The Jingjiang Princes’ Palace, constructed in 1372 during the early Ming Dynasty, served as the residence of Zhu Shouqian, a nephew of the dynasty’s founding Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. Perched at the foot of Duxiu Hill in Guilin, the palace was more than just a lavish estate, it embodied the Ming strategy of installing Vassal Kings across the Empire to maintain dynastic stability and guard the frontiers.

The Jiajing Emperor, who ruled China’s Ming Dynasty from 1521 to 1567, is often remembered for his sadistic and tyrannical reign marked by cruelty, decadence and obsession with immortality. His relentless pursuit of eternal life led him to engage in dark and brutal practices, one of the most notorious being his bloodlust for a substance called “red lead.” This concoction was allegedly made using the menstrual blood of young virgin girls.

Yaoshan Mountain scenic area, standing at 909 metres, received its name in 221 BC with the construction of the Yao Emperor Temple at its summit. As the tallest peak in the Guilin region, it offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding karst landscape, limestone formations that define the area’s iconic scenery. This early naming coincided with the unification of China under the Qin Dynasty, marking Yaoshan as a site of both natural prominence and emerging cultural si

In 1777, the Nguyen clan was extinguished in a brutal massacre that marked the end of their reign, save for one, a fifteen-year-old boy named Nguyen Phuc Anh. Orphaned and on the run, he hid in the southern reaches of Vietnam, surviving betrayal, jungle sickness and assassins sent by the rival Tay Son brothers. Legend tells of a mysterious hermit who gave the boy refuge in the sacred mountains of Thien Thai, prophesying that the boy would reclaim his bloodline and raise an em

Standing at about 70 feet tall, this towering pyramid temple is set deep within the jungle and is believed to be the first temple in Angkor built entirely of green sandstone and pre-date Angkor Wat by nearly 200 years. Originally called Hemasringagiri or "the mountain with golden summits", it was commissioned in 975AD by the boy King Javavarman V, who ascended the throne at a tender age of 10.

Located at the western foot of Yaoshan Mountain, the Jiangjiang King Tombs Complex spans over 100 square km's and serves as the final resting place of the Ming Dynasty royal family, who ruled China from 1368 to 1644. This vast and historically rich burial site offers a glimpse into the grandeur and legacy of one of China’s most powerful dynasties, with its sprawling layout and deep cultural significance reflecting the status and influence of the royals interred here.

The enormous Imperial Palace complex, commissioned by the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty in 1406AD, is the world largest palace and contains the most extensive amount of preserved wooden structures on the planet. Located in the heart of Peking, one of the great ancient capitals of China, the Forbidden City was built to legitimise Yongle's supreme authority (after he usurped the throne) and to assert the power and grandeur of the new capital Beijing, as a stronghold to thr

Nestled along the banks of the Perfume River in the southwest corner of Hué, King Minh Mạng’s funeral complex was the result of a grand vision and an extensive building program. Guided by the ancient practice of geomancy, which aligns structures with natural forces, the complex was designed to harmonise with the environment, blending the spiritual with the earthly.

The spacious Ueno Park was established on the grounds of Kan'ei-jiin Temple after the Battle of Ueno, in 1873. Amongst Japan’s first public parks, Ueno now showcases a number of museums and several historically significant monuments which weren’t otherwise destroyed during times of war. In 1924, Ueno Park was presented to the city by Emperor Taishō, receiving the official name that lasts to this day (Ueno Onshi Kōen), the Ueno Imperial Gift Park.

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.

Located south of the Red River Delta Region 90 km's from Hanoi, Hoa Lư was a bustling capital city in turmoil during the 10th and 11th centuries. For a short time, it was the economic, political and cultural centre of medieval Vietnam. In 968 A.D, it was strategically built in a flat verdant valley, protected between steep limestone mountains, which created a virtually impenetrable barrier to human traffic.