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What started as a genius business venture for a Chinese investment group ended in chaos. After disappearing without a trace, construction crews never finished Beijing's Wonderland, and it was left to sit and rust. The truth behind the half in construction will shock you...
A Harrowing Photo Project
Trey Ratcliff was on an assignment back in 2011 that took him to the ruins of China's abandoned Wonderland. Now desolate and likely haunted, Trey explored the theme park hoping to uncover secrets from its past. However, when the park first opened it was considered a huge success...
Dr. Chanchai Ruayrungruang
The fall of China's Wonderland is thanks to a businessman named Dr. Chanchai Ruayrungruang. His investment company, the Reignwood Group, saw much success through the 1980s. When a new decade approached, Ruayrungruang had an idea for a new business venture...
Inspired By the West
Ruayrungruang was inspired by the United States' very successful Disneyland and Disneyworld theme parks, so he decided to open one in China in Walt's image. He'd already found the perfect location. An idea like this seemed foolproof considering the global admiration for the Disney franchise...
A Scenic Location
The new location for Wonderland would be just 45 minutes outside of the booming city of Beijing. There was a huge stretch of 120-acre land just ready to be overturned. It was lush, grassy, and had beautiful scenic views of mountain ranges. The investment group immediately got to work creating the new Wonderland...
Shady Investments
The Reignwood Group had big ideas for the new park. They envisioned amusement rides for all ages, restaurants, shows, and every possible detail that the best of the best tourist traps could offer. Though the investment group had a good reputation in Asia, they were about to make some shady transactions to turn this dream into a reality...
Forgoing Every Copyright Law
The group's first mistake was identically replicating the United States' copyrighted Disney logo, down to every last detail. The sight of this made locals excited for the park to open, hoping they could finally attend Disneyland without booking a transatlantic flight. Unfortunately, this never happened...
Construction Comes to a Halt
Without a warning, Wonderland's progress came to a complete halt in 1998. Locals had no idea what the problem was. So much work had been put into the theme park already that it was nearly done. Why had the investors poured millions of dollars into a project that they had no intention of finishing?
Sudden Abandonment
Rumors swirled about why the project had been abandoned. Many believed the construction had stopped due to disagreements between local farmers and officials over how much the land was worth. The real reason didn't come out until years later...
Still Holding Out Hope
As years passed and there was no sign of progress, locals still couldn't help but hope that one day their theme park would open. But as the paint began to fade and the structures started to rust, the whole park started to look more decrepit than welcoming. One day, an unlikely group took the land over...
A Local Wasteland
It's not uncommon for abandoned construction sites or rundown parks like this to become a popular spot for local kids or tourists to explore. It was an urban photographer's dream. Even abandoned, the site still managed to serve as an escape for people...
Wonderland's New Story
When videographer Catherine Hyland visited Wonderland, she said "tamed by the locals, the uncompleted remnants of Wonderland become the antithesis of everything it was supposed to be, its value altered permanently." But whether or not those changes would be permanent were up for debate...
Its Most Menacing Structure
One of the creepiest and most forboding remnants of the park was the empty food court. The completely bare-bones rusted iron beams give off a skeletal and haunted feeling. It stands as a decrepit reminder of what could have been...
A Place of Nightmares
Years after the construction crew left without a word, the park had turned into a ghost town. But from afar it looked just like a real theme park. The empty castle and fake flags all look welcoming from a distance. It wasn't until recently that the truth behind the park's past was revealed...
A Decade of Secrets
In 2008, a decade after construction came to an abrupt halt, An Fang of the Reignwood Group revealed why Wonderland was never finished. She said the group was forced to stop construction after 1998 flooding resulted in a new land protection law. Soon after the announcement, another group swooped in on the abandoned lot...
A Farmer's Paradise
Slowly, local farmers began to overtake the skeleton of Wonderland's structures. They used every available patch of land as fields to plant endless rows of corn crops. The park then took on an even more insane appearance...
Trey Ratcliff's Photo Assignment
After the thrill of exploring an abandoned theme park had worn off and locals no longer bothered with it, Trey Ratcliff decided to check it out. He listened in fear as he wandered the halls of the empty castles. He swore he could hear the footsteps and laughter of children, but he knew he was alone...
Face to Face With Evil
When Trey turned around, he nearly screamed. He was face to face with a child, and he was holding a weapon right in front of Trey's face. He followed his instincts and ran out of there, terrified by what he'd just seen...
Badaling Outlets
Wonderland was officially demolished in 2013, but the Reignwood Group still owned the rights to the 15 hectares of land. In its place, they built a luxury shopping center called the Badaling Outlets. However, one creepy aspect of Wonderland still stands...
The Castle Still Stands
To this day, Wonderland's castle can still be seen when driving by the shopping center. And while those who don't know the backstory behind the whole ordeal might think it's a neat tourist trap, locals know the truth. The same goes for a popular landmark in the United States...
Michael Jackson's Neverland
Just as Beijing's Wonderland has a harrowing past, so does Michael Jackson's Neverland. Because the King of Pop had the means to do so, he built an enormous house and theme park on his property that was open to visitors. Once a cherished place where Jackson would entertain families and live out his childhood dreams, it's now a place of misunderstanding...
All That Glitters
Jackson used to have a whole zoo's worth of wild animals. Of course, photographers found a way to sneak onto the grounds, and by then, all of the magic was taken out of Neverland. The rides and games still remained, but they'd lost their former glory...
Famous Friends
When Neverland was at its prime, the lines for entry were long and the fun was neverending. Hundreds of kids at a time could be accounted for on the rides or playing with the animals. Even Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin was a frequent visitor...
Resemblance to Other Theme Parks
The Ranch was designed similarly to many other famous theme parks. The architecture resembled that of downtown Disney, and the front lawn was the same one from the animated Alice in Wonderland. There was even a tiny train that would carry you all around the grounds...
A Swimming Pool Fit For a Mermaid
Aside from rides, Neverland also had an incredible swimming pool with two diving boards. It was the perfect place to cool off from the California heat. Jackson was able to interact with his guests on a more personal level since they were sitting and relaxing rather than running around the park...
Chef Michael
Neverland also had a grilling area for visitors to eat and relax. After a long day of swimming, rides, and playing with animals, the guests needed a place to unwind. Rather than hiring staff, Jackson would often man the grill himself, serving his guests whatever they wanted...
Closing Its Doors
After several criminal cases surfaced about Jackson after his death, the doors to Neverland were closed and they never opened again. The fun was certainly over, and the legacy is now less than sparkly clean...
Looters Found Their Way In
Despite the doors to the ranch closing, that didn't stop looters from seeing what was inside. "Neverland" also encompassed Jackson's home, and the homage to Peter Pan was more than obvious. Jackson wished to never grow up and to live a life of childhood fun forever...
Treasures Inside
Looters uncovered lots of prized possessions inside the ranch. There was a large piece of art near the entryway that depicted Jackson leading children into Neverland. The sun is out, balloons are soaring through the sky, and all the children are smiling...
Some Disturbing Finds
Of course, looters found some unsettling artifacts. There were several demonic statues and redecorated magazines. Everything about the sight was strange. Were children meant to see these things?
Tarnished Pasts
Much like Beijing's Wonderland, Jackson's Neverland will never reopen. With a backstory like both of these wannabe historical sites, there's no way either would be suitable for guests. Who knows, maybe Neverland will be repurposed into a shopping mall like Wonderland was.