A small island off the east coast of China holds a secret hideaway. It is an abandoned fishing village that has been slowly engulfed by thick layers of ivy, which gradually creeps over every brick and pathway.
Houtou Wan Village can be found on Gouqi Island. It is part of a group of 394 islands called the Shengsi Islands within the Zhoushan Archipelago. It is one of many small villages that, among other things, have been abandoned by urbanization, inaccessibility, and depletion, as well as shifts in the industry.
Houtou Wan Village, once a bustling settlement, was abandoned half a century ago when the small bay couldn’t accommodate the growing number of fishing boats.
Nature has restored the land over the years, making it a beautiful, peaceful place that is void of humans except for wandering tourists, and a few elderly residents who refuse to leave their homes.
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