The Spiral Staircase, China

One of the most challenging hikes can be found in the remote town of Linzhou in the Taihang Mountains, where the real draw to venture so far southwest of Beijing is rising to meet this 300-foot-tall spiral staircase.  The region is also famous of "The Red Flag Canal" which is located on the edge of the Taihang Mountains, as well as the Shitai Passenger Railway crosses under the Taihang Mountains via the Taihang Tunnel, which, at almost 28 kilometres (17 mi), is the longest railway tunnel in China.

The Pink Lake, Western Australia

Pink Lake is a salt lake in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia. It lies about 3 kilometres (2 mi) west of Esperance and is bounded to the East by the South Coast Highway. The lake is not always pink but the distinctive colour of the water changes as a result of green alga Dunaliella salina, halobacterium Halobacteria cutirubrum, and/or high concentration of brine prawn. Once the lake water reaches a salinity level greater than that of sea water, the temperature is high enough and adequate light conditions are provided, the alga begins to accumulate the red pigment beta carotene. The pink halobacterium grow in the salt crust at the bottom of the lake and the colour of the lake is a result of the balance between, D. salina and H. cutirubrum.

Merry Cemetery, Romania

The Merry Cemetery is located in the village of Săpânța, Maramureş county, Romania. It is famous for its colourful tombstones with naïve paintings describing, in an original and poetic manner, the persons who are buried there as well as scenes from their lives. The Merry Cemetery became an open-air museum and a national tourist attraction. The unusual feature of this cemetery is that it diverges from the prevalent belief, culturally shared within European societies – a belief that views death as something indelibly solemn. Connections with the local Dacian culture have been made, a culture whose philosophical tenets presumably vouched for the immortality of the soul and the belief that death was a moment filled with joy and anticipation for a better life.

Salt Mines, Russia

Hundreds of feet below Yekatinberg, a Russian city, is an abandoned salt mine which might as well be the inside of a rave. The walls are covered with psychedelic patterns, caused by the natural layers of mineral carnallite creating swirls throughout the coloured rock. Carnallite is used in the process of plant fertilisation, and is most often yellow to white or reddish, but can sometimes be blue or even completely colourless.

Lena Pillars Nature Park, Russia

Lena Pillars Nature Park is marked by spectacular rock pillars that reach a height of approximately 100 m along the banks of the Lena River in the central part of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). They were produced by the region's extreme continental climate with an annual temperature range of almost 100 degrees Celsius (from –60 °C in winter to +40 °C in summer). The pillars form rocky buttresses isolated from each other by deep and steep gullies developed by frost shattering directed along intervening joints. Penetration of water from the surface has facilitated cryogenic processes (freeze-thaw action), which have widened gullies between pillars leading to their isolation. Fluvial processes are also critical to the pillars. The site also contains a wealth of Cambrian fossil remains of numerous species, some of them unique.

To Sua Ocean trench in Lotofaga, Samoa

Lotofaga is a village on the south coast of Upolu island in Samoa. Lotofaga is also the name of the larger Lotofaga Electoral Constituency (Faipule District) which includes Lotofaga village and two other villages, Vavau and Matatufu. The villages and Lotofaga Electoral Constituency all come within the larger political district of Atua which representsis 1,865 people (2006 Census).

Santa Maria Monastery, Italy

Santa Maria Dell'Isola – An attractive small monastery located on the top of a hill just on the beach of Tropea in Calabria, Italy. It is a holy place for pilgrims. The present frontage of the monastery is dated after the earthquake of 1905 and is the work of the local workers of the district of Montecassino. This Santa Maria Dell'Isola Church became a place of pilgrimage on August 15 – Assumption of Mary and on 8 September – Nativity of Mary. Inside the arch there is a painting of St. Family and also a group of statues in the altar.

The Fort of São João Baptista das Berlengas, Portugal

The Fort of Berlengas is located off western coast of Portugal, on the largest island of the archipelago of the Berlengas, in the municipality of Peniche in Oesteregion. The fortification belonged to a group of defensive military structures meant to protect the municipality located on the coast. King Manuel of Portugal ordered the construction of a fortress on Berlenga Grande in 1502, which was immediately rectified under the reign of King Sebastian of Portugal. The fort, was constructed from the remains of a pre-existing monastery (the Monastery of the Misericórdia da Berlenga) which had previously been abandoned.  English, and French pirates and privateers. Further, violent weather often cut-off communication to the mainland, which was especially distressing during pirate incursions, as result, the Monastery was abandoned. During the French invasion of the peninsula, the outpost served as a base for British troops, although it was the French later who plundered it. In 1821, João VI of Portugal ordered a remodelling of the fort that included the reconstruction of the chapel, which had been burned down during the French assault. The fort was also used during the Liberal Wars, serving as a forward base for troops loyal to Pedro IV of Portugal, to attack the fortress of Peniche (then occupied by Miguelist forces). Fourteen years later its armaments were removed, beginning a gradual decline in the fort's state. In 1953, the fort was repaired and remodelled as part of an attempt to adapt the structure into a Posada or Inn.

