00:00Tucked away in the busy Chaoyangmen neighborhood of Beijing, not far from the old Second Ring Road,
00:05and just a short walk from the subway station, sits one of the most haunted buildings in China.
00:12The house at number 81 Chaoyangmen Inner Street. Though it looks like an old French-style mansion,
00:19its real story is far darker than its walls let on. The house at number 81 was built in the
00:25early
00:2520th century, most likely around the year 1910. It stands out with its French Baroque design,
00:32made from brick and stone, topped with a steep shingled roof and chimneys reaching into the sky.
00:38It's two and a half stories tall and includes a hidden basement level. The home has a unique
00:44layout, with three bays across the front and a wing stretching off to the side. Though beautiful in
00:51design, the house has always given off a strange, heavy feeling, even before the ghost stories began.
00:58People have called this place Beijing's most haunted house for good reason. For years,
01:04locals have believed that spirits wander inside its old walls. Some say it's a woman's ghost.
01:10Others whisper about people disappearing without a trace. Over time, the house's dark past has been
01:16passed around in hushed tones, spreading through the city like smoke. Children in the neighborhood
01:21once played nearby, but they rarely dared to go inside. Even back in the 1970s, the house gave people
01:28chills. In the late 1960s, during the Cultural Revolution, the Red Guards moved into the house,
01:35but they didn't stay long. According to some who lived nearby, the group left in a hurry,
01:41afraid of something they couldn't explain. That sudden departure only added to the rumors that
01:47something wasn't right inside number 81. Its past, however, is hard to trace. Official records from
01:54before the year 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, are incomplete. Some say the
02:01house was once used by missionaries to learn the Chinese language. Others believe it was a church
02:07or even a home for a railway official from France. There are also stories that the house belonged to a
02:13foreign school, and that one of its most famous students was John K. Fairbank, who later became a professor
02:20at Harvard University. Still, none of these stories explain the feeling people get when they walk past the
02:27house today. A sense of unease, as if the air around it is colder than it should be. The walls
02:34may not speak,
02:35but the silence is loud. Next, we'll take a closer look at the ghost stories tied to number 81,
02:41including one of the most well-known tales in all of Beijing. The true origin of Chaonei number 81
02:48is still debated today. Because historical records before the year 1949 are missing or incomplete,
02:56there is no single story that everyone agrees on. One widely believed version says that the house was
03:04built around the year 1910, and originally served as the North China Union Language School.
03:10The school was created to help missionaries from the West learn Mandarin Chinese before working in
03:16different parts of the country. Over time, this school grew into a larger educational program.
03:22In the 1930s, it was known as the California College in China.
03:27It welcomed not only missionaries, but also foreign diplomats, businessmen, and scholars.
03:33One of the people believed to have studied there was John K. Fairbank, a well-known Harvard professor
03:39and China expert. This version of the story is supported by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Beijing,
03:45the current owner of the property. However, not everyone agrees with that version.
03:49Some researchers say that the real California College building was located somewhere else in Beijing,
03:56and Chaonei number 81 had nothing to do with it. According to another version of the house's past,
04:02it was actually built as a home for the manager of the Beijing Hankou Railway, who was French.
04:08This would explain the French Baroque style of the mansion's architecture.
04:14A third version claims that the house is even older. Some believe it dates back to at least the year
04:201900,
04:21and that it was a gift from the imperial Chinese government. In this version, the property was
04:27either given to the British government or to the Catholic Church, possibly to house missionaries
04:32or to be used as a small church. Because of the lack of clear historical documents,
04:38none of these versions can be fully confirmed. After the founding of the People's Republic of China
04:45in the year 1949, the building was mostly used for government offices. That continued through the
04:53early decades of the new government. Later, during the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s,
05:00Red Guards moved into the house for a short time. Their stay didn't last long. According to some who
05:07lived nearby, the Red Guards left suddenly after only a few days. Many believe it was because of
05:13something strange they experienced inside the house, but nothing was ever officially reported.
05:19What's clear is that the house has a long and complicated history, full of gaps and mystery.
05:26The confusion about who built it and what it was used for has only added to its haunted reputation.
05:34Each version of the house's origin leads to more questions than answers, and the truth may never be
05:40fully known. But that uncertainty is part of what draws people to Chaonei No. 81, a place where history,
05:48mystery and fear all come together. By the early 1990s, Chaonei No. 81 was no longer in use for any
05:55official purpose. Though it had served various functions throughout the 20th century, the building
06:01eventually fell into a state of abandonment. Over the years, the surrounding neighborhood developed
06:06quickly, and modern buildings began to tower around it. In contrast, the mansion stood untouched. Its
06:13paint faded, windows broken, and wooden staircases decaying. No major renovations were made, and the
06:19structure remained as it had been for decades, slowly falling apart. Local residents began to report that the
06:26house had an unsettling presence. Some people claimed to hear unexplained sounds, such as footsteps on empty
06:32floors or whispers coming from the shadows. Others spoke of seeing figures inside the windows, even though
06:40the building had no electricity or known occupants. These accounts started to grow more frequent, especially
06:47among neighbors and passers-by who walked past the house at night. Over time, urban legends began to take shape.
