Tag Archive | "China"
10 Most Incredible Natural Arches On Earth
Nature is well ahead of us when it comes to constructing wonders of design emerging from the landscape. Take the arch, for example. While it was only a few millennia ago that humankind began to build these impressive structures, Mother Earth has been moulding them for millions of years. Get your hiking boots on; we’re taking a trip to find the most amazing of these natural formations the earth has to offer, with points awarded for both size and splendour.
Continue reading...17 Biggest Buddhas on Earth
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Bigger, better, heavier – that seems to be the motto of Asia’s amazing Buddha statues. Our list features actual statues as well as destroyed and planned ones but all have to be taller than 165 ft (50 m). Where does that leave the most famous and sadly destroyed Buddhas of Bamyan? At 55 m, they are some of the shortest! Read on to discover which one tops the list – a hint: it’s a good 500 ft!
Continue reading...China’s Fairytale Terror-Trail
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Far up on Yellow Mountain in the south east of China’s Anhui province is a trail of tens of thousands of granite steps. Partly without rails to hold on to, they are a traveller’s only guide past deep ravines and steep descends. Weather wise, a whole year can pass in just one day: spring in the morning, summer at noon, autumn in the afternoon and winter at night. The most dangerous yet might be the breathtaking views that can easily make visitors forget where they tread.
Continue reading...Treasures of the Ancient World Carved Into Rock
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
For almost 2600 years from 1280 BCE to the 12 and 13th century CE, rock-cut architecture was all the rage from the Far East and Orient, to Africa and the Middle East. It is the practice of creating buildings by carving solid rock, preferably from the top down. Unlike caves and other natural rock crevices, rock-cut architecture is all man-made. Follow us while we take a tour of the most spectacular tombs and cave dwellings carved into rocks around the world...
Continue reading...The Mystery Behind the 5,000 Year Old Tarim Mummies
Monday, August 31, 2009
The door creaked open, and there in the gloom of the room, perfectly preserved despite the passing of thousands of years, a red-haired mummy with Caucasian features stared back. It was a life-changing moment for archaeologist Victor Mair, which ten years on still gave him chills. Mair had happened upon the recently discovered corpses of a man and his family in a museum in the Chinese city of Ürümqi, but the shock waves of the find would be felt far and wide.
Continue reading...5 Highest Bungee Jumps on Earth
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Yet since bungee jumping became commercial at the hands of elastic-thinking New Zealand entrepreneur A J Hackett, the heights from which the man on the street can now leap with nothing but a giant rubber band attached to his ankles have just got bigger. And bigger. And bigger. Here are the highest jumps from fixed objects to date. Steel yourself for some vertiginous views.
Continue reading...7 Most Disgusting Insect Delicacies on Earth
Friday, July 24, 2009
Now before we get started, let’s get one thing clear. Disgusting as defined by you and me might not be disgusting as defined by the next gourmand. What one abhors the next adores. So get those "yucks" and "eeews" out of your system. You’d eat this stuff if you had to, or if society didn’t wrinkle its collective nose at it. It all tastes like chicken anyway, doesn’t it? Well let’s find out. Mmm. Om nom nom nom nom nom nom.
Continue reading...World Population Day Special: The Power Of Crowds
Saturday, July 11, 2009
World Population Day is not only a time to reflect on the many ways in which we could improve the lives of the Earth’s 6.7 billion citizens but also a chance to appreciate the power of the people – our energy, determination and ability to achieve when we put our minds together. The following ten images show that even in a crowd, everybody counts.
Continue reading...10 Beautiful Yet Deadly Mega Metropolises
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Any city with a few million inhabitants is bound to have problems: population, pollution, transportation, water quality, sanitation, crime, natural disasters – you name it. A mega metropolis with a population of 10 or even 20 million will have massive ones especially if it is disadvantaged due to geographic location. Let’s take a look at ten of these mega metros around the world and see what’s bothering them most.
Continue reading...Beautiful and Devastating Rooftop Slums
Thursday, July 2, 2009
When seeing pictures of rooftop slums for the first time, viewers’ reactions are split: Some are appalled that slums even exist in “their” city; others have a eureka-moment and see structured rooftop dwellings as an answer to the pressing housing crisis. The following pictures show that rooftop settlements are not a new phenomenon but rather a well kept secret in many cities; maybe yours?
Continue reading...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
3 Comments