Zhoushan village unearthed in Sino-US co-produced documentary

An amazing scene of empty houses covered with green grass and vines as seen on the China-US co-produced documentary China From Above (Season Two) [Photo/WeChat account: sstour]

Amid the rolling hills and mountains in the northeast of Shengshan Island, Zhoushan, rows upon rows of houses are looming under the lush green grass and vines.

A hidden village desolate for around two decades is gradually unveiled in front of people's eyes in a recently broadcast China-US co-produced documentary China From Above (Season Two).

The documentary, co-produced by the China International Communication Center and the US National Geographic Channel, shows China's magnificent natural landscape and social development with ultra HD 4K aerial photography. 

Located at the fishing center of Zhoushan, Houtouwan village was once the most prosperous fishing village in Shengshan Island, with a population of more than 3,000 people in its heyday. 

As the years rolled by, however, the mountains once sheltering residents from wind and storm gradually turned into the biggest cause of traffic inconvenience, which in turn impeded the development of the village, leading to the exodus of local residents in the 1990s.

It remained abandoned until three years ago when a doctor from Shanghai named Zhou Jie came across the village on a tour to the island, and it soon after came to the public’s attention. 

Impressed by the half hidden and half visible desolate houses amid the vast green land, Zhou took a photo at once and shared the breathtaking landscape on the internet, which aroused a stir among netizens. 

The village was later rated by UK's Daily Mail as one of the world's 28 most beautiful deserted places, and was reported on the US news outlet The Washington Post. 

With the village having seen a rise and fall over the past few decades, it is now thriving again as a natural retreat for urbanites to get a temporary respite away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Empty houses scatter in the desolate Houtouwan village on Shengshan Island, Zhoushan. [Photo/WeChat account: sstour]

Zhou Jie, a doctor from Shanghai, tells how she found the village in the documentary. [Photo/WeChat account: sstour]