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Lindsay Feng

Learn the ins and outs of feng shui, villain hitting, and fortunetelling as well as the dos and don’ts for cultivating good luck in our series on Chinese superstitions.
In the high-stakes Hong Kong real estate market, where every square foot is coveted, a peculiar subset of properties defies the norm – “haunted” flats, or hongza.
These homes are often shunned because of the belief that the lingering spirits of those who died an unnatural death in them – by murder, suicide, or an accident – will bring misfortune to the next residents.
The cultural aversion to living in such a place is so ingrained that even cheaper rent or a lower selling price can fail to entice people.
For Joseph Ng Goon-lau, dubbed the “king of haunted flats”, these stigmatised properties represent a lucrative investment.

Ng has mastered the art of buying and selling homes where unnatural deaths have occurred, and he offers a rare glimpse into a market shaped as much by fear as it is by opportunity.
His foray into the “haunted” properties market began in 1993 when a worker died in an accident in one of his flats. The incident made the flat nearly impossible to sell, even at a discounted price. He did, however, eventually find a buyer.
Foreigners are quite happy to rent a haunted [property] because they don’t understand Cantonese, so they don’t think the ghost will talk to them
Joseph Ng Goon-lau, investor in haunted properties
“This tells me that one can succeed in selling a bad property if he has patience,” Ng says. His experience highlights a significant aspect of the “haunted property” market: how patience and a strategic approach can turn an ill-fated investment into a profitable one.
Ng has found that there is a market for these properties – expats and foreigners, who are often less influenced by Chinese superstitions.
“Foreigners are quite happy to rent a haunted [property] because they don’t understand Cantonese, so they don’t think the ghost will talk to them,” Ng explains.
They, along with individuals who are not particularly superstitious or are drawn to the significant discounts that are offered, form the core of his client base.

In Hong Kong, the aftermath of a violent death can have a profound impact on property values. Flats where such incidents occur can be bought for between 10 per cent and 30 per cent below market price.
The stigma can also spread to neighbouring flats, and even to all the flats in the building, and drastically lower their market value too. This phenomenon, known as the “calamity house” effect, reflects the deep-seated superstitious beliefs that many Hongkongers hold.
The case of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung, whose brutal murder made headlines, is a recent and poignant example. The house where her remains were found is now listed among Hong Kong’s “haunted” homes, casting a long shadow over its marketability.
Ng believes that such properties will always attract interest if the price is low enough, but stigma is something that cannot be easily erased.

Dragon Lodge on Victoria Peak is one of the most famous “haunted houses” in Hong Kong. Its eerie history and abandoned state have made it a favourite subject of local legend and ghost stories.
The mansion, which last sold for HK$74 million in 2004, is rumoured to be haunted by the ghosts of Catholic nuns who were executed there by Japanese soldiers during the second world war. It has been deserted for decades, with onlookers only able to view the home from a distance on Lugard Road.
Another well-known case involves the flat in Wan Chai, on Hong Kong Island, rented by Rurik Jutting, a British banker who murdered two women there in 2014. The flat still has not found a buyer.
There is no legal requirement for property agents in Hong Kong to voluntarily disclose to potential buyers any deaths that have occurred at a property. However, according to the legal principle of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware), if a potential purchaser or tenant asks about the history of a property, the agent must find out and pass on as much information as possible about it or they could be guilty of misrepresentation.

Such a requirement for transparency adds another layer of difficulty when it comes to selling such flats.
Still, as Ng says: “The higher the risk, the bigger the return.” This mindset is what drives him and other investors to continue dealing in so-called haunted properties.
Another obstacle to selling such properties is that Hong Kong banks are often reluctant to provide mortgages for them. Sellers must therefore find buyers willing and able to pay cash, which further shrinks the pool of potential purchasers.
Ng recalls an instance where he managed to secure a mortgage by proving that a death did not occur inside the flat but rather in a hospital, thus convincing the bank that the property was not technically a hongza.

While there will always be those, like Ng, who see value in these stigmatised flats, the broader market is less enthusiastic.
The house where Choi’s remains were found in 2023, for example, may eventually find tenants or a buyer, but this will take time, and the price will probably be far below its market value.
For some, the significant discounts on these properties make them worth the risk, but for others, no price is low enough to overcome the fear of living in a home with a dark past.
As Ng’s experience shows, there is a market for these properties, but it is one that requires patience, understanding of cultural nuances and a willingness to take on risk.


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Would you live in a ‘haunted’ Hong Kong flat, where someone died an unnatural death?

