Welcome to the dead dreams of San Zhi.
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This future appeared outside of Taipei, Taiwan, in the early 1980s.
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Ghosts offer one explanation for San Zhi’s failure…
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The speculation about why the site was abandoned varies, with the most interesting being that a series of fatal accidents occurred during construction, causing locals to believe the site was haunted, and therefore instigating the developerโ€™s decision to stop construction (and also putting a stop to any future redevelopment).

This town has always been a ghost town.

Charles Mudede—who writes about film, books, music, and his life in Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, the USA, and the UK for The Stranger—was born near a steel plant in Kwe Kwe, Zimbabwe. He has no memory...

12 replies on “The Beauty of Desertion”

  1. What, no making fun of these backwards hicks believing in ghosts? If anyone deserves it, they do. What, are they like the Asian versions of Shaggy and Scooby? “ZOINKS! A g-g-g-g-g-ghost!”

  2. Reminds me of the 64-65 World’s Fair in Queens.

    My friends and I used to go bike riding there and walk around all the trashed buildings like the U.S. Paillion…lots of fiberglass panels and left over exhibits with titles like “Peace Through Radiation”

  3. I’ve seen this place, and when I asked locals about it, they told me that “only ghosts live in round houses.” Something to do with ghosts being able to be stuck in corners or something. I’m no expert.

    Ghosts are taken pretty seriously here in Taiwan. Most people believe in them, or at least most people I’ve spoken to.

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