A pic taken in May, 2018 shows someone walking among abandoned houses covered with greenery in Houtouwan
China's Shengshan Island is an archipelago with many picturesque fishing villages - but one such village, named Houtouwan, was abandoned in the 1990s. Once home to a thriving fishing community that resided in sturdy brick homes, it is believed that the tiny port of Houtouwan could not compete with larger villages, and soon the residents moved away for better jobs. Only a handful of people still call Houtouwan home. And what was abandoned by man has been reclaimed by nature. Stunning aerial shots by AFP photojournalist Johannes Eisele show how the abandoned brick cottages have been taken over by vegetation - and the magical pictures have gone viral on social media, even being curated into a Twitter Moment.
The BBC reports that the tiny island was once home to a bustling fishing village with more than 2,000 fishermen and 500 homes. Today, only a few villagers remain - and the brick homes are left shrouded in greenery.
The Daily Mail reports that Houtouwan was rediscovered in 2015 with ferns and vines having taken over the whole village. A Shanghai-based amateur photographer, who calls herself Qing Jian, first took a set of photos of the village during a trip to Shengshan Island three years ago.
Since then, many have taken to visiting the village that is often described as 'frozen in time'. The strange beauty of Houtouwan has today turned it into a tourist destination of sorts. Now, authorities have begun charging a fee from tourists who visit the seaside village.
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