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Chan香蕉视频直播檚 haunting legacy as the ghostly beheader of Victoria香蕉视频直播檚 Fan Tan Alley

Spectre of violent young man bound to forevermore linger in the streets of B.C.'s capital city, says ghost tour manager

Known to occult enthusiasts as being the most haunted city in the Pacific Northwest, Victoria香蕉视频直播檚 history is marked by a dark legacy of gruesome tales and paranormal activities. 

Amid British Columbia香蕉视频直播檚 lawless gold rush era, thousands of prospectors from California, Australia, Mexico, Europe, and as far away as China flocked to the capital city in 1857, hoping to strike it rich. As British colonial influence grew, trying to tame the isolated Wild West, an eerie mix of cultures, anarchy, violence, and chaos plagued Victoria香蕉视频直播檚 street, giving rise to countless nightmarish tales. 

香蕉视频直播淒uring those gold rush years, Victoria was a dangerous place full of murders, hangings, tragic accidents, and all of the kinds of things that give rise to ghosts,香蕉视频直播 said Chris Adams, co-owner of Discover the Past Tours and Ghostly Walks. 香蕉视频直播淸Victoria] was also a British colonial capital, so there was this sense of British law and order which involved things like public hangings at the old jail in Bastion Square.香蕉视频直播

Among these tales, few are as infamous as that of Chan, a young Chinese immigrant from the southern Guangdong Province, Adams explained.

Working as a bedmaker at the American Hotel near Bastion Square, Chan earned a meagre wage, sending a portion of it back to support his family in China. Despite the daily struggles, a glimmer of hope emerged when he fell in love with a woman who lived next door on Fisgard Street.

american-hotel
An archival photograph of the American Hotel, where Chan worked as a bedmaker. The establishment was situated at the corner of Yates Street and Commercial Alley.  (Thomas W. Fletcher, 1927 / City of Victoria Archives)

香蕉视频直播淗e thought all he needed to do was ask her to marry him and that she would climb down from her window and they would live happily ever after. But it didn香蕉视频直播檛 quite go according to plan,香蕉视频直播 said Adams. 香蕉视频直播淲hen he proposed, she said no and began to laugh at him.香蕉视频直播

When his love was unreciprocated, humiliation and shame loomed over Chan. Overtaken by rage, heartbroken and wounded in pride, he vowed to take a grim revenge.

香蕉视频直播淸He went] to the hotel where he was working, found a huge meat-slicing knife, hid it in his jacket and went back to Chinatown,香蕉视频直播 said Adams.

As he headed back to Chinatown, Chan summoned his friend's help to set his macabre plan in motion.

香蕉视频直播淎s his friend reached up and grabbed the woman's hair and pulled her head out the window, Chan took the knife out of his jacket and chopped her head off,香蕉视频直播 said Adams. 香蕉视频直播淎lthough there was silence for a moment, soon a crowd formed on the street and began to shout and point at him.香蕉视频直播

In a split second, rage gave way to adrenaline, and Chan bolted from the crime scene. With a vengeful crowd on his heels, he anxiously scanned for the closest escape. Spotting Fan Tan Alley coming up, he ducked into the narrow, crowded path, knocking people aside as he tried to lose his pursuers.

4-fantan-narrow
Fan Tan Alley, located in Victoria's Chinatown, is the narrowest commercial street in North America, measuring less than a metre at its narrowest point. Originally known as the epicentre for opium production in the 19th century and later for its illegal gambling ring, the alley's clubs were often raided by police. (Olivier Laurin / Victoria News)

Having narrowly evaded the angry mob, with only moments to spare, Chan made the desperate choice to hide at the American Hotel 香蕉视频直播 a foolish move that would soon seal his fate.

Soon, lawmen and the crowd found him as they stormed the hotel. 

香蕉视频直播淥nce the police found him, they pulled him out into the daylight and he was still covered in blood so they knew they had their man,香蕉视频直播 said Adams. 

That same day, the young killer was taken to the Hillside Jail where he promptly hung himself in his cell.

