“Transport head” estate in Hong Kong

Do you know that Wan Tau Tong Estate (運頭塘邨) is rumored to be one of the burial grounds in the past in Hong Kong?

…Actually lots of places in Hong Kong are rumored to be burial grounds in the past. People who spread the rumor probably just wanted to scare the others, or simply to look for fun, though.

Anyway, Wan Tau Tong Estate is the latest public housing estate in Tai Po, completed in 1991. This place holds so many residents and is so lively that you will think it has nothing to do with ghost stories…but it does. I mean, the name of the estate itself is spooky enough (運頭 literally means “transport head”)…

There were two versions of the story: one has it that in early 1900s, lots of natural disasters happened and killed many people. In order to prevent the spread of disease, the corpses had to be burnt, leaving the bones behind. Undertakers therefore had to transport the bones and skulls to the burial ground in Tai Po (which is supposed to be the Wan Tau Tong Estate today, hence the name) and had them buried.

The other version is that many civilians were killed and had their heads chopped off during Japanese occupation in 1940s. For some reason this yet-to-be estate became an excellent choice for the Japanese soldiers to ditch the heads.

Whatever the reason was, many people died and have to be buried in this place. Then there started to be rumors about how people would see headless figures pushing a wheelbarrow carrying many heads at night. There was also a spookily hilarious story about a construction worker finding out the headless ghosts using white glue to glue their loose heads on their necks…

If you really are interested in this spooky-name estate, you can give it a visit, preferably at night.

But you would definitely be disappointed. You would only find a modern yet peaceful residential area there. No burial grounds, no headless ghosts, no wheelbarrow carrying heads either.

…We already have them glued up, after all.

What? No, I didn’t say anything.

Don’t mind me…

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*

Seven Sisters in Hong Kong

Do you know that there is an area in Hong Kong called Tsat Tsz Mui (七姊妹, “Seven Sisters”)?

Well, you probably don’t, since lots pf places in Hong Kong aren’t that well known after all.

But what’s with this weird name?

Tsat Tsz Mui located in North Point, originally a rural village.

The name comes from a tragic story:  There were seven girls who lived in this village. The girls were childhood friends and while they were not really biologically related, they treated others as siblings. They made a vow that “they shall die on the same day” (a traditional Chinese vow, to show that those who vow are willing to die for each other and are spiritually united) and “they shall never get married”.

But one day, the third sister’s parent forced her to marry a man. The girl wanted to refuse, yet she dared not oppose her parent. So, out of sadness and desperation, the seven sisters decided to commit suicide by jumping into the sea while holding hands together before the day of the wedding. Their bodies were never found, but seven human-shaped rocks mysteriously appeared along the shore on the next day. The story may not be real, but according to some old residents who once lived there, the rocks do exist…

The story’s not over yet. The shore became a popular spot for swimming in the beginning of 20^th century. However, there have been reports about male swimmers drowning nearby since the seven sisters’ tragedy. Some said that the sisters were looking for bodies so that they could reincarnate; some said the sisters were there to punish men who mistreat women…

In 1934, the village and the rocks were buried under reclamation and the story about the seven sisters is slowly forgotten by Hongkongers. The only things left are the Tsat Tsz Mui post office and the Tsat Tsz Mui Road which named after the story.