What was paradise is now and left to rot with crocodiles said to prowl around the decrepit rides. Hồ Thủy Tiên, also known as Thiên An Parkm in Vietnam, began in 2001 as costing £2.2 million.
There is a nearby monastery and the area is known for its natural beauty, making it a natural attraction for tourists. The project was funded by the city’s tourism company, but problems began pretty much straight away, despite a good number of visitors. The park was only half complete when it opened its doors to punters in 2004.
But the high hopes of success were dashed just months into the project and the park closed within a matter of months. Efforts to revive it in 2006 and turn it into an eco-tourism complex failed to attract enough visitors and it closed again in 2011. Now, rusting slides are intertwined with overgrown plants, while spooky figures such as dragon statues tower over the scenery.
Even the fish tanks were said to be full of water, accoridng to a HuffPost article in 2016, but there was no sign of life inside. HuffPost said: "Because the abandoned waterpark is so cryptic, backpackers pass directions around on scrunched-up napkins, drop pins on Google Maps and show each other photos to get to the right place." Visitor Nassim Ait-Kaci told the HuffPost the park is “surreal” but “spooky as hell”, while fellow sightseer Ryan McGrath people can simply ride their motorbike up to the front gate and trundle around the park.
Ryan said: “There's this thought of, 'Why is nobody around?'" In 2023, plans were issued by local authorities to clean up the park and make it usable for camping, as well as turning it into a popular tourist spot. That is according to the Vietnam Tourism Environment website, which said the park is around 10 kilometres away from the city of Hue, home to an estimated 650,000 people. The website reads: "Thuy Tien Lake Water Park is located on Thien An Hill, Thuy Bang Commune of Hue city, some 10 km southwest of the city center.
The hill is home to a romantic pine forest and praised as an ideal tourist destination for locals and tourists when coming to Hue...
"At the site check, Chairman of the City People's Committee Vo Le Nhat reminded the Hue Green Park Center and related units of the city to protect and clean up the landscape, embellish the infrastructure, and ensure the basic conditions to soon put this park into operation in March 2023. "By then, the park will have had scenic spots for camping and taking photos, and will then become a unique tourist hotspot for Hue.".
