Ghost Stories of Matsu: The Headless Troops & Forbidden Tunnels

Toads and Human Heads on Patrol

A platoon leader in Matsu was conducting a night patrol with two soldiers, one of whom, Private Tsai, had the “Yin-Yang Eye” (ability to see spirits). When they reached a desolate area in the back mountain, Private Tsai suddenly turned pale, gripping the leader’s uniform tightly, and pointed tremblingly at the roadside bushes, claiming to see something strange.

Under the faint moonlight, they squinted and saw something suspended about two meters high in the bushes—a grayish-white object resembling a human upper body, topped with a dark oval shape. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to have long hair flowing behind it. Although terrified, the leader, wanting to show authority, grabbed a stick and rushed over to attack.

After a flurry of strikes, they realized it was just the mottled white wall of an abandoned sentry post and some head-shaped tree fruits. The leader breathed a sigh of relief, about to scold the soldier, when he noticed something wrong underfoot—the ground was covered with countless toads. Every step they took landed in a squishy pile of toads, making a sickening sound.

Later, the soldier with the Yin-Yang Eye revealed the truth: “Sir, back there where we stopped, there were actually three or four very fierce-looking ‘people’ standing by the bushes. They were wearing tattered old light green military uniforms. One of them… the flesh on his face had rotted away, leaving only a layer of skin hanging there, glaring at us viciously.”

Night Patrol Encounter: The Extra Soldier

During a night patrol mission, a squad met another unit near Kunqiu. The opposing company commander said they had just had an accident during night shooting practice, and the atmosphere was heavy. As the two squads passed each other on the narrow mountain road, the squad leader noticed three very strange soldiers at the end of the other unit’s line:

The first soldier carried an obsolete Type 57 rifle, wearing a camouflage cap with his head bowed low, his face pale as paper, footsteps heavy. The second soldier also carried a Type 57 rifle, but his brownish-red camouflage jacket had a large hole in the right shoulder; he wore a green steel helmet, his left eye socket was a bottomless black void, and the right side of his face seemed sliced off. The third soldier carried a squad machine gun, wearing a battered, dented helmet. His uniform was severely faded and torn, but most terrifyingly, his right lower leg and right forearm were nothing but bare white bones.

Fear spread in the squad leader’s heart, but he dared not speak. Just then, the opposing commander ordered a headcount. The squad, originally consisting of 6 men, counted off… “7”!

The commander seemed to sense something wrong, but he was quick-witted. He didn’t point it out on the spot, but loudly announced: “Mission accomplished, rest!” As soon as he spoke, the extra seventh “person” slowly left the formation and vanished into the darkness. The next day, the squad leader called the other unit to confirm, and the commander asked in horror: “Who was that person next to you yesterday? I’ve never seen him before.”

Legend of the Performance Hall

A performer went to Matsu for a military entertainment tour. While resting in the performance hall, he chatted with a local soldier friend. The friend lowered his voice and shared a horror legend: “Soldiers sleeping here often get ‘pressed’ by ghosts (sleep paralysis). When they open their eyes, they see a girl standing by the bed. And then… as they watch, her head slowly, slowly falls off…”

The friend explained this wasn’t baseless. Long ago, when the area outside the hall was desolate grass, a female corpse was found. By the time police arrived, she had been brutally dismembered, and her head was missing. She might have become a vengeful spirit looking for her head.

Just as they were chatting, a female colleague with the Yin-Yang Eye suddenly turned pale and dragged him away. That night back at the hotel, the horror began.

In the middle of the night, a “knock, knock, knock” sound came from his door. He got up to open it—no one. He lay back down, and the knocking started again. He looked through the gap under the door; still nothing, but the knocking echoed in his ears. Exhausted, he finally fell asleep, only to have a vivid dream: He saw himself sleeping on the bed from the ceiling’s perspective. Standing at his bedside was a girl with long hair. Her head slowly lifted, revealing a pale, severed neck. The moment their eyes met, her head fell off with a “snap.”

He rushed out of the room in terror to stay with his colleague. The Yin-Yang Eye colleague then told him: “This afternoon when you were telling stories, I saw that girl standing behind you listening… and then, her head really fell off.”

Bloody Revenge on Gaodeng

In the era of fierce cross-strait confrontation, Gaodeng Island, closest to mainland China, was stationed with 13 soldiers and a captain. One dark, windy night, water ghosts (frogmen) from the other side sneaked onto the island. In the chaos, one water ghost was captured alive. The soldiers were shocked to find it was a woman.

The captain left for the main island overnight to report, leaving the 13 soldiers to guard her. However, darkness erupted in the isolated island. Except for one soldier who retained his conscience, the other 12 assaulted the female water ghost. After the atrocity, the soldier who didn’t participate secretly released her out of pity.

This act of kindness saved his life but led to a tragedy for the unit. The next night, the female water ghost returned with 8 elite frogmen for revenge. That night, the island was filled with screams of despair. The 12 soldiers were brutally killed. The water ghosts cut off their heads and arranged them neatly on the stairs of the sentry post according to rank, top to bottom, forming a horrifying “Staircase of Human Heads.”

