Date of opening: Mid eighties. (unknown exact date of opening)

Date of Closing: September 21, 1999

Location: Taichung, Taiwan

With the recent earthquake in Japan, we were given a wake up call about how natural disasters can destroy homes, businesses, and peoples lives in a matter of minutes, in the blink of an eye. Sometimes even if the disaster strikes and the places are still functional, people never return at all. We forget about the souls of those individuals, we forget that they too don’t want to remember a time before the natural disaster when everything else is in ruin. That those places that were once the main foundation of a warm memory or a breeding ground for laughter are now cold, distant, and separated from the mourning around the community. They choose to move on. They leave hoping those places will simply rot or disappear from the earth as it has in their hearts. 

Katoli’s world was a theme park for the whole family. It featured many different rides and attractions such as: A haunted house, Merry go round, Octopus boat ride, A roller coaster titled ‘Loopen’, bumper cars, and a dragon boat swing ship. While not completely popular, the theme park held its own and managed to keep good business with its two coasters. Not much information is given as to who owned the park or what their plans were. 

It reminds me of Hayao Miyazaki’s great film Spirited Away. Those familiar with the movie will understand my reference. A theme park without the laughter.

On September 21, 1999 a large 7.3 earthquake hit Central Western Taiwan. It left some dead, many wounded, and cost billions of dollars in destruction. Fortunately for Katoli’s world, it struck after the park was closed and no one passed while in the park, unfortunately it never opened it’s gates to the public again. 

There are many rumors on the internet as to if it is still there today or if it has finally been demolished, as far as my research shows, it is still there. A ghost like window into something chilling, a prelude into what we might stumble across in other countries where disaster has hit. 

For more information and pictures:

http://www.craigfergusonimages.com/2009/07/katolis-world-abandoned-dreams-and-urbex-heav

http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/katoli_world_taiwan.htm