Asia attractions

The Fuji-Q Highland amusement park enjoys an enviable setting near the base of Mount Fuji. Aside from its scenic setting, the park is best known for its record-setting roller coasters—four in total—that make it one of Japan’s most popular amusement parks.

Learn all about the history and development of tea in China, tea culture, tea ceremonies, tea wares, and different types of tea at the National Tea Museum (Zhongguo Chaye Bowuguan). Nestled within the hills of idyllic Longjing (Dragon Well) Village, the National Tea Museum is the only national museum in China focused entirely on tea.

Also known as the Dragon Bridge, the 600-year-old Yulong Bridge stands amid hundreds of tall karst peaks, rural mudbrick villages, rice paddies, and grazing water buffalo. The 197-foot-long (60-meter-long) single-arched bridge—the largest of its kind in Guangxi Province—is shaped like a rainbow bending its way over the languid Yulong River.

Originally built as a bathhouse by the Japanese Colonial Government in 1913, today’s Beitou Hot Spring Museum was the largest bathhouse in East Asia at the time, and the first public bathhouse in Taiwan. Abandoned after World War II, it was renovated and reopened in 1998 as a museum documenting Beitou’s hot spring history and culture.

One of more than 70 temples in Sarawak devoted to Tua Pek Kong (a Taoist deity popular with Malaysians and Singaporeans of Chinese descent), Kuching’s Tua Pek Kong Temple is one of the city’s oldest Chinese places of worship—a plaque claims it dates back to 1770. It's perched on a podium adorned with vibrant dragon carvings, and inside Incense smolders and gaudy colors glisten.

Put yourself at the heart of the action in Phuket Trickeye Museum, one of the optical illusion galleries that have taken Asia by storm. Large-scale paintings turn 2D into 3D and deliver hilarious selfies. Scale a waterfall, extinguish a blazing superhero, cling to the ceiling to escape an alligator, or get the boot from a giant foot.

Emperor Ashoka, the last major emperor of India's Mauryan dynasty, created the Pillars of Ashoka in the third century BC and scattered them across northern India and Nepal. These tall sandstone pillars celebrate tenets of Buddhism. The lion-topped Sarnath Pillar is the most famous. It is the national emblem of India, and you can see it at Sarnath Museum, near Varanasi.

Located in Mon State, Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (Golden Rock) is one of the three most important Buddhist sites in Myanmar—and therefore a popular pilgrimage site for devout Buddhists. A small pagoda on top of a head-shaped rock covered with gold leaf, Kyaiktiyo Pagoda seems to defy gravity from its cliff-edge perch.

Situated on Lingyun Mountain, Lingyun Temple is also called Great Buddha Temple because of its location at the head of the Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest stone Buddha in the world. Four monuments flank the entrance to the temple, which contains the Heavenly King Hall, Precious Hall of the Great Hero, and Scripture Collection Hall. .

One of Japan's designated “three most scenic views,” Amanohashidate is a pine-covered sandbar that connects the two sides of Miyazu Bay. Amanohashidate, which translates to "bridge in heaven," got its name for its beauty: it is said to look like a pathway between heaven and earth.

One of Seoul’s five Joseon Dynasty-era palaces, Gyeonghuigung Palace was built in 1623 by King Gwanghaegun. Portions of the structure were rebuilt after a 19th-century fire, and today, you can visit several reconstructed living and meeting halls. The Seoul Museum of History and SeMA Museum of Art are also located on site.

If you think this classic furled-roof temple looks familiar, take a look at a 10-yen coin and you’ll see why. One of Japan's most famous temples—and an UNESCO World Heritage Site—the temple’s 11th-century Phoenix Hall graces both the 10-yen coin and 10,000-yen note. It’s also one of the best examples of Heian-era architecture.

If you’re looking for the quintessential Delhi bazaar experience, the vibrant Central Market area of South Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar might be your ticket. Here you’ll find everything from multihued bangles to umbrella repair shops, not to mention beautiful saris, discount shoe shops, and a huge variety of Indian street food carts.

Katsunuma, in Yamanashi prefecture, is a center of Japanese wine production, and the Katsunuma Winery is one of the most prominent wineries. Established in 1937, it produces wines mainly from the Koshu grape. Visitors can taste, learn about, and buy wines at Katsunuma Winery and dine at its restaurant, Kaze.

Located inside Chengdu Cultural Park, Shufen Yayun Teahouse (Shufeng Yayun) has been hosting Sichuan Opera performances for over 100 years. It’s one of the city’s most popular venues for this art form, which involves an exciting mix of music, dancing, acrobatics, martial arts, hand shadows, puppet play, comedic theater, sword play, and costume changes (face changing).

