Not for the faint of heart: Tainan’s terrifying “live-action haunted house” with a blood-drenched hellpool featuring floating corpses
Reporter: You Ru / Special report & photography
As the lunar seventh month arrives, what’s the most fitting place to soak in the ghost month atmosphere?In Tainan’s Madou District, there’s a “ghost-watching cellar” where legend has it you can cross between the world of the living and the dead, see various ghostly forms, and even tour the Eighteen Levels of Hell to witness brutal punishments firsthand.Reporters who visited were hit by an icy chill the moment they descended into the underground level.
▲ Tainan Madou’s Daitianfu Temple.
The “Heaven and Hell” exhibit at Tainan Madou’s Daitianfu Temple is one of Taiwan’s most famous spooky attractions. Built in 1979 at a cost of nearly NT$100 million and designed inside the body of a giant dragon, the “Hell” section is a decades-old horror spot stretching 76 meters long and 7 meters high. Walking through it gives visitors the eerie sensation of truly crossing into the afterlife.
Call it a “haunted house,” because this hellish attraction doesn’t just showcase various punishment scenes—it also lets those curious about the appearance of “ghosts” come face-to-face with them.Inside the cellar known as the “Eighteen Levels of Hell,” a roughly 20-minute guided walkthrough uses motion-sensor technology to direct visitors. Along the way, besides witnessing punishments on each level, visitors encounter underworld guards like Ox-Head and Horse-Face, as well as ghostly figures such as hanged and drowned spirits lurking nearby—enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.
▲ Entrance to the Eighteen Levels of Hell.
“You have to look closely to understand the meaning.” Upon entering the Eighteen Levels of Hell, ticket staff specifically warn visitors to watch their step—the place is almost entirely dark, illuminated only by faint lights that reveal the Jade Emperor’s judgment process as guests pass by. “You have to listen on each level to know what sins the souls committed.”Staff repeatedly urge visitors to observe carefully before entering each level—you’ll naturally grasp the lessons behind the suffering.
Descending a staircase, the first sight along the wall shows people chained by the feet being dragged downward by devilish officials with green fangs. This is the opening scene on the way to the “Eighteen Levels of Hell.” The wall murals are exquisitely detailed and strikingly three-dimensional, with expressions of panic and agony on the faces of those being dragged—like they already know they’re heading toward a terrifying journey.
▲ %The entrance area features detailed murals showing people in chains being dragged by officials with green fangs, creating a strong sense of dread.%
Once you step into Hell, you officially bid farewell to the human world. First, newcomers ascend the “Platform of Longing,” where the homes of the living world appear faintly in the twilight—a final goodbye before proceeding to the “Purification Pool” that washes away sins, marking the start of the Eighteen Levels of Hell’s torments.
▲ %Visitors ascend a staircase before descending into darkness, where a platform overlooks the mortal world in the distance.%
▲ %A serene pool awaits, symbolizing the cleansing of sins before the punishments begin.%
The First Hall sees Ox-Head and Horse-Face drag sinners before the King of Hell for judgment.Those who committed grave sins in life are sent to various halls to receive their due punishments. Here, you can see a disheveled figure kneeling before the King of Hell, shouting “Spare my life, spare my life!” in Taiwanese, before being dragged off to the next level.
▲ %A sinner with tangled hair is dragged forward, about to face judgment in the next hall.%
▲ Judgment scene.
Starting from the Second Hall, the focus shifts to assigning punishments.These include the “Tiger Head Beheading” for corrupt officials who abused power and bullied commoners; the “Stone Wheel Grinding” for those who shirked responsibilities, acted tyrannically, or oppressed good people; and the “Brazier Roasting” for rapists, adulterers, or those who harmed their husbands.
▲ %A sinner is prepared for the Tiger Head Beheading punishment in the Second Hall.%
In the Fourth Hall, passing through the blood pool,you can see two corpses lying in the dimly lit pool with lifeless, white eyes—truly frightening.
The Fifth Hall is reserved for the “Eye-Gouging” punishment for those driven by greed.Later, depending on the crime, punishments vary: being boiled in oil, pierced by stone cones, eaten by dogs or bitten by snakes, crushed under a giant scale, dismembered by five ghosts, ground in a stone mill, limbs chopped off, crushed under massive rocks, or climbing a mountain of blades. Screams of agony echo through every hall.
▲▲ %The Fourth Hall features some of the most intense and disturbing punishment displays.%
▲%Strange symbols and indiscernible text.
▲All organs are placed atop a mountain of blades.
The roughly 20-minute journey through the Eighteen Levels of Hell turns the legendary "hell" into a tangible experience, which is actually quite educational. However, as you walk through it, all you see are ghosts subjected to brutal punishments, which can send chills down your spine and make you feel as if cold winds are blowing around you. During Ghost Month, if you're looking to experience a hellish journey for spiritual reflection and repentance, this is a great place to visit.The only thing to note is that due to some scenes being overly realistic and grotesque, it is not suitable for families with young children.
▲%The interior is filled with terrifying and ghastly visuals, which may startle many visitors.
%After the hell tour ends, small souvenirs are distributed to those who complete the visit.
Tainan Matou Taisu Temple
Address: No. 60, Guan Di Temple, Nanshi Li, Madou District, Tainan City
Phone: (06)571 0294
Admission: NT$40 each for Heaven and Hell exhibits
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