An abandoned wonderland

An improvised chicken coup sits in the shadow of a derelict warehouse complete with crenellations – a bizarre collision of modern construction and feudal life.

Inside one of the cavernous, unfinished buildings we saw a circle of cinder blocks around the remains of a fire. In another room was a sleeping bag. Strange objects littered the ground. A mountain of charcoal-black incinerated fruit lay to one side of the shell of what we assume was destined to be the central castle of the park. Each new thing we saw produced a whole new string of theories about what could have caused it to end up there. These mysteries will stay just that. The park is a place that raises many questions and offers few answers.

For now, there is little traditional wonder to be found at Wonderland. In hindsight, and given the park's stubborn refusal to emerge into actual reality, developers might have opted for the name 'Neverland' instead.

Wonderland, though, may not be doomed to forever remain an ironic embodiment of ‘Neverland’. When we contacted Reignwood, a spokesperson told us that negotiations are underway with the landowner. While they were coy about the details, they suggested that the project may be re-launched next year, and completed in 2014. Only time will tell…

Dong Lin and Thomas Hale contributed to this story.