A view of the supposedly haunted Dragon Lodge on The Peak in Hong Kong. The stigma attached to living in a place where an unnatural death occurred makes it hard to rent or sell them, although deep discounts can work. Photo: Martin Chan

Joseph Ng Goon-lau, who buys and sells dozens of properties linked to unnatural deaths, in one of his flats in Mong Kok. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Inside one of Ng’s “hongza” flats in Mong Kok. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Flower bouquets and fruits placed outside the crime scene of the murder case of model, socialite, and influencer Abby Choi Tin-fung, in Lung Mei Village, Tai Po. Photo: Elson Li

This picture, taken in 2016, shows the building in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, in which Rurik Jutting murdered two women in a rented flat. Photo: Anthony Wallace

How to talk to the dead explained by a Chinese spirit medium in Hong Kong

Chinese spirit medium Lawrence Leung. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Chinese spirit medium Lawrence Leung says he learned to contact the dead after practising Luk Yam Taoism - one of two branches of Taoism in Hong Kong that mainly deal with spirits and ghosts. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Lawrence Leung says ghosts in Southeast Asia are stronger than those in Hong Kong. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Leung says it is harder for ghosts and spirits to bother people who have done a lot of good deeds and have good intentions. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Leung says he once saw the ghost of an obese woman sitting on a bed in a Nyonya house in Malaysia with both her arms around the necks of two weaker ghosts. Illustration: Henry Wong

Poltergeist house goes on sale for US$1.2 million, first time since ghost film’s release

A still from Poltergeist. Photo: TNS

A still from Poltergeist. The house where the classic 1982 horror movie was filmed has been put up for sale for about US$1.17 million. Photo: TNS

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A scene from Poltergeist. Photo: TNS

5 Hong Kong film set superstitions, from rites to lucky red envelopes for death scenes

Andy Lau Tak-wah in a scene from the film Fat Choi Spirit. Actors in a death scene are given red envelopes contaning money to dispel bad luck. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

The cutting open of a roasted pig is considered part and parcel of starting a new TV production. Photo: Sam Tsang

Death scene performers get lai see, or red envelopes, to dispel bad juju after filming. Photo: Shutterstock 

When filming in nature and at abandoned sites, a film crew will invite a shaman to perform rites to ask nearby spirits to kindly not to disrupt their process. Photo: Shutterstock

How Hungry Ghost Festival cultural practices evolved in Hong Kong and Singapore

A worshipper burns paper offerings during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Lok Fu, Hong Kong. Photo: May Tse

A worker rakes paper offerings burned during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Wang Tau Hom, Hong Kong. Photo: Winson Wong

A Teochew opera troupe perform during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Toa Payoh, Singapore, in 2016. Photo: Shutterstock

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A still from The Eye (2002), one of five films we look at whose narratives draw on Chinese superstition and the supernatural. 

Lifestyle

Property

Hong Kong & China

Chinese superstitions

Chinese pregnancy food superstitions and traditions, from eating dog heads to no coffee

Eating a white-haired dog’s head was said to ensure an easy birth in Chinese lore. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese people have many traditions and superstitions about what to eat and not eat during pregnancy, some based on traditional Chinese medicine. Photo: Shutterstock

One superstition in Hangzhou was that women should use a small rice bowl for their evening meal to “prevent the fetal head from being too large”. Photo: Shutterstock

Fried crab at Hee Kee Crab General in Causeway Bay. Some believe that ingredients such as snake, prawn and crab should be avoided. Photo Paul Yeung

Women are told to avoid inky ingredients like black sesame to prevent giving birth to a baby with a darker complexion. Photo: Shutterstock

Yuki Maryrose Leung with her husband, Spencer, and son Liam. Leung did not follow a lot of the advice circulating among the Chinese community when it came to what not to eat. Photo: Anna Maria Studio

Patricia Chan, also known as Aunty Pat, is a confinement nurse trained in Hong Kong. Photo: Patricia Chan

Post-partum recovery teas consist of ingredients such as goji berries, red dates and Chinese herbs. Photo: Shutterstock

Post-partum women are encouraged to eat more heating foods to bring their bodies back into equilibrium and bathe with ginger water. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese funeral customs to pay respects to the dead, from what to wear to why age is key

A red wooden coffin at a Chinese funeral. Photo: Shutterstock

A Chinese funeral in Thailand. In Chinese communities around the world, there are many superstitions surrounding death and the mourning process. We look at some that ensure respect is shown and bad luck is avoided. Photo: Shutterstock

In Chinese culture, mirrors are traditionally removed from a person’s home after they die, to prevent their soul from searching in vain for its reflection. Photo: Shutterstock

Paper money and other items made out of joss paper are burned at Taoist funerals to aid the deceased in the afterlife. Photo: Shutterstock

Paper servants, to be burnt as offerings during a Taoist funeral, in Hung Hom, Hong Kong. Photo: Antony Dickson

Hong Kong’s ‘Ghost King’ on chasing spirits, his radio gigs and being a supernatural dud

Radio show host and ghost hunter Edmond Poon talks to the Post about collecting spooky stories. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Poon is the host of long-running online paranormal programme Twilight Online. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Poon on the set of his ViuTV show Talker: One Beside You. Photo: Edmond Poon

Poon uses a ghost-hunting app while seeking spirits. Photo: Edmond Poon

Poon sees himself first and foremost as a programme host. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

What is villain hitting? Voodoo-like Chinese practice is not as sinister as it sounds

