The Stone Trees of Yakutsk

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:50:18 +0100

The “Lena’s stone forest” or “Lena’s Stone Pillars” of Russia’s Siberian forest are a breathtaking sight. Tourist can only reach the stone forest by air, and is about a four day journey from Moscow city. First, you have to take a flight so long that if you flew opposite direction you could easily come to New York, so far from Moscow that is, but that’s still Russia. Then you have to travel by boat for three days before you reach the stone forest.

See more pics:
englishrussia.com

The Hanging Temple of Hengshan

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:52:45 +0100

The Hanging Temple, located about 60 km southwest of Datong, China in Shanxi province, is one of the world's forgotten wonders. Clinging to a crag of Hengshan mountain, in apparent defiance of gravity, it consists of 40 rooms linked by a dizzying maze of passageways. The temple is said to have been built by a monk named Liao Ran, during the late Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD) and restored in 1900.

The temple was constructed by drilling holes into the cliff side into which the poles that hold up the temples are set. Interestingly the temple is dedicated to not just one religion, but three, with Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism all worshiped within the temple and represented in 78 statues and carvings throughout the temple.

via atlasobscura.com