Abandoned Attraction: Tourists flock to deserted vietnamese waterpark

By Hannah Stevens @Hannahshewans

THIS abandoned waterpark could pass for a horror film set, but backpackers are still flocking to the extraordinary tourist hotspot

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Ho Thuy Tien waterpark was opened in 2004 and cost $3 million to build

After Ho Thuy Tien was opened in 2004, the company swiftly abandoned it and left it to rot in the countryside of Vietnam soon after it opened.

Since then, the $3 million park has inspired a mini tourism industry in the region and locals are making the most of travellers’ fascination by charging entrance fees and offering refreshments.

Shortly after opening the park mysteriously shut down and was left to rot

Nomadic travel photographer Claudio Sieber, 34, is captivated by abandoned places and could not resist visiting the haunting waterpark.

Since its abandonment, the park has become a hotspot for backpackers around the world

Claudio said: “Some students I asked in Hue were quite sure the investors ran out of money.

Three crocodiles were also left behind to wither away but travellers stepped in and lobbied for them to be removed

“Others assume the entrance fee of 90,000 Vietnamese Dong - around five dollars - was set too high for the locals.”

The forgotten crocodiles have now been resettled at a wildlife sanctuary in northern Vietnam

The intrepid photographer, who left Switzerland three years ago to live a nomadic lifestyle, got lost on the way and ended up entering through the backdoor on his motorbike.

Locals have capitalised on the sites popularity and now charge entry and offer refreshments

Being surrounded by towering waterslides, murky lake water and rusting structures could be intimidating to some travellers, but Claudio did not get too lonely as several other backpackers were also exploring the site.

A hollowed out dragon is the park’s most striking and visitors can take in the view from inside its head

Sieber discovered that the company also abandoned three crocodiles at the waterpark - an Australian backpacker he spoke to recalls seeing locals throwing bricks onto the crocodiles to test the resistance of their armoured skin.

Decaying water slides, an outdoor amphitheater and a large children’s area are all slowly decaying in the park

While travellers kept them fed, they lobbied PETA and the Worldwide Wildlife Fund for Nature to help relocate them - and they were later given sanctuary at a wildlife park in Northern Vietnam.

Exploring the park appealed to Sieber’s love of abandoned places

Visitors to the park can explore an outdoor amphitheater, water slides growing thick layers of green and a giant dragon head.

The dragon was designed as an aquarium but visitors can still climb up inside the beast to get the best views of the rest of the eerie park.

The site’s mystery and jungle like foliage has made it popular with travelling photographers

Exploring the park appealed to Sieber’s love of abandoned places, where photographers can capture their beauty without the usual hordes of tourists blocking the frame.

He said: “I essentially strive to capture life’s defining moments and the beauty of nature. But there is something about those abandoned places that is captivating.

“It’s obviously a paradise for photographers; the creepiness, the colours, each perspective buries a new surprise.”