one to two million people are said to have died during the construction of this wall.

The wall is believed to be haunted by the ghosts of the workers who died there.

People have reported ghost sightings along the wall and also heard marching footsteps inside the wall without seeing anyone.

However, it remains one of China鈥檚 most visited tourist sites.

3. Imperial Palace – Beijing

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With a history spanning over 600 years, these walls served as the Imperial Palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

A period when execution for betrayal or disobedience was common and anyone who was against the imperial rule was subject to death.

A jealous concubine or envious guard committed these murders. Too many died unnecessarily, creating these bloody red walls.

The palace was transformed into a tourist site, with guards put in place in the late 1940s, when the protectors witnessed strange occurrences.

This includes odd animals scurrying about the grounds late at night and a crying woman in white walking the grounds but not responding to people.

4. Po Hing Fong -Hong Kong

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Po Hing Fong has experienced other disasters apart from the plague. Nearly 80 people were killed in 1925 when a wall collapsed after a flash flood in Po Hing Fong.

The cul-de-sac 鈥� was originally the site of Dr Sun Yat-sen鈥檚 centre for anti-Qing revolutionaries and where the prominent businessman Chau Siu-ki owned property.

On July 17, 1925, just before 9 am, nearly 80 people were killed when the torrent of water after days of heavy rain led to the collapse of a retaining wall on the corner of Caine Road and Ladder Street.

Chau and members of his family were among the dead.

One summer night in 1949, residents of Po Hing Fong were awakened by a great commotion outside. Trucks and hundreds of people were seen running for their lives.

The 鈥渧ision鈥� lasted for several minutes before the trucks and people disappeared in the mist. The next morning, the neighbours compared notes. They all saw the same thing.

Some believe they were the troubled spirits of those killed in the Second World War.

5. Huguang Huiguan Opera House

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When it was first built, this building was intended to be a Poor house, feeding and housing thousands of citizens of Beijing who had lost their homes during World War II.

However, it would seem that they overlooked one very important feature. Huguang Huiguan Opera House was actually built partially on an ancient graveyard.

It is these uprooted angry spirits that are said to haunt the building.

Both locals and several tourists claim to have heard a screaming voice coming from the courtyard even now.

Legend is, if you throw a stone into the courtyard, the screaming spectre scolds you for doing so!

6. Chaonei Church, 81 Chaoyangmen Inner Street

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One of the most popular haunted tourism spots with the locals is this decrepit looking church, language and rest centre which dates back to 1910.

The story is that innocent folks died on the premises and that they now haunt the walls.

The only problem with this is that there鈥檚 no evidence that anyone ever died there though it doesn鈥檛 stop visitors from asserting that there鈥檚 something disturbing lurking there.

It鈥檚 worth noting that the garden is not open to the public as a general rule. You can鈥檛 just turn up at the church and demand entry to the grounds.

So if you want to get up close and personal with Beijing鈥檚 most famous haunted house; you鈥檒l need to work with a local travel agency to arrange access to the gardens.

7. Qui Mansion – Shanghai

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This mansion was built in the 20th century by two brothers who migrated here.

During that time, it was an architectural masterpiece with an artificial lake and beautiful gardens.

These brothers, after making their fortune, were known for their luxurious lifestyle and their collection of wild animals.

After their mysterious disappearance, the mansion was looted by their enraged neighbours who supposedly ate some of the wild animals.

Ever since then, people have claimed that the ghosts of the slain wild animals haunt this place.

There have also been reports of sightings and hearing of strange creatures in the building.

8. Gongwangfu (Prince Gong鈥檚 Mansion)

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The mansion on Liuyin Street of the Xicheng district was owned by a notoriously corrupt official of the Qing Dynasty, He Shen and his harem of 80 concubines.

His only grace lay in his devotion to his wife, Feng Shi, who fell ill after their youngest son died in a battle against rebels.

Then her devoted husband hired monks to pray for her health to return, only to find Feng dying of a broken heart.

Rumour has it that the house was haunted by the ghosts of the lady as well as many former escorts of He Shen.

Late at night, the cries of the mother can be heard echoing through the mansion.

Even security guards at the tourist spot say female ghosts in white can be seen wandering around the garden.

9.  Zijin, 68 Wanguanhe Lu, Haidian

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It is said that a resident of the apartment block, which once stood on this spot, killed herself when she was to be evicted.

The plot was redeveloped immediately afterwards but her screams can still be heard throughout the building late at night.

The developer brought in a professional ghost hunter to conduct an exorcism. It didn鈥檛 work and the ghost hunter fled the building and refused to return.

The building is currently in use as a residential complex.

You may or may not be able to gain access by asking the security guards politely.

10. Tuen Mun Road, Hong Kong

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The haunted highway is a major expressway in Hong Kong located between two villages. This road has recorded one of the highest numbers of road accidents in the world.

Many locals in that area believe that ghosts are the cause of accidents. The accidents are triggered in the process of drivers trying to avoid hitting the ghosts.

It is also believed that the number of ghosts on the highway increases every year as crash victims remain on the highway to haunt it.

The road can be likened to a zombie virus that populates by adding its victims to its ranks.

It can be almost impossible to sell a property in Asia after it was home to an 鈥榰nnatural death鈥�, but, thankfully, a group of intrepid freelancers in China will make sure the place is not haunted 鈥� for a price.

In China, a small industry of 鈥渉aunted house testers鈥� are hired by property agents, owners or potential buyers.

They are typically paid one yuan per minute, and could make upwards of 1,440 yuan (US$220) for a 24-hour stay, according to Dahe Daily, a news website based in the central province Henan.

Spooky haunted houses are now a source of employment