To prove that an apartment which was believed to be "haunted" is safe, a connoisseur has been invited to spend the night in the apartment. Photo: screenshot on Sina Weibo.

A 82-square-meter apartment in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, recently went into auction at a starting bid significantly lower than market price, yet receiving zero participation as people considered the place "haunted." To prove its safety, a connoisseur was invited to spend the night in the apartment, drawing thousands of curious netizens to watch.

The place was regarded as "haunted" as the last owner committed suicide because of debts in the apartment, which was auctioned under the court's execution.

To dispel doubts and fears, a judge invited a professional connoisseur and started a video live show the day before the auction. 

However, despite the event drawing a lot of attention, few had signed up to buy the place.

The auctioned apartment is in pretty good condition and enjoys good daylight, the judge noted. 

Nevertheless, this auction was eventually aborted due to zero participation. The court has announced that the second auction will begin on November 28, with the starting bid falling to 960,000 yuan ($150,600,) only half of the market price.

Global Times