China: A neighbourhood dispute in China turned into an unusual case after a man allegedly used loudspeakers to play ghost sounds for hours every day as a form of revenge against his neighbour. The incident took place in Guangzhou and eventually led to court intervention to stop the disturbance.
10 hours Of Ghostly Noise As Revenge
According to the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China, a man surnamed Lu, along with his cohabiter Li, had an ongoing conflict with their neighbour, Xie. In response, the duo installed a loudspeaker on a shared wall and began playing “ghost stories” and eerie sounds. The recordings ran daily from 8:45 am to noon and again from 3:30 pm to 10 pm, creating more than 10 hours of continuous “ghostly mountain sounds” that echoed through the building.
Noise Stayed Within Legal Limits But Still Caused Disruption
While the sound was loud enough to disturb residents, it remained within China’s legal noise limits. Reports stated that the sound level inside another resident’s home measured 36 decibels, below the permitted limits of 60 decibels during the day and 50 decibels at night. Because of this, authorities could not take direct action against Lu and Li.
However, the noise affected more people than just the immediate neighbour. A resident surnamed Cui, who lived in the building and had a child preparing for China’s competitive college entrance exams, was also disturbed. The constant noise made it difficult for the child to study.
Court Intervention Brings Relief
Cui approached the Guangzhou Haizhu District People’s Court and filed for a pre-litigation injunction, which is a legal measure used to prevent further harm before a final verdict. The court stepped in and ordered Lu to stop playing the recordings.
Court officials oversaw the removal of the equipment and the deletion of the ghost audio files. Lu later agreed not to repeat such behaviour, bringing an end to the unusual and prolonged dispute.
