Hồ Thủy Tiên

Hồ Thủy Tiên is a lakeside recreation property near Thiên An hill on the outskirts of Huế, Vietnam. It was conceived as a leisure and tourism attraction built around Thủy Tiên Lake and the surrounding natural landscape, which was already associated with Thiên An’s monastery and wooded environment. Construction began in 2000, and the attraction opened to the public in 2004 after an investment reported at more than ₫70 billion. Although the site was reportedly only partly completed, it attracted visitors during its initial operating period. The original attraction operated only briefly before closing. Haco Hue, the investment company associated with the property, took over and reopened it in 2006 with ambitions to develop a broader ecotourism complex. Visitor numbers remained insufficient, however, and the site was shut again by 2011. Later attempts by provincial authorities to revive the property were hindered by Haco Hue’s inability to resume the project, unresolved financial obligations, and the deteriorating condition of the park’s buildings, paths, and attractions. After the property was reclaimed or placed under municipal control, entry was formally restricted because of safety concerns. In practice, local access arrangements allowed some tourists to enter. The abandoned site gained a distinctive visual identity through its overgrown structures, empty pools, deteriorating buildings, graffiti, and a large dragon statue located in the lake. A 2016 feature in HuffPost helped broaden international awareness, particularly among backpackers, photographers, and urban explorers. Visitors commonly described the location as eerie, surreal, and off the beaten path. The site’s abandoned appearance also made it attractive as a filming location. Music videos associated with the park included Niki’s “Warpaint,” ONF’s “We Must Love,” and Meduza and James Carter’s “Bad Memories.” The park was also discussed in connection with crocodiles that had reportedly been kept on the premises during its operating period. Following pressure from travelers and animal-rights advocates, the reptiles were relocated to a nature preserve. Authorities announced redevelopment intentions in 2020, but efforts were complicated by the former investor’s outstanding debt and unresolved procedures concerning land allocation and the disposal or auction of assets. Huế city authorities later announced that approximately ₫20 billion would be spent on renovation and that the park would reopen in March 2023. That reopening did not occur as planned. Vietnamese reporting in August 2023 still described the property as abandoned and attributed the delay to administrative and property-settlement issues. By 2025, the property had returned to municipal administration. Authorities sold remaining assets to address accumulated debts and assigned the Thuận Hóa District Green Park Center to carry out restoration. The work included clearing debris, repairing or paving existing paths, creating additional routes around the lake, and adapting the property as a community park. Some traces of the site’s abandoned-era appearance, including graffiti on the dragon statue, were retained. The restored community park reopened later in 2025, marking a transition from failed water-park project to municipal green and recreational space.

Hồ Thủy Tiên was developed near Thiên An hill and the lake of the same name, roughly ten kilometers from Huế. The area’s monastery, wooded surroundings, and existing tourism appeal provided the setting for a proposed leisure and ecotourism destination. Construction began in 2000, and the park opened in 2004 after reported expenditure of more than ₫70 billion. Accounts describe the facility as incomplete when it opened, but it nevertheless drew a meaningful number of visitors during its first months. The initial operation soon failed, and the site closed. Haco Hue subsequently took over the investment and reopened Hồ Thủy Tiên in 2006. The company promoted plans for a larger ecotourism complex, but the attraction did not generate enough visitors to remain viable. By 2011 it had closed again. A further attempt to revive the property was discussed several years later, yet Haco Hue did not return effectively to the project and maintenance remained inadequate. Provincial authorities eventually reclaimed the land and restricted access because the deteriorating infrastructure created safety risks. The closure transformed the site’s public identity. Rather than disappearing from tourism altogether, Hồ Thủy Tiên became known for its abandoned architecture and unusual atmosphere. Visitors entered despite formal restrictions, sometimes through informal arrangements at the gate. Overgrown grounds, decaying entertainment structures, empty facilities, graffiti, and the dragon statue in the lake produced a striking visual environment. International attention increased after a 2016 HuffPost article presented the location to a broader audience of travelers and urban explorers. The park subsequently became an off-the-beaten-path stop for photographers and visitors interested in abandoned places. The site’s visual character also attracted music-video productions. Works filmed or associated with the location included “Warpaint” by Niki, “We Must Love” by ONF, and “Bad Memories” by Meduza and James Carter. The property was additionally associated with crocodiles that had been placed there while the water park was operating. Travelers’ concerns and advocacy by animal-rights organizations contributed to the reptiles being moved to a nature preserve. Municipal and provincial governments continued to consider redevelopment. In 2020, officials announced plans to revive the park, but the former investor’s debt and unresolved legal and administrative questions made it difficult to secure a straightforward redevelopment path. Huế city later announced that approximately ₫20 billion would be used for renovation and said the site could reopen in March 2023. The proposed schedule was not met. A Vietnamese state-media report in August 2023 still characterized the location as abandoned and attributed the delay to procedures concerning land allocation and the auction of assets left by the former investor. The property’s next phase came after it returned to municipal management by 2025. Remaining assets were sold to help settle accumulated debts, while the Thuận Hóa District Green Park Center was directed to restore the grounds. Rather than recreate the original water park, the project focused on a community-park model: removing debris, improving existing paths, adding new walking routes including one around the lake, and making the area usable as public green space. Authorities retained selected visual traces of the abandoned site, including graffiti on the dragon statue. The restored community park opened later in 2025.

