Urban Legends: The Haunted Royal Ontario Museum

Home to six million or so artifacts, the Royal Ontario Museum, located in Toronto, Canada is the largest museum in Canada and one of the largest in the World. Found in April 14, 1912, the museum is over a hundred years old. Not surprisingly, for an old place housing many old artifacts, there are also many ghost stories associated with the place. Among the many supernatural stories, there are two notable ones...

Urban Legends: Gloomy Sunday, the Hungarian Suicide Song

"Gloomy Sunday" is a popular song composed by Hungarian musician Rezső Seress. The Song was published in Hungary in 1933 and became well-known throughout the English-speaking world after the release of a translated version by American Jazz Musician Billie Holiday in 1941. Since the lyrics referred to suicide, it becomes known as the "Hungarian Suicide Song". There is a recurring urban legend which claims many people who heard the song would commit suicide. 

Urban Legends: Hong Kong Ghost Takeout

Ghost Takeout (Traditional Chinese: 鬼叫餐) is one of the most well-known Ghost stories from Hong Kong. The origins of the story began sometime after the Second World War. Although there are variants, the basic structure of the story is as follows...

Urban Legends: Bus 375

Bus 375 is a supernatural incident that is purported to have happened in Beijing, China. The urban legend took place on the board of  Bus 375, during the midnight of November 14, 1995. It is the last bus on its route and has just pulled out of the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmin yuan) bus terminus and is heading toward Xiangshan.

Old Summer Palace is the official residence of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 CE) emperors prior to its destruction by British soldiers during the Second Opium War in 1860. It is not only the namesake of the bus terminus, but it apparently drove through many areas which the old palace once stood.

Comics Showcase: High-rise Invasion

High-rise Invasion (天空侵犯), also known as Tenkuu Shinpan is a survival horror manga with a unique setting. It is not about zombie apocalypse, a giant bug invasion or even a nuclear invasion. This is about a story about what you will do if you suddenly waked up in a bizarre world surrounded by skyscrapers and masked people chasing after your lives, in a manner much like Freddy from Friday 13th.

Urban Legends: Gai-Jan (Chicken Man)

Gai-Jen (Traditional Chinese: 雞人) translated to "Chicken man". It is an urban legend from Hong Kong. Although purported to have predated the Second World War, recent research suggests a more recent origin. Specifically, it was written by the Hong Kong writer Zita Law 羅穎思 for the now defunct Yes! magazine in 1991. Because it was written so convincingly, many netizens confused it as being true and spread it across the internet as a true historical event. In fact, it is commonly attributed as being the top 10 most famoous urban legend of Hong Kong. Below is my translated version of the story. 

Contraptions: Puppy-Shaped Puddings

Will you eat these little critters? Rest assured, these Shar Pei puppies are indeed creamy coconut puddings made by a Desert Shop in Pathum Thani, Thailand called Wilaiwan. They caused much controversy when the shop first post them online simply because how realistic they look!

Landmarks: So Lo Pun

So Lo Pun (Traditional Chinese: 鎖羅盆) is a derelict village in the northeastern New Terrirotires of Hong Kong. Today, It is within the Plover Cove Country Park and a popular hiking destination. The village was once the home of generations of Hakka family with the surname of Wong and is purportedly haunted. 

Landmarks: The Olde Angel Inn

The Olde Angel Inn is a purportedly haunted Inn in Canada. Located on 224 Regent St, Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, Canada, it was established in 1789 and is Ontario's oldest operating Inn. 

Landmarks: Lover's Rock

The Lover's Rock (Traditional Chinese: 姻緣石) is a landmark located along Bowan Road, Hong Kong. According to popular myths, if you want love and children, pray to the Stone and your wishes will be answered.

Comics Showcase: Signal 100

Signal 100 (Japanese: シグナル100信号) is a psychological thriller manga written by Miyatsuki Arata and drawn by Kondou Shigere. The story followed a group of high school students in a death game which they are forced into play by their homeroom teacher, whom they bullied into suicide. As a highly trained psychologist, before the teacher killed himself, he hypnotized the whole class, where they are force to kill themselves if they commit certain action. 

Comics Showcase: Hell Teacher Nube

Hell Teacher Nube/Aka. Jigoku Sensei Nube (Japanese: 地獄先生ぬ～べ～), created by the collaborative efforts of writer Sho Makura and artist Takeshi Okano is an occult classic and is probably successful horror shonen manga. 

Monsterpedia: Moo-Sin-A

Moo-Sin-A 魔神仔 is a mythological creature endemic to Taiwan. The name Moo-Sin-A is derived from its Taiwanese pronunciation. According to folklores, it is a mischevious creature that enjoys pulling pranks on humans, especially children and the elderlies. 

Comics Showcase: Karada Sagashi

Are you into Japanese Horror flicks? If so, perhaps Karada Sasgashi カラダ探し (Re/Member) is for you. Originally a web novel by Welzard, it had since been serialized on Shonen Jump Plus by Murase Katsutoshi. It is a very typical Japanese ghost story, with a premise not much unlike most J-horrors.

Comics Showcase: Bastard

Today, I want to introduce another comics, "Bastard", written by Youngchan Hwang and illustrated by Carnby Kim. The comics packed with suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety that pulls people into the story and holds them captives. The story revives around Jin Seon, a moody young man raised by a single father. As you can probably tell from the title, Jin doesn't quite get along with his father. The complex relationship between Jin and his father is the focus of the story.

Monsterpedia: Pishtaco

According to folklores, the Pishtaco is a vampire-like creature indigenous to the Andean region to South America. Unlike the European Vampires, however, pishtaco do not feed on blood but on fat.It is believed that pishtacos often take the form of a stranger and often in the form of a white man, preying on unsuspected natives.

Comics Showcase: Tales of the Unusual

Do you like to hear supernatural tales, have a wanting for suspense but have a weak heart Perhaps you can try the Tales of the Unusual 기기괴괴, a Korean Webtoons Comics by Seongdae Oh. The series features a number of stand alone short stories, each with a supernatural theme.

Comics Showcase: Shibuya Kingyo

Do you like survival horrors, but got tired of the use of zombies as a trope? Let me introduce you to Shibya Kingyo 渋谷金魚 (Shibuya Goldfish), a Japanese manga comics by Hiroumi Aoi.

Listverse: Preventive Measures against the Paranormal when staying in a Hotel

From disembodied voices to ghostly apparitions, supernatural sightings in hotels are a common theme in stories about the paranormal. Obviously, not everyone would want such experiences. 

Apparently, some believe there are preventive measures one could observe to lower one's chance in encountering the paranormal during their hotel visits. Below are some of them: 

Contraptions: Kaonashi Coin Bank

This time round, I thought I will again talk about an extremely interesting (but not so useful) contraption. For fans of Studio Ghibi, this would come familiar. Yes, this is Kaonoshi, also known as No Face, your very lovable spirit from Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 animated feature "Spirited Away".  Recently, Studio Ghibi released a coin bank modeled on this very character. 

Urban Legends: Sai Kung Barrier

The Sai Kung Barrier 西貢結界 is an energy barrier that purported to exist in Sai Kung Peninsula 西貢半島, on the outskirts of Hong Kong. Sai Kung Peninsula is one of the most popular hiking destination. Over the recent years, several disappearances were reported from the area, causing many citizens to compare the peninsula to the Bermuda Triangle.