One of the oldest night markets in Taipei, Raohe Street Night Market offers an authentic glimpse into the city’s street-food scene. Visitors and locals browse 2,000 feet (600 meters) of stalls selling such Taiwanese delicacies as braised pork rice and xiao long bao (steamed pork dumplings).

Seclusion and solitude might be hard to find on Koh Tao, one of Thailand’s most popular islands, but on its southeastern side, between Sai Daeng Beach to the north and Tanote Beach to the south, lies the 65-foot-long (20-meter Aow Leuk Beach. This stretch of sand is slightly more remote so the large crowds stay away.

Candy-hued Peranakan shophouses make Singapore’s Joo Chiat neighborhood an Instagram smash—and it’s a great place to delve into this historic Malay-Chinese culture. The area is also a favorite with foodies and shoppers—boutiques run the gamut from vintage to interior goods, while there are artisan bakeries galore.

During the nineteenth century, the seaside village of Danshui (also known as Tamsui) was Northern Taiwan’s busiest shipping and commerce port. Today, this historic town at the mouth of the Danshui River is known for its European architecture (Spanish, Dutch, and British influences), delicious seafood, and stunning sunsets.

Rivers have long been the arteries of Borneo, and a stroll along Kuching Waterfront (Esplanade)—which meanders along more than half a mile (1 kilometer) of the Sarawak River—is the perfect way to discover this mellow but lively city. The contemporary Darul Hana Bridge, a pedestrian walkway, connects it to the northern shore.

Flowing through central Tokyo from the Arakawa River to Tokyo Bay, the Sumida River is often considered the lifeblood of the city. This major waterway passes under 26 bridges and is the setting of the Sumida River Fireworks Festival, one of Japan’s oldest and most celebrated displays. Visitors come for boat trips that offer a scenic and relaxing way to experience Tokyo from a different perspective.

Located in the Minato district of Tokyo, Zojo-ji is a Jōdo-shū (also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism) temple. An impressive complex with a long and rich history, it is a significant cultural and religious center that offers a peaceful escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. The temple stands beneath the red-and-white striped Tokyo Tower, which provides a striking contrast between tradition and modernity.

Travelers interested in the arts, handicrafts, textiles, and folk traditions of India shouldn’t miss the informative National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum. The museum mimics an Indian village, with the types of buildings and decorations that you might encounter in rural areas. There are also crafts demonstrations, galleries showing paintings and different kinds of carvings, and temporary as well as permanent exhibits.

The classically curved eaves, ceremonial steps, and oversized two-story gateway mark Chion-in as something special, even in temple-filled Kyoto. As the main temple of the Jodo school of Buddhism—the largest school of Buddhism in Japan—Chion-in is a very grand affair. Highlights include its huge main hall and its image of the sect’s founder, Honen.

Fatahillah Square (Taman Fatahillah) is the heart of the Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua) with a cobbled square with historic colonial buildings. Notable landmarks include the Cafe Batavia restaurant and bar, Wayang Museum of puppetry, and Jakarta History Museum, housed in the old town hall.

On the northern edge of the Kathmandu Valley, Budhanilkantha is a small town that is famous for the Budhanilkantha Temple. A 16-foot (5-meter) reclining stone Vishnu statue lies in the temple grounds, surrounded by water and stone snakes. It’s the largest stone statue in Nepal, and is unusual because the god is lying down.

Sapi Island (Pulau Sapi is part of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, an underwater wonderland located just off the coast of Kota Kinabalu. Though the second-smallest island of the archipelago, Sapi Island is home to the Coral Flyer Zipline, one of the longest island-to-island ziplines in the world.

If you want to fill your suitcase with souvenirs, head straight to Langkawi Craft Complex (Kompleks Kraf Langkawi), where you can buy everything from hand-dyed batiks and silver jewelry to ceramics and woven tote bags. It’s also home to three museums, which reflect Malaysia's rich and varied culture, and regularly hosts performances and demonstrations.

Dakshinkali Temple, 14 miles (22 kilometers) south of central Kathmandu and on the edge of the Kathmandu Valley, is a sacred Hindu temple famous for one thing. Twice a week, male goats and roosters are sacrificed here to the goddess Kali, who is said to be hungry for blood. Visitors can watch this event at the temple in the hills.

At the base of Doi Suthep sits Huay Tung Tao Lake, a man-made reservoir popular as a swimming and picnicking area favored by locals and expats looking for a break from Chiang Mai. On a sunny day, it’s common to see groups of Thais sitting on the banks of the lake dining on steamed fish and cold beers.