Let\’s Visit Asia

Haunted Places in Asia

by Ruth on October 30th, 2006

Visit them. Avoid them. That depends on you. In the spirit (pun intended) of Halloween, here are some of the more popular haunted places in Asia:

in Singapore:

Strange lights flit through Hougang School, near East Coast Beach, and people are slapped by an unseen presence at the Changi Beach Houses. Ghosts appear from nowhere and beg for food along the coast near Lor Halus, and St. John Island is haunted by a ghost that calls for help and then runs away. The Hou Gang Tenements are haunted by the apparition of a screaming lady, and a person was reportedly killed by a ghost in Bedok Tenant House. In the Fort Sentosa district, the Punggol White House is haunted by a whole family who committed suicide together, while headless apparitions terrorize passengers as they pass through certain MRT mass transit stations in the city.

in Japan:

The spirit of Zashiki Warishi, a young Japanese boy is responsible for poltergeist activity in a whole neighborhood in Tokyo, while in the mountains, the ghost of Yama Uba is a blamed for the disappearance of small children.

at Mount Everest:

Mount Everest is haunted by the ghost of climber Andrew Irvine who died there in 1924. His phantom ghost shares tents with climbers and encourages them to make the final ascent. The ghost was first reported by Dougal Haston and Doug Scott in September 1975 and has been seen several times since.

Not afraid of ghosts? How about real, live, flesh-and-blood witches and sorcerers? In the Philippines, there’s a whole island that’s known among the locals for its witchcraft, sorcery and mysticism: Siquijor.

During the main day of the festival, the Tangalap or potion making ritual is held. Live insects and various herbs are thrown into a giant cauldron filled with boiling water, while the participants gather around in a circle chanting their incantations. They then dip flasks into the cauldron to get their share of “potion” that is supposed to make the potions they concoct more effective. They then proceed to exchange herbs and paraphernalia needed in their casting of magic and faith healing.

As ghosts, the afterlife and superstitions are very much a part of Asian culture, there’s bound be similar tales and places all over. Dare discover?

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POSTED IN: Asian Adventure/Trekking, Culture Shock: Asia, General : Asia Travel