UFO Houses in Taiwan: An abandoned futuristic ghost town
This mysterious and atmospheric ghost town was located in the north of the island of Taiwan. Houses in the form of mysterious flying saucers seem to transport us to another planet or to a post-apocalyptic future. What secrets does this abandoned futuristic ghost town hide? Who was it built for and what happened to it?
The strange and amazing town of San Zhi in Taiwan is an abandoned resort complex. The houses in this city were shaped like a flying saucer, so they were called UFO houses. They began to be built as a resort for American military personnel serving in East Asia.
San Zhi was abandoned two years after construction began and had been standing there for 28 years when it was decided to demolish it.
The original idea for the construction of such houses belonged to the owner of the Sanjhih Township company for the production of plastics, Mr. Yu‑Ko Chou. The first construction license was issued in 1978. The houses were designed by Matti Suuronen, an architect from Finland. But in 1980, construction was halted when Yu-Chou declared bankruptcy.
This legendary ghost town was located in San Zhi district, Taipei City, Taiwan.
When the company went bankrupt, the construction project was halted. All efforts to resume the work have come to nothing. During the construction, there were several serious accidents due to the allegedly disturbed spirit of the mythical Chinese dragon (so superstitious people claimed). Many believed that this place was haunted. As a result, the village was abandoned and soon became known as a ghost town.
Shared swimming pool.
Thanks to the unusual architecture and the reputation of a mysterious place, the fame of the city quickly spread, and it began to attract tourists, but continued to deteriorate.
Houses in the form of UFOs began to be built in 1978. The unusual complex was conceived as a resort for American military personnel who were stationed in East Asian countries.
Reflection in a broken window.
The project was abandoned in 1980 due to financial losses, lack of investment, and a large number of deaths during construction.
Once, during construction, a sculpture of a Chinese dragon, which was located nearby, was damaged. After that, the number of deaths at the construction site increased dramatically, as if the Chinese shrine had begun to take revenge.
Despite the fact that the city was never completed, over time it still appeared on the tourist map. People were attracted to its unusual architecture and otherworldly appearance.
In this picturesque place, filming for the MTV channel has repeatedly taken place.
View from the roof of buildings.
Destruction from within.
Legend has it that the resort was doomed because a Chinese dragon sculpture was damaged when the access road was widened during construction.
According to another version, ghosts were to blame: historians have established that this place was once an old mass grave of Dutch soldiers, which appeared after the Netherlands made Taiwan its colony in 1624.
A landing site for alien visitors?
To curious people traveling along the north shore between Tamsui and Keelung, the UFO Houses appear as a group of quaint, brightly colored, dilapidated buildings that were supposed to be a resort village. But the Taipei City Administration decided to demolish them.
Before being demolished, this place often attracted photographers because of its unusual atmosphere and beautiful coastline.
It was often rumored that many people had seen ghosts near the complex or that there were a large number of unexplained traffic accidents on nearby roads.
One of the developers of the UFO houses project said that there were many rumors about ghosts on the construction site. In his opinion, it was all utter nonsense.
There were also rumors that at the beginning of construction work on the site allegedly found more than 20,000 skeletons of people who died a violent death.
In Asia, traditionally in the construction business, it is necessary to pay homage to the spirits before starting to work in a new place.
Beautiful ocean views.
Red sunset.
Ocean view.
At the end of 2008, the ghost town was planned to be completely demolished, despite petitions to preserve one of the "flying saucers" and turn it into a museum. Demolition work began in late December 2008.
View of the house-UFO in Google.
Keywords: Architecture | Asia | Taiwan | Resort | Abandoned | Ufo | Design and architecture | Ghost town