Hồ Thủy Tiên

Hồ Thủy Tiên (lit. 'Daffodil Lake', also known as Thiên An park) is an abandoned water park in the outskirts of Huế, Vietnam that gained notoriety for its short operational period and has become a destination for urban explorers due to its dilapidated state. As of 2022, the Hue city government plans to renovate and reopen the park, with a scheduled return to operations in March 2023.

Hồ Thủy Tiên
Entrance of the water park
LocationThủy Bằng rural commune, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế, Vietnam
OwnerThừa Thiên Huế Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment (present)
Operated byHuế Capital Tourism Company (2004)
Opened2004
Closed2004 (2004)
StatusDefunct[[]]

History

The park, located near Thiên An hill (already a tourist attraction for its monastery and natural environment) and the lake of the same name about ten kilometers away from the city of Huế, began construction in 2001 and was finished in 2004 by the city's state funded tourism company at a projected cost exceeding VND 70 billion (US$3 million).[1][2] Reportedly, it was only half finished when it was constructed, but was still relatively popular when it opened.[3] However, the park closed down after a few months. The investment company Haco Hue took over the park and reopened it in 2006, with plans to create a new eco-tourism complex, but ultimately had to shut down the park by 2011 due to a lack of business. The province again attempted to revive the park three years later, but the financial inability of Haco Hue to return to the project, compounded by the lack of progress made, led to the provincial government reclaiming the land and prohibiting entry to the premises due to safety concerns from the now-deteriorated infrastructure.[4][5]

In 2016, HuffPost ran a story on the attention the park gained from backpackers and other tourists,[6] which sparked a wider interest in the property.[7][5] Visitors have described Hồ Thủy Tiên has "eerie" and "surreal" due to its abandonment and lack of regular human presence.[8] On the other hand, it has also been considered an "off-the-beaten-path" attraction with a unique aesthetic.[3] Despite the prohibition on entry, locals at the gate allow tourists in for a fee. Reportedly, crocodiles placed in the park while it was open continued to roam there until travelers placed pressure on animal rights organizations, causing the Vietnamese government to relocate them to a nature preserve.[9][2] The park's "desolate, creepy image" has led to several artists using it as a backdrop to their music videos, including the videos for We Must Love by ONF, Bad Memories by Meduza and James Carter, and Warpaint by Niki.[10]

In 2020, the provincial government announced plans to redevelop and connect the park, but the debt of Haco Hue provided issues for attracting investors.[11] After spending VND 20 billion ($844,100) to renovate the park, the Huế city government announced it would be scheduled to reopen in March 2023.[12]

References
  1. dulich.vn. "Kiểm tra thực tế công viên nổi tiếng ở Cố đô Huế". Tạp chí Du lịch Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh (Ho Chi Minh City Travel Magazine). Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  2. Lakritz, Talia (24 January 2017). "Haunting photos of an abandoned waterpark in Vietnam". Business Insider. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  3. Pérez, Christina (6 June 2018). "Summers Past: Inside an Eerie Abandoned Water Park in Vietnam". Vogue. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  4. VnExpress. "Hue to spend $800,000 to renovate abandoned water park - VnExpress International". VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  5. "Final nail in the coffin for 'spooky' Central Vietnam waterpark". Tuổi Trẻ. 6 January 2017. Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  6. "This Eerie, Abandoned Waterpark Is Not For The Faint Of Heart". HuffPost. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  7. toquoc.vn. "Công viên nước 'kinh dị' ở Huế: đóng cửa, bỏ hoang vẫn hút khách". toquoc.vn. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  8. "11 of the scariest places you can travel, according to pros". Washington Post. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  9. "Abandoned water park Ho Thuy Tien in Vietnam becomes attraction". Stuff. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  10. VnExpress. "Hue's abandoned water park appears in Italian band's MV - VnExpress International". VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  11. "Province seeks investors to revive 'eerie' abandoned water park in central Vietnam". Tuoi Tre News. 16 May 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  12. VnExpress. "Abandoned Hue water park to reopen next March - VnExpress International". VnExpress International – Latest news, business, travel and analysis from Vietnam. Retrieved 30 November 2022.

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