• 2025

  Community-park restoration completed

  [2]Construction beginsen.wikipedia.org

  Municipal authorities restore the grounds and reopen Hồ Thủy Tiên as a community park.

• 2022

  Renovation and 2023 reopening target announced

  [2]Construction beginsen.wikipedia.org

  Huế authorities announce renovation spending and a target to reopen the site in March 2023.

• 2020

  Redevelopment is announced

  [1]Hồ Thủy Tiênen.wikipedia.org

  Authorities announce another attempt to redevelop the property, with financing and former-investor obligations remaining obstacles.

• 2016

  Abandoned-site reputation expands internationally

  [2]Construction beginsen.wikipedia.org

  International travel coverage helps establish Hồ Thủy Tiên as an urban-exploration and photography destination.

• 2011

  Second operating period ends

  [2]Construction beginsen.wikipedia.org

  The attraction closes again after insufficient visitor numbers undermine the proposed development.

• 2006

  Haco Hue reopens the property

  [2]Construction beginsen.wikipedia.org

  Haco Hue takes over and reopens the site with plans for a wider ecotourism complex.

• 2004

  Original park opens

  [2]Construction beginsen.wikipedia.org

  The attraction opens to the public, reportedly before all planned facilities are complete.

• 2000

  Construction begins

  [2]Construction beginsen.wikipedia.org

  Development of the Hồ Thủy Tiên leisure and water-park project begins near Thiên An hill outside Huế.

A Huế-area leisure and community destination whose identity shifted from an unfinished water park to an internationally recognized abandoned attraction and, ultimately, a municipally restored public park.

• Water park and leisure attraction · 2004

  Original Hồ Thủy Tiên water park

  The original attraction combined water-park facilities with recreational structures set around Thủy Tiên Lake. It opened in 2004 despite reportedly being only partly completed and operated in two short phases, first under the original development and later after Haco Hue’s 2006 reopening. The project’s commercial model depended on visitor traffic and a broader ecotourism concept, but inadequate attendance ultimately led to its closure.

• Public park and outdoor recreation · 2025

  Hồ Thủy Tiên community park

  The restored municipal site is oriented toward public recreation rather than the original water-park business. Restoration focused on debris removal, improvements to existing paths, construction of additional walking routes, and access around the lake. Authorities preserved selected remnants of the abandoned setting, including graffiti on the central dragon statue, while converting the property into usable community green space.

• 2016International abandoned-site publicity

  International travel media · Vietnam

  Travel coverage, including a HuffPost feature, presented the closed park as an eerie and visually distinctive destination for backpackers, photographers, and urban explorers.

  Outcome. The coverage expanded international awareness of Hồ Thủy Tiên and helped establish its abandoned aesthetic as the site’s defining tourism identity during the 2010s.

  Source
• 2010Music-video location use

  International

  The abandoned structures and dragon statue were used as visual backdrops for music videos, including Niki’s “Warpaint,” ONF’s “We Must Love,” and Meduza and James Carter’s “Bad Memories.”

  Outcome. The productions reinforced the location’s surreal, post-abandonment image and introduced it to audiences beyond travel and urban-exploration communities.

  Source

• 2025

  Property is converted into a community parkStrategy

  Background

  After unresolved investor obligations and failed reopening plans, the property returned to municipal control.

  Action taken

  Authorities sold remaining assets to address accumulated debts and assigned the Thuận Hóa District Green Park Center to restore the grounds as a community park.

  Aftermath

  The site reopened later in 2025 with improved paths, new walking routes, and a public-park function rather than the original water-park operating model.

  Source

• 2022

  Renovation and reopening schedule announcedOther

  Background

  Huế city authorities sought to move the property from unsafe abandoned attraction toward a managed public destination.

  Action taken

  Officials announced approximately ₫20 billion in renovation spending and a planned reopening in March 2023.

  Aftermath

  The scheduled reopening was not achieved; reporting in August 2023 still described the property as abandoned.

  Renovation allocation. approximately ₫20 billion (Announced in 2022)

  Source

• 2020

  Authorities plan a new redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  The abandoned property remained a tourism and safety concern, while the former investor’s debt complicated efforts to attract new investment.

  Action taken

  Provincial authorities announced plans to redevelop the site.

  Aftermath

  The redevelopment did not proceed immediately because of financial, land-allocation, and asset-disposal issues.

  Source

• 2006

  Haco Hue pursues an ecotourism revivalStrategy

  Background

  After the original attraction closed, Haco Hue took over the property and sought to reposition it as part of a larger ecotourism complex.

  Action taken

  The company reopened the park and planned additional development around the existing leisure facilities and natural setting.

  Aftermath

  Visitor numbers remained inadequate, and the property closed again by 2011.

  Source

1. 1Hồ Thủy Tiênen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Construction beginsen.wikipedia.org
3. 3Renovation and reopening schedule announceden.wikipedia.org