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Winnie Chung

Learn the ins and outs of feng shui, villain hitting, and fortunetelling as well as the dos and don’ts for cultivating good luck in our series on Chinese superstitions.
Edmond Poon Siu-chung may be known as Hong Kong’s “Ghost King”, but he is no ghostbuster, nor does he dress like a Chinese exorcist – there is no Taoist garb, and there are no swords made from ancient bronze coins and no yellow-and-red talismans.
Instead, he is the host of long-running online paranormal programme Twilight Online and other, similar spooky shows on radio and television.
“I don’t mind people calling me [Ghost King] but it’s definitely not something I would call myself,” says the usually nocturnal Poon, when we meet one sunny afternoon in the city. “Maybe they just feel more camaraderie referring to me as that. I just take it as reward for more than 20 years in the business.
“The most important thing is they don’t call me sifu [master] or mistake me for a religious master or medium, because I am none of those things and I have no interest to be. I’m not a spiritual practitioner. I’m just reporting the situation neutrally.”

Poon sees himself first and foremost as a programme host; his ghostly niche is one that he fell into by chance.
Poon began his broadcasting career doing the graveyard shift from 2am to 6am at Hong Kong radio station Metro Radio. When the host of Horror Hotline – a paranormal show where people called in with tales of their spooky encounters – left, Poon was asked if he was interested in taking over.
We caught the sound of a woman crying on the opposite bank and one of the sifu’s disciples said the ghost started communicating with her
Edmond Poon on a visit to Bride’s Pool in Hong Kong
“I was already doing 2am to 6am anyway, another two hours didn’t make much difference. So I said yes. To me, a ghost programme was no different from any other show; as a professional host, you should be able to tackle all subject matters.”
Poon had found his calling in life – Horror Hotline proved so successful that, when Metro Radio reshuffled their programming, he was picked up by veteran talk show personality Stephen Shiu Yeuk-yuen to host Twilight Online for his then-new internet radio platform, Hong Kong Reporter.
When Shiu closed the station in 2013, Poon began broadcasting Twilight Online on his own website. The programme, which started as an audio channel, soon adopted a live format, with Poon in front of a backdrop with a microphone and a string of guests who shared their spooky experiences and tips.
Everybody loves a good ghost story – bus drivers talk about the urban legend of the last bus of the day being reserved for spirits; taxi drivers share their tales of seeing ghosts near cemeteries; and travellers phone in about haunted hotel rooms.
It has since become the go-to for people seeking late-night chills or wishing to share their recent supernatural encounters.

Besides Twilight Online, which airs from Monday to Friday at 11.30pm, Poon can be seen on ViuTV’s Talker: One Beside You on Friday nights, heard on the revived Horror Hotline on Metro Radio on Saturdays, hosts Fat Choi 88 on his website, and revisits the stories behind some of Hong Kong’s reported hauntings on YouTube.
Poon, inspired by popular American ghost-hunting programmes such as Ghost Adventures, has added ghost hunting to his shows. His attempts at doing this himself have failed, as his supernatural “insensitivity” makes him oblivious to paranormal signs.
Instead, he works with people like YouTuber “AP” who, armed with ghost-hunting paraphernalia and apps, will check out “haunted” locations in Hong Kong and around Asia. The segments are aired live on Twilight Online, with viewers adding their own comments and alleged sightings.
Poon says it made sense to diversify his content on a show that runs five nights a week. “To be honest, there’s no guarantee that the stories shared would be good. I’m lucky if I get one or two really good ones a week.”
One such mission to Bride’s Pool in Tai Po in the New Territories led to Poon naming it the most haunted location in Hong Kong. Legend has it that a bride tumbled into the waters and drowned when porters carrying her sedan chair slipped by the waterfall, and people report sightings of a female apparition in traditional Chinese red bridal finery there.
People also think that the ghosts of our family members won’t harm us – that’s not true
Edmond Poon, Hong Kong’s ‘Ghost King’
“AP had gone there with a sifu to see if they could communicate with her,” recalls Poon. “We caught the sound of a woman crying on the opposite bank and one of the sifu’s disciples said the ghost started communicating with her, telling her she was trapped there. The disciple had a flash of an accident and some numbers.”
Wanting to help the trapped spirit, but not knowing her identity, Poon and his team began researching what little they knew or guessed at. They discovered that there had been an accident and a woman and a man believed to be her boyfriend had been killed there when their bike crashed into a pole.
“It just so happened that the uncle of one of our colleagues had been the police officer in charge of the case and, when we asked him, he confirmed the case,” he says.
A short time later, Poon was at the opening of a friend’s boxing gym when a man approached him.
“He told me he heard my show on the Bride’s Pool case and said the girl who died there was actually his girlfriend – the guy who died with her was just a friend giving her a lift home. Because she had no family in Hong Kong, no one performed any rites for her and she was stuck there. The hairs on my neck really stood up when I heard that,” he says.

