Asia attractions

Overlooking Tiananmen Square, the Meridian Gate (Wumen) is the southernmost and largest of the Palace Museum gates, and one of the most recognizable landmarks of the Forbidden City. Comprised of five towers and five gateways, the Meridian Gate currently provides the only entrance into the Forbidden City.

One of the oldest pagodas in Vietnam, and the oldest in Hanoi, Tran Quoc Pagoda (Chua Tran Quoc) was built in during the reign of Emperor Ly Nam De (AD 541–547) and moved to its present location in 1615. Located on an islet within West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda offers beautiful architecture, historic relics and artifacts, and a serene and scenic environment.

At the world’s largest outdoor laundry, every day for over 120 years the dirt has been washed from thousands of kilos of clothes by the dhobis (washermen and women of Mumbai’s Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat. Formed back in 1890, the famous laundromat is celebrated by photographers who come to images of row upon row of washing troughs.

Known for being the first Disneyland® to open outside the United States, Tokyo Disneyland® offers all the magic you’d expect from a Disney® theme park. With seven themed areas, including the iconic Cinderella Castle, it’s fun for the whole family. Visitors can meet characters such as Mickey Mouse, explore the World Bazaar, enjoy rides for all thrill levels, and dine in diverse restaurants. Think of it as classic Disney® with a splash of Japanese flair.

Located in the Arashiyama area of Kyoto, Tenryu-ji Temple is one of the five great temples of Kyoto. Make a stop at this sprawling Zen temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates from the 14th century, to experience its traditional Japanese landscape garden.

West Lake (Xi Hu) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a top attraction in the heart of old Hangzhou. With mountains on three sides and plenty of charming gardens, bridges, pagodas, temples, and islands, it’s easy to see why this scenic man-made lake has inspired so many poets and painters through the ages.

The Saigon Opera House—aka the Ho Chi Minh City Theater—is a landmark piece of French colonial architecture and an essential stop for any visitor to this bustling Asian city. Built in 1900, it’s home to the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra, but it’s best known for evening cultural shows, such as À Ố, a Vietnamese bamboo circus.

The Bridge on the River Kwai is part of the world's collective historical memory. The site of many POW deaths in World War II, it is now home to the JEATH War Museum and is close to the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. It's part of the Burma Railway, which was built by Allied prisoners of war and Asian civilians. Tens of thousands died of starvation, overwork, and terrible living conditions in the process.

This great lake covering 1,000 square miles (2,600 square kilometers) is not only the largest body of fresh water in Southeast Asia, it’s also a UNESCO-designated biosphere due to its remarkable natural features. The flow of water in Tonlé Sap changes direction twice during the course of the year, expanding and contracting with the seasons.

With a cool climate more reminiscent of England than Malaysia, the Cameron Highlands provide a welcome break from the humidity of Kuala Lumpur. Located 124 miles (200 kilometers) from the capital, the lush landscape offers tea plantations, strawberry farms, flower-filled gardens, and highlights such as the eerie Mossy Forest and afternoon tea in the hill station.

Known for its photogenic gateway (gopura) choked by the roots of a strangling fig tree, Ta Som is one of Angkor’s smaller temples. Jayavarman VII built the complex in the late 12th century, and it’s particularly scenic because it’s still overgrown. The inner sanctuary includes towers with faces like those at the more famous Bayon.

Xi'an is of inestimable significance in the history of China, having long been a cultural powerhouse and capital of numerous dynasties. The Shaanxi History Museum, a modern building echoing classic Tang Dynasty architecture, offers a time-traveling tour of the city and its surrounding province.

The official home of Cambodian royals is located in the heart of Phnom Penh, where the gilded rooflines of the Royal Palace preside over manicured grounds. It’s a gem of Khmer architecture and one of the city’s most popular sites. Follow in royal footsteps as you explore the intricate Throne Hall, visit the Silver Pagoda, and more.

Established in 1910, Jogyesa Temple serves as the center of Zen Buddhism in South Korea. Highlights of the temple complex include Daeungjeon, Seoul’s largest Buddhist shrine, as well as a garden area with a white pine tree that is more than 500 years old.

With a history dating back to the 19th century, Petaling Street Market is a popular destination with locals and tourists looking for bargains. Packed with stalls selling a wide range of goods, from clothing, shoes, and bags to watches, electronics, and souvenirs, the covered market also offers a wide and diverse array of food options.

