Abandoned 'ghost village' in China becomes overgrown
Shengshan island in China's eastern Zhejiang province is home to Houtouwan, an abandoned village that has become overgrown with thick green vegetation.
Agence France-Presse photojournalist Johannes Eisele went to Houtouwan to capture these extraordinary aerial photos.
Image copyrightAFP
Image copyrightAFPThe tiny island was once home to a bustling fishing village with more than 2,000 fishermen and their families housed in more than 500 homes.
Image copyrightAFP
Image copyrightAFPThe remoteness of the island meant that the standards of education and quality of food deliveries suffered.
Residents started to leave the island in the early 1990s in search of a better life.
Image copyrightAFPBy 1994 almost everyone had left, and only a few villagers remain today.
Image copyrightAFPOver the years lush vegetation reclaimed the buildings, making the isolated island a popular tourist destination.
Image copyrightAFP
Image copyrightAFP
Image copyrightAFP
