Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.

A hardware store Buddha statue installed to deter vandalism wound up attracting Vietnamese immigrants who came to pray.

China's mysterious record-setting sleeping Buddha.

The third-tallest statue in the world depicts the "Buddha of Infinite Light," complete with observation deck in his chest.

This giant bronze Buddha, the third largest in Japan, is the last in an ill-fated series of statues.

Vietnam's largest Buddha statue depicts a female sage.

The golden Buddha statue at the Wat Muang Monastery is the tallest in Thailand, and the ninth-tallest in the world.

Climb to the top of the world's largest seated bronze Buddha.

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.

This Tang Dynasty behemoth is the biggest Buddha in the world.

An 18th-century Nepali-style chorten built to subdue demons and evil spirits.

A stupa built to protect Bhutan from evil forces and help bring peace to the world.

This 17th-century Bhutanese monastery is ensconced in Buddhist legend.

Legend has it a sacred treasure hidden by an ancient guru was revealed with a burning butter lamp from these waters.

This colorful overpass is one of Bhutan's longest suspension bridges.

This garden is very fertile.

This giant Buddha statue has 125,000 smaller Buddhas hidden inside it.

The small sanctuaries lie just off the beaten path near one of Bhutan's most famous attractions.

This Tibetan monastery has survived multiple attacks and is also a sky burial site.

The highest monastery in the world operates a tiny guesthouse with doors open to all.

One of the oldest and largest Buddhist structures in the Americas, located in a peaceful forest outside Mexico City.

Hundreds of caves filled with thousands of centuries-old statues and murals.

Sited in an Inner Mongolian desert are the remnants of an important trade stop along the Silk Road.

Open-air cremations in Colorado's self-proclaimed spiritual mecca.