tinyplankton's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Reykjavik, Iceland

Harpa

This stunning concert hall has become a symbol of Iceland's national recovery.
Pindaya, Myanmar (Burma)

Pindaya Cave

A Buddha-filled cave that is named after a giant monster spider.
Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma)

U Bein Bridge

The oldest teak bridge in the world is made from the remains of a royal palace.
Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)

Shwedagon Pagoda

This gem-encrusted temple is said to contain some of the Buddha's hair which can make the deaf hear and the blind see.
Myanmar (Burma)

Kakku Pagodas

This unique temple complex remains off the typical tourist trail.
Nyaung-U, Myanmar (Burma)

Bagan

Over 2,000 ancient temples dot the Myanmar landscape at the site of this famed archaeological site.
Galle, Sri Lanka

Galle Fort

This fort dates back to 1588 and was colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch, and English and sits prominently on the Indian Ocean where azure water lap the coast.
Hambantota, Sri Lanka

Tsunami Memorial at Yala National Park

Only the foundation remains of the rest stop building that was hit by three large tsunami waves, killing 47 visitors.
Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi

This sacred fig tree with a link to the Buddha is one of the oldest human-planted trees in the world.
Udawalawa, Sri Lanka

Udawalawe National Park

Huge herds of Asian elephants can be seen walking, bathing, and just chilling at this Sri Lankan park.
Nara, Japan

Buddha's Nostril

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

Kiyomizu-Dera Temple

A shrine contains nearly 200 statues of the Buddhist deity Jizo, dressed in bibs by parents who have lost a child.
Hiroshima, Japan

Hiroshima Peace Memorial

Peace Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome.
Kamakura, Japan

The Great Buddha of Kamakura

A bronze statue dating back as far as 1252, still has remnants of gold on its right cheek from ancient gilding.
Tokyo, Japan

Akihabara Electric Town

Once a black market electronics marketplace, now an otaku shopper's paradise.
Hatsukaichi, Japan

Itsukushima Shrine

Japanese national treasure originally built in 593 CE.
Kyoto, Japan

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine

The 10,000 Torii shrine.
Nara, Japan

Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)

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

Riggs Bank

The bank that helped fund the Mexican-American War and the purchase of Alaska met its downfall after helping Augusto Pinochet launder money.
Washington, D.C.

United Brick Corporation Ruins

Once the supplier for noteworthy projects like the National Cathedral, this old brickworks now lies abandoned.
Washington, D.C.

The Unabomber's Cabin

It was once the base for a series of domestic terror attacks.
Washington, D.C.

Rotunda of the Provinces

An echo chamber with a waterfall wrapped around its base at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.

Marilyn Monroe Mural

A tribute to the pop culture icon overlooks this Washington D.C. intersection.
Washington, D.C.

Capitol Bollards

The 5.5-mile ring of steel posts around the Capitol Building is one of the largest (and most uniform) of its kind in the world.