Haunted neighbourhoods in Singapore
If you’re reading this, congrats on surviving the 7th month. But unlike durian and mooncakes that are seasonal, hantu stories never get stale throughout the year.
While most of us can’t see these beings, they’re actually closer to you than you think – even in your own estate. So, if you’re feeling brave and curious, read on for these most haunted neighbourhoods in Singapore. Who knows, yours might just make the list.
1. Elias, Pasir Ris – Eerie paths & haunted chalets
As if Pasir Ris Park isn’t haunted enough, turns out other parts of the neighbourhood are just as creepy. Yes Elias, we’re talking about you.
There’s a long and narrow park connector that goes from the HDB estates at Elias to Pasir Ris Park. Residents who have walked that path have claimed that the vibes are totally off, especially at the landed housing area along the infamous Sungei Api Api.
Imagine walking in total darkness with no sound, and just tall bushy trees surrounding you. One of my colleagues said she was walking along this path with her friends at night and saw a black figure looking at them from one of the house’s balconies. Spooky encounters here have been such regular occurrences that regulars have learnt not to look around while walking or just avoid the park connector altogether.
Image credit: CSC Loyang
The PA Holiday Bungalow chalets is another alleged well-known ghost hotspot. There have been rumours of guests being trapped in a trance, possessed, and hearing eerie laughs in the middle of the night.
One Reddit user mentioned he was walking past the chalets with his friend until they saw an eerie figure sitting alone, staring into the darkness. But who knows, maybe ghosts have feelings and need some alone time to emo, too.
2. Siglap – Has tombs for the mythological Orang Bunian
Image credit: Edge Prop
I was today years old when I found out that the name Siglap was derived from “Si gelap” – which means “the dark one”. Shivers. But here’s another mysterious thing about this estate – tombs for Orang Bunian are believed to be present at Kubur Kassim Cemetery, one of the oldest burial grounds in Singapore.
According to Malay folklore, they are elf-like magical beings that take the form of humans but cannot be seen by us at all.
Image credit: Claus Nehmzoe via Google Maps
Other spirits like pocong and potianak are also said to haunt the grounds. In fact, the cemetery is rumoured to have inspired the 1957 film Pontianak – some scenes were even shot nearby.
Beyond spooky sightings and mythical creatures, atrocious war crimes were also committed here. Siglap Hill was the site of mass killings during the Japanese Occupation, which explains the stories of residents who’ve heard sounds of men crying and wailing in the area.
3. Kallang Bahru River – Sightings of ghostly apparitions
Image credit: @kenichiro_chan via Instagram
Most Singaporeans have probably heard of the gruesome Kallang Bahru River murder that happened back in 2005. It involved a 50-year-old man who killed his lover, severed her body parts, and dumped it into the river. In a separate case, the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual were found right below the Kallang Bahru Bridge.
Maybe it’s the souls of these victims who can’t rest in peace, but people jogging around the area at night have reported seeing some ghostly apparitions roaming around.
The Kolam Ayer Bridge, suspended above the Kallang River.
Just a lil FYI, the TSL office sits right beside this same river and yes, some of us have had our fair share of ghostly encounters.
According to a colleague of ours, his Grab driver saw a pontianak chasing him as he was walking towards the cab. The driver then signalled him to dash quickly into the cab, which he did. Whether the ghost stepped foot into the car, we’ll never know.
4. Bedok Reservoir – Entity “living” in the waters
Image credit: @yongsukhur via Instagram
Bedok Reservoir is not excluded from this list of haunted estates. The place is notorious for its multiple suicide cases that took place over the years. There was even a rumour going around that an entity “lives” in the water body and lures people to come closer – kind of like a siren, but a Singaporean one.
You won’t be the only one levitating above Bedok Reservoir.
Another colleague of mine experienced something odd himself at the reservoir. On one of the nights he went jogging, he felt super uneasy – as if someone was constantly looking at him. After turning multiple times, he finally saw a black shadow dash across him quickly, which made him sprint home ASAP.
These spooky occurrences got so bad that the authorities eventually called for a mass cleansing session. According to news sources, 8 religious leaders got together and did their own prayers each to cleanse the area and protect residents.
5. Spooner Road – Presence of spirits in flats
Image credit: @havealittlemaya via Instagram
Everyone knows Spooner Road as one of the oldest estates to exist. It’s one of the most haunted places, too. In the past, these HDB houses were used to shelter staff working at the nearby Tanjong Pagar Railway Station.
When the station shut down, workers left their homes, leaving the block of flats abandoned. That was when other “guests” were believed to have started occupying these spaces.
Image credit: @limkokwahjoseph via Instagram
While the place has been turned into housing for lower-income individuals, there are stories from residents living in the flats claiming to hear the sounds of a woman crying at night. And not just that, it’s as if there’s someone or something watching their every move in the house.
