Like something straight out of a fairytale， the abandoned village of Houtouwan on Shengshan Island， part of the Shengsi Archipelago off the eastern coast of China， has become an unusual travel hot spot.

Houtouwan was once a prosperous fishing village， with a 1980s population of more than 3，000 residents. However， because of its remote and hard-to-access location， its residents started to move out in the 1990s. In 2002， the village was depopulated and merged into a nearby village. After several decades， empty houses in the ocean-facing， cliffside village—some of them still furnished—have been taken over by a blanket of lush climbing plants.

就像童话故事里的场景一样，位于嵊山岛（在中国东海岸的嵊泗群岛）的后头湾废弃村庄成了一个不寻常的热门旅游景点。

后头湾曾经是一个兴盛的渔村，20世纪80年代时有3000多居民。然而，由于地处偏远、交通不便，居民在20世纪90年代陆续搬出。2002年，该村人口减少，随后被并入附近的一个村庄。经过几十年，这个面朝大海的悬崖村里的空房子——其中一些仍然配有家具——已经被茂盛的攀缘植物所取代。

An uninhabited village-turned-tourist hot spot

无人村变身热门旅游景点

Houtouwan soared to fame among Chinese netizens in 2015 when a series of marvelous photographs of the deserted village went viral.

“Our telephone lines are jammed and we are getting more tourists to Houtouwan，” an official of Shengshan Island， said in a statement at the time. “Houtouwan of Shengshan hasn’t been equipped with the conditions to open to tourists…”

But now， it’s ready for tourists. Sort of.

2015年，關于这个废弃村庄的一系列引人入胜的照片在网上疯传，后头湾在中国网民中名声大噪。

嵊山岛的一位干部当时在一次发言中表示：“我们的电话被打爆了，越来越多的游客来到后头湾。嵊山后头湾目前还不具备向游客开放的条件……”

但可以这么说，现在它已经准备好迎接游客了。

Hiking Houtouwan

徒步后头湾

After more than two years of planning， Houtouwan has implemented a few new moves to serve the visitors.

A viewing platform opened in 2017， offering an overview of the village from afar. Visitors can hike around the hilly village for over 50 yuan. Signs are put up outside empty houses to warn tourists about the possible danger of entering the ran-down structures.

The fame of Houtouwan village bolstered the tourism industry of Shengshan Island. According to local news reports， the village welcomed 90，000 visitors in 2021， earning ¥3.3 million for the island.

经过两年多的规划组织，后头湾已经实施了一些新举措来迎接游客。

2017年开放的观景台，可以俯瞰村庄。游客可以花约50多元徒步游览这个小山村。空荡荡的房屋外面竖起了标志，提醒游客进入日益磨损的建筑可能存在危险。

后头湾村的名气带动了嵊山岛的旅游业。据当地新闻报道，2021年该村接待了9万名游客，为该岛带来了330万元人民币的收入。

How to get there

怎么去后头湾

The best time to see the village is summer—when vegetation is in full bloom.

Getting to Houtouwan isn’t a straightforward trip. The visitors must first get to Gouqi Island Limited ferry services run between the departure and Gouqi Island （the island is connected to Shengshan by a short bridge）.

One ferry departs daily from Shanghai’s Shenjiawan Pier to Gouqi Island. Visitors who want to take the ferry have to buy the ticket and take the early bus from Shanghai Nanpu Bridge Tourism Center. The bus ride takes around 1.5 hours and the ferry ride takes 3.5 hours. It will drop visitors off at Gouqi Island， where they can get a local taxi to Houtouwan.

Another ferry departs from Zhoushan Shenjiamen Banshengdong Dock to Gouqi Island. It is recommended to book tickets early due to its limited availability.

游覽后头湾的最佳时间是夏季，此时植被处于全盛时期。

前往后头湾并不是一次简单的旅行，游客需先到枸杞岛。出发地和枸杞岛之间的航运服务有限（该岛通过一座小桥与嵊山相连）。

每天有一班渡轮从上海沈家湾码头出发到枸杞岛。想要乘坐渡轮的游客必须购买船票，还要从上海南浦大桥旅游中心乘坐早班车（客车车程约1.5小时，航运时长约3.5小时）。游客在枸杞岛下船，在那里可以乘坐当地的出租车前往后头湾。

另一班渡轮则是从舟山沈家门半升洞码头出发前往枸杞岛。由于船票数量有限，建议提前预订。

Word Bank

prosperous /'prɒspərəs/ adj. 繁荣的

merge /mɜːdʒ/ v. （使）合并，并入

The village expanded and merged into one large town.

furnish /'fɜːnɪʃ/ v. 布置，陈设（家具）

bolster /'bəʊlstə（r）/ v. 加强