Cijin Beach in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, is a unique destination known for its distinctive black sand and picturesque coastal scenery. The beach is approximately 1.5 km long and lined with palm trees, offering visitors a chance to enjoy the sun and sea.
Swimming is not recommended due to strong currents, making it more suitable for sunbathing, strolling, or engaging in beach activities like sandcastle building during the Annual Black Sand Castle Festival in July and August.
The beach is easily accessible via a short ferry ride from Kaohsiung, and once there, visitors can explore various attractions such as the Rainbow Church, a popular photo spot, and the Cijin Shell Museum, though it may not always be open. The area around the beach is also home to numerous seafood restaurants and stalls, serving fresh and affordable dishes.
You can rent bikes or scooters to explore the island, with bike rental options available near the ferry terminal.
For the best experience, visiting during autumn ...
Alay Bazaar, known in Uzbek as Oloy Bozori, is one of the oldest and most well-known markets in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It sits in the Yunusabad district in the central part of the city and occupies roughly 7.8 hectares. The market is easily reached by metro at the nearby Abdulla Qodiriy station and remains a popular destination for both locals and visitors seeking fresh produce and traditional goods.
There is no single agreed origin for the bazaar or its name. One popular legend links it to the Silk Road era, claiming that trade took place as early as the 12th or 13th century near a mountain called Oloy (or Alay) along the caravan route running from Eastern Turkestan through the Fergana Valley, where livestock and meat were exchanged. A more historically grounded account, supported by architect A. Ziyayev in his book on Tashkent’s bazaars and accepted by many local sources, places the market’s beginnings in the second half of the 19th century.
After the Russian conquest of Tashkent, the city ...
The Holy Assumption Cathedral in Tashkent, formally the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God, is the principal Russian Orthodox cathedral of the local diocese.
It originated in 1871 as a modest church dedicated to the healer Saint Panteleimon, built beside a military hospital and cemetery during the period of Russian expansion into Central Asia. Growing numbers of worshippers led to construction of a larger brick church between 1877 and 1878, financed by local donations including major gifts from Governor-General Konstantin von Kaufman and merchant Dmitry Zakho; it was consecrated on 31 January 1879.
After the Revolution the parish was assigned to the Renovationist movement. Worship ceased in 1933 and the building served as a military sanitary depot until the end of the Second World War. Returned to the faithful in December 1945, it was reconsecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God and became the cathedral of the Tashkent Diocese.
Between 1958 and 1960 it was ...
The railway network of Uzbekistan traces its roots to the late nineteenth century when the Russian Empire built the Trans-Caspian line across the region. During the Soviet period the system expanded into a dense network of broad-gauge tracks that linked industrial centers and agricultural zones.
After independence the country began modernizing its rails, focusing first on passenger comfort and then on speed. High-speed services arrived in 2011 with the Spanish-built Afrosiyob trains and expanded further in 2026 with the Korean-built Jaloliddin Manguberdi, yet many travelers still choose the reliable standard trains that continue to form the backbone of everyday intercity travel.
The route from Samarkand to Tashkent covers roughly three hundred thirty to three hundred forty kilometers across open steppe, farmland, and the approaches to the capital. High-speed options such as the Afrosiyob or Jaloliddin Manguberdi complete the trip in about two hours and fifteen minutes, offering modern seating, ...
