Wanli UFO village (Taïwan)

Have you ever imagine a place , where , houses are shaped like UFO.
A place overtaking the sea and completely abandoned.
Such a place sounds like coming from a Sci-Fi film. In fact , this place I’m going to show you , actually does exist. Are you ready for a slightly surreal experience?

Our experience take place in Wanli , a quiet seaside town located 1 hour away from the hustle and bustle of Taipei city.
UFO house. Does humans or aliens lived in it ?

After a bus ride from Taipei I finally stopped in an area that looked pretty empty. How exciting that is to venture into the unknown.

This is our way to the UFO village. The area look completely abandoned. I could even spot a run down hotel on the way. The area had a strange feel. Where are theses UFO houses ?

“We want Peace”. Seemed like friendly Aliens…

Some UFO houses.

There is this seaside neighborhood in Wanli that is completely abandoned. Here you can find many run-down houses including the UFO’s. This felt somehow quite surreal. Nobody , the pacific ocean and these strange accomodations. What are they actually ?

Before going further in our exploration , it will be good to give some context to this mysterious spot.
These accommodations are called Futuro and Venturo houses. Both styles of homes were created by a Finnish architect called Matti Suuronen in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Futuro came first and Suuronen’s original concept was that he wanted to create a mobile ski cabin that was sustainable, economical, simple to construct, mobile and easy to heat. Fibreglass was the building material of choice and, shortly thereafter, he designed the Venturo as a weekend getaway using the same principles and materials he used for the Futuro.

Although Suuronen had this vision that eventually these type of homes would become the norm worldwide , neither creation proved to be very popular. Indeed, the Futuro met with quite a bit of hostility. This, coupled with a rise in oil prices which in turn lead to an increase in the cost of building materials, meant that, by the mid-1970s, manufacturing had ceased altogether on both designs.

On the left you can see the Venturo and on the right the Futuro house. There were about 10 Futuro and many more Venturo on the site.

How does it look inside a Futuro ?
The main door of the Futuro’s were locked from outside but it was still possible to step in by using the small windows.

Rounded kitchen space.

Tea and coffee advocate in this old Futuro. How strange that is to imagine life in this neighborhood.

One bedroom.

Everything in round in theses houses. I wonder how it felt to live inside such structure.

The Pacific ocean as a soundtrack.

I have seen some explorators just like myself today. Most were taking pictures. The area was definitely abandoned but I was surprised to see a guardian. In fact this man was in the middle of the UFO village , looking around him and using his whistle whenever people were getting too close to the accommodation. Somehow the government choosed to keep an eye on the area. I believe this was more for the security side of things , in fact some accommodation could be dangerous. But apart from the small whistles , it was all fine to wander around. Just had to be discreet to not seek attention.

Sci-Fi scene ?

Let’s check inside the Venturo now.

Post-apocalyptique sceneries.

A good hour can be spend in the UFO village. If you intend to visit the famous Geopark nearby , I would highly recommend stopping by the Futuro village at first. This is not the typical “Trip Advisor” itinerary I must admise. And this is why such experience are more interesting and thrilling than conventional tourism. Off the beaten path you might find some hidden-twisted treasures along the way. It’s only down to us to keep ourselves curious and get off our comfort zone for a little while. When that’s done you will get reward by unique and interesting experiences to come back with. The Wanli village was a cool stopover. Time to say goodbye to this place.

Let the Futuro’s go back to sleep.

The area had other abandoned spots to visit. One of them was just at the edge of this village. For the next episode we will explore a gigantic old resort. Be prepared for an exciting exploration amidst the dust , the dark and the silence.

Goodbye citizen of planet earth,  I’m going back from where I am.