Only the soldier who released her survived, but his ear was cut off as proof for the water ghosts to take back. It is said that those 12 heads, eyes wide open, still watch over this lonely island.

Why No Washbasins in the Army?

There used to be an unwritten rule in the outer island military: always use a bucket for washing, never a washbasin. This is also related to water ghosts. Legend has it that after completing a mission, water ghosts would place the heads of killed soldiers in washbasins as a demonstration.

An unsuspecting recruit once used a washbasin to wash his face late at night. When he looked down, the reflection in the water wasn’t his own face, but a hideous, twisted stranger, and the clear water instantly turned blood red. Since then, washbasins have been a taboo item in the outer island military.

There is a mountain road in Matsu known to locals as “Ghost Road.” An unexplainable phenomenon occurs here: whether it’s a military vehicle or a civilian car, accidents happen easily. Engines stall, tires burst, or drivers suddenly lose focus and hit the guardrail. Even aircraft flying overhead have reported instrument malfunctions.

Local veterans are extra careful and even offer prayers before passing. It was later revealed that this road is haunted because of a tragic double suicide years ago. A young couple, forbidden to marry by their families, decided to end their lives here in despair. They detonated a grenade, dying a bloody death. Since then, their spirits seem to linger, stopping others from passing, wishing not to be disturbed.

In 1989, a corner room in a military academy barracks was rumored to be haunted. Juniors reported being pressed by a short-haired female ghost in pink with no mouth. A skeptical officer named Lee decided to sleep in that room alone to dispel the superstition.

In the middle of the night, Officer Lee felt a bone-chilling cold. He opened his eyes to see the pink-clad ghost standing by his bed. He tried to stay calm: “Miss, let’s talk peacefully. This is a military camp, please leave.” As soon as he spoke, the ghost vanished, but his bed began to shake violently, and cups on the table were swept to the floor. Terrified, the officer ran out without his shoes.

Later, a soldier named Ah-Kai with psychic abilities was called to help. He discovered the ghost was looking for someone. A scumbag senior in the camp had impregnated his girlfriend, abandoned her, and even kicked her, causing a miscarriage and her eventual suicide. Her resentment was so strong it attracted a horde of spirits—Japanese soldiers, limbless ghosts—to the old dorm. Ah-Kai even sensed a powerful “Ghost King” inside and dared not proceed further. That scumbag senior later broke his leg, as if by karmic retribution.

The Beihai Tunnel is now open for tourists to ride rocking boats to see Blue Tears. However, locals say a family of three was once visiting when the child innocently pointed at the water and said to his parents: “There are so many uncles and aunties visiting with us!” The parents smiled, “Yes, there are many tour groups.” But the child’s next words chilled them to the bone: “But… the uncles and aunties are all looking at us from inside the water.”

Locals in Beigan also say that elders strictly forbid children and pregnant women from entering the tunnel. Because of the heavy casualties during construction, legend has it that entering this tunnel is like entering the 18th level of hell; those with weak constitutions are easily affected by evil spirits.

A famous legend of “Headless Troops” circulates in Tangqi Village, Beigan. During the civil war, a tragedy occurred at the Nanshan Company outpost. The entire company was ambushed by water ghosts in their sleep. Their throats were slit, left ears cut off, and “Soldiers sleeping, deserve to die” was written in blood on the wall.

After the incident, the outpost was abandoned. But every night, residents of Tangqi Village would hear the sound of the company drilling: the shouts of bayonet practice, the goose-stepping marching. It seemed the soldiers didn’t know they were dead and continued their duty.

The story ends with President Chiang Kai-shek visiting. He spoke to the empty camp: “I know you are patriotic. Because of this, you should rest in peace so new troops can station here and truly protect the country. Company commander, bring the troops back to rest!” Strangely, after that, the sounds of the headless troops never appeared again.

This story happened at a seaside sentry post on a military outer island. One freezing winter night, the motion-sensor searchlight below the post kept turning on and off for no reason. The sentry grabbed his rifle and rushed down to check. His headlamp swept across the grass, and he thought he saw a black shadow “whoosh” into the bushes at unnatural speed.

He finally made it to the shift change. The senior soldier coming on duty looked grim: “Be careful going back. I felt something weird near the ‘Ziyou Gong Temple’ (a temple for floating corpses) down there… want to stay with me?” The soldier just wanted to get back to his warm bed and refused.

As he walked about 100 meters from the temple, he instinctively looked towards it. His light swept across, and he saw the black shadow again. Just then, the music in his earphones suddenly cut off, replaced by a cold, clear voice: “Turn back! Go!” followed by an urgent: “Run!”

Terrified, he sprinted back to the sentry post. Panting, he told the senior: “Senior… I think I’ll stay with you.” The senior looked at him calmly and smiled: “I told you to stay, you didn’t listen. Actually, I can see them…” The soldier froze: “What do you see?” The senior pointed behind him: “There’s one following right behind you…”