Saheliyon ki Bari means “Garden of the Maidens” in Hindi, and was built in the early 18th century for the women of the royal family. With fountains, lotus ponds, decorative pavilions, and marble elephants, the landscaped gardens are a relaxing place to take a walk. There’s also a small museum on-site with information on Rajasthani and Indian history.

For subcontinental color, cuisine, and atmosphere, head to Singapore’s Little India, one of the island’s most vibrant districts. Shops, restaurants, street vendors, and colorful Hindu temples line the streets of Little India, making it an excellent place to take a walk. The culture and community center of Little India, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple is the neighborhood’s most important Hindu Temple, dedicated to the goddess Kali.

Pudong, which lies east of the Huangpu River, is Shanghai’s modern business and financial center. Formerly an agricultural area, Pudong is now home to an international airport, the biggest park in Shanghai, luxury shopping, a lively culinary scene, and the tallest and most distinctive skyscrapers in the city.

Often referred to as the Birla Mandir, the Lakshminarayan Temple is a striking white marble Hindu temple in Jaipur. The modern edifice—built in 1988 with an adjacent museum—is dedicated to the god Vishnu (the Preserver) and his consort Lakshmi, and features idols of the two deities carved from a single piece of marble.

Founded in 1877, the Colombo National Museum in central Colombo chronicles the history and cultural heritage of Sri Lanka. Also called the Sri Lankan National Museum, the institution occupies a 19th-century Italianate-style building and attracts visitors eager to view its wide collection of treasures.

With shaded pavilions and elaborately carved stone pieces, Baphuon is one of the most magical temples in Angkor Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set within the grounds of Angkor Thom, a huge 12th-century site that dwarfs even Angkor Wat in size, Baphuon attracts visitors with its reclining Buddha and dilapidated charm.

Built in the 17th century by Prince Hachijo Toshihito, Katsura Imperial Villa (Katsura Rikyu) is regarded as one of the cornerstones of Japanese architecture and garden design. With its landscaped gardens, bamboo forests, and traditional teahouses dotted around a central lake; it’s an idyllic spot for strolling.

A UNESCO Global Geopark, the Dong Van Karst Plateau (Cao Nguyên đá Đồng Văn) protects jagged limestone cliffs, towering mountains, and lush valleys—looping roads hug the land’s wild curves for added effect. Home to 17 ethnic groups that give this nature scape a distinct cultural feel, adventures here in Vietnam’s far north are easy to find…and impossible to replicate elsewhere.

Situated in Rajasthan’s Aravalli Hills, not far from Amber Fort (Amer Fort), Nahargarh is the oldest of three forts built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh (Jai Singh II). Dating to 1734, this majestic fort—aka the Tiger Fort—is largely in a state of ruin, but is still worth a visit for its amazing view of Jaipur city below.

Right in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City is the Ben Thanh Market (Chợ Bến Thành). More than a place to go shopping, the market is also an architectural landmark, a center of local Vietnamese life and commerce, and a meeting point all rolled into one.

After Borobudur, the 9th-century Prambanan temple complex is Yogyakarta’s most prized site. Like Borobudur, it’s been recognized with UNESCO World Heritage status. The Prambanan Archaeological Park is home to over 500 temples. Some 240 make up the Prambanan group; others fall into other groups, including Sewu Temple and Lumbung Temple.

Founded in 1319, Daitoku-ji Temple is a large walled temple complex in northern Kyoto that encompasses Zen gardens and more than 20 sub-temples. It’s the head temple of the Rinzai sect’s Daitoku-ji school of Zen Buddhism and the spiritual center of the Japanese tea ceremony. The complex is a great place to experience and learn about Buddhism in Japan.

Set on the shores of Lake Beratan, the highland town of Bedugul is an essential stop for visitors who are en route to North Bali. Attractions include strawberry farms and markets, the Bali Botanic Garden, Bali Treetop Adventure Park, the Pura Ulun Danu Bratan temple, and an eerie abandoned hotel known as the “Ghost Palace.”

In the 1930s, Drepung Monastery ranked among the largest in the world with around 7,000 monks living on its grounds at its peak. While the number of monks has dropped to approximately 600 monks, Drepung Monastery’s four colleges continue to teach lineage, religion, and geography.

Between 1975 and 1979, Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge government killed and/or starved around 1.7 million of their citizens, roughly 20% of the population. Phnom Penh’s Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21), a former high school that served as a torture and detention center, documents their atrocities through films, photos, and artifacts.