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Photo of the Day September 2026
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 Deserted Hotel from 1894 Built in 1879, Taiping Rest House is a colonial-era heritage building widely regarded as the first rest house in the Malay States. It was a single-storey wooden bungalow built for the British Governor of the Straits Settlements, as temporary quarters for traveling British officers and visitors to the State. In 1894 it was upgraded as a 2-storey stone building, functioning like a coaching inn. In the 1990s, restoration work was carried out and it reopened as Hotel Lagenda. The hotel closed in 2008, after which the building was shuttered. Currently, it stands deserted and progressively deteriorated. Roofs and part of the facade have collapsed or lost tiles, wooden elements have rotted, interiors show water damage, debris, and vegetation intrusion, and the grounds are heavily overgrown. Malaysia | 2026 30 Sep 2026  Deserted Bungalow from 1930s A 2-storey pre-war colonial-style bungalow - brick-and-mortar ground floor with main pillars, and a wooden upper storey and roof structure, dating it stylistically to the 1930s. It has staircase with wooden balustrades leading to the first floor and lattice ventilation panels typical of tropical colonial design. The owner has many religious items - a Christian cross, framed pictures of Jesus and Virgin Mary, and books. It sits on high-value land in one of the city’s oldest districts. It has been long deserted and in disrepair. Vegetation has heavily overgrown the exterior (vines climbing the weathered timber upper walls, surrounding trees and scrub). Peeling paint, damaged furniture (sofas, chairs, tables) and scattered debris. Malaysia | 2026 29 Sep 2026  Deserted Perak Railways Office from 1885 Built in 1885, the 2-storey Perak Railways Office in Taiping, Malaysia, is a colonial-era structure. It served as the management headquarters office for the first functional railway system in the Malay States. It features typical late-19th-century colonial architecture with arched windows and verandahs. It has been deserted for decades. Vegetation overran the walls and interiors, roofs and floors collapsed or were damaged, graffiti appeared, and it attracted vagrants. In October 2025, a major fire gutted the building and was almost completely destroyed — wooden floors, roofs, and much of the interior burned, leaving charred walls, beams, and rubble. The site was sealed off and declared unsafe. Malaysia | 2026 28 Sep 2026  Deserted Legendary 99 Doors Mansion Built in 2017, the 2-storey Caledonia House (aka The 99-Door Mansion) features classical elements such as columns, arches, pediments, balustrades, a portico, and verandas. It served as both residence and administrative centre of the plantation where it is located, with about 10 rooms, a dance hall/ballroom, living areas, kitchen, and balconies. Its nickname comes from the large number of doors (often described as roughly 90–99 in total, with multiple doors per room plus exterior ones). On 8 June 1948, John St Maur Ramsden, the owner, was shot twice in the back of the head with a shotgun while climbing the stairs inside the house and died almost immediately. The murder remains unsolved despite investigations, arrests, and trials. The mansion was abandoned from the 1960s onward and left to deteriorate, giving rise to local legends of hauntings (linked to the murder, Japanese occupation during WWII, etc.) Currently, walls are stained and peeling, floors and ceilings are damaged or missing in places, vegetation encroaches, and debris (including a dead dog) are present. A fire in July 2020 damaged roughly 70% of the structure (especially wooden elements and roof). In March 2024, a crane associated with a film production collapsed onto the building, further damaging roof and walls. Malaysia | 2026 27 Sep 2026  Deserted Upscale Villa A 3-storey upscale villa has European-inspired architecture: white walls, steep pointed gables/towers, arched windows and openings, stone cladding on lower sections, balconies, and a hillside setting with surrounding greenery and palm trees. Interiors include multiple rooms with built-in wardrobes and bed frames, bathrooms, a large multi-level foyer with a grand curved staircase and upper gallery, an elevator, glass-block walls, large windows, and an outdoor pool. The building is deserted and shows extensive neglect, vandalism and environmental damage. Interiors are littered with debris, broken glasses, damaged ceilings and peeling paint. Malaysia | 2026 26 Sep 2026  Deserted Bungalow from 1920s Built around 1928, the 2-storey colonial-era bungalow, perched high up the hills was own by Lim Cheng Teik (1884–1978), a prominent industrialist, and is currently derelict and being reclaimed by the jungle. The building combined masonry/ concrete columns on the ground floor with timber framing, panelling, and louvered glass shutters on the upper level. Sections of the building's wall have murals featuring Buddhist imageries, suggesting