Namhansanseong, a Unesco World Heritage site in South Korea, is an impressive yet little-known fortress built as an emergency capital city should Manchu forces invade Seoul.
From a Notre-Dame alternative to The Grand Mosque, these lesser-known Paris attractions will appeal to visitors looking to avoid the 2024 Olympics crowds and have a quieter experience.
Yes, there’s the Sistine Chapel at The Vatican, but there’s more dazzling ceiling art to admire elsewhere, from Edinburgh to Kathmandu, in churches, a temple, a monastery, a mosque, a mansion and a museum.
Ferrari is a sports car maker, luxury brand and sponsor of a Formula One racing team. Its history is celebrated in Modena in museums devoted to founder Enzo Ferrari and to its engineering and design.
Singapore grandmother Tan Chwee Lian carved warriors and Taoist gods for most of her life. She leaves intricate tasks to younger members of the family now, but still greets visitors to the workshop.
The David J. Sencer CDC Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, explains the history and work of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, including in Asia – though there’s little on its Covid efforts.
Hyderabad’s Qutb Shahi Tombs complex has been restored to its former glory over a period of 10 years, turning it into one of the best places to visit in India.
Statues and murals of Yaksha, mythological shape-shifting creatures that protect Thailand’s most sacred sites, are found from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. We explore their roots in Hinduism, and where to find them.
A giant snake in a bat cave in Bali. The ghost of Oiwa, a vengeful wife who haunts a shrine in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Ahead of Halloween we survey five of Asia’s most haunted destinations.
Remnants of a long-ago empire, towers carved with scenes from Hindu myths at the Unesco World Heritage site of My Son in Central Vietnam have emerged from a 6-year restoration.
Amsterdam is a city of museums, including some exploring pretty exotic subjects. Enjoy the charming Cat Cabinet, cringe in the Torture Museum and say ‘high’ at the city’s famous marijuana museum.
Phuket isn’t known for surfing, but recent festivals form part of the Thai island’s efforts to get in on the global surf tourism boom – which it could do as a place where novices can learn the sport.
From a stone in Tamil Nadu, India, covered in ancient writing to an arena in Hue, Vietnam, where tigers and warriors fought, we explore five Asian locations where you can channel your inner adventurer.
Asia’s long-standing relationship with Christianity is embodied by magnificent churches in places including Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and India. Here are 10 of the most noteworthy.
The total solar eclipse on April 20 will draw international tourists to Exmouth, a quiet town known for its Unesco World Heritage Ningaloo Reef and Cape Range National Park.
Six places in Ireland to visit that are connected to the country’s patron saint, from its most sacred mountain to churches, baptism sites, a 1,000-year-old-tower and a brewery.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet brings tourists to Verona, the Italian city where it is set. Yet he didn’t create the romantic tale. That was the work of an author from a neighbouring city.
Between the late 1800s and the mid-1900s, two Italian architects and an Italian sculptor who moved to Bangkok changed the face of the Thai capital.
The legacy of Malacca’s colonisation by European powers is evident in the Malaysian city’s old town, but look closer and you find evidence of Chinese explorer Zheng He’s influence.
With woodwork and calligraphy, two men are keeping the dying art of Chinese signboard making alive in Singapore – the city state’s Chinatown is filled with decades worth of their work.
A stroll along Singapore’s Graftbusters’ Trail helps explain how the city’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau fearlessly went after police and government ministers.
One of Australia’s newest national parks, Dryandra Woodland National Park, is a sanctuary for small native animal species facing extinction.
The Majapahit empire, Indonesia’s largest ever, was born in 1293 and lasted until the 1520s. Now, 700 years later, it is being celebrated by a new luxury resort in Bali.
The 11km-long Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk takes in four of London’s eight royal parks and passes by Buckingham Palace – a fitting way to remember her 25 years after her death.
The Shinju Matsuri, an amalgamation of Chinese, Japanese and Malay celebrations, attracts thousands of visitors each year to Broome, possibly the most multicultural small town in Australia.
Perth Observatory lets visitors marvel at the wonders of the galaxy through its telescopes and celebrate Aboriginal Australia’s connection to the stars.
Australia’s Aboriginal heritage has long been underappreciated and a beautiful new public art project overlooking the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge is trying to address that.
The Vietnamese capital has been a hub of traditional crafts for hundreds of years, and as the city emerges from the pandemic, tourism authorities are putting its 800 artisan villages front and centre.
A forest park in Bangkok, a gondola ride offering a panaroma of Singapore, an Instagram-worthy bridge and a theme park in Malaysia, a man-made beach – there’s a lot to draw visitors back.
After being shut to the world for almost two years thanks to the pandemic, Australia has reopened to international tourists. Here’s how to explore the deep Chinese connections in the nation’s most populous city.
