Behind the Concrete: Zhongyin Building

Behind the Concrete is a monthly snippet where we introduce a piece of architecture that has a unique design and/or interesting story.

Type the Zhongyin Building’s name into Baidu and the website automatically suggests one more word be added to the search: haunted. So prevalent are rumors of haunting in the building – and websites detailing it – that even China’s premier search engine has taken notice.

Located in Futian’s thriving CBD, rental prices are weirdly depressed in Zhongyin, with a two-bedroom apartment going for RMB2,500 a month less than a comparable apartment in an adjacent building, a fact some pin on renters’ fears of ghosts

The building, finished in 1997, was constructed as a business and residential building, its facade a rather bizarre hue of reflective gold and pink – a feature some have surmised is a feng shui-inspired method of warding off the unhappy spirits that haunt the area, which used to be an execution ground, according to local lore.

There are anecdotal reports of cursed companies going bankrupt months after moving in, though a more worldly explanation would be that competitors spread rumors about anyone who dares to set up shop in the Zhongyin Building. Questioned about the rumors, a security guard insists the area is phantom free. The truth is out there.

See listing for Zhongyin Building.

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