These abandoned places have been reclaimed by nature
The power of Nature easily surpasses any man-made structure. It may have taken years, but Mother Nature has reclaimed these abandoned places that were once used by humans for all sorts of reasons. From China to Ukraine, different species of fauna and flora have taken over these locations, turning some of them into tourist attractions.
Click here to see the abandoned places that have been reclaimed by Mother Nature.
Shengsi Islands, China
This archipelago is made up of 400 islands, of which only 17 are non-inhabitable. Among them, you'll find the island of Gouqi.
This island used to be home to many fishermen but it's now abandoned.
The city had several houses that have been completely taken over by Mother Nature.
Even though all the neighboring islands are still being used for fishing purposes, Gouqi seems to have stopped in time.
It's currently visited by photographers who found a dreamy landscape to explore.
Ōkunoshima, Japan
Ōkunoshima served as a testing location for chemical weapons during World War II. The Japanese used to test them on several species of animals.
They can be seen on the roads, in forests, buildings... pretty much anywhere on the island.
Kolmanskop, Namibia
Kolmanskop is a ghost city located in the desert of Namibia.
It was built in 1908 when the Germans decided to mine for diamonds in the region.
Currently, all that's left are ruins of the European-style houses.
Aralkum Desert, Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan
This desert wasn't always one - the levels of the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have been dropping since the 60s.
All the ships that were there stayed put, and are now part of the landscape.
For all the travelers who have dared to visit, the ships are like a tourist attraction.
SS Ayrfield, Homebush Bay, Australia
However, the SS Ayrfield has been taken over by all sorts of plants.
It's estimated that the dense vegetation found at SS Ayrfield is the result of a mangrove growing over 40 years.
Tunnel of Love, Ukraine
This place is real! The Tunnel of Love is located in the city of Kleven, in Ukraine.
The residents of Kleven gave it this name because according to a legend, if a couple can walk the entire tunnel while holding hands, that means their love is real.
The snowy season adds a touch of magic to the tunnel!
Valle Dei Mulini, Gragnano, Italy
Many of those mills were up and running until the 20th century. There were around 25 mills in the industrial area.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
The Angkor Wat temple complex is considered one of the largest religious structures in the world.
For centuries, the trees have been growing in and around the temples.
It is also one of the most visited locations in the whole of Asia, where tourists can walk freely and be in touch with the different species growing there.
Chernobyl, Ukraine
The levels of radiation expelled then are still present after all these years, but somehow, nature has found a way to adapt to the location and proliferate.
These animals are one of the oldest species of horses - paintings of the Przewalski's horse that are over 20 thousand years old have been found in France.
