The abandoned fishing village of Houtouwan has already become a major trend on TikTok, Instagram, and Xiaohongshu, China’s version of Instagram. While some content creators claim that Gouqi Island and the neighbouring Shengshan are hidden gems, there is, in fact, significant infrastructure supporting visits to the ghost town.

As more and more Chinese travelers come to the area, it’s a good idea to go sooner rather than later to still experience the morbid charm of Houtouwan.

Gouqi and Shengshan are part of the Shengsi Islands, popular destinations in the East China Sea for weekend getaways.

Visitors, especially from Shanghai, come here to enjoy the beaches and seafood ranging from classic fish dishes to egg-filled sea urchins.

There is almost daily boat service to the various islets. To reach Houtouwan, you will first need to sail to Gouqi and then cross the small bridge connecting it to Shengshan.

How to Get to the Houtouwan Abandoned Village?

As of 2024, there isn't much information in English available on how to get to Houtouwan from Shanghai. Some blogs and advice point to the Nanpu Bus Terminal. While Nanpu is comparably easy to reach by metro, it's a bit more tricky to get across the road to the offices surrounded by all of the highways.

Inside the waiting hall, you will find schedules written in Chinese, listing destinations like Shengsi and Gouqi. If you use an online translator, it will likely display “Wolfberry”, the literal translation of Gouqi into English — a nod to the wolfberries growing here. That’s exactly the destination you need to pick.

(Nanpu Bus Station)

Most importantly: You need to buy the tickets one day before! Alternatively, you could try checking the ferry company's WeChat channel 嵊泗客运总站, where they also post the exact schedules.

(Information Desk at Nanpu Bus Station)

The cost varies slightly depending on the boat you choose. Some travel directly to Gouqi, while others stop on the way in Shengsi. The best option is to ask at the information desk inside. The actual ticket office is in front of the building.

(Ticket Office for Journeys to Shengsi and Gouqi)

The next morning, your journey starts at the Nanpu terminal, where the bus takes you all the way to the ferry port of Shenjia Wan. The ride lasts about 90 minutes. After a security check there, which includes having your passport photographed and your bags scanned, you can proceed to the gate for the ferry.

As is typical for China, food is available everywhere. Even at the ferry terminal, you will find plenty of options. On the boat, you can purchase tea eggs, sausages on sticks, noodles, and other classic travel snacks popular in East Asia.

The duration of the ferry ride depends largely on the route. Some of the ships make two or three stops before reaching Gouqi. In our case, it took around four hours, not including the bus transfer to the deep-sea port. The return trip, on the other hand, was much quicker.

Arrival and Getting Around on the Islands

When you finally get to Gouqi, there's a first entry checkpoint, after which you can head outside to the taxi stands. On arrival, we weren't able to buy a return ticket and were told to just come to the port an hour before the ship departs.

Due to the schedules, it is advisable to stay at least one night, if you want to enjoy a few more spots on the islands, I would even suggest staying two or three nights.

As mentioned earlier, we decided to take a taxi to the next village with a few accomodations. In my opinion, Dawangcun on the East side of Gouqi is one of the best places to set up your base camp.

It’s only 10-20 minutes from the terminal, and to get to the abandoned village of Houtouwan, you will need another 10-15 minutes by car.

(Food Street in Dawangcun)

There are a few small hotels where you can just ask for accommodation. We simply spoke to some restaurant owners and found a place to stay within minutes.

(Egg-filled Sea Urchins)

Near our accommodation were a charming yet rough beach and a cute food street offering all local specialties, such as oysters and egg-filled sea urchins.

(Abandoned Island Vibes)

Of course, I must mention the legendary-looking Pillow Club on top of the tourist information center. Its strangely classy vibe contrasts with the slightly eerie surroundings, especially when the sky is overcast. This small faux-fancy hip-hop club is anything else you would expect to find on an abandoned island.

Getting from Dawangcun to Houtouwan

I would generally recommend relaxing for the evening and enjoying the fresh seafood. The next day, you can grab a taxi directly from the beach area and head straight to the abandoned village of Houtouwan. Another option is hitchhiking, which should be relatively easy to arrange.

