The hungry ghost festival, also known as Zhongyuan (Taoism) or Chung-Yuan (formal chinese) ?? festival, is a traditional Chinese festival that is deeply rooted on the values of filial piety, and is celebrated by Taoist and Buddhist followers to honour their deceased family's memories. The festivity this year begins on 4th August and will last for 30 calendar days till 2 September.

The celebration stems from their belief that the Gates of Heaven and Hell are opened in this particular period, allowing the dead to visit the realm of the living for a particular period of time. Family members of the deceased will typically lay out food offerings and burn various offerings for them to curb their hunger in the spirit realm. Likewise, live performances, referred to as Ge Tais, are organised as a sort of entertainment for both the living and the dead.

The ghost month is typically considered by many as an inauspicious month. As such, many adhere to several strict 'DO NOT' rules, hearsays, and myths that has been passed on through generations, such as:

• DO NOT move house
• DO NOT start a new business
• DO NOT go or stay out late at night
• DO NOT swim
• DO NOT step on the offerings
• DO NOT turn your head when you hear someone call you from behind
• DO NOT whistle

So, what does this have to do with real estate? There are many superstitions in the real estate market, such as avoiding buying a property on the fourth floor and living near final resting spots. Without further ado, we will kick off the 3-part Hungry Ghost series with six "ghostly" neighbourhoods that will keep you awake at night.

SPOILER ALERT...

Toa Payoh is one of the earliest towns to be developed, making it among the oldest estates in Singapore. Its name, derived from the Hokkien dialect, literally means big (Toa) swamp (Payoh). Its development was supposed to occur in 1960. However, resistance from those living in the swamps meant that it was delayed. In 1965, HDB began their five-year building programme for Toa Payoh.

Toa Payoh is the first town-estate that has been developed to be a town centre for several surrounding neighbourhoods. It has hosted many significant historical events, such as the late Queen Elizabeth II's visits in 1972 and 2006, the SouthEast Asian Peninsular Games in 1973, and former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao in 2007. Today, it has gone through several rejuvenation programmes, with many enhanced recreational, residential, and commercial facilities developed to boost living in this estate.

However, horror rocked many Singaporeans on January 25, 1981. A three-room apartment located on the seventh floor of block 12, Lorong 7 became the crime scene for one of the most shocking murders in the nation's history. The body of a 9-year-old girl was found in Block 11, and two weeks later, the body of a 10-year-old boy in between Block 10 and 11. Their cause of death? A ritual murder conducted by Adrian Lim and his two "holy" wives.

What made the case even more shocking during then was that the girl was found to have been smothered to death after being sexually assaulted. The boy, while found not to have been sexually assaulted, suffered a puncture to his arm and electric burns on his back. He died as a result of suffocation and drowning. Both kids were found to be drugged and their blood drank as part of the ritual. Today, it is rumoured that their spirits are still roaming the blocks, which still stands to this day. People have reported hearing children laughing, which many have associated with the young lives that ended abruptly. So, are there any truths in these rumours? Read on to the end to find out what we uncovered for ourselves.

Bedok is another of Singapore's oldest estates. Before Singapore began its land reclamation works, Bedok was a coastal region, with the early inhabitants, the Orang Laut, populating it. Because of the coastal access, most of them made a living fishing and running coconut plantations. Today, the estate boasts a diverse and vibrant community, with a plethora of private and public housing, food, parks, and shopping options. However, Bedok has its share of interesting stories.

One of which is Block 611 of Bedok Reservoir Road, which was built in 1981. After its completion, the apartments were leased to expat engineers and teachers. In 1985, many residents moved out, leaving the majority of apartments empty. By 1988, the block was completely vacant. Glue sniffers and drug addicts took advantage of the empty blocks, using it as their hideouts. However, it was not them that garnered gossip from surrounding residents. Various stories, such as the surrounding estate being a pontianak hunting ground, vengeful spirits roaming around the block, and dark shadows running along the corridors, started spreading like wildfire.

