Legendary Taiwanese romance novelist Chiung Yao died last week (Dec 4) at 86. She committed suicide in her home in Tamsui, New Taipei City, and in a suicide note and video, explained her decision to die on her own terms.
Chiung Yao’s body was cremated yesterday (Dec 11), with her remains laid to rest at Yang Ming Shan.
While her death is mourned by many in showbiz and the public…. her neighbours aren’t taking to her passing very well.
Chiung Yao owned two luxury penthouses in Tamsui — she lived in one unit, while her son and daughter-in-law lived in the other. The penthouses were the only two units on that floor, and were coined ‘Shuang Ying Lou’ by the novelist herself.
The estate is in a prime location and the penthouses have unblocked views of Guanyin Mountain and Tamsui River.
It’s said Chiung Yao’s neighbours have taken issue with the author committing suicide in her home, and they claim her tragic death has turned the space “inauspicious”.
An expert predicted that Chiung Yao’s suicide may cause the value of the surrounding units to drop by 20 to 30 per cent. The neighbours are now reportedly worried that they would have trouble selling their homes in the future.
On talk show News Wawawa, a lawyer shared that according to Taiwanese law, a place can only be considered a ‘haunted house’ if a person died of unnatural causes while occupying the space. in other words, a house is not haunted just because someone died in it.
He also acknowledged that the value of other units in the building might be affected as others will perceive Chiung Yao’s former home as haunted. However, there is no legal action residents can take to seek compensation.