The abandoned village of Houtouwan on Shengshan Island, an archipelago off the eastern coast of China, was once a prosperous fishing village with over 3,000 residents in the 1980s.
However, due to its remote and hard-to-access location, its residents began to move out in the 90s. In 2002 it was officially depopulated and merged into a nearby village.
After decades of abandonment, empty houses in the cliffside village – some still furnished – have been inhabited by an entirely new type of occupant: lush green climbing plants.
Fast-forward to today, it has become something of an internet sensation and an unusual tourism hotspot, intriguing visitors from all over the world to explore this apocalyptic-looking village.
Houtouwan soared to fame in 2015 when a series of photographs of the deserted village went viral, leaving the officials of the Shengsi archipelago cautious of the impact brought by the sudden surge of tourists.
“Our telephone lines are jammed and we are getting more tourists to Houtouwan,” Chen Bo, an official of Shengshan Island, said in an official statement at the time.
They added: “Houtouwan of Shengshan hasn’t been equipped with the conditions to open to tourists… We urge visitors to preserve its tranquility for now.”
(Image: Getty)