The nearby Bedok Reservoir has also been associated as a "cursed" place. In 2011, 6 bodies were pulled out of the water over a span of 5 months. One of the most gruesome cases was one 23-year-old male Chinese national, who was found floating in the water with the top half of his body missing. It was deemed a suicide case. However, his missing half remains a mystery even till today. The body cases got so bad to the point that then MP of Aljunied Mr George Yeo, invited eight representatives of various religious groups to pray and bless the vicinity. Despite that, the tragedies continued.

Today, Bedok Reservoir Road is known among the supernatural community as one of the most notorious spots in Singapore. Many have experienced or sighted supernatural occurrences, from feeling tugs in the water after falling from their kayak to hearing a mother and son laughing in the middle of the night. In fact, we headed down to Bedok Reservoir recently to check out some of the stories for ourselves. You can experience what we went through in the video below.

Bishan is one of the most densely populated estates in Singapore, comprising several neighbourhoods, such as Bishan East and North, Sin Ming, Shunfu, Marymount, and Upper Thomson. In fact, it is one of the most highly sought-after residential estates, with many million-dollar resale transactions recorded. However, it was one of the biggest burial grounds for the Hakka and Cantonese communities from 1870 to 1981, owned by Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng. When the cemetery was established, the surrounding settlement was formed and named Kampong San Teng.

During the second world war in 1942, the site was part of the battle between the British and the Japanese. During the fall of Singapore, Kampong San Teng became the primary place of refuge for the population. Peck San Theng stopped accepting burials in 1973, and in 1979, the land was acquired by the government for redevelopment. The graves were exhumed completely by 1984, turning Kampong San Teng into the Bishan we are familiar today.

Today, Bishan is home to Bishan MRT, one of the busiest interchanges in Singapore, which handles commuters from the North-South and circle line. However, there have been stories of commuters coming into contact with faceless passengers at the platforms and on the train. Maintenance personnels have reported witnessing phantom coffin bearers and funeral processions in the tunnels. One of the creepiest stories that a commuter shared was one of a female ghost who was sitting across from him in the train who detached her head from her neck and calmly positioned it on her lap. Sounds like a typical scene from a horror movie, right?

Spooner Road estate is tucked quietly away in the corner of Kampong Bahru, making it one of the most ulu HDBs in Singapore. It was named after Charles Edwin Spooner, who was the General Manager of the Federated Malay States Railways (FMSR), a consolidated railway operator in British Malay from 1901 to 1948. Spooner Road estate, which consists of only two blocks, Melati (Arabian Jasmine) and Kemuning (Orange Jasmine), can be dated back to the 70s and 80s, making them one of the oldest HDBs.

Source: historybyeisen.com

Records showed that there were originally six blocks of HDBs, all named after Malayan sultanates - Kelantan, Kedah, Johore, Pahang, Selangor, and Perak flats. They were built to house the employees who were working at the FMSR railway yards and station nearby.

Source: historybyeisen.com

Today, just two blocks remain along Spooner Road, which have seemed to be re-routed slightly. The two blocks, Melati and Kemuning, seem to be located at where Perak and Selangor flats used to be, suggesting that the other blocks were demolished to make way for the two newer blocks.

Source: Google Maps

After the railway station ceased operations in 2011, the estate was abandoned and handed over to the Singapore government (It was previously owned by the Malaysia government). The abandoned units were rumoured to have attracted curious spirits. It was not until 2012, that the government converted the two blocks into HDB rental flats for individuals under the interim and public rental housing schemes.

The Spooner Road estates might be one of the most notorious HDBs in Singapore. Its spooky tales have been made creepier by how extensively past and current residents have documented their encounters. There have been stories of a woman crying and shadowy figures that lurk during the day. That being said, the estate is part of the government's estate renewal plans and will be redeveloped after September 2024. In fact, when we headed down to the estate recently, most of the units had already been vacated, which boosted the 'creepiness level' even greater. You can check out our experience in the video below.

