Like something straight out of a fairy tale, a once prosperous fishing village has been left abandoned and has been taken over by a blanket of plants instead.
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The abandoned village of on Shengshan Island, an archipelago off the eastern coast of , 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 hotspot, intriguing visitors from all over the world to explore this “mesmerising”, apocalyptic-looking village.
Houtouwan is ranked number one of the top 16 attractions in Shengshi County on TripAdvisor and “very much worth the visit”, according to reviews.
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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 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.”
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Visitors can hike around the hilly village for a fee of $8 (around £6.30). Signs are put up outside empty houses to warn tourists about the possible danger of entering the deteriorating structures.
A viewing platform opened in 2017, offering an overview of the village from afar, for a price of $3 (£2.30).
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The fame of Houtouwan village has been bolstered the tourism industry of Shengshan Island.
New bed-and-breakfast accommodations have popped up around the island – just not inside the village.
(Image: Getty)