Travel Guides & Tips in this video
- Tip 1Approach abandoned sites with caution; you’re not licensed to explore in many zones—consider permissions and safety first. (0:05)
- Tip 2Note the contrast between near-completed exteriors and hollow interiors; expect unfinished surfaces, unstable floors, and hidden hazards. (3:46)
- Tip 3Watch for marshy ground and mosquitoes; wear long sleeves, use repellent, and bring water. Be mindful of wildlife. (8:30)
- Tip 4Be prepared for potential squatters or locals; remain respectful and avoid confrontation; keep a low profile. (19:50)
- Tip 5Asbestos and hazardous materials can be present in older construction; don’t touch white fibrous materials and avoid disturbing dust. (25:12)
Steve Ronin takes viewers on a haunting tour just outside Shanghai of a vanished dream: China’s Evergrande Fairyland theme park, a colossal project meant to rival Disneyland but left unfinished and shuttered after Evergrande’s massive debt crisis. The video explains how a bold nationwide plan to build fifteen Fairyland mega-parks funded by debt collided with reality, leaving behind ghostly castles, deserted pirate ships, and a town that’s slowly being reclaimed by nature. The explorer walks through near-complete exteriors, abandoned shops, and overgrown streets, drawing parallels to both Disney and a real-life Squid Game aesthetic while underscoring the project’s true motive as a land grab wrapped in entertainment. Throughout, Steve notes the social and economic forces at play: a booming early 2010s market, government support for job creation, and the risky, unsustainable debt that sealed the parks’ fate by 2021. The video also reveals the park’s current state—empty halls, unfinished p
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Just outside Shanghai, a forgotten theme park still stands. Once meant to rival Disneyland, now it’s swallowed by silence. Built by Everrand, part of a bold 5.5 billion vision to transform China’s entertainment industry. But this dream collapsed under the weight of over 300 billion in debt, leaving behind abandoning castles, lifeless pirate ships, and a future that never came. In this video, I’m taking you inside of Everrant’s lost parks to explore its hidden history and discover what’s left behind. Some say it looks like Disney. Others compare it to a Squid Game set. This isn’t fantasy. It’s real. And what’s left will surprise you. the early 2010s saw a China booming middle class and growing appetite for entertainment. Disney’s Shanghai park sparked a land grab frenzy as Everrand and others built massive Fairyland chains. The scheme relied on debt; by 2016 there were over 2,000 parks across China, but profits were rare. Everrand amassed over 300 billion in debt and collapsed in 2021, freezing construction and leaving a pastel ghost town in Jiangsu. The exterior was near complete, the inside hollow, and nature reclaiming the space. The explorer notices riverine marsh, overgrown campuses, and remnants of a railway, imagining how the park might have functioned with a real train connection and night-time lights. He encounters local people and bullfrogs, shares interactions with a BNP-like set of workers, and reflects on the social risks of large-scale real estate entertainment projects. He also finds a squatter’s living space and muses about safety, mosquitoes, and the authenticity of the abandoned dream. The video ends with gratitude to collaborators and a farewell to the Fairyland project, noting its demolition but celebrating the story it leaves behind. Steve Ronin invites viewers to comment on favorite moments and to subscribe for future explorations. He also teases more abandoned wonders in China and pays tribute to the local explorer Bin Burbex Brin. This transcript captures an emotional walk through a dream that could have been, a cautionary tale of ambition and debt, and a vividly human encounter with history in the making.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What happened to Evergrande Fairyland?
- A: It was part of a bold plan to create a nationwide chain of mega parks but collapsed after the company’s debt crisis, leaving unfinished attractions and demolished plans.
