Photo Journal: The Haunted Pod Village of San-zhi

San-Zhr Pod Village 1

Nestled along a short stretch of coastline in Northern Taiwan lies a strange complex known as The San-Zhi Pod Village. This abandoned futuristic luxury vacation spot remains a complete mystery to locals and tourists alike. There are several stories surrounding the circumstances that led up to its abandonment, but no one seems to know exactly why or how the site fell into such a state of disrepair.

San-zhr Pod Village 5

The wacky looking space village is located in San-zhi, on the outskirts of Taipei in Northern Taiwan. It was originally constructed for wealthy urbanites looking to escape the city on weekends.

San-Zhr Pod Village 3

The most popular story of its eventual decline claim a number of mysterious accidents ending in numerous deaths led to the halt of all construction. Locals believe the area to be haunted.

San-Zhr Pod Village 2

I heard about this incredible site from my friend, Craig Ferguson, who did a photo series last May.
And of course, in true globetrotting form, we added it to our ever-growing list of weekend motorcycle adventures.

San-Zhr Pod Village 17

As we sped down Highway 2 towards San-zhi last month, I thought it would be difficult to find, but the area kind of jumps out at you. If you miss seeing the giant candy-colored Smartie-like pods looming in the background, you won’t miss the massive broken-backed dragon that seems to hover over the boarded up entrance.

Guardian Dragon

We entered through a broken window and made our way through the complex and out into the main courtyard. It was eerily quiet. It was so quiet, we could hear the crashing of the waves at the waterfront and the grass blowing. The pods were in various states of disrepair. Some had their entire roofs ripped off, others had collapsed in on themselves. It was obvious that people had been living in some of them. The sheer amount of destruction was mind-blowing.

San-Zhr Pod Village 11

We traversed the length of the complex, slowly circling the man-made pool and ramp that was supposed to house a mini-amusement park for children. A long, white water slide lay in the murky depths of the pool.

San-zhr Pod Village 12

We couldn’t resist a peek inside. John found a pod that looked relatively safe and we climbed up to take a look around. Inside, the destruction and shoddy craftsmanship is evident. It’s hard to imagine these pods surviving the harsh summer and winter weather that Northern Taiwan’s coastline is famous for. The concrete stairs were uneven and crumbling apart. The collapsed roofs and walls are paper-thin and would never have survived a tropical storm. The view from the windows is unbelievable. There are miles of unspoilt coastline. Close your eyes to the destruction and for a few minutes you can see how it was intended to look before it was abandoned. It would have been magnificent. Instead, it is nothing but a complete waste.

About the Author

Carrie

27 Responses to “ Photo Journal: The Haunted Pod Village of San-zhi ”

  1. If I were a real ghost I’d like to live here…

    Read more from Mark Forman

    Gua Sha

    I’ll never forget the first time I saw someone that had been treated with Gua Sha. I thought they had been assaulted due to the bruise marks on various places along their neck and back. Later a [...]

  2. Great shots, Carrie. I would go to Taiwan just to visit this place.

    Read more from Stevo

    you can take the boy out of the village…

    You can take the boy out of the Chinese village…
    Even in multi-million dollar (correction: Yuan) condos, old habits die hard in China. The fact these fish were outside an office begs a question [...]

  3. Mark,

    Me too. John and I thought it would be a really neat place to live. We could totally imagine ourselves there, especially with the scenery. It’s incredible. I can’t believe that no one has done anything with the site since.

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  4. Yep Steve. It’s one of our favorite places to go in Taiwan. We drive along that highway quite a bit. Last weekend, we were on our way to Yehliu and we stopped in San-zhi for another look around.

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  5. Cool photos. Much better than the ones I took. The first time I was the, the big blue waterslide was still in place, although a bit broken, and you could walk up it if you were careful. The 2nd time I was there, it had fallen down.

    Read more from cfimages

    Kinmen’s Military Bunkers

    The final flashpoint of the Chinese civil war between Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists and Mao Zedong’s Communists, Kinmen is a small island under Taiwanese control but located 2km off the c[...]

  6. The place looks like something out of a movie! I suppose it is because of the local superstition that the pod village wasn’t rebuilt. It reminds me a bit of the ‘abandoned fairground’ concept (but less spooky due to the absense of potential clown-ghosts).

