This is the story that shook China in 1984 – when a family of 10 was murdered and dismembered in their own restaurant which the perpetrator later managed. But are the stories real? Did the perpetrator really serve the family’s meat in the restaurant’s signature pork buns and fed them to the customers?
Let’s begin our story by getting to know our perpetrator – Huang Zhiheng. He was born in mainland China before he immigrated to Hong Kong in the 70s. Before the murders, Huang Zhiheng was also involved in a dispute with an unnamed man in Hong Kong that resulted in the man’s death. Guilty of murder, Huang later flees for Guangzhou, in Southern China. After a few years of living in Guangzhou, Huang married his landlord’s daughter. The couple was then forced to elope as the woman’s family disapproved of Huang. However, before leaving, Huang burned off his own fingertips in order to avoid being tied to the murder in Hong Kong.
Huang Zhiheng met his future victims when he entered the gambling scene in Macau. Zheng Lin and his wife were noted to be heavy gamblers. They did, however, owned the Eight Immortals Restaurant – a restaurant connected to the Eight Immortals Hotel. Zheng Lin had humble beginnings. He used to be a street vendor who later moved his business into an establishment in the 60s which later became a financial success. He lived near the restaurant with his entire family and they assisted him run the business.
Disclaimer: Photo not mine.
Huang Zhiheng and Zheng Lin met during a series of high stakes bet against each other in 1984 which resulted to Huang winning 180, 000 Yuan from the Zheng couple. Ultimately, the Zhengs were unable to pay the debt. This problem was resolved with a verbal agreement that the Zheng couple would give up their restaurant to Huang if they won’t be able to pay the dept in a year. However, a year passed and the Zhengs were unable to repay their debt and according to Huang, their debt only continued to pile up as they kept losing to him. In total, Huang claims that the couple owes him 600, 000 Yuan.
The actual murders happened during the night of August 4th in 1984. Pass closing time, nine members of the Zheng family, including the Zheng couple, were busy cleaning the restaurant and preparing for next day’s business. During this, Huang entered the restaurant and demanded that the Zhengs pay him 20, 000 Yuan, 10 000 less of what he as originally asking for – only a part of the 600, 000 Yuan that they owed him. Huang grew agitated when Zheng Lin not only refused to pay but also refused to turn over the restaurant just as he had promised. Huang Zhiheng ultimately grew aggressive and later broke a beer bottle, using the sharp glass that remained as a weapon. He then took the couple’s son as hostage and forced the family to tie and gag each other up while he held the weapon against the neck of the couple’s son.
Disclaimer: Photo not mine.
During this, one of the family members broke free and started to scream for help which further agitated Huang. This caused Huang to stab her in the neck with the jagged bear bottle. He then proceeded to either strangle or stab nine members of the family with his makeshift weapon. After this, knowing that Zheng Lin still had another sister who wasn’t with them, Huang stepped out of the restaurant to lure her in. He succeeded in doing so and later killed her as well. He then proceeded to dismember the bodies in eight hours which he later wrapped in black plastic trash bags, which he later disposed of either by throwing them into the ocean or into the dumpsters. After all this, he recovered cash and a safe key from Zheng Lin’s dead body. He then closed the restaurant, left a note at the door that announces a 3-day closure to the customers and suppliers and later stay the night at his on victims’ residence nearby.
The following morning, a delivery truck driver found the restaurant closed and read the note. He then walked to the family’s home where Huang Zhiheng was. When questioned where the family was, Huang only told the delivery man that the family had left for a trip to the mainland. This delivery man became a key witness as he was also the last one who saw the family well and alive just the afternoon before the fateful night. After three days, Huang reopened the restaurant and managed it himself.
Over a year later, on August 8th in 1985, a swimmer found eight pieces of human limbs, including four right hands, at Hac Sa, a nearby beach. It was originally suspected that either smugglers were involved or a shark somehow attacked swimmers. However, during an examination, both theories were proved to be wrong. It was found that the limbs were cut precisely suggesting that they had been severed. This prompted a police investigation and a search for missing persons that the limbs may belong to. Over the next days, forensics determined that the limbs actually belonged to four different people. Over the following week, three more body parts were found on Macau’s beaches. The last body parts that were linked to the murders were found in a trash dump in 1989.
After finding out that a whole family was missing as reported by relatives, police discover that the limbs belonged to the Zheng family. While the police found it unusual that Huang was running the business, they couldn’t exactly pin the blame on him as everyone knew that he was associated with the family (In some articles, I also found that Huang had actually worked for the family before) and was in possession of the restaurant’s documents. Aside from running the restaurant, Huang also started to collect rent from the family’s home.
The police did, however, start getting suspicious of Huang’s activities and began investigating him. When they started to search his bank holdings, they had found documents that belonged to Zheng Lin and the student ID cards of the couple’s children. Once again, Huang planned an escape path to mainland China but this time, he was caught and arrested on the 28th of September in 1986. Shortly after, he was convicted and charged with the murder of all ten members of the Zheng family on the 2nd of October 1986.
After his conviction, Huang got involved in a fight with another inmate within only a day of being in prison. He was sent to the hospital to recover where he attempted another escape but still failed. On the 6th of October of the same year, he confessed to the murders and went on to tell investigators how he killed each member in detail. While in prison, Huang attempted suicide twice. Succeeding on his second try on December 4th of the same year, where he slit his wrists using a trash can lid. Huang left a suicide note along with a letter to a local newspaper explaining what he had done. In his note, Huang says that his suicide was not his acceptance of his sin but was rather a way to escape his chronic asthma.
Although Huang never confessed to having an accomplice, police strongly believed that he had someone help him. After all, Huang was around 50 years old when he allegedly took hostage and killed 10 people.
Disclaimer: Photo not mine.
From this crime, an urban legend that still sends chill down people’s backs was formed. It was rumored that while Huang was running the restaurant, he had used Zheng family’s remaining meat in place of pork meat in the restaurant’s signature pork buns and served them to clueless customers. Although police never claimed any allegation, is it really possible that other missing parts were cooked and served? We may never find out.
Blogger’s Note:
The only pictures I can find are that of the movie adaptation’s poster. The crime did happen in the 80s and it’s kind of hard to find photos from then. It’s most likely that the only photos were published in newspapers but were never posted online. Anyway, what I do know is that where the restaurant used to be is now known as “Victoria Hotel” in Macau.
References:
https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/blog/mean-streets-hong-kongs-most-infamous-murders-083016
https://courseofhorror.wordpress.com/2017/11/01/fancy-some-meat-buns/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Immortals_Restaurant_murders
True Crime - Asia 