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At one time the village of Houtouwan on Shengshan island in China was a thriving fishing community. Now it is a completely abandoned ghost town with entire houses (some still furnished) completely overgrown in vegetation and foliage.
It has also become something of a tourist attraction because of its unique status.
Established in the 1950s, Houtouwan was estimated to have had as many as 3,000 residents at its most usefulness as a fishing town. However, as its small port had more and more trouble accomodating bigger and bigger ships, residents, who could only leave town via a small winding path up the side of a hill if the seas were too rough, began to move away.
“Giving birth, children going to school, when old people got sick – all we had was that small path. It took too much effort,” a former resident told The Daily Mail.
Now completely abandoned, local authorities are now charging tourists 50 yuan (around 50 cents) to hike a circular loop that weaves between the abandoned houses.
If you want to visit, be ready for a long couple of days as it takes up to 36 hours to reach the town from mainland China.
Or you can save some time and money and just check out the very cool pictures of Houtouwan below. Your call.
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Embed from Getty Images
[Travel + Leisure]