El Alcázar of Segovia, Spain

The Alcázar of Segovia, like many fortifications in Spain, started off as an Arab fort, which itself was built on a Roman fort but little of that structure remains. The first reference to this particular Alcázar was in 1120, around 32 years after the city of Segovia returned to Christian hands. King Alfonso VI reconquered lands to the south of the Duero river down to Toledo and beyond. However, archaeological evidence suggests that the site of this Alcázar was once used in Roman times as a fortification.  Major renovations at the Alcázar were conducted by King Philip II after his marriage to Anna of Austria. He added the sharp slate spires to reflect the castles of central Europe. In 1587, architect Francisco de Morar completed the main garden and the School of Honor areas of the castle. The royal court eventually moved to Madrid and the Alcázar then served as a state prison for almost two centuries before King Charles III founded the Royal Artillery School in 1762.

The Underwater Shi Cheng Lake in China

The ancient lost city of Shi Cheng lies deep underwater. FIFTY three years ago, this ancient city in China vanished without a trace.

It was all because the government had decided they needed a new hydro-electric power station. Shi Cheng, also known as "Lion City" and located in the province of Zhejiang, lay directly in the firing line and was flooded when its valley was turned into a man-made lake. As the water rose, the city was left at the bottom of this new-found body of water. It's estimated that Shi Cheng, which was founded about 1300 years ago, now lies between 26 and 40 metres beneath the gorgeous Thousand Island Lake.

But it has a new lease on life now, having resurfaced as an adventure park for tourists.

The Leshan Giant Buddha, China

The Leshan Giant Buddha is a 71-metre (233 ft) tall stone statue, built during the Tang Dynasty. It is carved out of a cliff face that lies at the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below his feet. It is the largest stone Buddha in the world and it is by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world. The Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Gardens by the Bay is an integral part of a strategy by the Singapore government to transform Singapore from a "Garden City" to a "City in a Garden". The stated aim is to raise the quality of life by enhancing greenery and flora in the city.

City in a Garden, Singapore

An international competition for the design of the master plan, held in January 2006, attracted more than 70 entries submitted by 170 firms from 24 countries. Two firms – Grant Associates and Gustafson Porter – were eventually awarded the master plan design for the Bay South and Bay East Gardens respectively. The park has proven extremely popular for event planners, with demand so high that the park has to limit the number of events to three per week.

Quinta de Regaleria, Sintra - Portugal

Quinta da Regaleira is an estate located near the historic center of Sintra, Portugal. It is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO within the "Cultural Landscape of Sintra". Along with the other palaces in the area (such as the Sintra National Palace, Pena, Monserrate and Seteais palaces), it's considered one of the principal tourist attractions of Sintra. The property consists of a romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious park that features lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of exquisite constructions. The palace is also known as "The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire", which is based on the nickname of its best known former owner, António Augusto Carvalho Monteiro.  

Read More About:  Mystical and Mysterious Quinta de Regaleira

Deadly Salt Lake, Tanzania

The alkaline water in Lake Natron has a pH as high as 10.5 and is so caustic it can burn the skin and eyes of animals that aren't adapted to it. The water's alkalinity comes from the sodium carbonate and other minerals that flow into the lake from the surrounding hills. And deposits of sodium carbonate — which was once used in Egyptian mummification — also acts as a fantastic type of preservative for those animals unlucky enough to die in the waters of Lake Natron. Despite some media reports, the animal didn't simply turn to stone and die after coming into contact with the lake's water. In fact, Lake Natron's alkaline waters support a thriving ecosystem of salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, flamingos and other wetland birds, tilapia and the algae on which large flocks of flamingos feed. Now, photographer Nick Brandt has captured haunting images of the lake and its dead in a book titled "Across the Ravaged Land"

White Temple, Thailand

Wat Rong Khun, perhaps better known to foreigners as the White Temple, is a contemporary, unconventional, privately owned, art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. By the end of the 20th century, the original Wat Rong Khun was in a bad state of repair. Funds were not available for renovation. Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist from Chiang Rai, decided to completely rebuild the temple and fund the project with his own money. 

Águeda, Portugal

If you come to Águeda, a municipality in Portugal, during the month of July, you may see hundreds of colorful umbrellas floating above some streets. They are hung over promenades giving pedestrians a nice shade and something cool to look at.