  7. I’ve been meaning to go there for awhile! Thanks for the great pics to tide me over in the meantime!

    Read more from Todd

    Daily Photo - Mangguo Nailao

    A

  8. Hi Craig,

    That’s quite a compliment. Thanks very much. I was chatting to a fellow photography buff earlier today about the pod village and he said quite a bit of it had changed since his last visit as well. At least with the pod village, you know it’s never going to be the same, which makes for interesting photo opportunities each time you return. Last weekend we stopped by and a group of kids were filming a home movie there.

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  9. Kim,

    It’s quite surreal. I would love to know more about the architect who designed it, but finding accurate information has eluded me thus far.

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  10. Hi Todd,

    Thanks and congratulations again! If you’re doing the deed in December then we’ll move on over and make it a month to remember!

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  11. Awesome photos, Carrie. :) Thanks for posting them.

    Read more from Fighting Windmills

    F-F-Friday (15)

    A

  12. You know, I drove past that place a few times in tw and was always creeped out by it. I can’t find it right now, but I remember some photog artist shot models in that park that were both cool and kinda creepy. The first time I drove by, I thought how often in Asia (esp in China) lots of people can build things, but maintenance is a whole different factor altogether.

    Nice shots.

  13. Supersitition being what it is in Chinese culture would explain a lot. And poor workmanship is another factor I am sure. I love the concept and the view from your other photos were fantastic. Your photos keep making me want to go back to my birthplace.

    Read more from Mia

    Fear of Zippers

    A

  14. S,

    I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for dropping by again. I’m always happy to hear from you!

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  15. Arex,

    I gotta say, I love Twitter folk! Thanks for coming back for another visit. Your comments are greatly appreciated! If you head down Highway #2 towards San-zhi, you won’t miss it. The first set of pods are built right beside the highway. I completely agree with your last comment.

    I lived in China for three years and the one thing that constantly amazed me was how fast buildings went up. They always looked great from the outside, but after a year or two they start crumbling apart.

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  16. Mia,

    :-) I would certainly welcome the opportunity to meet you! I imagine we would have lots to talk about. When was the last time you were in Taiwan?

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  17. Nice…I drove by this place back in April 1995…never forgot it. Surprised to see it still standing….

  18. What an eerie place! You got me hooked, Carrie, from the pics to the storytelling. Great entry! :-)

  19. Jason and BL,

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  20. It’s an ideal scenery to film a horror ;) Personally I’m not a supporter such a futurist shapes. Hoever this place looks very amazing. I like this sculpture of dragon. Nice shots Carrie.

    Read more from Krzysztof

    mój drugi blog

    A

  21. What an eerie yet intriguing place…It reminds me of the kind of places Miyazaki likes to imagine for his films. Thanks for the lovely pics! They do look just like (old) candy…

    PS: You’ve been tagged!

  22. Hi K.

    It would make a cool horror film. I agree. I never get tired of walking around the area. I’m glad that it’s still left alone though. It adds to the mystique.

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  23. Lalla Lydia,

    I haven’t heard from you in awhile. I hope things are going well for you in your part of the world. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Double thanks for the tag!

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  24. :O

    Fantastic. Completely surreal.

  25. I cycle by this place all the time. This, for my money, is one of the best cycling routes around Taipei and I often escape along this highway on my own. According to locals, the pods are haunted. They say that if you photograph them, ghosts will appear in the shots, shimmering in the glass.

  26. Thanks Fili. When you get your camera, you’ll have to make sure you make a stop here!

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

  27. Hi Patrick,

    I envy you that route. It’s our favorite route for riding on as well, but we don’t get to do it as often as we’d like. I like your comment about ghosts shimmering in the glass, although despite the hundreds of photos I took that day, the only ghost that kept appearing was John, who has a nasty habit of stepping in to photos when you least want him to.

    Read more from Carrie

    Photo Moment: Something Wicked and Dark

     
    Creative juices are flowing this month.  I’m snapping photos like crazy and have spent the last two weekends wandering through textile markets and bead stores.  I’m revisiting my old [...]

Leave a Reply

You can use these XHTML tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <strong>