On the edge of the border

In Gulouzixiang, in Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County, the border between China and North Korea is not just a line on a map. It is made up of scattered villages, hills, rivers and small stone houses. One of these is the abandoned house I explored: rough walls, tiled roof, broken windows looking out over the valley. […]

March 12, 2026
Okinawa Beer Garden

In Onna, on the island of Okinawa, I explored a former brewery called Okinawa Beer Garden. It is in a quiet area near the city, with red bricks and large spaces designed to serve beer and food. From the photos I took, you can still see the large sign on the façade and the interior […]

March 11, 2026
Western Village

Just a few kilometres separate the tranquil spirituality of Nikko’s Tōshōgū shrine from one of the most surreal places in modern Japan. This is Western Village, a former theme park opened in 1973. It is inspired by American and Italian Western films and the legendary Westworld starring Yul Brynner, where crazed robots rebel against visitors. […]

March 4, 2026
The kingdom of Daruma

Any ordinary hike turns into a discovery when our urban explorer instincts sniff out the site. I am with Simone, a veteran of the Stalker group since its inception. The sun is setting quickly, but we cannot leave this unknown behind. After convincing a reluctant Simone, we reach the back of the building and climb […]

February 19, 2026
The Ryokans of the Mountains

In the remote mountains of Japan, ancient hot spring ryokans still pulsate with miraculous waters but lie shrouded in the silence of degradation. My adventure companion, Xing Yue, and I discovered them by chance while searching for a place to camp in our tent, turning a fleeting glance into an urban exploration. The Chance Discovery […]

February 12, 2026
The club of lost desire

Once upon a time, for just ¥3,000, lust was accessible to anyone who crossed the threshold of this abandoned strip club in the heart of Japan. Today, amid its peeling walls and faded neon lights, only a psychedelic echo of the 1970s remains: a time capsule filled with retro relics, like the remains of a […]

February 7, 2026
The State Guest Mansions

A few kilometres from Shenyang, in northeastern China, lies an abandoned complex that seems to come from another era. The project was conceived during the real estate boom of 2010, when the construction rush transformed vast areas of the country into permanent construction sites. In Shenyang, the giant Greenland Group purchased a large tract of […]

January 29, 2026
The Kingdom of Cats

I have explored many crazy places, but nothing could have prepared me for this. In China, not far from the centre of Beijing, there is an abandoned shopping mall ruled by a veritable feline monarchy. A place suspended between silence and surrealism, where cats seem to have taken control of the territory with the calmness […]

January 25, 2026
The Nine Dragons of Jiulongshan

Walking along a path overgrown with waist-high weeds, with the sun filtering through the low clouds over the hills of Zhejiang, I found myself face-to-face with them: nine reinforced concrete colossi, giant dragons twisting on the slopes as if the myth had taken shape in the 20th century. We are in Jiulongshan Scenic Area, near […]

January 16, 2026
The city of frogs

In the forest of steel and concrete that is Shanghai, urban fairy tales come to life at sunset. Location Qingpu Dongdu Frog City is situated a short distance from Dianshan Lake Avenue Station, Metro Line 17, in the heart of Shanghai’s Qingpu District. Night-time urban exploration I was staying with an artist from Zhujiajiao when, […]

January 13, 2026