香蕉视频直播淔ollowing his suicide, there was no special ceremony. Nothing,香蕉视频直播 said Adams. 香蕉视频直播淭hey just dug a shallow grave and chucked him in.香蕉视频直播

Yet, Adams said this is exactly what led to Chan香蕉视频直播檚 haunting legacy. 

As people arrived from various parts of the world, they brought their own set of beliefs about ghosts and death. For Europeans, sudden deaths, particularly tragic ones like murders or suicides, were thought to be prime causes of ghostly activity. In some other cultures, however, burial practices were seen as crucial. Whether a person was laid to rest properly, or not, often determined if they would transit peacefully to the afterlife or return as a ghost.

香蕉视频直播淲hen people in Chinatown found out that Chan had been buried like that, without any proper ceremony, they were horrified because they knew this meant he would come back and linger on as a dangerous ghost,香蕉视频直播 said Adams.

Shortly after, Chan香蕉视频直播檚 ghostly presence became undeniable. Many reported feeling a strange rush of cold wind or hearing hurried footsteps echoing through Fan Tan Alley.

香蕉视频直播淪ome people even [reported] seeing a young man running through the alleyway, pushing people out of the way,香蕉视频直播 said Adams. 香蕉视频直播淲e always know who they're talking about because they tell us that he is covered in blood.香蕉视频直播

Nestled in the heart of Fan Tan Alley is the Victoria Chinatown Museum. Upon entering, visitors may be welcomed by museum manager Charlayne Thornton-Joe. Although she is familiar with Chan's story, she admits that she has never felt his presence or had any unpleasant interactions with him. However, she has witnessed 香蕉视频直播渁ll sorts of weird things香蕉视频直播 during her years working there.

香蕉视频直播淭here was one time I felt someone touching me on the shoulder,香蕉视频直播 she said. 香蕉视频直播淭here was one day when some cups had fallen off from the shelf and we didn't know how that happened.香蕉视频直播

From firecrackers mysteriously moved from their display to lights flickering in the night, Thornton-Joe described sensing a heightened spiritual presence in the area 香蕉视频直播 an experience shared and sought by many.

香蕉视频直播淚 did have a paranormal investigator come in because our cameras [have captured] orbs and I knew nothing about them before,香蕉视频直播 she said. 香蕉视频直播淪ome are very obvious dust particles or bugs, but there are some that are stranger. They just fly upwards very sharply.

香蕉视频直播淭he paranormal investigator said there's definitely energy but it's not a negative. I was told that they are just spirits and they don't mean any harm.香蕉视频直播

Thornton-Joe concluded that this strong paranormal presence is likely entwined with Chinatown's grisly history, where many met a violent end. Another theory links it to the improper burials of Chinese immigrants at Ross Bay Cemetery, near today香蕉视频直播檚 Dallas Road. Laid to rest in a section designated for 香蕉视频直播淢ongolians and Aborigines,香蕉视频直播 these graves were alarmingly close to the water. With each storm that battered Victoria香蕉视频直播檚 coastline, the raging waters claimed their bodies, dragging them into the depths, never to be seen again.

While Adams noted that most ghosts wandering the streets of Victoria are harmless, some may carry darker intentions. Among these is the lingering spectre of Chan, who continues to haunt the city as he frantically paces between the site of his crime and the place where he took his own life, tormenting unsuspecting pedestrians and dismissive businesses along the way.

香蕉视频直播淚f he's displeased, he makes it known,香蕉视频直播 Adams said. 香蕉视频直播淸Some restaurants] leave out little offerings for him as should have been done at his burial. When they do that, he [remains] calm. But restaurants that paid no attention to this or perhaps were skeptical香蕉视频直播 were eventually deeply affected by Chan's presence.香蕉视频直播



Olivier Laurin

About the Author: Olivier Laurin

I香蕉视频直播檓 a bilingual multimedia journalist from Montr茅al who began my journalistic journey on Vancouver Island in 2023.
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