Two dilapidated and allegedly haunted mansions on Chaonei Dajie No.81 in Beijing have received a large influx of visitors, now that a ghost movie called "Jingcheng No. 81" is being screened in the city, the Beijing News said.

The mansions, also known as Chaonei Church, are connected to a chilling story about the suicide of a National Party officer's wife, even though the Beijing Patriotic Catholic Association, which owns the building, has said it is not haunted.

The number of visitor has increased by several times since the movie's publicity campaign, a guard named Ren at the mansions said Monday. "Nearly a thousand visitors came during the past weekend, and someone even dragged a suitcase here before going to the train station."

Ren said they were under great pressure, as the 100-year-old mansion might pose safety risks to visitors. Reporters found that some wooden steps had been broken or damaged.

Visitors have been asked to takes turns entering the mansion, Ren added.

Meng Qi, head of the "infrastructure office" at the association, said they even asked police to discourage visitors over the weekend. "We have added guards and accelerated the application process for repairs," Meng said.

Ren said they would lock the door at night and forbid visitors to enter.

Two young women asked about the ghost rumors while touring the building on Monday. A guard laughed, "There is no ghost, and we have slept here for more than a month."

The association has plans to renovate the historic structure. "We are waiting for the green light from the relics protection department before going through the necessary procedures," China Daily said, citing Bi Wensheng from the association.

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