One of the biggest misconceptions that people have, Poon says, is that the spirits are only out to harm us – sometimes they just want our help.
“People also think that the ghosts of our family members won’t harm us – that’s not true. Sometimes it might be that their graves are in a bad condition and it can affect you. And of course, ghosts don’t only come out at night or during the seventh month of the lunar calendar [when the gates of hell are opened, according to Chinese folklore].”
He believes, however, that we have to show respect to spirits and ghosts – something he learned the hard way when he took a group on a trip to Thailand to visit temples and monks and to check out a scary location or two.
During a visit to a derelict temple, rumoured to be very haunted, an excited Poon had run around taking photos when he suddenly became violently sick. He had to return to his hotel and, when he was struggling through his live session that night, his viewers in Hong Kong told him they saw two spirits behind him in his room.
“I couldn’t see or feel anything so when they told me they can see two figures behind me, I had to believe them,” he says. “I think I was really too excited when I got to the temple. I didn’t have a cameraman with me and had to do the filming myself and also narrate at the same time. So I neglected to pay my respects properly.”

Poon is able to broadcast live from almost anywhere as long as he has Wi-fi, and he has capitalised on that by taking his show to places such as Taipei, where he has set up a studio. He has also travelled to Vietnam and Malaysia to explore urban legends and haunted locations and held social events for his fans.
He is not sure if these trips will pay off financially but they allow him to continue building his community of followers and keeps his content fresh and interesting.
“I don’t see many programmes doing this at the moment. Even in our chat room, you see the same people talking to each other every night; it’s a habit they have before they go to bed and it builds a small community,” he says.
“So it’s important to have travels and social gatherings. Having this community will allow me to spin off other things to do for them.”


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Chinese culture

Hong Kong’s ‘Ghost King’ on chasing spirits, his radio gigs and being a supernatural dud

Radio show host and ghost hunter Edmond Poon talks to the Post about collecting spooky stories. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Poon is the host of long-running online paranormal programme Twilight Online. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Poon on the set of his ViuTV show Talker: One Beside You. Photo: Edmond Poon

Poon uses a ghost-hunting app while seeking spirits. Photo: Edmond Poon

Poon sees himself first and foremost as a programme host. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Would you live in a ‘haunted’ Hong Kong flat, where someone died an unnatural death?

A view of the supposedly haunted Dragon Lodge on The Peak in Hong Kong. The stigma attached to living in a place where an unnatural death occurred makes it hard to rent or sell them, although deep discounts can work. Photo: Martin Chan

Joseph Ng Goon-lau, who buys and sells dozens of properties linked to unnatural deaths, in one of his flats in Mong Kok. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Inside one of Ng’s “hongza” flats in Mong Kok. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Flower bouquets and fruits placed outside the crime scene of the murder case of model, socialite, and influencer Abby Choi Tin-fung, in Lung Mei Village, Tai Po. Photo: Elson Li

This picture, taken in 2016, shows the building in Wan Chai, Hong Kong, in which Rurik Jutting murdered two women in a rented flat. Photo: Anthony Wallace

How Hungry Ghost Festival cultural practices evolved in Hong Kong and Singapore

A worshipper burns paper offerings during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Lok Fu, Hong Kong. Photo: May Tse

A worker rakes paper offerings burned during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Wang Tau Hom, Hong Kong. Photo: Winson Wong

A Teochew opera troupe perform during the Hungry Ghost Festival in Toa Payoh, Singapore, in 2016. Photo: Shutterstock

Who is Sammy Leung? Hong Kong radio and TV host who’s ever present on airwaves and screen

TVB game show hosts and Commercial Radio DJs Sammy Leung and Kitty Yuen Siu-yee. Photo: courtesy of TVB

Sammy Leung Chi-kin at an interview with the Post in 2011. Leung, or Sum-mei, has been a radio show host since 1995, and acted in films and TV drama series. Photo: SCMP

Leung at an interview with the Post in 2001. From 2001 to 2009, he was host of the radio show Sammy Moving. Photo: SCMP

Leung (left) and his long-time co-host Kitty Yuen at an interview with the Post in 2000. Photo: SCMP

(From left) Kitty Yuen, Leung and pop singer Edmond Leung perform at a press conference in 2000. Photo: SCMP

Fiona Sit and Leung in a still from Love Undercover 3 (2006).

