The Forbidden City
This ominously named royal palace complex in Beijing is an outstanding marvel of Chinese architecture in all its detail and vibrancy. Completed in 1420, the Forbidden City is actually made of many buildings surrounded by a three-kilometre-long wall and a moat. It’s gorgeously decorated mainly in yellow and red, with colourful elements, mythical animals, and distinctly shaped swooping roofs. Because the emperor was considered to be a ‘son of heaven,’ regular people were not let in, which is why it was considered ‘forbidden.’ At the centre of the Forbidden City is its largest building, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which contains the throne, atop three-tiered marble terraces; beyond are the royal residences.
La Sagrada Família
Barcelona is well-known for the distinctive architecture of the city’s favourite son, Antoni Gaudi. His style defies description, all curves, colours and textures that look at once as the work of a master as well as something a child moulded out of Play-Doh. His most outlandishly beautiful creation is La Sagrada Familia, a church he began in 1882 and which is still being built – construction is expected to be finally completed in 2026. Appearing almost like a drip sandcastle, the church features many tall spires and points along the roof, and it’s adorned with stone and plaster sculptures and details, as well as colourful pinnacles. La Sagrada Família also boasts some of the most stunning stained-glass windows in the world.
Moai of Easter Island
These giant heads are also completely unique, with no equal anywhere on Earth. Nearly 1000 of the statues stand sentinel across Easter Island (also called Rapa Nui) in the Pacific Ocean, reflecting a solemn beauty with their long, wide noses, strong chins, and mouths set in a seemingly determined position. Called moai, the sculptures were made by Polynesians between 1400 and 1650 using volcanic rock from a local quarry. But at an average of around 120 centimetres tall and more than 90 tonnes, it’s not quite known how the megaliths were moved around the island. And while we think of them as ‘heads,’ there is evidence that they have bodies below ground, as some archaeologists have discovered. Mysterious and magnificent, the simple yet sublime design of the moai is captivating.