The Pod Houses of Sanzhi
On a beach in northern Taiwan stood a village of bright, saucer-shaped holiday homes that were never lived in. People said they were cursed.
What was reported
In the late 1970s, a developer began building a resort of futuristic pod houses on the coast at Sanzhi, inspired by the Finnish Futuro homes. Painted bright colours and raised on legs, they looked like a village of flying saucers.
The project was abandoned before it opened, and the houses stood empty and crumbling for nearly thirty years. Stories said the builders had angered a spirit by moving a dragon statue at the entrance, and that people saw figures in the windows.
Explanations offered
The resort failed because of financial problems. Its eerie empty state attracted photographers and urban explorers, and the stories, until the houses were demolished between 2008 and 2010.
- When
- Built 1978–1980, demolished 2008–2010
- Where
- Sanzhi, New Taipei, Taiwan
- Witnesses
- Local people and visitors
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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