that it was transformed for religious or spiritual practice at some point. It has a local reputation for being haunted. The building shows extensive deterioration: damaged roofs and ceilings, broken or missing windows and doors, peeling paint, moss and mould, debris and overgrown access paths and retaining walls. Malaysia | 2026 25 Sep 2026  Another World - Radiance Another World: RADIANCE is an immersive interactive art exhibition running at Cyberport Arcade until October 4, 2026. It is a digital art extension of Hong Kong's original animation movie Another World. August 28 – October 4, 2026 (Closed on Mondays) | 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm Shop 311, Level 3, Cyberport Arcade | Free Cyberport . Hong Kong | 2026 24 Sep 2026  Deserted Industrial Canteen A local staff canteen catering to the workforce in the industrial area, providing classic Hong Kong-style comfort meals, quick lunch sets, and tea time options. Like most canteens hidden within industrial centres, it primarily serves employees working nearby, offering highly affordable, fast, and no-nonsense local dining. The building is built in concrete, utilitarian style with hexagonal ceiling, metal folding doors with lattice panels, tiled exterior elements, and open industrial layout. It is deserted and derelict with extensive water damage, peeling paint/plaster, mould, and structural decay. The interior of the office is filled with discarded storage and furniture, including drawers, cabinets, boxes, plastic bowls, first-aid box, etc. Hong Kong | 2026 23 Sep 2026  International Lantern Spectacular The inaugural International Lantern Spectacular transforms Victoria Park into a glowing global showcase. Giant master- crafted lanterns from Hong Kong and Nanjing meet festive displays of over 3,000 lanterns from 20 countries, bringing diverse stories and cultural traditions to the heart of the city. An 8-metre-tall glowing banyan tree installation is located near the main entrance. 17-27 September 2026 | Lighting Hours: 6:30 – 11 pm daily (extended until midnight on Mid-Autumn Day, 25 September) Huge crowd expected, early arrival recommended Causeway Bay . Hong Kong | 2026 22 Sep 2026  Abandoned Village House with Tailorbird Mural A single-storey concrete village house up the hillside, typical of rural houses from the 1950s–1970s era, is found near Our Lady of Joy Abbey on Lantau island. Its interiors is narrow with moss-covered passages and rough walls, circular openings, and hanging roots, showing long-term abandonment and natural reclamation. The exterior is heavily overgrown with vegetation. It is already heavily ruined: roofs collapsing and walls cracking. Recently, the house has gained new life through artistic interventions. British artists Rob Aspire @spireartwork and Dominic Johnson-Hill @plastered8, as part of the "Flock" project, have painted vibrant mural of a native bird - a tailorbird on its wall, attracting hikers, photographers, and eco-tourists. Hong Kong | 2026 21 Sep 2026  Deserted Village House A traditional single-storey Taiwanese village house is found on the roadside. It has red brick walls, some plastered white with blue trim, a long curved traditional tiled roof, and a simple courtyard/forecourt. There is a covered porch area with columns, barred windows, and mixed red/yellow doors. The roof shows weathering, missing tiles, and some vegetation. The interior shows exposed wooden roof beams and rafters, mixed brick/plaster walls, and traditional wooden furniture, including carved chairs, long altar-style tables, deity posters, brass vases and red couplets. The house is deserted. Exterior and yard are overgrown and partly littered with building materials. The interiors are heavily cluttered with stored belongings. Taiwan | 2026 20 Sep 2026  Closed Hakka Round House Opened in 2014 at a cost of about NT$130 million, the round house is modeled after the Fujian tulou (earthen buildings). The 4-storey structure has 3 storeys above ground plus 1 underground floor in a circular brick design with a skylight glass dome. The building faced immediate backlash from historians and cultural advocates, who claim that it is not representative of Taiwanese Hakka architectural traditions. Furthermore, local historic kilns were demolished to build it. Initial high tourism quickly declined over the years, especially after the introduction of entry fees. It became a financial burden on the heavily indebted county. It has been closed indefinitely since 1 July 2026. Taiwan | 2026 19 Sep 2026  Deserted Century-old Mansion The 2-storey mansion, likely built between 1910 to 1930, belongs to the Chen family. It features a classic Sanheyuan (3-sided courtyard) plan, built with traditional red-brick, green glazed ceramic balusters, and a central stone sign plaque inscribed with the name "陳春記" (Chen Chunji) framed. Structural features include brick arcade corridors, stone-framed doorways, wooden ceiling joists, and traditional multi-slatted window grilles. The residence is deserted and in an advanced state of