Author:
Jackson Jones
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| Map of Taiwan. The tip all the way north is the location of the pod houses. |
Along
the north coast of Taiwan, between Tamsui and Keelung in the San Zhi district of Taiwan, lie fascinating pod
houses. The pod houses are brightly colored and possess a strong resemblance to
UFOs. Many of San Zhi’s local residents avoid the pod houses due to a lingering
suspicion of paranormal activities. Prior to the rumors, photographers
because of their unique characteristics often visited the homes. The pod houses
were designed in such a way to allow the builder to continuously expand vertically.
Originally, the homes were built with the purpose of providing the wealthy with
an appropriate neighborhood for a weekend retreat. (Turnbull) However, these
plans were cut short when construction suddenly ceased and the site was
abandoned. This unexpected event sparked rumors of the area being haunted. The
belief of ghostly event occurring in San Zhi was so powerful and overwhelming
to the natives, the Taipei County Government's wanted the area destroyed.
However, due to the Taipei County Government’s lack of ownership to the land,
the desired actions could not be taken.
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| Taiwan Pod Houses by yeowatzup |
Chuang’s
article in the Taipei Time provides
evidence from first-hand encounters with the pod houses. In the article Lin
states, “The site is definitely not haunted,” in which she references to the
rumors of ghost sightings and high numbers of traffic accidents on the nearby
highway. Also, rumors have swirled that over 20,000 skeletons were found when
construction first began. The true reason behind the construction’s halt lies
in financial issues. The construction had supposedly resumed; however, the site
is still unpleasing to look at. In Chuang’s article, Lin states Hung Kuo, who
runs Taipei's Hilton Hotel, is interesting in finishing construction. Hung Kuo
plans to do so by finishing the buildings, and adding other aesthetical
attributes around the UFOs; ultimately, making the site a tourist attraction.
His plan is to make San Zhi a location where people will flock to in hopes to
admire the strange houses. (Chuang)
Contrarily, many others believe the San Zhi
site is possessed because a large number of deaths occurred while construction
was still in progress. Many of the deaths followed the construction workers
moving a dragon. Very little information is publicly available regarding the
pod houses; it is believed that the government is attempting to hide the
activity occurring on site. If you have the desire to see for yourself if the
site is really haunted or not, take a weekend trip to Taiwan and then make your
decision.
Works Cited:
Chuang, Jimmy. "FEATURE: Taipei County
Looks to Rebuild Site of Weird UFO Houses." Taipei Times. N.p., 29 Jan. 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
yeowatzup. “Sanzhi.” Photograph. Justin Delany. Gadling. Aol Travel, 27 April 2011.
Web. 23 October 2012.
"San Zhi." San Zhi. StatmyWeb., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012.
"Sometimes Interesting." Abandoned Resort: Sanzhi, Taiwan. N.p.,
11 July 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2012.
“Taiwan.” Photograph. Haunted. WordPress. 10 October 2012. Web. 23 October 2012
Tom. "Urban Ghosts." 7 Eerie Abandoned Resorts and Holiday
Destinations. N.p., 25 Aug. 2011. Web. 16 Oct. 2012.
Turnbull, Alex. "Google Sightseeing."
The Mysterious Abandoned Pod City of San
Zhi. WordPress, 4 Jan. 2008. Web. 15 Oct. 2012.
Links for further research:
Youtube
A video of all the pod houses in San Zhi, and gives you what they
think they could look like if they were in outer space.
Luxury Home Decorating
Information and pictures about the exterior design of the pod
houses.
CrassTalk
Information on the abandoned pod houses, and other abandoned places.
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