From the outside it looks like the grim skeletal remains of a once magical castle, but in fact this deserted Chinese replica of Disneyland never opened its doors.What was meant to be ‘the largest amusement park in Asia’, had construction cut short over a decade ago after funding was withdrawn.
And now the ruins of ‘Wonderland’ sit in the middle of a 100-acre corn field, just a 45 minute drive from the centre of Beijing.Work on the potential tourist haven started in 1998 but was halted due to disagreements over property prices with farmers and the local government.
Now the farmers that used to own the land have returned to grow their crops once again, with the decaying building site filling the skyline.
Photographer David Gray visited the magical kingdom-turned-ghost park and said: ‘Pulling off the express-way and into the car park, I expected to be stopped by the usual confrontational security guards.
And now the ruins of ‘Wonderland’ sit in the middle of a 100-acre corn field, just a 45 minute drive from the centre of Beijing.Work on the potential tourist haven started in 1998 but was halted due to disagreements over property prices with farmers and the local government.
Now the farmers that used to own the land have returned to grow their crops once again, with the decaying building site filling the skyline.
Photographer David Gray visited the magical kingdom-turned-ghost park and said: ‘Pulling off the express-way and into the car park, I expected to be stopped by the usual confrontational security guards.
A view of a vacant carpark in front of Wonderland
All these structures of rusting steel and decaying cement, are another sad example
Footsteps in fresh snow are seen across a walkway leading to the entrance
Abandoned buildings that were to be part of the amusement park
Castle stands uncompleted in a field in what would have been an amusement park
A sign for Wonderland slowly rusts on the abandoned building
Entrance gates that wasn't boarded up
Despite China abandoning its Wonderland park, the country does have Disneyland resorts in Hong Kong and Shanghai
