Nature has the eternal power to preserve or destroy anything. Humans are dependent on nature but nowadays we are forgetting its exquisite value. We are incessantly exploiting it for our own good.

Mother Nature has been giving us from the beginning without asking for anything in return. But we are giving back because we are so-called ‘good’ humans and what we give includes deforestation, pollution, global warming, etc. and then we grumble about cyclones and earthquakes.

Things that we contemplate useless and throw away are sometimes adopted by nature.

This is what happened in China when a village abandoned by people was taken over by nature.

Earlier A Ghost Village: Now A Tourist Hotspot

The village of Houtouwan on the remote island of Shengshan, 90 km off the coast of Shanghai, China, has been deserted for more than 25 years. Houtouwan is the only town on the archipelago that has naturally turned into a desirable visiting spot because of decay.

According to a report by the BBC,

The village once home to about 3000 fishermen was abandoned by the residents in the early 1990s as they moved to cities for better jobs. The major reasons for disregarding the village were its remoteness and hard-to-access location”.

In 2002, the village was depopulated and merged into a nearby village but it was still unsuitable for settlement.

After decades of abandonment, the empty houses of the village have been swallowed by a blanket of lush climbing plants, roots, vines, rain, ferns, and wind. Some of the houses and structures are even home to different species of flowers.


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However, it is believed that a handful of people still reside in Houtouwan (in the lap of nature) not for fishing but to run their small shops and working as guides for intrepid tourists.

Houtouwan gained fame among Chinese netizens in 2015 but the officials of the village were cautious of the impact brought by the sudden surge of tourists.

Despite this, the village after two years became a major tourist attraction, as Shengshan Island where it is located is easily accessible from mainland China.

The village seems like a fairy tale location. In 2018, the village opened a massive amusement park-like Starbucks that roast, package, and serve coffee in front of customers.

Many have visited this prodigy of nature that is often described as ‘Frozen in time’. The town captures an astonishing beauty of that which is no longer there.

Nature Reminds Us How Mesmerizing It Is From Time-To-Time

How the plantation carpeted the entire town after being disregarded by the people is the perfect example that nature accepts every flaw. When one visits the village, one won’t listen to the noisy chaos of the city but the chirping of birds.

Buildings are completely surrounded by ivy, yet the beautiful rooftop tiles on some houses still gleam. The fascinating views of the stormy seas will make us forget the big cities.

We keep deteriorating nature irrespective of the fact that nature never fails to shower us with its invaluable resources. If nature has the power to heal, it surely can demolish. Therefore, it’s high time we start giving back to nature what we owe to it.


Image credits: Google images

Source: CNNBusiness InsiderNDTV

Find the blogger: @dikks09

This post is tagged under: ghost village in China, uninhabitable village, merged with another village, nature took over the houses, became a tourist spot, mainland China, beautiful village with houses covered in green, fungus, houses covered in decay, village of Houtouwan, remote island of Shengshan, coast of Shanghai, China, places to visit in China, unknown places, unseen places, rural tourism, local, hidden gems, travel, must see


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