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Incredible photos show how a Chinese ghost town has been reclaimed by nature
Incredible photos show how a Chinese ghost town has been reclaimed by nature
Alexandra MaJun 9, 2018, 13:10 IST
This May 20, 2018, drone photo shows buildings covered in ivy in the abandoned fishing village of Houtouwan on the remote island of Shengshan, 90 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai. Only 5 of the 3,000 residents remain in what some call a "ghost village" that draws visitors down perilous footpaths winding past structures worn down by roots, rain, vines and wind.Sam McNeil/AP
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The fishing village of Houtouwan has been deserted for more than 20 years.
It has just five residents left, and most of its buildings are now covered by greenery.
Scroll down to see what the village looks like.
A remote fishing village in China has become so abandoned that all its buildings have succumbed to nature.
Drone photos taken over Houtouwan, located on the eastern Chinese island of Shengshan, showed the village's buildings completely covered in ivy and worn down by roots, rain, vines, and wind.
Some of the structures even have flowers growing from them.
This May 20, 2018, drone photo shows a building covered in ivy in the abandoned fishing village of Houtouwan on the remote island of Shengshan, 90 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai. Only 5 of the 3,000 residents remain in what some call a "ghost village" that draws visitors down perilous footpaths winding past structures worn down by roots, rain, vines and wind.Sam McNeil/AP
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This May 19, 2018, photo shows ruins of a building in the abandoned fishing village of Houtouwan on the remote island of Shengshan, 90 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai. Only 5 of the 3,000 residents remain in what some call a "ghost village" that draws visitors down perilous footpaths winding past structures worn down by roots, rain, vines and wind.Sam McNeil/AP
The village, which was once home to some 3,000 fishermen, was abandoned in the early 1990s as residents moved to live closer to cities.
Today, the area is home to just five people, the Associated Press reported. The residents include 60-year-old Lin Fazhen, pictured on the left with his neighbour in the photo below.
When asked if Houtouwan was haunted, Lin told the AP: "I've lived in this world for such a long time, and have never met one [ghost], right?"
In this May 19, 2018 photo, Lin Fazhen, 60, left, leaves his home with a neighbor in the former fishing village of Houtouwan. The pair is two of the five residents left from the 3,000 that once lived in the village. The haunting beauty of the seaside village draws visitors down perilous footpaths winding past structures worn down by roots, rain, vines and wind on the remote island of Shengshan, 90 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai. Lin laughed when asked if the Houtouwan was haunted. "I've lived in this world for such a long time, and have never met one, right?"Fu Ting/AP
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The village has now become a major tourist attraction, as Shengshan, the island where it's located, is easily accessible from the Chinese mainland.
The remoteness of Houtouwan is a far cry from Shanghai, which is just 55 miles away. Late last year the bustling city opened a massive amusement park-like Starbucks that roast, package, and serve coffee in front of customers.
In this May 19, 2018, photo, tourists rest inside the abandoned fishing village of Houtouwan on the remote island of Shengshan, 90 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai. Only 5 of the 3,000 residents remain in what some call a "ghost village" that draws visitors down perilous footpaths winding past structures worn down by roots, rain, vines and wind.Fu Ting/AP
This May 19, 2018, drone photo shows ruins of a building in the abandoned fishing village of Houtouwan on the remote island of Shengshan, 90 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai. Only 5 of the 3,000 residents remain in what some call a "ghost village" that draws visitors down perilous footpaths winding past structures worn down by roots, rain, vines and wind.Sam McNeil/AP
