I found some old brochures for the Xingfu Amusement Park down in Bitan (remember the big ferris wheel you could see from all over Taipei?) in an old abandoned police station, so I thought I'd take my camera and try to get present-day shots of all the pictures in the brochure for comparison. I put the results up on Flickr if you're interested. If anyone has any other old photos from when the park was operational, I'd love to see them, too.

I've been told there are other such picture sites up but I haven't been able to find them.

That was really cool, lucky you found the brochures!
That could be material for an exhibit maybe put together a show called "Looking For Ghosts in Bitan" or something.

The upsidedown shot was cool too. I also liked the labeling you did with the cupid statue. My Taiwanese artist friend says she loves it too. Did you use a filter for the fountain shot?

Good idea!

Nice job, Poagao. I like it a lot.

Nice shots and interesting to see the before and after. I have been up there once and wondered what it was at first (didn't take me that long to figure it out though ). Really sad place nowadays.

Thanks much for sharing that, PG... very interesting. My favorite shot was the one of the top of the mountain before and now. Its not Angkor Wat, perhaps, but very interesting, nonetheless.

Great work.

Thanks, everyone. This kind of thing, the whole "before and after" really fascinates me, and the brochures were a real find. I'd like to find a book of photos of old Taipei and give it the same treatment, trying to match location, angle, focal length, etc. as much as possible.

I play around a little in Photoshop, mainly just adjusting color and contrast here and there, but that's about it.

As for the area, I like it much better the way it is now, almost fully reclaimed by nature. I think I would have hated living next to a crowded, noisy amusement park full of tourists. Its present state is far better, IMHO.

I caught a big bamboo viper just this morning at that cupid statue. Watch yer feet.

This is a brilliant photo essay Thanks for sharing it Poagao

I find abandoned amusement parks visually stunning

Some similar pictures here at my friends multiply site

http://workerant.multiply.com/photos/photo/143/1

Great images.

Have you been out to the abandoned amusement park that's out near Yangmingshan? (At least I think it's Yangmingshan - I could be wrong). I shot a couple's wedding photos in the old amusement park, it's a great location.

Thanks, guys. No, I haven't been to any others. How do you get there?