Caobao Road Station — phantom passengers on Shanghai's haunted metro

Caobao Road Station on Line 1 of the Shanghai Metro has gained a reputation as one of the most haunted stations in China's subway system. According to urban legends, the station was built near an old burial ground or execution site, and the spirits of the dead are disturbed by the constant movement of trains. Commuters and staff have reported seeing passengers on the platform who vanish when the train arrives, hearing whispered voices in the tunnels during quiet periods, and experiencing inexplicable equipment malfunctions at the station. Some commuters describe feeling a hand pushing them from behind when standing near the platform edge, though no one is there when they turn around. In Chinese culture, metro systems — which often disturb the earth and pass through areas of historical burial — are particularly susceptible to supernatural activity. The rapid expansion of Shanghai's subway system since the 1990s has been accompanied by numerous ghost stories as tunnels and stations are carved through land with centuries of buried history. Caobao Road Station's haunted reputation is shared widely on Chinese social media, and some commuters report avoiding the station during late-night travel.