Wanli UFO Houses 翡翠灣太空玲瓏/飛碟屋

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The Wanli UFO Houses (aka Futuros) are a neighborhood of abandoned futuristic houses near Wanli Beach (aka Emerald Bay, Green Bay, or Feicuiwan) in Wanli District of New Taipei, and are some of the most popular urban exploration and Instagram destinations in northern Taiwan. 

If you are looking for the Sanzhi UFO houses (三芝飛碟屋), stop looking; the Sanzhi UFO houses were destroyed in 2010. There are UFO houses all around Taiwan, but Wanli has the largest group of these houses. Go see them soon before they are demolished too!

Background:
The UFO house village was created in the 1970s by a Taiwan construction company. At the time during martial law, Wanli beach (Feitsui Bay) was one of the few places that American servicemen could enjoy a beach vacation, as most beaches were closed off at the time. These UFO houses had these servicemen in mind. However, a slowing economy and the severing of official diplomatic ties with the USA prevented the area from taking off, and the UFO resort town fell into decay.
For a more complete historical background on this area, check out this blog by Josh Ellis. 

Common Courtesy When Visiting:

• Some of the houses are not abandoned and still have people living in them. Do not walk near these houses, try to walk in, or invade these people's privacy in any other way.
• Do not disturb the houses and items at the scene. Leave everything the way you found it. The most important rule of urban exploration is that you take only pictures and leave nothing but footsteps. 

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
​By Bus: There are many buses that pass the area. You'll want to get off at Green Bay (翡翠灣).
By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial highway 2 west out of Keelung, and keep going until you reach the Howard Green Bay Resort.

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:

I have only been to the UFO houses in Wanli twice and I didn't stay long either time, so I'm sure there is much more for you to explore than what I have in this blog. 

Once you reach the Howard Green Bay Resort (pictured above), you know it is time to turn off. There is no entrance to the UFO houses, from the main road provincial highway 2. You have to drive up the hill and come back down Feitsui Road which goes underneath highway 2 straight to the beach. There is plenty of parking near the UFO houses. 

There is also an abandoned part of the Howard Resort that looks like a castle near the UFO houses.

Inside are some grand staircases and hot tub facilities, but I don't think there is a way inside. 

There were also paragliders floating down to the beach the whole time I was there. Apparently Wanli is also a popular paragliding destination. 

View of one of the UFO houses and other roundly shaped houses nearby. 

Deserted living room of one of the squarish houses. 

Balcony of one of the UFO houses. 

One of the houses here has totally collapsed. probably during a typhoon. 

Another view of the wreckage. 

A view of one of the living room of one of the round yellow houses.

A destroyed bar and kitchen. 

More rot and decay, with the walls coming apart.

Another living room in one of the square houses. 

Empty road near the UFO houses. 

When I came a second time, there were white signs in front of the houses to say photography is prohibited. I think it is because this place has seen too many instagrammers, and there are some people that actually live in some of these houses.

Paraglider coming down for landing near Wanli Beach.

Endless UFO houses with a backdrop of para-gliders. 

The paragliders take off from the hill next to the beach, but some also take off via jet ski right on the beach.

Check out the video above for what it's like to paraglide here.

The beach is normally not very clean. This day was an exception. Paragliding is the most popular activity at this beach but people also swim and surf here too.

It was hard to believe that so many people are enjoying a beach this dirty, on a different day. I am happy to say I did participate in a beach cleanup here last year.

This is perhaps the trashiest tourist beach I have seen in Taiwan. If it weren't for the trash though, it would be pretty nice. Time for a cleanup.

Lastly I noticed a fake church arch in the background; New Taipei City has been putting these things all around the north coast because apparently they make for romantic photo opportunities. I think they are pretty mediocre. 

If you go up the hill in Wanli to all the apartment buildings and resorts, on "New Kenting Road 新墾丁路" you will come across this road. As you can tell, Wanli is everything but New Kenting. The winters here are just too cold, wet, and windy to compete with Kenting which is warm and sunny year round.

View from Feitsui Bay from the castle.

Inside the first floor of the castle which was once a seafood restaurant. 

Another view inside this ruin.

Graffiti, peeled paint, falling wall tiles, and broken windows everywhere.

There was a wooden sign here that said "This place is not a ruin, trespassing is prohibited, violators will be reported to the police, - The building manager." I had to laugh at this sign because this is one of the most ruinous ruins I have ever seen, and the gumption of this squatter to call himself the building manager.

Another view inside the ruin. I stopped here because I did not want to disobey that sign!

More ruined houses in Wanli.

You can buy some of these houses if you want.

Not far from the UFO houses you can check out Yehliu Geopark, which has some of the most famous geological land forms in Taiwan, and the best aquarium in northern Taiwan. For our full blog on Yehliu Geopark, click here. ​

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