Manoa Chinese Cemetery

Posted: 04.15.2025 | Updated: 04.15.2025

The Hawaiian Islands are a melting pot of cultures. Oahu, the most populated of them by a large margin, has welcomed a great deal of people the world over. Long before the islands were annexed into the United States, Chinese nationals found their way to the Pacific archipelago. With them came new traditions, beliefs, and architectural styles, all of which are present at the Lin Yee Chung Manoa Chinese Cemetery

The Chinese graveyard is more than just a burial ground for the departed. It’s a hotbed for spectral activity. Orbs and wandering apparitions move amidst the sea of graves. Difficult to identify, these haunts remain bound to our realm, possibly scouring more than 10,000 burial plots for their place of rest. Interestingly, a burned-out tree and a perceived portal between worlds are at the center of it all.

The Hawaiian Islands are nothing short of magic, their natural energy contributing to the fascinating phenomena like the Nightmarchers. Explore the ghostly wonders of Honolulu and beyond by booking a Honolulu ghost tour with Honolulu Haunts. 

What is the History of the Manoa Chinese Cemetery? 

More than 27 acres of the Manoa Valley are dedicated to the Chinese immigrants who came to Honolulu more than 200 years ago. Many of them and their ancestors are buried there, though few refuse to rest peacefully. 

Officially known as the Lin Yee Chung (“to bury in fellowship and honor”) Cemetery, it remains the oldest and largest of its kind. Ten thousand or so people are buried here in Hawaii’s rich soil, and some cannot let go of the past and instead remain active even in death.    

Quick Facts:

• The first Chinese to arrive in Hawaii came about in the late 1700s.
• 31 association members provided funding for the Manoa cemetery.
• Manoa Valley sits at the base of the Ko’olau Mountains near Mount Olympus.

Where is Manoa on Oahu?

The Manoa Valley spans over 3 miles long and over 2 miles at the base of the Ko’olau Mountains on Oahu. Built almost into the lower slopes of the range, the neighborhood follows Ko’olau southwest to Interstate H-1. To the southwest lies Honolulu, while Diamond Head Crater looms from the southeast. Roads stem from around the interstate and wind their way through town, eventually taking travelers deep into the amphitheater-shaped valley. 

The Chinese In Hawaii

The Hawaiian Islands catered to a simpler life before the British and European travelers arrived. English explorer Captain James Cook is credited with exposing the islands to the world after his arrival. This spurred curious minds to venture across the Pacific to unravel the mysteries of the volcanic chain further and develop trade routes between China and North America.

European vessels exploring the vast Pacific often employed Chinese tradesmen. Reportedly, in March 1789, a vessel docked off the island shores and sent a carpenter to land to repair a swivel gun. This otherwise unnamed worker was believed to be the first Chinese national to step foot on the undeveloped islands. 

He would be far from the last. Those that followed, many of whom were also tradesmen, provided skilled labor for the islands’ chiefs, including Kamehameha I.

By the 1820s, upwards of 40 Chinese lived in Honolulu, which continued growing as industries like whaling, sandalwood trade, and sugar plantations proved fruitful. After Kamehameha I unified Hawaii, the Chinese population jumped to over 700. 

With a growing community, common traditions from across the Pacific started to take shape in Hawaii. Among them the funerary practices that ultimately led to the formation of the Lin Yee Chung Cemetery.

Establishing the Manoa Chinese Graveyard

The burial rituals of the Chinese differ from Hawaiian customs. So, in the mid-19th century, 31 members of the Lin Yee Chung Association gathered the funds needed (which included six months of earnings each) to purchase a plot of land. 

By 1851, the Oahu cemetery was established on the inward slope of Ko’olau, nestled amongst forestry and the sprawling valley. Though created for the Chinese of Hawaii, the cemetery eventually started allowing burials of everyone in the neighborhood.

As decades passed, Manoa Valley became a suburb of Honolulu. Its once-green landscapes gave way to communities, which threatened to encroach on the Manoa Chinese Cemetery. In 2022, residents fought against a project developer who wished to demolish part of the remaining forest for affordable senior living. 

Little did many of them know they weren’t just saving the sanctity of the burial grounds. They kept a status quo for the wandering souls bound to Manoa Valley.

The Ghostly Children of the Lin Yee Chung Cemetery

Cemeteries and graveyards aren’t always a hotspot for spectral activity. Some believe the souls of those buried wouldn’t stay with their remains, instead anchoring themselves to a person or location of importance. Apparently, Manoa Valley Cemetery is an exception to that rule. 

Though visitors have reportedly frequently reported seeing orbs and mysterious balls of light, the disembodied laughter of children really gets the hair standing on end. One of the cemetery’s most infamous stories occurred in 2008. An anonymous Honolulu police officer was responding to a noise complaint at the cemetery. 

Expecting to find trespassers, he was instead met with an empty cemetery. Then, his eyes caught two shapes ducked behind a tombstone. Figuring it was teenagers, the officer approached, only for the shapes to vanish.

In the silence, children’s voices sang, though no children were found. Back at his car, the radio had been turned on by an unseen instigator. Even when he turned it off, it kicked back on, and it was then he knew he was not alone.

Perhaps the traditional architecture keeps the souls of the departed from leaving. It’s a point of familiarity, a remembrance of a culture that’s slowly been chipped away by Manoa’s evolution.

It’s possible the ghostly voices don’t even belong to one of the interred, though. At least, according to local legends, it’s possible thanks to the focal point of the cemetery.

The Burned-Out Tree

Some who have explored the Oahu cemetery have spotted orbs originating from a specific source. Near the center of the burial plots sits a tree, its core burned out for unknown reasons. It’s from this natural formation that the orange, fiery orbs spotted around Manoa Chinese Cemetery are said to originate.

Is the tree a portal to another realm, a gateway that welcomes the dead? There may be no definitive answer, but it gives reason for the bounty of orbs spotted dancing everywhere. With a direct portal to the other side, any number of ghosts may find themselves in Hawaii despite having died and been buried elsewhere in the world. 

Haunted of Honolulu

The Hawaiian Islands are rich with historic lore. Along with tales of gods and kings, some legends explore the concept of a spectral life after death. The Manoa Chinese Cemetery may be isolated from other ghost stories heard near and around Honolulu, but the chilling experiences on the consecrated grounds are difficult to ignore.

Book your Honolulu ghost tour today to learn more about Honolulu’s (and, by association, Oahu’s) connection with the other side. You can also catch up on other frightening island tales on our blog and by following us on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

Sources:

• https://www.manoaheritagecenter.org/moolelo/manoa-valley/geology/
• https://chsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/CHSA_HP2010.pdf
• https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/4e37fa41-b46d-42f8-bc91-385c4e9ec7cf/content
• https://spectrumlocalnews.com/hi/hawaii/affordable-housing/2022/03/23/manoa-residents-are-fighting-an-affordable-housing-project-
• https://sg.news.yahoo.com/honolulu-police-officer-details-ghostly-165757767.html
• https://www.geohaunts.org/blog/manoa-chinese-cemetery