drnichols9's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Alxa, China

Heicheng Ruins

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

Yelang Valley

It took an artist 20 years to create this sprawling sculpture garden honoring the area's ancient inhabitants.
Shanghai, China

Shanghai French Concession

An out-of-place slice of France, smack in the middle of Shanghai.
Luoyang, China

Longmen Grottoes

The field of tiny caves that mark this Chinese cliffside are each their own historic Buddhist temple.
Yuncheng, China

Yuncheng Salt Lake

Rainbow-hued in the summer and crystalline in the winter, this salty lake has inspired battles, temples, and plenty of awe.
Lijiang, China

Blue Moon Valley

A bright turquoise river cascades beautifully down stepped terraces in southern China.
Datong, China

Yungang Grottoes

Massive series of 45 caves and over 51,000 sculptures carved from cliffsides in China.
Guoliang, China

Guoliang Tunnel

A tunnel dug through the side of a mountain by hand provides convenient yet death-defying access to a small village in China.
Tianshui, China

Maijishan Grottoes

Rock-cut caves and 7,000 Buddhist sculptures carved into the nearly sheer face of a sandstone mountain.
Honghe, China

Honghe Hani Rice Terraces

A complex and beautiful system of rice terraces covers a million acres over the mountains.
Ziyang, China

Jiuzhaigou Valley

Snow-capped peaks, colorful waterfalls and stunning vistas on the edge of the Himalayas.
Chongqing, China

Three Natural Bridges

Not one, not two, but three natural bridges remain in this captivating spot post-sinkhole.
Kunming, China

Shilin Stone Forest

270 million year-old forest of stone.
Qujing, China

Luoxiagou

A canvas of crops grow from vibrant red soil in this terraced farmland.
Zhangye Shi, China

Zhangye National Geopark

These layered sandstone mountains in China look like they are made of pressed crayons.
Aba, China

Huanglong Travertine Pools

Intensely colorful calcite pools in Southern China.
Zhangjiajie, China

Tianmen Shan

A total of 999 stairs lead visitors through a massive hole in a mountain known as the Gateway to Heaven.
Beijing, China

The Forbidden City

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

Avatar Hallelujah Mountain

This vertical pinnacle in China was the inspiration for the floating mountains in the movie “Avatar.”
Shengshan Island, China

Houtouwan

This abandoned fishing settlement may well be the greenest village in the world.
Panjin Shi, China

Red Beach

A part of the world's largest marsh seems to be growing bright red Martian grass.
Datong, China

Hanging Temple of Hengshan

A fifth-century temple improbably built into the side of a cliff.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Foreign Correspondents Club

Originally a meeting place for foreign correspondents and war reporters, the FCC remains an atmospheric spot for sunset drinks in Phnom Penh.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Wat Phnom

The capital of Cambodia is named after the hill on which this ancient temple complex stands.