The reason these 6 ghost towns were abandoned
Abandoned houses are relatively common, but an entire town?
Yes, it does happen. We are all familiar with Chernobyl in the Ukraine, the scene of a catastrophic nuclear disaster in 1986 that left the city of Pripyat abandoned.
And there are others, deserted for very different reasons. These six ghost towns, compiled by Domain, include an entire island, a town on the edge of the desert in Australia and two seaside cities that never quite made it.
1. Gouqi Island, China
Gouqi Island in China is an old fishing village that has been abandoned for more than 50 years and has now been overrun by nature.
2. Hashima Island, Japan
Hashima Island in Japan, also nicknamed Ghost Island, housed a coal-mining operation during its heyday from the late ninth century to mid-20th century. It had a starring role as the villain's lair in the James Bond movie Skyfall.
3. Farina, South Australia
The town of Farina in central South Australia was established in 1878 by hopeful farmers who thought it was the perfect location to grow wheat and barley. But the location, on the edge, of the desert, didn't attract enough rainfall to sustain crops.
4. Imber, England
Imber in England is a village on the Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire that was evacuated in 1943, as US troops prepared for the invasion of Europe during World War II.
5. Sanzhi Pod City, Taiwan
Sanzhi Pod City in Taiwan resembles a UFO pod village, but is not inhabited by either aliens or humans. The colourful pods at Sanzhi City were planned as a seaside destination for holidaying American military staff posted to Asia. But the development was never finished and the project went bankrupt.
6. Sesena, Spain
Sesena in Spain, south of Madrid is a seaside town started in the middle of a property boom, but never completed.
To see all the haunting pictures, scroll through the gallery above. Have you visited any of these destinations, or any other abandoned places?
Let us know in the comments.
First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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