A stunning 18th-century site where pilgrims ascend by a series of punishing stairs only to return via funicular.

An early work of the architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, these swimming pools blend into the beach.

The verdant mossy ruins of a Franciscan monastery lie in the remote Sintra hills awaiting exploration.

Lifelike statue of the Chinese philosopher in the bathtub.

Beijing's expansive subterranean hiding spot now crumbles away as a tourist destination.

The birthplace of modern China.

A clay house decorated with ceramic chips in Tianjin.

These picturesque structures speckle the hill above the monastery.

Home to around 40 different species, this forest was also the setting for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

This film studio and amusement park is considered one of the greatest filming locations in China.

This temple located on a vertical drop of a rocky mountain houses relics from the Song Dynasty.

Genitals, claws, and faces are served at this questionable Beijing eatery.

The world's largest ginkgo tree contains a hollow so large a man once lived in it for two years.

This weekly market in the remote oasis city of Hotan still has the atmosphere of the old Silk Road.

The western-most fortress on the Great Wall of China has gone from a strategic stronghold to a kitschy tourist carnival.

The ancient remains of this natural fortress can still be found along the Silk Road looking surprisingly preserved.

A fantastic assortment of China's finest and most disturbing wares.

Monks turned this mountain into a temple by digging grottoes, tunnels, and a huge pagoda-like hall.

Walled family complexes in Southern China.

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

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

Thanks to the building of a life-giving reservoir, part of the Great Wall of China is now a dive site.

Unique geological formations in China, featuring some suggestive shapes.

A son-and-daughter meat market, hawked by mom and dad.