We found a taxi driver right next to our hotel and asked if she could take us to our destination on Shengshan Island. At first, she didn't understand our broken attempts at speaking Chinese. Thankfully, showing her a picture of the overgrown houses of Houtouwan cleared up the confusion. About 15 minutes later, we were at the entrance.

Yes, there was an official entrance! By that, I mean a ticket offices and plenty of taxis. When planning the trip, I was concerned about how we would get back from the abandoned village, imagining it would be deserted and far off the beaten track, something like Fier in Albania or Gadani Beach in Pakistan.

Well, it's nothing like this. Chinese tourism has already discovered Houtouwan, likely due to the thousands of posts on Xiaohongshu and similar platforms. For now, the village still retains some good urbex vibes and isn't overcrowded.

However, give it a few more years, and it might be transformed into something resembling a Disney theme park — just what happened to the Xijiang Miao Village in Guizhou.

Before entering, you need to purchase a ticket for around 60 RMB at the office. From there, you can proceed the path down to Houtouwan, passing a small temple on the way. At the beginning, you will also find an informational board, explaining the history of the place in Chinese and English.

You will learn that Houtouwan was once a rich fishing village but fully abandoned in 2002. The main reason cited for this here is "extremely inconvenient transportation".

How Much Time Do You Need For Houtouwan?

Strolling around Houtouwan takes about an hour. If you want to take a lot of pictures and videos, you should plan a little bit more time. Despite the cloudy weather, it was pretty hot on the island. Especially in summer, you should, therefore, bring enough water. A filter bottle can be useful, as you can refill it at the public restroom in the completely abandoned village (Yes, there's a public restroom! Urbex at its best!).

Interestingly, despite its reputation as a ghost town, some people are returning to Houtouwan to profit from rising tourism. When we visited in late August, which didn't feel like peak season, we encountered one man in a building selling drinks, hot water (a big deal in China!), and noodles.

Once you have finished exploring, you can visit the nearby Buddhist temple or enjoy the view of Houtouwan from above. At the exit/entrance, plenty of taxis are available to bring you back to Dawangcun for cheap. Each trip costs around 50-60 RMB, or roughly 3 euros per person. If you're more than two people, it's even cheaper.

As is common in China, nearly all payments are done via apps. AliPay and WeChat (Weixin) work perfectly in taxis, ticket offices, at seafood restaurants, and even with the lonely noodle vendor in the completely abandoned ghost town of Houtouwan.

Visiting the Ghost Town Houtouwan: Worth It or Not?

Overall, Houtouwan is still worth a visit, but the place is rapidly changing, and the growth of tourism is noticeable. While it's not traditional urbex, where you secretly explore abandoned buildings, it's still an excellent spot for strolling around with relatively few other visitors. The overgrown houses make it perfect for a photo safari.

That said, given the effort to reach Houtouwan, I wouldn't recommend the journey solely for this one spot. Fortunately, the two islands offer plenty of other attractions, including stunning cliffs, small beaches, delicious food, and the opportunity to pick your own gouqi berry. Shengsi, the main island of the archipelago, could also make for a relaxing stopover to escape the crowds of Shanghai.

Key Facts:

• Starting Point: Begin your journey at Nanpu Bus Terminal in Shanghai (Baidu Maps works better than Google!)
• Tickets: Buy your ticket a day in advance (approx. 150-200 RMB each way)
• Bus Schedule: Buses leave around 7-8 a.m.
• Travel Time: The bus ride to Shanghai's deep sea port in Shenjia Wan takes about 90 minutes
• Ferry Ride: The ferry from Shenjia Wan to Gouqi takes between 2-4 hours, depending on route and stops
• Taxis: Upon arrival, taxis are available to take you from the ferry terminal on the West side of Gouqi to the fishing towns in the East
• Accommodation: Dawangcun Beach offers affordable accommodation, restaurants, and transport
• Travel to Houtouwan: It's a 10-15 minutes car ride from Dawangcun to Houtouwan (approx. 50-60 RMB for a taxi)
• Entrance Fee: Entry to the abandoned village Houtouwan costs 60 RMB (as of 2024)
• Facilities: There's a parking lot with taxis at the entrance and public restrooms inside the village