Siglap was said to be discovered by Tok Lasam, the chieftain of Siglap. It was believed that he sailed from the Sultanate of Gowa, one of the great kingdoms in Indonesia's history. It was said that when he first landed in the area, dark thunder clouds appeared, leading to the birth of the name, "Si-Gelap", which means "darkness that conceals".

Today, Siglap is a residential district that is predominantly landed properties, such as bungalows, semi-detached houses, and terrace houses. There are also condominiums, HDBs, and serviced apartments in the vicinity. The estate is also renowned for its wide range of aesthetically pleasing restaurants, ice-cream parlour, and cafes. However, what many might not know is its spooky past, from it being a massacre site during the Japanese Occupation to Pontianak sightings.

One of the most haunted locations in Siglap is Kubur Kassim cemetery. It can be dated back to the early 1900s, serving as a muslim burial ground. However, what makes it "interesting" is its connection to the Orang Bunian, which are mythological humanoids believed to live among men away from human sight. Rumour is that there are dedicated graves for them.

Siglap was also a massacre hotspot during the Japanese Occupation. Dozens of male Chinese were brought to the site to be executed. Today, the location is known as Evergreen Avenue, nicknamed as the Valley of Death. In 1962, more than 40 mass graves were found along that stretch. It is said that the spirits of the executed men still haunt the area.

Once a bustling town, Neo Tiew estate is now completely abandoned and inaccessible to the public - owned and used by the SAF. The estate was named after entrepreneur and businessman Neo Ao Tiew. He was significantly involved in the development of Lim Chu Kang, where Neo Tiew Estate is located, building roads, clinics, power stations, and schools in the estate. Neo received the Order of the British Empire for his contributions and efforts.

During the second world war, Neo was responsible for setting up defences in Lim Chu Kang and Kranji. He fled to China when the British began to lose, leaving behind 45 other family members who were massacred, including a 2-month-old baby.

Source: remembersingapore.org

Neo Tiew estate was built in 1979 and was designed to be a self-sufficient estate with shophouses, a playground, and a wet market. One of the oldest playgrounds in Singapore is located in the estate. I can only imagine kids sliding down the slide or doing skateboard tricks at the arc-shaped concrete structure at the back. In 2002, many of its villagers and residents were resettled under the En-Bloc scheme, and the ownership of the estate was transferred to the military. It is said that Neo Tiew estate is a hotspot for pontianaks.

There is one story that has been told multiple times. It was said that there used to be a banana tree plantation there. Once, a gambler stuck seven needles into one of the trees, forcing the spirit that was living in the tree to give him a set of winning lottery numbers. However, he neglected to remove the needles after winning and being rich, killing the tree. This angered the spirit and led to it haunting the estate.

At the end of the day, whether these 'ghostly' stories are real or not, it all depends on whether you believe in the supernatural. However, what we can safely say is that they do not have much gravitational effect on the property values. Places such as Siglap, Bedok Reservoir, and Bishan have become some of the most sought after locations in Singapore, increasing exponentially in property value, as we can see in the graphs below.

Resale property trends of Siglap

Source: PropNex Investment Suite

Resale property trends of Bedok Reservoir

Source: PropNex Investment Suite

Resale property trends of Bishan

Source: PropNex Investment Suite

However, despite evidence indicating a lot about how little superstition affects property value, it is still a vital deciding factor to many households in Singapore. As such, what we would like to encourage homeowners who might potentially be looking at these six neighbourhoods is to not be obsessed with the supernatural and rely on proper analysis and facts.

That being said, some of us here were curious about the validity of some of the rumoured estates, and have taken upon ourselves the responsibility to test the truth. Fortunately, we have recorded the adventure as we head down to four supposedly 'haunted' locations to see if they are as ghostly as they have been told. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, check out our video below to watch our adventure!

Views expressed in this article belong to the writer(s) and do not reflect PropNex's position.