A practitioner performs a villain-hitting ritual in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Fortune-tellers break down the practice and explain its history. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Tong Pik-ha, also known as Master Tong, is a feng shui master. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Andrew Kwan is a feng shui master. Photo: Andrew Kwan

A practitioner performs a villain hitting ceremony for a client in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

Villain hitting in Causeway Bay. There are three groups of people – pregnant women, children and the elderly – that cannot be the target of villain hitting. Photo: Jonathan Wong

A practitioner performs villain hitting in Causeway Bay. The practice is mostly seen in Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

5 tips to avoid ghosts in your hotel, from knocking before entering to covering mirrors

We offer a few ways to avoid disturbing the spirits when you are travelling, even if your hotel is haunted like the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles is said to be. Photo: Reuters

A still from security camera footage showing Elisa Lam Ho-yi entering a lift in the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles, where she died in unexplained circumstances in 2013. Photo: YouTube

Firefighters found Lam’s body inside a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel (also called the Hotel Cecil). Photo: Reuters

The inside of the Grand Hyatt Taipei hotel, which is said to be haunted. Photo: Shutterstock

The exterior of the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Inside, disembodied children’s voices have been reported in its corridors. Photo: Facebook/Grand Hyatt Taipei

The lobby of the Bangkok Palace Hotel, which also has a reputation for being haunted. Photo: Facebook/Bangkok Palace Hotel

Lucky phone numbers and wedding dates to dining don’ts, Chinese numerology superstitions

Law Ting-pong, chairman of Laws Fashion Knitters, and Miss Hong Kong Pauline Yeung Po-ling holding up two licence plates numbered 8 for which Law paid HK$5 mllion at auction in February 1988. Photo: SCMP 

A Chinese luo pan compass used in feng shui. Some numbers are seen as lucky in Chinese culture, while others are believed to be unlucky. We look at five areas to maximise good fortune, including phone numbers and dates for special occasions. Photo: Shutterstock

Floor numbers are taken seriously in Chinese culture, with the fourth floor being “missed out” in many buildings because 4 sounds similar to the word for death in Cantonese and Mandarin. Photo: Shutterstock

A car registration plate auction in Hong Kong. Plates with auspicious number combinations have historically been sold for a pretty penny in the city. Photo: Robert Ng

A stall selling SIM cards attached to different phone numbers in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. The combinations of digits phone numbers contain are believed to determine whether they are lucky or unlucky. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Ordering seven dishes at a restaurant is seen as unlucky in Chinese culture; ordering an even number is seen as better. Photo: Shutterstock

A wedding party gathered in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. Choosing a wedding date can be tricky for Chinese couples as the bride and groom must take into account their birthdays and those of their parents. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Dreams about snakes or wedding dresses? An expert breaks down Chinese dream interpretation

Monita, a Hong Kong-based dream interpretation specialist, breaks down Chinese dream interpretation and its relevance today. Photo: Instagram/_hungpage_

The meaning of one’s dreams have been a source of intrigue since ancient times in China and everywhere. Photo: Shutterstock

Monita is a dream interpretation specialist in Hong Kong. Photo: @_hungpage_

Dream therapy can be a source of healing for clients, helping them understand their traumas and suppressed emotions. Photo: @_hungpage_

Monita advises that dream interpretation, like tarot card reading, should at most give warnings, but not predict someone’s fortune. Photo: @_hungpage_

A feng shui master’s guide to making your office more productive, and why ‘balance’ is key

Hong Kong feng shui master Thierry Chow designs productive workspaces. She talks to the post about using lighting and colours to achieve balanced energy, and why every space needs a different approach. Photo: Xiaomei Chen


Chow was inspired to become a feng shui designer by her father, feng shui master Chow Hon-ming. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Chow says introducing colourful objects to a workspace can promote creativity and positivity. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

One of numerous buildings in Hong Kong that features a hole in its centre in line with feng shui principles. Hong Kong takes the ancient Chinese practice seriously. Photo: Jelly Tse

Viral TikTok videos from Singaporean architect bring feng shui to a whole new audience

Singaporean architect Cliff Tan in a still from one of his Instagram videos. Photo: Instagram/dearmodern

Singaporean architect Cliff Tan in a still from one of his Instagram videos. Tan has earned millions of followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube with his quirky viral videos that feature feng shui tips. Photo: Instagram/dearmodern

The “before” of a Hong Kong flat (the “after” is below) with seemingly no other possible layout. Photo: Cliff Tan

The “after” of the flat. “We changed it completely and made the space so much more spacious and natural,” Tan says. Photo: Cliff Tan

Tan founded his own practice, Design Modern, in 2016. Photo: Cliff Tan 

Tan’s clients come from all over the world. Photo: Cliff Tan

Selling a home in Hong Kong can be tricky if someone has died an unnatural death there, but this is no issue for the ‘king of haunted flats’


In Hong Kong, the stigma attached to living where someone has died an unnatural death is so strong that a property agent may not find a tenant or buyer even if they lower the rent or selling price.


Accidents and personal safety in Hong Kong