This ancient Chinese observatory still contains early astronomy technology.

Ming Dynasty necropolis raided during the Cultural Revolution.

The ancient settlement attracts tourists from all over looking to learn about the Chinese vision of the afterlife.

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

One of the most scenic stretches of road in America winds between some of the country's oldest trees.

A crumbling wizard is one of the final reminders of a roadside Middle Earth.

An optical illusion found amid a logged redwood forest.

This massive redwood tree has a hole in the base big enough to drive through.

This whimsical seashell-shaped place of worship was designed to blend into its surroundings.

A poignant memorial to a young boy whose death spurred a dramatic increase in organ donations in Italy—dubbed the "Nicholas Effect."

The southernmost outpost of the Russian Empire in colonial America.

A trash dump made beautiful by nature's power.

A monumental cross hides in the trees in Golden Gate Park.

The remains of a ruined mansion memorialize the 1906 earthquake.

A collection of memorabilia from the Beat era in the back of a San Francisco bookstore.

Staircase winds down the side of Telegraph Hill through gardens, wild parrots flying overhead.

The randomness of this wall of lava lamps helps encrypt up to 10 percent of the internet.

A still functioning vaudeville carousel that has operated for over a century boasts a colorful menagerie and past.

Created in 1972, the famous sculptor's intricately detailed monument to San Francisco is overflowing with city landmarks.

San Francisco's oldest surviving monument and meeting place for 1906 survivors.

Nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s bustling Financial District stands a unique homage to the Mayan and Beaux Arts.

Alleyway plaque commemorating the death of a fictional character in The Maltese Falcon, not far from the author's home.

An art supply shop holds the secrets of this quiet neighborhood's raucous Barbary Coast past.

Faceless white figures loom over the city from the rooftop.