6. Changi Village – Abandoned hospital & site of WWII massacre
Image credit: @cakrawala.zen via Instagram
Those living in the East might have been told to avoid the area around Changi Village because of Old Changi Hospital’s and Changi Beach’s reputation. It was alleged that the former was a place for Satanists to carry out rituals, therefore attracting supernatural beings and spirits.
Changi was also the internment camp for POWs during WWII, so dark energies are believed to still linger around. Old Changi Hospital was also rumoured to have Kempeitai torture chambers during the Japanese Occupation, and till today has kept its title as Singapore’s Most Haunted Spot.
The former hospital has been abandoned since 1997 and is currently restricted to the public, but there have been proposals to turn the site into an observatory. Hey, at least you know you won’t be alone.
As for Changi Beach, history buffs would know that it was one of the sites of the Sook Ching massacre. Today, some people claim they can still hear the voices of people crying and experience sightings of headless bodies.
7. Nee Soon Road – Sightings of Pontianak at former rubber estate
Image credit: H-Mill Architects
Nee Soon Road is one of the more haunted neighbourhoods that Singaporeans often hear about. The estate was previously known as Nee Soon Rubber Estate – and we all know that pontianaks love hiding in rubber and banana trees.
According to some rumours, a gambler back then poked needles into a banana tree to summon a pontianak living there. He won the lottery with the help of Ms Fatimah Rocker, but failed to remove those same needles stuck in the tree. This made the spirit vengeful, which probably explains sightings today despite the area being redeveloped long ago.
A 13-minute drive from Nee Soon Road is another road called Jalan Mempurong, and yes, it’s reportedly haunted. Accounts from cab drivers passing by claim that there’s a creepy figure in white and long hair that will walk along the empty road at night.
8. Woodlands St 83 – Lurking ghouls of SARS patients
The Blk 852 today doesn’t seem too scary, right?
Image adapted from: Google Street Maps
When Blk 852 at Woodlands Street 83 was used as a quarantine spot during the SARS outbreak, nobody thought it’d also be occupied by other occupants. It’s believed that the souls of the SARS patients who passed on stayed put in the same units.
Adding fuel to the fire, the same block also became a crime spot in 2009, when news emerged of a mentally unstable mother stabbing her daughter to death.
Image credit: @singaporeviewaround via Instagram
These are probably the reasons why residents often hear weird whispers and even sightings of apparitions in this area. They are said to be souls who haven’t been able to move on.
9. Bishan – Headless lady roaming the MRT station
Said lady that surprised residents walking past.
Image credit: PropertyGuru
You might have seen posts of the “lady” who stood on the tracks of Bishan MRT. Well, we’re not sure if that’s a real lady or not, but it does seem suspicious. But perhaps Bishan being a former cemetery provides some sort of explanation to the situation.
Before the estate was redeveloped, Bishan was actually called the Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng Cemetery, a burial site for Cantonese and Hakka immigrants. The land was acquired by the government in 1979, and the exhumation of about 100,000 graves took place between 1982 and 1984.
Maybe one of the spirits was unhappy about the demolition of graves and just wanted to make her presence known.
Till today, Bishan MRT Station still tops the list of the most haunted MRT stations in Singapore.
10. Toa Payoh Lorong 7 – Wailing of victims from a 1981 murder case
Image credit: @blackbox_oe via Instagram
The case of the ritual murders that happened at Block 11, Toa Payoh Lorong 7 will always haunt residents in the estate. Years later, it remains one of the most horrifying murders that happened in Singapore.
For those who haven’t heard of the tragic case, a 9-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy were killed as part of a satanic ritual. Their blood was presumed to be drunk by their killers, a 50-year-old man, his wife and mistress.
The unjust death of these young kids is probably why their souls are believed to still roam the estate. Residents who live in the same block have heard chilling sounds of children screaming and wailing in the middle of the night. Well, if that doesn’t prove that the estate is haunted…
11. Jurong West St 81 – Shadows darting in the dark
If you’re planning to move to Jurong West soon, you may want to reconsider. A family that stayed in the maisonette at Jurong West Street 81 can definitely vouch for this.
Another mysterious encounter by one of the residents living at St 81.
Image credit: Asia Ghosts
The family who stayed here experienced quite a number of ghost encounters. We’re talking mysterious shadows darting in the dark, door handles turning in the middle of the night, and a mysterious “boy” that was seen by neighbours although the family only has 1 daughter.
Image credit: SRX
While there’s no specific explanation for these ghostly happenings, you’d probably want to avoid being on this street alone at night so you don’t “bump” into any ghosts. But if you do decide to go ghost busting, why not grab supper in the area after, or check out our list of things to do in Jurong?
Explore these haunted neighbourhoods in Singapore
You’d probably be quaking in your boots by now if your estate appeared on the list. But if you do run into any entities while walking home at night, just make dash out of the area ASAP.
For the ones who love chasing horror and don’t want to go to a haunted house this upcoming Halloween, we hope this list comes in handy. Just bring along a friend, say some prayers, and look out for anything following you.
For more spooky stuff, check out:
Cover image adapted from: Asia Ghosts
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