East Town Theater in Hong Kong

Do you know there was a cinema in Hong Kong that was remodeled from a funeral parlor?

That doesn’t sound like a good place to do business?

Oh, but the owner of East Town Theater  (東城戲院) seemed to think otherwise.

Also called Tung Shing Cinema, opened in Wan Chai in 1964, equipped with some of the most advance filming equipment and 1300 seats, the cinema was one of the best theaters in town. But it closed just in 10 years.

Poor business? Maybe.

But there also tended to be some spooky reasons behind…

The most famous rumor about the cinema was how only some tickets were sold, but the place was ALWAYS FULL at night. A customer recalled what he experienced: While the film was being played and lights were off, he could see the whole theater full of people. When the lights turned on during the mid-break session, however, the once full theater held only ten people or so. The customer, after visiting the washroom, ran into an old lady…without her jaw. He was so scared that he ran back to the theater for help, and find out the theater was full again. But this time he could see it clearly. Most of the “people” there were without jaws as well…

There was also a story about female customer visiting the washroom (yeah, you know a good ghost story can’t be without washrooms). She saw another female customer inside standing in front of the mirror. Normal, right? I assure you not. When she looked closer at the reflection, this time, instead of missing the jaw, the “woman” was missing her face…And you know that you should run away as fast as possible in a ghost story? Well, she didn’t. The poor and spooked female customer sought help from another customer trying to enter the washroom, saying that there was a faceless ghost inside. This “another customer” then asked, “like this?” and cheerfully showed her faceless face…I swear if the story was not that creepy, I would have laughed at this reply.

But these are probably just urban legends, and are likely made up by the cinema’s competitors to damage its reputation.

Whatever the reason is, the cinema’s business declined and had to be closed in 1974.

The cinema is no more and has been turned into the East Town Building since then.

…One less place for the restless souls to seek entertainment. What a pity. *eerie sobbing*