Visited with a non member.
This has been some time in the pipeline. Not having a scooter to get to remote locations doesn't help either, but better late than never. Unfortunately in the age of the internet and viral media however, being late also means putting up with the instagrammers and selfie addicts who get wind of the same news as you do and head down there. Urbex isn't a trend here, with only a select few dedicated photographers including myself focusing on the hidden dereliction of Taiwan. Much of it sub-par, but occasionally there's an absolute diamond of a site that appears and that's what's happened as of last year. Once I get my tripod and torch back from England expect a few more interesting sites too.
Even if the locations in question are in rural districts out towards the west coast they've gone pretty viral amongst everyone from recently graduated students and wannabe fashionistas looking for a unique backdrop as well as just the plain curious. Were I to be cynical I'd say this could be what UE will look like if the hobby continues to rapidly expand with the advent of Youtube promotion and selfshot videos, but as long as I get what I want I try not to be.
The Flight of Happiness, Zhongli
This not an abandoned site per se. It's actually a pet project of a businessman who for 30+ years has bought scrap aircraft to resell or dispose of himself. In this case instead of scrapping it he's in the process of building a rotating plane restaurant with a flying saucer house next to it; a childhood dream. It's certainly a novel idea, don't you think? Thus far its centerpiece has been fully restored inside and out, and they've certainly done a beautiful job of it, keeping the cockpit intact but the interior stripped out and fitted with restaurant tables. The red-striped plane is as of yet wingless and remains unrestored. The restaurant hasn't properly been opened though, and with the debris and unrestored items dotted around the site it'll be some time before it opens fully.
So I rocked up to the site expecting this to be fully abandoned and a free-for-all. Unfortunately there were people on site, so I asked if I could take photos, which they happily obliged to... for a fee. So in I head and look round. The site is littered with abandoned ex-Taoyuan airport buses, one of which is under restoration but the others are abandoned as well as an ex-police patrol boat. Sadly this trip felt like a wasted journey...
Obviously my first intention is to get inside the flagship plane, so I walk up and the second I walk inside I'm told no entry and I have to leave. Shit. No photos inside, and I can't look round.
I wanted to jump on the patrol boat, but underneath the plane is an old lady watching my every move. Don't want to get booted out so soon.
The red-stripe plane as you can see is de-winged and awaiting restoration. I did look hard for a way in, and had this been a free-for-all I'd have propped something against it but too many prying eyes means no access.
Not a 100% wasted journey, but had I known there'd be no access inside the aircraft then for the effort that went into getting here I'd have left it. Nevertheless I'd finished up and met up with my mate after who went onto join me on the best site to come out of Taiwan since the sanatorium.
Part 2 below.
This has been some time in the pipeline. Not having a scooter to get to remote locations doesn't help either, but better late than never. Unfortunately in the age of the internet and viral media however, being late also means putting up with the instagrammers and selfie addicts who get wind of the same news as you do and head down there. Urbex isn't a trend here, with only a select few dedicated photographers including myself focusing on the hidden dereliction of Taiwan. Much of it sub-par, but occasionally there's an absolute diamond of a site that appears and that's what's happened as of last year. Once I get my tripod and torch back from England expect a few more interesting sites too.
Even if the locations in question are in rural districts out towards the west coast they've gone pretty viral amongst everyone from recently graduated students and wannabe fashionistas looking for a unique backdrop as well as just the plain curious. Were I to be cynical I'd say this could be what UE will look like if the hobby continues to rapidly expand with the advent of Youtube promotion and selfshot videos, but as long as I get what I want I try not to be.
The Flight of Happiness, Zhongli
This not an abandoned site per se. It's actually a pet project of a businessman who for 30+ years has bought scrap aircraft to resell or dispose of himself. In this case instead of scrapping it he's in the process of building a rotating plane restaurant with a flying saucer house next to it; a childhood dream. It's certainly a novel idea, don't you think? Thus far its centerpiece has been fully restored inside and out, and they've certainly done a beautiful job of it, keeping the cockpit intact but the interior stripped out and fitted with restaurant tables. The red-striped plane is as of yet wingless and remains unrestored. The restaurant hasn't properly been opened though, and with the debris and unrestored items dotted around the site it'll be some time before it opens fully.
So I rocked up to the site expecting this to be fully abandoned and a free-for-all. Unfortunately there were people on site, so I asked if I could take photos, which they happily obliged to... for a fee. So in I head and look round. The site is littered with abandoned ex-Taoyuan airport buses, one of which is under restoration but the others are abandoned as well as an ex-police patrol boat. Sadly this trip felt like a wasted journey...
Obviously my first intention is to get inside the flagship plane, so I walk up and the second I walk inside I'm told no entry and I have to leave. Shit. No photos inside, and I can't look round.
I wanted to jump on the patrol boat, but underneath the plane is an old lady watching my every move. Don't want to get booted out so soon.
The red-stripe plane as you can see is de-winged and awaiting restoration. I did look hard for a way in, and had this been a free-for-all I'd have propped something against it but too many prying eyes means no access.
Not a 100% wasted journey, but had I known there'd be no access inside the aircraft then for the effort that went into getting here I'd have left it. Nevertheless I'd finished up and met up with my mate after who went onto join me on the best site to come out of Taiwan since the sanatorium.
Part 2 below.
