The whimsical cliffs of Wulingyuan jut up from a carpet of lush green forest and flow with the cool waters of countless beautiful rivers and waterfalls. Over 3000 spectacular sandstone peaks stretch upwards of over 800 meters high in some cases at Wulingyuan, and are scattered amongst several intriguing ravines and caves. The most famous cave to visit is the Yellow Dragons Cave, as it is lined with several impressive stalactites. Housed in north west mountains of Hunan Province, Wulingyuan has remained untouched due to its remoteness. Savoring the scenery is easily done as your eyes sway from intricate mountain slopes to the spectacular clinging trees, creating the ultimate tranquil retreat.
Rooted deep in the center of Beijing, the Forbidden City dates back to an era where the Ming and Quing dynasties ruled for centuries, and functioned as the epicenter of both religion and politics. Built between 1406 and 1420 the Forbidden City architecture culminated with a mix between classical Chinese and East Asian flair, having proved to by quite influential for later structures both locally and nationally. Surrounded by a 10 meter high outer wall and encircled by a 6 meter deep moat, the Forbidden City boasts over 980 surviving buildings with over 8,707 bays of rooms and spans some 720,000 square metres. The Forbidden City complex can be divided into two sections, the southern part also known as the Outer Court where political power ...
Ayers Rock or to many Australians simply The Rock, is now more commonly known as Uluru, a name that has endured with aboriginals since before the ice ages and beyond antiquity. Rising above the desert plains 348m high and encapsulating approximately 9.4 km in circumference, Uluru is locally revered as a spiritual symbol. This vast sandstone is held sacred by local aboriginal people, the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, offering visitors an ample mix of mythology and magnificent scenery. Uluru provides many terrains to see and explore such as springs, crevices, canyons, caves, waterholes, and ancient paintings. It is discouraged by local people to climb to the summit of Uluru as it was once a traditional route taken by ancestors during the creation of time, used to ...
The giant panda lives in a few secluded mountain ranges in Sichuan China, but due to forest clearing and farming, it is a conservation-reliant endangered species. The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries are home to 30% of the species remaining world population and is the prime location to catch the giant pandas in their natural habitat. Made up of 7 Nature Reserves and 9 Scenic Parks, this habitat is not only integral for the preservation of the endangered giant pandas, but it also serves to protect many other species such as the snow leopard, red pandas, and clouded leopards. Spanning over 9245 km², the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries is the largest remaining contiguous habitat for the giant panda bear. The most popular parks to see the ...
On the shores of the Torne River, in the old village of Jukkasjärvi in Swedish Lapland lies the Ice Hotel, a place that is like a surreal waking dream. Each November the creation of the Ice Hotel begins by taking massive clear cubes of ice from the Torne river. This water is incredibly clean and provides some of the best ice in the world for carving and creating such structures. The glass like structure uses over 30 cubic meters of snow and 5 thousand tonnes of ice. A true frozen wonderland, the Ice Hotel is created each year by a team of international designers, no two rooms the same, changing appearance, structures and layout from year to year. The intricate sculptures and wall carvings that ...
Slicing through the limestone lined gorge, the cool waters of the Tara River powered by seasonal rain and snow melt, flow through some of the deepest and most secluded canyons in the world. This natural oasis is protected by UNESCO as it is home many rare animals, insects and local vegetation. Although deceivingly tame in places such as Djavolje lazi (Devil's lanes) where you can merely step over the current, the Tara river is a serious feat for white water rafting, classified as a level 4 for difficulty. One scenic fall in particular is over 3.6 meters, turning out some enchanting twirling torrents and cascading falls. Just as enticing as gliding through the gorge is climbing some of the surrounding mountains in Durmitor National Park, ...
As the silent bergs glide through the cold currents off the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland, the soft sighs of ice melting can be lightly heard above laps of the Atlantic Ocean. This stunning side of Canada offers amazing views of beautiful ocean countryside paired with clean crisp glimpses of giant icebergs floating down the coast. Calved from glaciers off the western coast of Greenland, the icebergs float generally for over a year before reaching the northern shores of Newfoundland. Of the 40,000 some odd icebergs produced annually from Greenland, 1%-2% tend to make it down to Ice Berg Alley. Many local companies run boat tours out along the coast to catch a closer experience with the majestic ice mountains. The sheer size of the ...
Pumpkins aglow with spine chilling faces, sit gazing out from neighborhood porches as they await the arrival of the next trick or treat'er on all Hallows eve. Now known as Halloween, a contraction of Hallows Eve, this secular tradition is celebrated annually on October 31. Long before the days of trick or treating, corn mazes, and bobbing for apples, Halloween traditions originated from the Celts, who on the 31st celebrated the harvest and year end. This time of year was believed to be the weakest point between the bonds of life and death, and to ward off the evil spirits many lit fires to keep away spirits with large billows of smoke. Following the Catholic churches influence, November 1st was named All Saints Day, or ...
Vancouver Canada is set to play host to the 2010 Winter Olympics, where the best of the worlds athletes will take center stage and battle it out for the chance to go for the gold! Entry to some of these historic events cost as little as $25 - $100 Canadian. It has been 20 years since Canada last showcased the Olympics, and this time around will play stage to over 86 different winter sports . The various sports can be categorized under, ice sports such as luge, hockey and bobsled, alpine with events such as skiing and snowboarding, and lastly those referred to as nordic, such as the biathlon, ski jumping and cross country skiing. The motto for the games was taken from the Canadian ...
Amritsar, nestled into the northwest corner of ancient Punjab, is the indisputible capital of the Sikh religion and a popular destination for travelers of all walks and religions. The ancient city’s main attraction is the Harmandir Sahib, informally known as the Golden Temple, a towering holy building visited by millions of religious pilgrims each year. As Mecca is to the Muslims, The Golden Temple is to the Sikhs. The temple, whose construction began in the 16th century, was intended as a place where people of all walks of life can come and worship God equally. The temple is regarded as one of the world’s most poignant spiritual destinations, and you’ll know why as soon as you see its golden domes rising majestically above central Amritsar. ...