Leung at a promotional event in 2018. Photo: Edward Wong

5 Hong Kong film set superstitions, from rites to lucky red envelopes for death scenes

Andy Lau Tak-wah in a scene from the film Fat Choi Spirit. Actors in a death scene are given red envelopes contaning money to dispel bad luck. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

The cutting open of a roasted pig is considered part and parcel of starting a new TV production. Photo: Sam Tsang

Death scene performers get lai see, or red envelopes, to dispel bad juju after filming. Photo: Shutterstock 

When filming in nature and at abandoned sites, a film crew will invite a shaman to perform rites to ask nearby spirits to kindly not to disrupt their process. Photo: Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Arts

Entertainment

Chinese superstitions

Chinese pregnancy food superstitions and traditions, from eating dog heads to no coffee

Eating a white-haired dog’s head was said to ensure an easy birth in Chinese lore. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese people have many traditions and superstitions about what to eat and not eat during pregnancy, some based on traditional Chinese medicine. Photo: Shutterstock

One superstition in Hangzhou was that women should use a small rice bowl for their evening meal to “prevent the fetal head from being too large”. Photo: Shutterstock

Fried crab at Hee Kee Crab General in Causeway Bay. Some believe that ingredients such as snake, prawn and crab should be avoided. Photo Paul Yeung

Women are told to avoid inky ingredients like black sesame to prevent giving birth to a baby with a darker complexion. Photo: Shutterstock

Yuki Maryrose Leung with her husband, Spencer, and son Liam. Leung did not follow a lot of the advice circulating among the Chinese community when it came to what not to eat. Photo: Anna Maria Studio

Patricia Chan, also known as Aunty Pat, is a confinement nurse trained in Hong Kong. Photo: Patricia Chan

Post-partum recovery teas consist of ingredients such as goji berries, red dates and Chinese herbs. Photo: Shutterstock

Post-partum women are encouraged to eat more heating foods to bring their bodies back into equilibrium and bathe with ginger water. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese funeral customs to pay respects to the dead, from what to wear to why age is key

A red wooden coffin at a Chinese funeral. Photo: Shutterstock

A Chinese funeral in Thailand. In Chinese communities around the world, there are many superstitions surrounding death and the mourning process. We look at some that ensure respect is shown and bad luck is avoided. Photo: Shutterstock

In Chinese culture, mirrors are traditionally removed from a person’s home after they die, to prevent their soul from searching in vain for its reflection. Photo: Shutterstock

Paper money and other items made out of joss paper are burned at Taoist funerals to aid the deceased in the afterlife. Photo: Shutterstock

Paper servants, to be burnt as offerings during a Taoist funeral, in Hung Hom, Hong Kong. Photo: Antony Dickson

How to talk to the dead explained by a Chinese spirit medium in Hong Kong

Chinese spirit medium Lawrence Leung. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Chinese spirit medium Lawrence Leung says he learned to contact the dead after practising Luk Yam Taoism - one of two branches of Taoism in Hong Kong that mainly deal with spirits and ghosts. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Lawrence Leung says ghosts in Southeast Asia are stronger than those in Hong Kong. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Leung says it is harder for ghosts and spirits to bother people who have done a lot of good deeds and have good intentions. Photo: Lawrence Leung

Leung says he once saw the ghost of an obese woman sitting on a bed in a Nyonya house in Malaysia with both her arms around the necks of two weaker ghosts. Illustration: Henry Wong

5 films about Chinese superstitions, from hopping vampires to ghosts to curses

A still from The Eye (2002), one of five films we look at whose narratives draw on Chinese superstition and the supernatural. 

What is villain hitting? Voodoo-like Chinese practice is not as sinister as it sounds

A practitioner performs a villain-hitting ritual in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Fortune-tellers break down the practice and explain its history. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Tong Pik-ha, also known as Master Tong, is a feng shui master. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Andrew Kwan is a feng shui master. Photo: Andrew Kwan

A practitioner performs a villain hitting ceremony for a client in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

Villain hitting in Causeway Bay. There are three groups of people – pregnant women, children and the elderly – that cannot be the target of villain hitting. Photo: Jonathan Wong

A practitioner performs villain hitting in Causeway Bay. The practice is mostly seen in Hong Kong. Photo: Sam Tsang

5 tips to avoid ghosts in your hotel, from knocking before entering to covering mirrors

We offer a few ways to avoid disturbing the spirits when you are travelling, even if your hotel is haunted like the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles is said to be. Photo: Reuters

