'Still gives me goosebumps': Romeo Tan revisits Old Changi Hospital during Hungry Ghost Month

The seventh lunar month is the best (or worst, depending on who you ask) time to go looking for ghosts.

It's a time that Taoists and Buddhists believe the gates of the underworld are open and spirits roam the earth, and takes place between Aug 4 and Sep 2 this year.

And right in the middle of this spooky month, local actor Romeo Tan took the opportunity to go to what is purportedly the most haunted place in Singapore: Old Changi Hospital.

"Last week, I revisited Old Changi Hospital (OCH) after 24 years," the 39-year-old told AsiaOne. "This time, I joined a haunted walk tour called Walk with Hantu: Changi.

"They have been running this tour for almost three years, and I had a good near three-hour walk exploring the spookiest spots in Changi, from the shadows of the coastal kampong to the empty shells of British military buildings and the infamous OCH."

Romeo had last visited the defunct hospital on a tour in secondary school.

"I distinctly remember that, when we did a head count by calling out our individual numbers, there was an extra number," he recalled. "It took us a moment to react, and we just ran out as fast as possible.

"Till today, I still don't know if it was a prank by one of our friends."

He shared his experience this time around in an Instagram Reel, showing OCH and supposedly-haunted chalets where two women were found dead, all set to spooky background music.

"Joining this walk during the ghost month is a really crazy experience! I love the energy!" he captioned the post.

The energy wasn't paranormal, though, as Romeo told us that "nothing really happened" on the tour when it came to spirits.

"But it was a good tour to better understand Changi's history and get a mind-blowing dose of Asian supernatural logic. However, I must admit, looking at OCH from the locked gate still does give me goosebumps. Furthermore, this was a night tour."

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by R O M E O T A N (@romeotan)

Romeo plays Hendrix in Mr Zhou's Ghost Stories@Job Haunting III alongside Love972 DJs Dennis Chew (the titular Mr Zhou), Mark Lee and Marcus Chin, with other guests including Richard Low, Joel Choo and Bonnie Loo.

This season continues Mr Zhou's exploration of dark tales behind various professions.

"I love seeking the paranormal but during the filming [this show], I sensed zero supernatural energy," he said. "Perhaps I was too tired during filming and my senses were off."

Romeo may be lacking the third eye, but still adheres to one superstition during the ghost month — no swimming.

"I guess it's a childhood story of gui la jiao (ghost pulling feet) that I heard from my friends that still got me paranoid till now," he added.

Mr Zhou's Ghost Stories@Job Haunting III is available on Mewatch and airs on Channel 8 on Mondays, starting Aug 26 at 10.30pm.

[[nid:696769]]

drimac@asiaone.com

No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.