TURNING BACK THE TOK
Inside Chinese ghost town on remote island reclaimed by nature that’s coming back to LIFE as TikTokers flock to visit
The former fishing village of Houtouwan has become a unique destination for thrill seekers
AFTER being left to the mercy of mother nature, this abandoned Chinese town has been given a new lease of life thanks to TikTok.
Perched on stunning hills in China, the once thriving fishing community of Houtouwan has been abandoned for decades.
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Nicknamed the "ghost village", most locals left the scenic area in the 1990s to pursue work in large cities - leaving the area desolate.
Only a handful now live in the outpost, which lies east of Shanghai and was once home to more than 2,000 fishermen.
Now it's become a hot destination for TikTokers and influencers, who are headed to the town to take dramatic photos.
Incredible scenes of the city reveal entire buildings covered in lush green ivy after being abandoned.
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One Twitter user marvelled: "Haven't yet seen things like this in the movies."
The "Tolkien-esque" town has wowed those online, and some thrill seekers opt to explore the abandoned homes - despite being warned not to.
One influencer who visited the village shared glam photos of her in a white dress with a red parasol amongst the abandoned buildings.
Another TikToker shared a video of her viewing the abandoned area from a crumbled balcony.
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For those not so willing to risk their safety, there's a viewing platform installed by local authorities which gives you a view of the entire abandoned town.
And the new wave of tourists has also boosted the company's economy, as up to 90,000 visitors came in 2021 alone.
If you need a place to stay, bed and breakfasts have popped up around the island to provide a cosy place to retreat after seeing the magical town.
One fan wrote: "The entire world will look like this one day, nothing we ever do will stay and mother nature will rightfully take back her resources."
Another village left to rot and decay was reclaimed by nature after its thriving community left.
The Welsh village of Talysarn was known to have “roofed the 19th century world” and remnants of the industrial past are still standing to this day.
And shocking footage emerged of a car graveyard left to be taken over by mother nature.
The once-loved cars are now stacked up and forgotten about with the motley collection even including Royal Mail service trains.
This abandoned hospital lies rotting as mother nature and graffiti vandals leave their indelible mark on it.
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The corridors and rooms of the Thornton Fever Hospital in Fife, Scotland, were once bustling but now stand empty and crumbling.
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