Two ancient Buddhist temples crown this dramatic rocky pinnacle.

The field of tiny caves that mark this Chinese cliffside are each their own historic Buddhist temple.

A lush desert oasis in the shape of a narrow crescent.

Rivers of cattle blood gone, a strange Escheresque building remains, the last of its kind.

This probably wasn't what Mao had in mind.

A natural arch offers panoramic views of Yangshuo's karst hills.

The tallest stationary dunes on Earth also happen to sing.

A complex and beautiful system of rice terraces covers a million acres over the mountains.

One of the world's largest ice festivals dazzles visitors for over a month with radiant sculptures and carvings.

270 million year-old forest of stone.

Why walk on this historical site when you can zoom down instead?

This psychedelic tourist trap is a leisurely descent into madness.

These layered sandstone mountains in China look like they are made of pressed crayons.

The most famous location in China was home to whole dynasties worth of imperial rulers.

This vertical pinnacle in China was the inspiration for the floating mountains in the movie “Avatar.”

This retro, UFO-like structure is a remnant of the Soviet-era circus.

Extremely isolated Silk Road caravanserai in the middle of nowhere.

This "tower of death" has acted as an observatory, a religious hub, and an executioner's lair.

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.

The Avenue of Mausolea is a series of grand palatial tombs.

The world's second-tallest flagpole stands proud despite dropping rank.

This dark, damp, perilous tunnel is the only passage from north to south Tajikistan.

A museum glorifying the life of Stalin, located in the city of his birth.

This architecturally eclectic fortress witnessed centuries of bloody turmoil, including the massacre of its ruling clan.