Beitou (北投) is a district of Taipei City at the foot of Yangmingshan (陽明山 or Yangming Mountain), a collection of mountain peaks that make up Yangminshan National Park. These include Seven Star Mountain (七星山 or Qixingshan), a dormant volcano that last erupted around 700,000 years ago.
Xinbeitou (新北投), the hot spring village around Xinbeitou MRT station, occupies a lush valley that is home to 1200 species of plants, 110 species of bird, and 160 varieties of butterflies.
Beitou Thermal Valley (also called Beitou Geothermal Valley or Hell Valley) is a second, highly acidic “green sulfur” hot spring that is a major tourist attraction in Beitou and the source of the hot creek running through Beitou Hot Spring Park.
The spring water is high in radium, which in the past underwent a corrosive reaction with the andesite rocks on the river bed about 150 meters downstream, creating layers of cream and white diamond-shaped crystals named Hokutolite or “Beitou stone”, ...
Wat Senasanarama Rajvaravihara was originally named 'Wat Sue', which was established during Ayutthaya period and restored during the King Rama IV reign. It's a prior royal Temple.
This ancient Temple, which is located behind Chankasem Palace houses two Buddha images that were transferred from Vientiane.
Highlights inside the temple are the ubosot in the Ayutthaya style, with a beautiful carved wood gable covered with gold and a signet of the King Rama IV. This indicates that the temple was restored by the former Thai king.
Inside the ubosot, there are paintings from King Rama V era, including the painting of the gathering of the angels, the painting of 12th month royal ceremony, and a photo of the king wearing the Phra Maha Pichai crown and sitting at the throne.
Inside the ubosot is an important Buddha image covered in gold, Phra Sumbhud Munee which is the attitude of subduing Mara. Decorated with an arch carved with Khmer writing.
There is also a reclining Buddha image next to the Chedi, ...
Wat Phleng, also known as Wat Phleng Ruang or the abandoned Wat Thong Phleng, stands quietly beside Khlong Sak Yai in Bang Kruai District, Nonthaburi Province. This historic site forms the third jewel in the peaceful cluster of old temples near Wat Sak Yai and Wat Sak Noi, just a short drive from Bangkok across the Chao Phraya River.
The temple dates to the mid-Ayutthaya period, likely constructed during the reign of King Narai the Great in the 17th century. Its original name may have been Wat Thong Phleng or Wat Phreng.
It fell into ruin after the Burmese invasion and the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, when monks and villagers fled, leaving the structures to the elements for nearly two centuries.
The Fine Arts Department now protects it as a national archaeological monument, and in the 1980s the meditation master Luang Por Khruba Sri Nuan helped draw attention back to the site.
What remains today is a large open-air ubosot built in classic rectangular Ayutthaya style with European-influenced Wilanda ...
My Khe Beach, often spelled or pronounced as My Khwae by visitors, stands as one of the most celebrated stretches of coastline in Da Nang, Vietnam.
This iconic beach earned international acclaim when Forbes magazine named it among the six most attractive beaches on the planet, a recognition that highlights its silky sand, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and gentle waves that create an inviting environment for swimmers and sunbathers alike.
Spanning roughly nine to ten kilometers along the city’s eastern shore, it forms part of a much longer continuous coastline that runs from the base of the Son Tra Peninsula in the north toward the Marble Mountains in the south, offering a blend of natural beauty and convenient urban access.
The beach traces its modern fame in part to its history during the Vietnam War era, when American and Australian soldiers knew it as China Beach and used the area for rest and recreation.
What began as a quiet fishing village spot has since transformed into a vibrant yet welcoming...
