Does it tally?

Topic of discussion: Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and My Website.

Post no. 9

I have received some useful constructive criticism from my Media Culture and Histories Lecturer, who stated:

"My big gripe would be that the moody background has a haunted connotation. The graffitied named of CFZ on his photo is not appropriate lah. Needs some formality. "

      Speaking of haunted connotations, I was reminded on how I would love to insert Cheong Fatt Tze's many ghost stories on my first website. That's how I first came to know about this mansion. My parents would always drive by and tell my sisters and I about how it was the most haunted mansion in Penang and that only daring tourists that are adventurous and brave enough would rent a room there. To me, it was called the Haunted Blue House. However, I have decided to filter down the information as I didn't want to scare off my target audiences that come across the page. Come to think of it, do ghost stories actually make a site more interesting to visit? It depends. Therefore, I have attempted to implement the old scroll style as well as an ample amount of vignetting, to somehow convert the many mysteries and stories the mansion carries into image. What I am trying to convey is that this Mansion should not only be recognised by its bright blue exterior, but should also be known for its history, ancient beliefs and facts that reside in it.

I couldn't agree more on his second comment though. I had a gutt feeling to remove that Graffiti-ed 'Cheong Fatt Tze' on his image in the 'Cheong Fatt Tze' tab. That's the one thing I let go. It was definitely my laziness to create a new image as a title. Ha-ha. It does displease me every time I look at it.

Since I did not have the chance to input any interesting Cheong Fatt Tze ghost stories into the site, I might as well put them up here!

My dad around his younger years would loiter around the CFT Mansion with his friends as his grandfather cooks for the CFT in the Annex, right opposite the Mansion. More info on the Annex here.

Father and the tourguide tells us that the people in charge of the heritage preservation projects painted the Mansion bright blue to get some attention from the media. Which worked, and saved this iconic Mansion from being destroyed. I could say the colour of this Mansion is pretty iconic. Everyone would refer it to the Blue House, or Blue Building without knowing what it actually is.

Anywho, ghost stories. Babies were born there, people passed away and generations regenerated among the Cheong Fatt Tze family as well as the renters after CFT's death. My parents heard stories from their relatives, who then passed them onto us and now me, passing them on to you.

In the middle of the night, travelers and the people renting the rooms could still see the ghosts of the maids and concubines working in the mansion, carrying sheets and blankets in and out of the rooms without using doors.

Stories by travelers also said that they could hear the concubines descend and ascend the  blue spiral staircase in woe.

Gates that were locked with keys the night before, were mysteriously unlocked in the morning.

The tour guide didn't mention all these, but she must have left them out intentionally. It does freak me out even when writing this blog post. There are many more CFT ghost stories that could be looked up online. What may be scary to most, might be interesting and fascinating to some.


- Charissa Ong