disrepair: sections of the wooden roofs, beams, and interior walls have collapsed. Lots of scattered trash (bottles, cardboard, household items), abandoned furniture (wooden chairs, cabinets), bird cages, and signs of long-term neglect. Taiwan | 2026 18 Sep 2026  Deserted Art Installation Commissioned around 2001–2002 by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Railway Reconstruction Bureau as part of public art for the then-new Banqiao Station complex, the art installation is Banqiao Impression – Graduation Class of 2010, a public artwork by Taiwanese artist Kristy Chu. It consists of rows of realistic busts of young students cast from life, mounted on a wall on the outdoor platform. By 2017, the platform area had become overgrown and little-used. Currently, the space is littered with debris, discarded clothing and bags, tarps, crates, broken items, standing water, weeds, and general refuse. Access to the area is closed or limited. Taiwan | 2026 17 Sep 2026  Deserted Century-old Mansion Built around the 1900s, the 2-storey mansion belongs to the prominent Xu family. It blends Chinese (Min), Western, and Japanese elements — Western-style terrazzo and wash-stone finishes, traditional Min-style stone foundations, brick, wooden structural elements, stone columns, and detailed woodwork, and Japanese-style structures and partitioning. Lots of raw diety figurine blocks are found with a few completed. It was once designated a municipal historic building. The residence is deserted, derelict, overgrown vegetation and vines covering exterior walls and roof. Interior shows damaged ceilings, debris, broken wood, collapsed or unsafe stairs, and general decay. Taiwan | 2026 16 Sep 2026  The Last Throes of Japanese Arsenal Dormitory Built in 1940s, the former Japanese Naval 61st Aviation Arsenal workers’ dormitories (原日本海軍第六十一航空廠工員宿舍), is a historic military dependents’ village. The arsenal was a major aviation facility supporting Japan’s southern advance during WWII. The structures featured distinctive 2-storey brick buildings with continuous arched corridors, Western-Japanese hybrid design, wooden roofs, arched windows, and pebble-dash exteriors — unique among Taiwanese military housing. There were roughly 5 main dormitory blocks plus a club/hall and auditorium. After Japan’s defeat, the Nationalist government took over the site. In 1948–1949, the empty dormitories became housing for Air Force flight instructors and officers. It was renamed Awake Village. Around 2006, residents moved out due to redevelopment. The site became deserted and overgrown with banyan tree roots intertwined with the ruins, cracked concrete, empty tiled bathrooms, damaged floors, etc. Diggers are on-site for demolition and restoration with funding of over NT$300 million from the Ministry of Culture. Plans include structural reinforcement while preserving ecological elements. Taichung . Taiwan | 2026 15 Sep 2026  Deserted Plastics Factory from 1980s Built in 1986, the medium-size plastics processing plant focused on plastic floor tiles and related products. The company ran manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and import/export of various plastic floor tiles, along with related import/export trade. Production at this site appears to have ceased sometime in the mid-to-late 2010s. The factory is deserted and derelict with large empty industrial halls having metal truss roofs and high windows, dusty concrete floors with debris, a traditional Chinese altar with deity figure and offerings, an old billiard table left inside, broken or missing windows, weathered exterior walls, an outdoor courtyard with weeds and dirt piles0. Taiwan | 2026 14 Sep 2026  Historic Mansion from 1930s Built in 1930s, the 2-storey mansion was the former residence of Xu Songyan (許嵩煙故居), a prominent local figure who served as a member of the first city council. It features an ornate neo-Baroque/Western historical-style facade with elaborate decorative elements typical of Art Deco influences: ornate pediments and gables with floral and scroll motifs a central crest bearing the character Xu (family name in Chinese), classical-style columns, arched windows, circular oculus windows, balconies, and finely crafted stonework. The interior incorporates traditional Minnan (Hokkien/Taiwanese) architectural elements, including wooden beam-and-bracket structures, creating a notable East-West cultural fusion. The building became deserted in 2007. Years of vacancy caused serious structural and material decay: damaged floors and roofing, collapsed sections with debris, peeling plaster and paint, mold/moss growth, weathered woodwork, etc. The ornate street facade has largely survived luckily. Taiwan | 2026 13 Sep 2026  Deserted Vocational School from 1960s Built in 1969, the private vocational high school specialised in nursing, rehabilitation, commercial beauty and related fields at its peak. It was once known for its nursing program and reached a peak of around 800 students. Enrollment declined sharply after government reforms (around 2002) that