Nam Koo Terrace

Nam Koo Terrace was commissioned by To Koo-chai, a prominent Shanghainese silk merchant, and completed in 1918. Designed in an eclectic architectural style combining colonial European red-brick craftsmanship with traditional Chinese roof tiles, the two-story mansion originally served as a grand private residence for the affluent merchant family. Following To Koo-chai's death, ownership passed to his brother. However, the golden era of the house came to a tragic end with the outbreak of the Pacific War and the fall of Hong Kong.

During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945, the Japanese Imperial Army commandeered Nam Koo Terrace. Historical reports and local oral accounts allege that the mansion was converted into a military 'comfort station' where local women were held against their will, subjected to systemic abuse, and tortured by occupying soldiers. Scores of women reportedly died or took their own lives inside the mansion before the war concluded in 1945.

After World War II, the property changed hands multiple times and eventually fell into total abandonment in the late 1980s. In 1993, property developer Hopewell Holdings acquired the site with plans to incorporate it into a mega-hotel development project. Designated a Grade I Historic Building by the Antiquities Advisory Board in 2009, Nam Koo Terrace has undergone structural heritage conservation, though its interior remains closed to the public.

The most pervasive legend of Nam Koo Terrace surrounds the spirits of the women forced into servitude during the Japanese military occupation. Locals and passersby report seeing ghostly female apparitions dressed in torn wartime attire floating near the second-floor balconies. Bloodcurdling screams, soft weeping, and desperate pleas for help in Cantonese and Japanese are frequently heard echoing from the vacant building during the quiet hours past midnight.

Another famous legend gained international attention in November 2003 when a group of eight teenagers attempted to hold an overnight ghost hunt inside the abandoned mansion. During their exploration, three female teenagers reportedly became hysterical and claimed to be possessed by a female spirit. One girl transformed into an aggressive state with unusual physical strength, speaking in an unfamiliar demonic voice and attacking police officers sent to assist. Four of the teenagers required emergency psychiatric treatment, making headline news across Hong Kong and cementing the property's terrifying reputation.

Locals also tell stories of ghostly green fireballs (ghost light or 'flames of the dead') hovering around the main red-brick entrance gate late at night. Witnesses describe these phantom flames drifting through the courtyard before vanishing through solid brick walls without leaving any burn marks or ash behind. According to local feng shui experts, the accumulation of negative energy (yin energy) in the house attracts restless spirits from across Wan Chai.

Urban explorers and Wan Chai residents living along Ship Street have documented numerous mysterious occurrences around Nam Koo Terrace. The most frequently reported phenomena include supernatural shadows pacing past closed upper-floor window shutters where no human caretaker resides.

Passersby late at night report smelling a sudden, inexplicable stench of decaying organic matter or burning incense near the iron entrance gate. In addition, pedestrians frequently experience intense feelings of being watched, sudden dizzy spells, cold spots, or sharp drops in ambient temperature while walking past the property footbridge.

Maintenance workers and security guards assigned to the perimeter have reported hearing heavy footsteps walking across the wooden floorboards inside, disembodied whispering, and the distinct sound of heavy wooden furniture being dragged across empty rooms. Digital cameras pointed at the red brick facade often exhibit unexpected lens flare distortion, unexplained dark silhouettes, and rapid battery failure. Electrical equipment frequently malfunctions near the gate.

Nam Koo Terrace is a fine example of early 20th-century colonial residential architecture blended with traditional Chinese decorative features. Built primarily of red brick with granite trimmings, the two-story building covers approximately 200 square meters of floor space. It features a broad arched verandah, classical columns, rusticated masonry, and ornamental ironwork railings along its balconies.

The interior layout includes a prominent central hall, high-ceilinged living quarters, and a private rear garden built directly into the rising hillside slope. The roof combines red clay tiles with Western timber trusses. Its distinctive red brickwork stands out vividly against the surrounding modern concrete high-rise apartments of Wan Chai.

Nam Koo Terrace is situated at No. 55 Ship Street in Wan Chai, accessible via the Wan Chai MTR Station (Exit B2) followed by a short 5-minute uphill walk. The site can also be reached via the QRE Plaza pedestrian walkway connecting Queen's Road East.

The mansion is private property owned by Hopewell Holdings and is strictly closed to the public. The exterior brick façade, arched verandah, and entrance staircase are easily visible from Ship Street. Visitors are encouraged to appreciate the historic architecture from the public pavement and refrain from attempting to climb perimeter walls or enter restricted zones.

Nam Koo Terrace's haunted status is deeply rooted in verified wartime trauma and reinforced by dramatic modern paranormal incidents. The tragic historical legacy of World War II military comfort stations combined with the well-publicized 2003 teenage exorcism incident solidified its standing in Hong Kong pop culture as the most famous haunted red-brick mansion of Wan Chai, drawing paranormal enthusiasts worldwide.