Haunted Buildings in Taiwan

[jfn007]

In March 2012 I visited two of my former students who live in Taoyuan. I am into photography and was interested in this very unusual looking seven story building in Taoyuan. I asked one of my students to tell me about this building. He stated, as did his parents, that a wealthy man was having it built for his wife, but during construction many workers developed a strange malady. Some of them died. I took many photos of this strange edifice. It was never completed and seems to serve as a billboard now. I would be happy to send copies of the building if anyone is interested. Oh, I fell in love with Taiwan, especially Longtan.

[TheGingerMan]

I take it you are referring to what is usually called the "Crazy House" in Longtan?

http://flob.me/p942588

Does anyone know the real story behind the Longtan site? It's truly bizarre, and in such a crossroads.
It's a notable driving landmark, reference-wise.

I was told a story but I have no idea to which degree this is true.

Basically years ago a quite rich guy decided he wants to build a house there. He was kind of excentric and wanted to build a special house, so he came up with the plans for this strange looking thing. It seems he had a problem with getting it approved or what so ever, at least he had no offical license/allowens/whatever. That alone woulnd be a problem in Taiwan, especially not at that time I guess, the right amount of money in a nice red envelope but the insisting on that house and the "fight against the authorities" caused him bad luck and so his business went down, he lost all his money and just got stuck with the house.
I was told that the guy lived still there (not sure about now, they told me the story 2 years ago) and as he had no official status he had no electricity and nothing. The advertisment on it wasn't there till about a year or maybe 1 1/2 year ago, guess he could use the money as after they came up with that I even saw light in there sometimes. Again, I never went in there nor could I get much more information. My lack of chinese mixed with the problem that the relatives didn't want to speak about the "ghost house" prevented me from anything.
I guess there will be at least as much fiction in that story as truth, kind of a bit like with the pod houses in Sanzhi.

[jimipresley]

Isn't every house in Taiwan haunted? One would assume so by the amount of ghost money that gets burned. I'd also be a bit malevolent, mind, if I had to eat ghostly instant noodles and ghostly green guavas washed down with ghostly warm Taiwan beer and ghostly warm apple sidra for eternity.

[Confuzius]

Isn't every house in Taiwan haunted? One would assume so by the amount of ghost money that gets burned.:

NO...

The burnt money goes to the relatives to pay their rent in the various realms of the afterlife. Keeps them away. if no money burnt, then they come for your money.

Makes total sense dont it?