Haiwan Xincheng

Many wealthy Westerners hope to one day buy a villa near the beach. Their dream is to open their curtains in the morning only to see the beautiful blue of the coast, and to wear thongs before stepping out onto the clean sand for a stroll. With water lapping at the back of the house, and the sea breeze blowing onto the balcony, reading while waiting for the sunset is the dream life of many. A building company in Taiwan saw an opportunity and built a row of houses facing the Pacific Ocean, attracting many wealthy Taiwanese to make this community their home. Even though each house was relatively small, with such views, it was still a prime location. At its peak, there were two to three hundred families living here. However, because of strong monsoons in the winter and the remoteness of the area making it an inconvenient place to live, the families here have slowly moved away. Today, only a few dozen residences are left, meaning that the area has a dilapidated appearance that catches the attention of passers-by. Some even say this place is haunted.

The dirty walls and broken windows make this near-deserted place difficult to associate with anything like a community. However, some have seen the potential of this place, and have renovated the darkened buildings to open cafes, and even B&B rentals. If you are a brave and adventurous traveler, or just like to enjoy the sea view and don’t want to be disturbed by too many tourists, Haiwan Xincheng can give you an interesting and memorable experience traveling in Taiwan.