Houtouwan, an abandoned fishing village on the island of Shengshan in China, saw its population decline in the 1990s due to the difficult access to resources and migration to urban areas. The absence of human activity has allowed nature to reclaim its territory, with dense vegetation gradually covering the buildings and infrastructure.
In the 1980s, Houtouwan was a small fishing village on Shengshan Island in China. The inhabitants primarily lived off fishing, in a place bordered by steep cliffs and somewhat cut off from the rest of the world. But over time, life there became complicated: significant isolation, limited access to resources, and especially the lack of economic activities outside of fishing slowly emptied the village of its population. In the 1990s, this phenomenon accelerated, as people gradually left in search of a better life elsewhere: better schools, improved access to healthcare, more job opportunities, and more modern infrastructure. Ultimately, around 2002, the village was almost completely abandoned, leaving behind only a few elderly residents, and then no one a few years later. With no inhabitants to maintain it, nature quickly took over, transforming the streets, empty houses, and abandoned buildings into a spectacular scene covered in greenery.
Located on the Chinese island of Shengshan, the village of Houtouwan benefits from a climate that is both humid, mild, and stable year-round. Rainfall is frequent, the air is often filled with moisture, and temperatures never drop too drastically. This climatic combination is ideal for the rapid and continuous growth of vegetation, particularly climbing plants and mosses. And since winters are never too cold and summers not too dry, the vegetation does not experience significant shocks that could halt its progression. The result: as soon as humans turned their backs, the plants quietly reclaimed control of the area.
The town of Houtouwan, left to its own devices, has become a true plant paradise for resilient and invasive species. Among them, there are mainly climbing plants like virginia creeper and ivy, experts at quickly colonizing abandoned buildings. Wisteria also joins the party: fast, elegant, but beware, it’s incredibly effective at conquering new surfaces. Some sturdy little shrubs like burning bush or certain ficus also take advantage of the cracks in the walls and sidewalks to settle in comfortably and grow peacefully, making the town truly unrecognizable. All of this creates a new, densely packed plant microcosm, and it is precisely this mix of aggressive and opportunistic plants that transforms Houtouwan into a setting worthy of a post-apocalyptic film.
When a city is abandoned, nature comes in with its own rules. In Houtouwan, the first to return were the pioneer plants: mosses, lichens, and sturdy little herbaceous plants. They settle comfortably on the concrete surfaces and begin to slowly decompose the materials, creating a substrate for more demanding species. Gradually, shrubs and then vines and climbing plants like the famous ivy take over and quietly scale walls and façades. Their rapid growth and effective seed dispersal accelerate this plant takeover. The competition among plants then creates different communities according to microenvironments: shaded wet corners, sun-exposed façades, or windy alleys. After just a few years, trees begin to take root, their powerful roots further cracking the concrete, emphasizing this urban decline and permanently transforming the places into a lush ecosystem.
Since the abandonment of its inhabitants, Houtouwan sees its streets, houses, and buildings slowly disappearing under a dense carpet of vegetation. Roots and climbing stems weave through the cracks in the walls, gradually forcing the stone and concrete to crumble. The vegetation acts like a sponge: it retains moisture, further accelerating the degradation of urban structures. Some buildings partially collapse under the weight of the accumulated vegetation. Over time, windows, doors, and roofs fade beneath the leaves, creating an unusual setting that blends architecture and wild nature where it is sometimes difficult to distinguish a facade from a verdant hillside. This return of nature reshapes the urban space with a particular charm, but it also marks a step towards the gradual disappearance of the city itself beneath the vegetation.
The plant invasion of abandoned cities like Houtouwan is an example of "ecological succession," a natural process through which ecosystems gradually regain their balance after human disturbance.
Despite the encroachment of vegetation on the buildings, some structures remain structurally sound; this reflects the durability of the ancient materials used by the local inhabitants and their traditional building methods.
Several plant species that have reclaimed Houtouwan play a key ecological role by stabilizing the soil, thus limiting erosion caused by frequent rains and strong coastal winds.
Before its massive abandonment in the 1990s, Houtouwan had a population of around 2,000 inhabitants, mainly fishermen dependent on the local maritime activity.
Yes, the village has become a popular tourist destination for photographers and travelers eager to witness the impressive natural reclaiming of the area. However, access may sometimes be restricted to protect both visitors and the buildings that have been weakened by vegetation.
Primarily climbing species such as ivy, wisteria, as well as various species of mosses and ferns, which thrive in the humid subtropical climate to grow rapidly.
The infiltration of roots and dense vegetation gradually weaken urban structures. The roots create cracks in the walls, damage the roofs, and ultimately compromise the overall stability of the buildings.
Yes, several other sites around the world, such as Pripyat in Ukraine or the abandoned city of Varosha in Cyprus, are also experiencing a gradual recolonization by vegetation after their abandonment.
The village of Houtouwan was gradually abandoned starting in the 1990s due to economic difficulties, isolation, and limited resources, until it became completely empty after the 2000s.
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