abandoned exploring in hue

Why are we so fascinated with abandoned spaces?

On page 1 of my Google search, I found a name for it: “ruin porn”. There’s something both eerie and irresistible about a place once loved. Something nostalgic, thought-provoking, wistful. An escape from orderly reality into the past, where your mind can fill in the gaps between crumbling walls.

In 2004, they built this water park for $3 million. After two years, it went out of business, and everything was left just the way it was.

On a rainy Friday the 13th, I wandered through derelict water slides and pools, imagining the park in its shiny former glory. How families must have come for a respite from humid Vietnam summertime. How laughter might have echoed down the slides. How kids might have run up the dragon’s head for a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding forest. Kids who are now adults navigating the imperfect grown-up world, while this place remains perfectly preserved as a warm memory of a sunny family holiday.