Real-life events inspire Taiwanese drama 'Haunted House Secrets'
台灣電視劇《凶宅專賣店》改編自真實事件
| Making its debut this Friday, the series follows a team uncovering histories behind stigmatized properties
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese drama “Haunted House Secrets” will premiere its first two episodes this Friday, drawing inspiration from real-life events involving properties with tragic pasts. The story centers on A-ze, who has lived in a stigmatized property for over 20 years. To pay for his sister’s heart transplant, he decides to sell the house and unexpectedly partners with a real estate agency that specializes in properties linked to traumatic incidents, per a press release from Cai Chang International. The agency’s team investigates these homes, working to resolve unresolved issues tied to each property's history while grappling with their own emotional struggles. Each case delves into the human stories behind stigmatized real estate. In Taiwan, properties associated with suicide, homicide, or other tragic events are often considered undesirable or even taboo, making them difficult to sell or inhabit, according to Yahoo Stock. Several such real-life cases have become well known. One example is a 2006 incident in Hualien involving five siblings. On Sept. 8, 2006, the children of Liu Chih-chin (劉志勤) were found dead, while their parents disappeared and were suspected of involvement. Taoist practitioners later rented the home and placed talismans on the property but ultimately left. Neighbors have reported unusual occurrences, and local authorities have conducted rituals in response. Another case occurred in 1998, when Lin Ching-yueh (林清岳) murdered his parents in a high-profile familicide. He was sentenced to death and executed in 2002. While the property in Linkou has no reported paranormal activity, it has struggled to attract occupants and was leased in 2012 by Taiwan Power Co. for office use. While “Haunted House Secrets” draws inspiration from real events, the production team has kept certain details confidential to maintain suspense. Directed by Lester Hsi (奚岳隆) and Hsiao Fang-wei (郝芳葳), and written by Lin Pin-chun (林品君) with co-writer Yeh Ching-ju (葉瀞嬬), the series blends elements of mystery with emotional storytelling. |
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| Charlotte Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2025-06-25 |
