[custom_adv] Houtouwan village on the island of Shengshan, east of Shanghai, was once a thriving fishing community in the 1990s. It is now abandoned, with entire houses completely overgrown as if shrink-wrapped in a lush layer of green. [custom_adv] The island, a few hours east of Hangzhou Bay, is a stark contrast to the vibrant metropolitan skyline of nearby Shanghai. Years later in 2015, the abandoned village was re-discovered - with vegetation overtaking empty houses and footpaths. [custom_adv] The hilly terrain on Shengshan Island make the village look even more picturesque against the bright blue sky. Houtouwan is one of the 400 villages that make up the Shengsi Islands to the east of China's Zhejiang province. [custom_adv] Shanghai-based amateur photographer, who calls herself Qing Jian, first took a set of photos of the seaside village during a trip to Shengshan three years ago. 'The neighbouring villages all have people living in them - only Houtouwan is completely empty,' she told MailOnline. [custom_adv] These visitors are the only thing disturbing the bush's re-conquest of the village, located 140 kilometres (87 miles) from Shanghai by its fairy-tale setting and East China Sea vistas. [custom_adv] The village of Houtouwan was established in 1950 and prospered over the decades on the sea's riches. Now, it is completely covered with overgrown vegetation, attracting tourists on a daily basis who crave for some greenery. [custom_adv] The big seas that lash the coast at certain times of the year often made it too dangerous to land small craft, meaning the only connection to other communities on Shengshan was a strenuous trek up a steep, winding path.
