Most Haunted Places In The World (Part - 3 )

The Forbidden City, Beijing, China

The old imperial residence of China, now a museum, the Forbidden City, must be seen on any trip to Beijing. You might not be aware, though, that the well-known tourist spot has quite the reputation among believers in the paranormal. The palace complex saw its fair share of killings during its 600-year existence as a palace, whether from envious concubines poisoning one another or executions carried out at the emperor's command. It goes without saying that since the palace first welcomed visitors in the 1940s, there have been numerous stories of unusual occurrences. The most typical tale describes a woman walking around the grounds wailing while wearing all white, like most good ghost stories do.

Leap Castle, Ireland

This Irish castle, which was built sometime between the 13th and the late 15th century, has witnessed more horrifying demises than a Game of Thrones nuptial. According to folklore, a member of the O'Carroll clan, which was known for poisoning dinner guests, slashed his brother with a sword as he was celebrating mass in the castle chapel. The space is now referred to as "The Bloody Chapel," and a legend claims that the priest haunts the church at night. According to the gruesome history recounted on Leap Castle's website, the evil doesn't end there. Early 1900s construction workers discovered a hidden dungeon in the Bloody Chapel with so many human skeletons that they could fill three cartloads when transported.

Oriental Theater, Chicago

In the Loop neighbourhood of downtown Chicago, the Oriental Theater (originally the Iroquois Theater), where a great fire notoriously broke out in 1903 and killed over 600 people, is supposed to be haunted by ghosts. The theatre was entirely rebuilt and given a new name, yet the ghosts persisted: At "Death Alley," the street behind the theatre where remains were heaped after the catastrophe, ghostly apparitions have been reported (and a common stop on many a Chicago ghost tour).

Poveglia Island, Venice

Poveglia Island, which is less than half a mile from Venice's canals, has held various roles throughout history, including a place for plague victims to be quarantined, a place to store Napoleon's weaponry, and a location for an insane asylum in the early 20th century. According to The Travel Channel, the asylum hosted horrifying medical experiments before it was permanently closed after a doctor hurled himself off the building's bell tower. Although though the island's bell was removed decades ago, residents say they can still hear chimes resonating in the distance. Although it is now forbidden to enter Poveglia, you can safely view the island and its dilapidated hospital from Lido's beaches.

Castle of Good Hope, South Africa

The Castle of Good Hope, a large structure close to Table Bay in Cape Town, was constructed in 1666, making it the country's first colonial structure. The location was initially constructed by the Dutch East India Company as a ship replenishment station, but from 1899 to 1902 it also served as a military fortification and a prison. The fort's numerous rooms and structures, including the horrifying torture chamber, are open for tours today, but you might want to get ready for a ghost encounter. Governor Pieter van Noodt sentenced a number of prisoners to death by hanging in the 1700s; one of the convicts cursed the governor from the gallows, and van Noodt passed away from a heart attack later that year.

RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, California

The RMS Queen Mary operated as a luxury ocean liner from 1936 until 1967, with the exception of a brief period during World War II when it was a warship. At least one murder occurred there at the time—a sailor was killed there after being crushed to death by a door in the engine room—and several kids drowned there. The ship was bought by the city of Long Beach in 1967 and converted into a hotel, and it continues to be used for that purpose even though it is said that the ghosts of the murdered passengers are allowed to stay there for free. (Try to visit the ship's engine room, which is said by many to be a "hotbed" of paranormal activity, for an added dosage of spine-tingling sensations.)