The Forbidden City

The Forbidden City
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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.

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La Sagrada Família

La Sagrada Família
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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

Moai of Easter Island
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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.

The Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty
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A statue of another sort has greeted visitors and immigrants to New York Harbour for more than 100 years. A gift from France in 1886 (fun fact: there’s a mini Statue of Liberty in Paris, as well), the neoclassical Lady Liberty wears flowing robes and a crown, and holds a torch and a tablet reading ‘JULY IV MDCCLXXVI,’ which is, of course, July 4, 1776. Standing 93 metres tall, including the pedestal, she’s made out of copper, which turned into her distinctive green hue as she was exposed to air, but she was the colour of a penny upon her unveiling. Although she’s artistically beautiful, her appeal is also in her symbolism of freedom for Americans and those who came there looking for a better life. In fact, her full name is ‘Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World.’

Find out which are the most overrated tourist attractions in the world.

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza
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The most astounding pre-Hispanic structure of Mesoamerica stands in Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula: the huge stepped pyramid called ‘the Castle’ or ‘Temple of Kukulkan’ in the ancient ruins of Chichen Itza. The city was established by the Mayans and then taken over by another group called the Toltecs, at which time the most impressive structures at Chichen Itza were built around 900 CE. Named for the Mayan god Kukulkan, a feathered serpent, the central structure is nearly 30 metres tall and has 91 steps on each of its four sides. The beauty in its design involves the builders’ precise knowledge of math and astronomy: the temple is aligned with the sun, so on the spring and fall equinoxes, the shadow of a serpent seems to crawl down the pyramid.

The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque
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Istanbul, Turkey, has so many beautiful places of worship, and some might say the most beautiful is a toss-up between the church turned museum Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. They’re both similar in design, but we’re choosing the Blue Mosque because of its refinement and detail, with its six graceful minarets, one main and eight smaller domes, and gorgeous stained glass. The mosque’s crowning achievement, though, is 20,000 ceramic ‘Iznik’ tiles in bright blue, green, and turquoise embellishing the interior, which give the mosque its nickname. Reds and yellows, along with gold calligraphy, complete the decorations, forming patterns, geometric bands, and medallions; motifs include flowers, fruit, and cypress trees. Built-in 1616, it’s officially called the Sultan Ahmed Mosque after the ruler who commissioned it.

Highclere Castle

Highclere Castle
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Better known as the titular location for Downton Abbey, the real English manor home is one of the most beautiful in Britain – and there are plenty to choose from. The site has been occupied by the Earls of Carnarvon since the 17th century, but the current castle dates from the Victorian period. Highclere Castle’s almost-square design (it’s not quite symmetrical) features a central tower, with four additional towers at each corner, and it’s the spires on the towers and along the roof that give the castle its lofty appearance. The interior lives up to its stately exterior: The ‘saloon’ boasts a three-story, 15-metre-high ceiling with skylights, surrounded by a second-floor gallery reached by an ornate oak staircase.

Check out the real-life locations of Downton Abbey here.

Mont-Saint-Michel

Mont-Saint-Michel
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Although it’s also lovely up close, what sets this monastery apart is the breath-taking view from afar. Just off the northern shore of France in Normandy, Mont-Saint-Michel sits atop a small but steep outcropping on a tiny island. On a misty day, it seems to float above the clouds, the abbey’s spire rising to the heavens. At high tide, the island is surrounded by water; at low tide, a pathway of sand leads to the village below. The uncertainty of the abbey’s surroundings must have lent a sense of danger and mystery to the monastery when it was built in the Middle Ages – and its mystique lingers even today.

Giant Buddha of Leshan

Giant Buddha of Leshan
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On Mount Emei, the first centre of Buddhism in China sits this remarkable 70-metre-tall Buddah, carved out of the red sandstone rock in the 8th century. Located in the Mount Emei Scenic Area of protected natural beauty, the Buddha – the largest ancient Buddha in the world – is also partially covered by green vegetation, making it look like he’s wearing the forest. Meticulously crafted, his serene face looks out at the meeting of three rivers. In addition, his hair features more than 1000 buns, and his long ears are made of wood covered in mud to adhere to the rest of the stone head. Unseen is the sophisticated drainage system that has prevented the Buddha from deteriorating due to rain.

Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa
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From the ancient to the very modern, this high-tech yet exquisite building in Dubai is the current tallest in the world at over 820 metres. Its series of slender cylinders seem to spiral to the sky, ending in a needle-like point. Opened in 2010, the Burj Khalifa sparkles and gleams thanks to reflective glazing and nearly 26,000 hand-cut glass panels that comprise the exterior. The building’s sophisticated but subtle beauty might be due to being inspired by nature: the shape of the hymenocallis, or spider lily, a desert flower of the region, was the basis for its floor plan.

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