A tiny village on a Chinese island in the pacific ocean, less than three miles wide, has returned to a state of the natural wilderness after villagers abandoned their homes and land around 30 years ago.
Houtouwan village, once the richest fishing village in Shengsi island in east China's Zhejiang province was totally abandoned at the beginning of 21st century due mostly due to economic reasons. Fishermen who once inhabited the village moved away once they discovered it was more lucrative to live and work on the mainland rather than the remote and difficult to access the island. Other villagers began leaving the island for an easier life in the 90s, many wanting a better education for their children or medical treatment. In the 1980s the village boasted a population of around 3,000 inhabitants, but by 2002 the village was officially depopulated and was merged with a neighbouring village. Now overrun with wildlife and greenery the mystical island has taken on a fairy-tale feel, attracting adventurous tourists in their thousands.
Houtouwan village, once the richest fishing village in Shengsi island in east China's Zhejiang province was totally abandoned at the beginning of 21st century due mostly due to economic reasons. Fishermen who once inhabited the village moved away once they discovered it was more lucrative to live and work on the mainland rather than the remote and difficult to access the island. Other villagers began leaving the island for an easier life in the 90s, many wanting a better education for their children or medical treatment. In the 1980s the village boasted a population of around 3,000 inhabitants, but by 2002 the village was officially depopulated and was merged with a neighbouring village. Now overrun with wildlife and greenery the mystical island has taken on a fairy-tale feel, attracting adventurous tourists in their thousands.
