Are you an atheist? Do you believe that ghosts really exist? As a city with a rich past, Beijing has quite a few spooky places that are thought to be haunted by the deceased. While some of the stories are groundless and have no actual proof, the sheer bone-chilling factor attached is enough to make the place attractive in a mysterious sense. One thing that can be said for sure is that next time you walk past Prince Gong’s Mansion and get shivers down your spine, you are not alone.

1 Imperial Palace

[Photo/Xinhua]

With a history spanning over 600 years, these walls served as the Imperial Palace in the Ming and Qing dynasties, when execution for betrayal or disobedience was common and anyone who was against imperial rule was subject to death. Murder was often committed by a jealous concubine or envious guard. Too many died unnecessarily, creating these bloody red walls. The palace was transformed into a tourist site, with guards put in place in the late 1940s, when the protectors witnessed strange occurrences, including odd animals scurrying about the grounds late at night and a crying woman in white walking the grounds but not responding to people.

Address: Forbidden City