matthewthomson's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Shenzhen Shi, China

Dafen Oil Painting Village

The knock-off oil painting capital of the world.
Added by hm29168
Qinhuangdao Shi, China

Old Dragon's Head

Where the Great Wall of China meets the sea.
Added by quasistellarqubit
Zhangjiajie, China

Avatar Hallelujah Mountain

This vertical pinnacle in China was the inspiration for the floating mountains in the movie “Avatar.”
lewblank Added by lewblank
Datong, China

Hanging Temple of Hengshan

A fifth-century temple improbably built into the side of a cliff.
Josh Added by Josh
Shengshan Island, China

Houtouwan

This abandoned fishing settlement may well be the greenest village in the world.
planan Added by planan
Zhangjiajie, China

Tianmen Shan

A total of 999 stairs lead visitors through a massive hole in a mountain known as the Gateway to Heaven.
atimian Added by atimian
Detroit, Michigan

Eight Mile Wall

A painted-over wall in Detroit originally built to segregate a black community from an adjacent white development.
lewblank Added by lewblank
Detroit, Michigan

Heidelberg Project

One man's attempt to create an artistic wonder on a run-down block in Detroit.
Dylan Added by Dylan
Detroit, Michigan

St. Agnes Church and School

This Detroit ruin was once a gothic bastion of its community, but now it stands as a haunting ruin.
hrnick Added by hrnick
Lookout Mountain, Georgia

Rock City

A bizarre roadside attraction and the first instance of miniature golf in the world.
Facebook4939245 Added by Facebook4939245
Spring Green, Wisconsin

House on the Rock

A bizarre house filled with an astounding array of collections.
Dylan Added by Dylan
Pripyat, Ukraine

Abandoned City of Pripyat

The ghost town left by the worst nuclear disaster of all time is being taken over by nature and urban explorers.
Added by Delireus
Seydisfjordur, Iceland

'How's It Going?' Phone Booth

An isolated, rusty phone booth commemorates Iceland's first international telegraph cable.
joshuacarlon Added by joshuacarlon
Iceland

Arctic Circle Marker

A giant concrete orb in far north Iceland marks the ever-shifting boundary.
Added by Ashawnta
Iceland

Garðar BA 64

The oldest steel ship in Iceland has been beached for years and is now a rusting ruin.
EricGrundhauser Added by EricGrundhauser
Reykjavik, Iceland

Hallgrimskirkja

One of the tallest buildings in Iceland, and perhaps, the most visually impressive.
Dampo Added by Dampo
Hólmavík, Iceland

The Museum of Icelandic Sorcery & Witchcraft

Staves, storm-calling, and of course, necropants.
Iceland

Svartifoss

The unique waterfall in Iceland's south features a backdrop of geometric black lava columns.
Dampo Added by Dampo
Grindavík, Iceland

Blue Lagoon

Medicinal spa created with the discharge from a geothermal energy plant.
Allison Added by Allison
San Francisco, California

Alcatraz Island

In all of the 29 years it was in operation, no prisoners ever escaped successfully... or so they claim.
AllisonEng Added by AllisonEng
Aguas Calientes, Peru

Machu Picchu: The Lost City of The Inca

The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.
Added by LongNow
Isle of Skye, Scotland

Fairy Pools

These fantastically named natural pools look like something out of a Scottish myth.
Added by HoldensHuntingHat
Mitaka, Japan

Ghibli Museum

A magical place that lets you play in and explore the world of Studio Ghibli.
Added by ack sed
Faro, Portugal

Capela de Ossos Bone Chapel

This small chapel is built of human bones and decorated with a golden skeleton.
Annetta Black Added by Annetta Black