06:54One of the most well-known stories involved a woman in a red dress, who was said to appear in
07:00the windows
07:00or near the entrance. Though no one could confirm her identity, people claimed she looked sorrowful or
07:06confused. Some said she appeared briefly and vanished just as quickly. The figure became part of the
07:13mansion's growing haunted reputation, but there was never any photographic or video evidence to support the
07:18sightings. In addition to visual sightings, there were rumors about the building's temperature. Visitors and
07:25thrill seekers who entered the house without permission often said the air inside felt much colder than the
07:30temperature outside. They described an unnatural chill that seemed to surround them, even during the hot
07:37summer months in Beijing. Some people also claimed to feel lightheaded or dizzy while inside, but no scientific
07:44explanation was ever provided for these sensations. At night, neighbors often reported hearing unusual
07:50sounds like crying, shouting, or the loud slamming of doors. Security patrols that passed by the house
07:57occasionally investigated, but found no signs of forced entry or trespassers. Despite being heavily locked
08:04and surrounded by warnings against entry, the house remained a popular site for ghost hunters and curious
08:09visitors, especially after dark. In the late 2000s, as paranormal interest grew on the internet,
08:17videos and photos of the house began circulating widely. These posts, many shared on Chinese forums and
08:24social media platforms, added to the building's ghostly reputation. Some videos featured shaky footage
08:31of strange movements, flickering lights, or muffled voices. While most of the content was blurry or
08:39inconclusive, it attracted attention from people across the country, turning Shaonei number 81 into one of
08:46the most talked about haunted places in China. Although the mansion had no confirmed history of violence or
08:52tragedy, the lack of clear facts only deepened the fear surrounding it. The growing number of strange
08:58experiences paired with the building's empty and decaying appearance helped turn Shaonei number 81 into a
09:07symbol of mystery. By the end of the second decade of the 21st century, it had become a regular stop
09:13on
09:14local ghost tours and was widely known among paranormal communities. By the early 2020s, the fate of
09:21Shaonei number 81 had become a subject of public debate in Beijing. The property's historical architecture and
09:28eerie reputation had made it both a point of local pride and an object of concern. While developers
09:35expressed interest in the land due to its prime location within the city, preservationists and
09:41cultural historians pushed for the building to be protected due to its age and cultural significance.
09:47In response to growing interest, local authorities took steps to stabilize the structure without altering
09:54its appearance. Repairs were made to the roof and support beams to prevent collapse and the grounds
10:01were cleared of overgrowth. However, no full-scale renovation was carried out. The goal was to preserve
10:08the building in its current state rather than restore it. As of the mid-2020s, the house remained closed to
10:16the
10:16public and under occasional surveillance to prevent unauthorized access.
10:23Shaonei number 81 began appearing more frequently in Chinese popular culture. It was featured in articles,
10:30documentaries, and television segments exploring urban legends and haunted places across the country.
10:37In the year 2014, the house was used as inspiration for a Chinese horror film titled The House That Never
10:45Dies,
10:46which fictionalized the events said to have occurred there. The film's release sparked renewed interest
10:52in the property and attracted both horror fans and tourists to the area. Despite the publicity,
10:58no official claim about hauntings were ever confirmed by authorities or historians.
11:02The building's mysterious status remained tied to local storytelling, with no concrete evidence offered to
11:09support any paranormal theories. Still, its presence within Beijing's urban landscape continued to draw
11:16speculation. The lack of a detailed public record about the original owners or specific events that took
11:23place in the house added to the ongoing mystery. Architecturally, Shaonei number 81 stands out from nearby structures.
11:32It features a red brick facade, pointed gables, and arched windows, characteristic of early 20th century European styles.
11:42The design is unusual in Beijing, and contributes to the sense that the building is out of place or frozen
11:48in time.
11:49This distinct look has helped preserve its image in media and urban folklore.
11:53Over the decades, various proposals have been made to repurpose the building, including ideas for turning it into a museum,
12:02a cultural center, or even a themed restaurant. However,
12:06none of these plans have moved forward. The building remains unoccupied, and its future remains uncertain.
12:14To this day, Shaonei number 81 continues to fascinate people across China and beyond.
12:21It stands as a rare example of a preserved, empty mansion in one of the world's busiest cities.
12:27Whether viewed as a haunted house, a cultural relic, or simply an abandoned property,
12:32it holds a firm place in the public imagination, a silent structure with an unclear past, and a story still
12:39waiting to be completed.
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