It was a humid evening in Semarang, Central Java, when Alex arrived at the gates of Lawang Sewu. The name itself, meaning ‘Thousand Doors,’ had always fascinated them. Alex wasn’t a hardcore paranormal enthusiast, but the stories of ghostly encounters and the building’s dark history were too intriguing to ignore. Built during the Dutch colonial era, Lawang Sewu had served as a railway headquarters before becoming a site of wartime atrocities during the Japanese occupation. Its grand architecture now stood as a haunting reminder of the past.
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Alex joined a guided night tour, drawn by the promise of uncovering the building’s secrets. The group gathered in the main hall, where the guide began recounting the history of Lawang Sewu. As the guide spoke, Alex felt an inexplicable chill in the air, despite the warm tropical night. Faint whispers echoed through the corridors, sending shivers down their spine. The group was led to the grand staircase, where the guide shared the tale of the ‘Nonik Belanda,’ the ghostly Dutch woman in white said to haunt the building. As Alex glanced up the staircase, they noticed a shadowy figure standing at the top. But when they looked again, it was gone.
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The tour progressed to the underground tunnels, originally built for drainage but repurposed as dungeons during the war. The guide’s voice grew somber as they described the gruesome tales of torture and executions that had taken place there. As the group ventured deeper, Alex began to hear faint cries and felt an overwhelming sense of dread. Suddenly, the flashlight flickered, plunging everyone into darkness. In the chaos, Alex glimpsed a figure in tattered clothing crawling towards them. Panic set in as the group scrambled to find their way out.
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Alex tripped and fell, feeling an icy hand grab their ankle. They kicked free and ran, eventually reuniting with the group. Upon exiting the tunnels, the guide remarked that such experiences were common, but Alex was left shaken. Back at their hotel, Alex struggled to sleep, haunted by the memories of the night. They researched Lawang Sewu further and found accounts from other visitors who had experienced similar phenomena. As they lay in bed, Alex noticed a faint handprint on their ankle—a chilling reminder of the icy grip in the tunnels.
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The thin veil between the living and the dead seemed all too real at Lawang Sewu. Its unresolved mysteries lingered in Alex’s mind, a testament to the enduring power of its haunted past.
Image Source: Dreamstime
Horror Level:
4 / 5
References:
Lawang Sewu Building At Night In Semarang Java Indonesia – link
Night View Lawang Sewu Building – link
Beautiful Scenery Of Lawang Sewu Building At Night – link
Full View Lawang Sewu Night Lights – link
Lawang Sewu, Semarang, Indonesia during Night Time on 20 October – link
Categories: Ghost Stories, History, Paranormal, Travel
Tags: ghost stories, Haunted Places, Indonesia, Lawang Sewu, Paranormal Experiences
Religion: No specific religion
Country of Origin: Indonesia
Topic: Paranormal
Ethnicity: No specific ethnicity