A still from security camera footage showing Elisa Lam Ho-yi entering a lift in the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles, where she died in unexplained circumstances in 2013. Photo: YouTube

Firefighters found Lam’s body inside a water tank on the roof of the Cecil Hotel (also called the Hotel Cecil). Photo: Reuters

The inside of the Grand Hyatt Taipei hotel, which is said to be haunted. Photo: Shutterstock

The exterior of the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Inside, disembodied children’s voices have been reported in its corridors. Photo: Facebook/Grand Hyatt Taipei

The lobby of the Bangkok Palace Hotel, which also has a reputation for being haunted. Photo: Facebook/Bangkok Palace Hotel

Lucky phone numbers and wedding dates to dining don’ts, Chinese numerology superstitions

Law Ting-pong, chairman of Laws Fashion Knitters, and Miss Hong Kong Pauline Yeung Po-ling holding up two licence plates numbered 8 for which Law paid HK$5 mllion at auction in February 1988. Photo: SCMP 

A Chinese luo pan compass used in feng shui. Some numbers are seen as lucky in Chinese culture, while others are believed to be unlucky. We look at five areas to maximise good fortune, including phone numbers and dates for special occasions. Photo: Shutterstock

Floor numbers are taken seriously in Chinese culture, with the fourth floor being “missed out” in many buildings because 4 sounds similar to the word for death in Cantonese and Mandarin. Photo: Shutterstock

A car registration plate auction in Hong Kong. Plates with auspicious number combinations have historically been sold for a pretty penny in the city. Photo: Robert Ng

A stall selling SIM cards attached to different phone numbers in Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. The combinations of digits phone numbers contain are believed to determine whether they are lucky or unlucky. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Ordering seven dishes at a restaurant is seen as unlucky in Chinese culture; ordering an even number is seen as better. Photo: Shutterstock

A wedding party gathered in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. Choosing a wedding date can be tricky for Chinese couples as the bride and groom must take into account their birthdays and those of their parents. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Dreams about snakes or wedding dresses? An expert breaks down Chinese dream interpretation

Monita, a Hong Kong-based dream interpretation specialist, breaks down Chinese dream interpretation and its relevance today. Photo: Instagram/_hungpage_

The meaning of one’s dreams have been a source of intrigue since ancient times in China and everywhere. Photo: Shutterstock

Monita is a dream interpretation specialist in Hong Kong. Photo: @_hungpage_

Dream therapy can be a source of healing for clients, helping them understand their traumas and suppressed emotions. Photo: @_hungpage_

Monita advises that dream interpretation, like tarot card reading, should at most give warnings, but not predict someone’s fortune. Photo: @_hungpage_

A feng shui master’s guide to making your office more productive, and why ‘balance’ is key

Hong Kong feng shui master Thierry Chow designs productive workspaces. She talks to the post about using lighting and colours to achieve balanced energy, and why every space needs a different approach. Photo: Xiaomei Chen


Chow was inspired to become a feng shui designer by her father, feng shui master Chow Hon-ming. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Chow says introducing colourful objects to a workspace can promote creativity and positivity. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

One of numerous buildings in Hong Kong that features a hole in its centre in line with feng shui principles. Hong Kong takes the ancient Chinese practice seriously. Photo: Jelly Tse

Viral TikTok videos from Singaporean architect bring feng shui to a whole new audience

Singaporean architect Cliff Tan in a still from one of his Instagram videos. Photo: Instagram/dearmodern

Singaporean architect Cliff Tan in a still from one of his Instagram videos. Tan has earned millions of followers across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube with his quirky viral videos that feature feng shui tips. Photo: Instagram/dearmodern

The “before” of a Hong Kong flat (the “after” is below) with seemingly no other possible layout. Photo: Cliff Tan

The “after” of the flat. “We changed it completely and made the space so much more spacious and natural,” Tan says. Photo: Cliff Tan

Tan founded his own practice, Design Modern, in 2016. Photo: Cliff Tan 

Tan’s clients come from all over the world. Photo: Cliff Tan

Edmond Poon chases ghosts for a living, as a radio show host collecting stories and in person. He talks to the Post about his spooky career


Hong Kong ghost hunter Edmond Poon talks to the Post about collecting spooky stories, how he started out, and why he became violently sick after visiting a derelict temple rumoured to be very haunted.


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.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Edmond Poon chases ghosts for a living, as a radio show host collecting stories and in person. He talks to the Post about his spooky career

Edmond Poon chases ghosts for a living, as a radio show host collecting stories and in person. He talks to the Post about his spooky career