required junior college or above qualifications for nursing and rehabilitation training. The remote location, poor management, and falling birth rate compounded the problems. It ceased operation in 2014. Buildings show severe decay with collapsed or damaged ceilings and floors, scattered debris and papers, rusted metalwork (including spiral staircase), leftover equipment from classrooms, a music room full of electronic keyboards, hairdressing/ beauty stations and dryers, mannequin heads, and other vocational-training remnants. The campus is overgrown with vines and trees. There are about 10 barking dogs on site. Taiwan | 2026 12 Sep 2026  Deserted Mansion from 1930s Built in 1936, the 2-storey courtyard-style mansion belongs to the prominent Huang family. It blends Chinese, Western, and Japanese elements — Western-style trusses, traditional Taiwanese courtyard concepts with bagua motifs and coloured paintings on ridge beams (reflecting feng shui), square and round windows, and other regional features. It was once designated a municipal historic building. The residence is deserted, derelict, overgrown vegetation and vines covering exterior walls and roof. Damaged/peeling paint, cracked walls, broken or missing windows and doors, debris-strewn interiors and corridors. Wooden lattice screens, traditional tiled floors (octagonal and mosaic patterns), Buddhist altar/shrine elements with Guanyin image, old furniture, birdcages, and scattered household items. Taiwan | 2026 11 Sep 2026  The Ghost Town of 54 Unfinished Villas Little Tianmu Villas (小天母別墅), with 54 townhouses located in Dahu Township, Miaoli County, is a well-known unfinished housing development and a prime example of real estate fraud and abandoned architecture in rural Taiwan. The project began in 1993 as a joint venture between a local landowner, Zhan Yigong, and Jili'an Construction Company. The plan was to construct 54 three-storey townhouses with underground parking, borrowing the name "Tianmu" from the affluent neighborhood in Taipei to attract buyers. During construction in mid-1990s, the developer exploited early permit approvals and fraudulently secured about NT$80 million in bank loans by forging the signatures of prospective buyers. The developer then abandoned the site without completing basic infrastructure or connecting water and electricity, leaving around 28 buyers burdened with mortgage debts for uninhabitable shells. The original landowner reportedly died in regret after losing his ancestral land to legal disputes. The terraced townhouse complex lined with distinctive pink-tiled facades, arched balconies, and grey-tiled roofs. The villas are completely stripped down to bare concrete, exposed red brickwork, and rusted, bent rebar. Many stairwells and internal partition walls have collapsed. The project is in limbo as a ghost town. Taichung . Taiwan | 2026 10 Sep 2026  The Last Throes of Lin Leitang's Former Residence Built in 1935, Lin Lietang’s Former Residence (林烈堂故居), once known as “Taichung’s No. 1 Luxury Home”, is designed in Japanese-Western eclectic style in central Taichung, Taiwan, associated with the prominent Wufeng Lin family. Key original features included high-quality materials (hinoki/cypress structural elements), ornate details include stained-glass, carved woodwork, and decorative ceiling medallions, plus a large Japanese-style garden with a pond and silver birch trees. Currently, the mansion is in its deteriorated state: ornate but damaged ceilings and medallions, peeling wallpaper (floral and geometric patterns), stained-glass windows, wooden staircases with wrought-iron railings, exposed brick and plaster, and the classical exterior portico with columns. It is undergoing clearance ahead of redevelopment in a “first relocate, then restore” manner. (I have serious reservation for this method and the mansion will most likely lose its true historic and heritage value.) Taichung . Taiwan | 2026 9 Sep 2026  Deserted Tea Factory from 1930s Opened in 1934, the tea factory was one of the first tea factories in the area that was able to make use of modern technology in the production process. The main building has 2 storeys plus a basement. During WWII, Government took control of tea production so that they can siphon off the profit to support the the war effort, and started the "golden era" of the tea industry. In the 1950s, other tea producing areas around the world resumed production after the war. With its competitive advantage lost, Taiwan’s tea production started to suffer. They were forced to file for bankruptcy in 1965. The site remains deserted. Buildings show significant decay: collapsed or damaged roofs, weathered concrete and brick, overgrown vegetation, moss, debris, rusty and discarded tea-processing machinery (rollers, presses, etc), old vehicles (including trucks), scattered tools and household items, flooded floors in places, and general ruin. Taiwan | 2026 8 Sep 2026  Deserted High-end Villa A 3-storey high-end villa in the mountains, blending Western classical and modernist styles, likely