Leaning against the Chau Chu Mountain in the outskirts of Hue, this elaborately designed, hillside tomb has elements of Vietnamese and European architectural styles. Featuring blackened concrete, the Gothic inspired monument casts a striking silhouette against the verdant green countryside. While comparatively smaller than other Royal tombs, the building itself is far more elaborately designed than others of its era.

Chiselled from rose-pink sandstone, this beautiful, miniature Hindu temple was built in 967AD and is the only major temple credited to be built not by a monarch but by a Brahmin of royal descent. Named Yajnavaraha, it is believed he was an important scholar, philanthropist and royal physician who helped those who suffered from illness, poverty or injustice.

With over 200,000 tombstones snaking through nearly two kilometre’s of the sacred Wakayama mountain forest, the Okunoin cemetery is the epicentre of ancient Shingon Buddhism and the mausoleum site for one of the most revered men in the religious history of Japan. Tucked away in the shadowy heart of Mount Kōya, Japan’s holiest mountain, Okunoin isn’t just Japan’s largest cemetery it’s a spiritual artery that pulses with esoteric energy, ancient Buddhist tradition and a deeply