Are you one of the many ghost story enthusiasts? Does reading these spine-chilling stories keep you awake at night? Well, here we’re serving Vietnamese ghost stories that you should read before you head to sleep… that’s if you can even close your eyes after coming across this post.
Have you ever wondered how people can comfortably sleep after reading hair-raising tales about spirits? Despite being a religious country, many Vietnamese actually believe in the existence of haunted places and ghosts. These apparitions take different forms and shapes, and their characters vary from harmless to malevolent.
While some may dismiss ghosts as nothing but fictional creations of our imagination, the Vietnamese culture views them as real entities. In fact, the souls of the dead are believed to live among the living, unseen by the naked eye. Before we delve into these Vietnamese ghost stories, learning some key terms that will enhance your Vietnamese vocabulary is helpful.
So whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, join us on a journey into the world of Vietnamese ghosts – but be warned, it’s not for the faint-hearted!
Top 4 Creepiest Vietnamese Ghost Stories
Vietnamese people believe offering gifts to the dead can ensure their well-being in the afterlife. Like the living, they believe these souls require certain items to function properly in a different realm. Offerings such as paper money, food, clothes, and other necessities humans need are made to appease these spirits.
Although locals believe that some ghosts can be helpful if they were given a proper burial and tombstone, the stories you’re about to encounter are not all friendly. Not all spirits had a peaceful or dignified death, and their unresolved issues have left them wandering in the world of the living. So brace yourself for some spine-chilling Vietnamese ghost stories that will keep you up at night!
1. Daughter Of Hui Bi Hua
One of the most famous Vietnamese ghost stories is the Daughter of Hui Bi Hua. It was said that her spirit haunts the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts. So, what is this restless soul’s history?
In 1934, the family of Hui Bi Hua lived in a three-building. The main establishment was their mansion, while the other two were for business purposes. Even more fascinating was that they owned more than 20,000 infrastructures since they were a real-estate magnate.
It’s quite obvious that they were living a great life- not until their daughter got Leprosy. Back in the day, this illness wasn’t considered a disease; it was seen as a curse. To resolve their problem, they locked her up in the upper room of their home. They didn’t want their status and reputation to get tarnished by a curse which led them to hold a fake funeral for their daughter, claiming that a mysterious illness caused her death.
So, what happened to the poor lady? She was kept captive in the room, with her food being slid through the bottom of her doorstep. It kept going for years, and she eventually lost her mind and took her own life. It was said that you’d find a woman roaming around in the museum’s corridors. While in more fearful cases, you’d hear her crying in the middle of the night.
2. To Lich River
To Lich River in Hanoi was a polluted place. In September 2001, a construction team was removing a pile of gunk, and as they unveiled the bottom of the river, they found wooden planks placed to make a polygon. There was strange writing alongside some relics, human bones, and utensils. They eventually removed it, and that’s when a series of unfortunate events began.
Those who disturbed the strange pile were met with accidents, illnesses, and even death. Ultimately, they called in spirit mediums to help them figure out what was going on. They were told that these items were guarding the area, and it was disturbed the moment they removed them from their places. It was said that people even called in a monk who died a month later after checking the area. To restore peace in the river, the villagers returned everything to their places, eventually stopping the misfortunes.
3. Da Lat House
Vietnamese ghost stories won’t be complete without a haunted house. Da Lat House is a resort located in the Lam Dong Province in the Central Heights of Vietnam. It was said that the French colonists used this building as their station. During this time, it didn’t just provide shelter for them. It also became the lair that’ll witness their transgression. Plenty of young girls were raped in this place, and their bodies were dumped somewhere after being killed.
Based on several rumors, a security guard killed himself in this place. While others claim they can hear howling sounds from the spirits lurking around this place. There were also claims that friends once visited this place before dawn and heard wails within the building.
4. The Frangipani Hotel
This story isn’t purely filled with horror. It’s a fictional novel by Violet Kupersmith based on her grandmother’s Vietnamese folktales and memories from the Vietnam War. Her novel was a mixture of terror, fantasy, and a pinch of reality. It bridges the old and new worlds together. So, if you’re interested in these types of novels, grab yourself a copy of the Frangipani Hotel.
Creepy Vocabulary Related To Ghost Stories In Vietnamese
| English Word | Vietnamese | Pronunciation |
| Apparition | Sự xuất hiện | |
| Death | Cái chết | |
| Devil | Ac quỷ | |
| Evil | Độc ác | |
| Ghost | Ma | |
| Haunted | Ma ám | |
| Monk | Thầy tu | |
| Spirit | Tinh thần | |
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Vietnam’s long history is undeniably filled with haunted and dark stories. It gives us a better light that ghosts aren’t always what filmmakers show us. Sometimes, it’s the remains of war and suffering of those who were in the previous era. With this being said, if you want to understand Vietnamese stories much deeper, then it’s time to try learning this Asian language with Ling!
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