built in the 1970s. The exterior features white arched corridors, large curved balconies, and white brick exterior walls. The interior includes a grand double-carpeted spiral staircase, round porthole windows, arched scenic windows, and vintage wooden carved cabinets. The building has been deserted for many years. The interior shows severe peeling, water accumulation, and peeling paint. Some rooms only retain old mattresses, old-fashioned wall-mounted telephones, and lamp structures. Most rooms are cleared of furniture. Taiwan | 2026 7 Sep 2026  The Elephant is Coming... Three giant mechanical elephants (over 4 metres tall and 8 metres long) parade the streets of downtown Taipei, accompanied by a brass band, tin-soldier marchers, fire torches, and performers in global-themed costumes. This event kicks-off the 2026 Taipei Arts Festival featuring the massive outdoor production "Trois Éléphants Passent..." (The Elephant is Coming...) by the French street theatre company Oposito on September 5 and 6, 2026. 19:14–20:14 starts at the Shin Kong Life Shilin Education Hall on Jihe Road and parades down to the Taipei Performing Arts Center (TPAC) plaza in Shilin. Stage performance: 20:04–20:44. Taipei . Taiwan | 2026 6 Sep 2026  Deserted Customs Office Dormitory Completed in 1978, the 4-storey concrete building was one of the 20-24 dormitories for the Customs Office with washed-terrazzo and tiled facade, glass block stairwell lighting, metal iron grates, and terrazzo floor tiles inside. As it is located on a steep hillside slope susceptible to landslides during severe weather/typhoons, safety risks caused the ceasation of use. The complex was permanently vacated and left deserted. Furniture and fixtures are mostly cleared. Taiwan | 2026 5 Sep 2026  Deserted Tong Lau from 1960s Completed in 1963, the 8-storey Tong Lau (Chinese tenement building) has 8 units on each floor, from 187 to 593 sq ft. Apparently, this unit has been deserted since 2010, and left with some furniture and personal belongings including posters, wall mural of dolphins, dandelions, etc. The unit is dilapidated with peeling paint and broken windows. Hong Kong | 2026 4 Sep 2026  The Last Hungry Ghost Fest at Kwu Tung Scripture chanting and deliverance rites performed by Taoist priests in yellow robes with tall ornate headdresses - chanting sutras, perform mudras, and conduct specialised liturgies during Hungry Ghost (Yulan) Festival at Kwu Tung. Since the area is in the final phase of demolition after land resumption for the Northern Metropolis redevelopment, this is most likely the last Hungry Ghost festivity for the village. Yulan Festival falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month when the gate of hell is temporarily opened and restless spirits roam the earth. People make offerings to appease these transient ghosts. Kwu Tung . Hong Kong | 2026 3 Sep 2026  Deserted Village School Founded in 1971, the village school mainly consists of 2 large classrooms, the school office, and a student aid pavilion. There are 2 metal gates at its main entrance, which is quite rare in village schools. The classrooms are named after doners with their names outside the rooms. It is unusual that the same classroom is named after multiple doners - ie: there are more doners than classrooms available. A row of black-and-white portraits is on a wall of the office. The school has been deserted for a long time due to insufficient enrolment. The roof of the pavilion has collapsed. There are cracked/peeling walls with moss and staining, vines climbing on walls, broken windows/doors, dilapidated furniture or fixtures, containers, and general refuse. Hong Kong | 2026 2 Sep 2026  Burning Ghost King at Hungry Ghost Fest Burning the Ghost King (Dai Shi Wong, an incarnation of Guanyin - the Goddess of Mercy - taking a scary form to keep order), at the end of the Yulan Festival is a ritual to send the guardian deity back to heaven and signal the peaceful departure of wandering spirits. Yulan Festival falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month when the gate of hell is temporarily opened and restless spirits roam the earth. People make offerings to appease these transient ghosts. Fu Tei Au . Hong Kong | 2026 1 Sep 2026 Archive: Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2026 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2025 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2024 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2023 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2022 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2021 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2020 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2019 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2018 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2017 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2016 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2015 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb 2014 |
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