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

Located in the dusty outskirts of Phnom Penh lies Choeung Ek, the most infamous of Cambodia’s killing fields. Once a peaceful longan orchard, it now stands as a site of incomprehensible horror and grief. While over 300 killing fields have been identified throughout the country, Choeung Ek alone bore witness to the execution of more than 17,000 men, women and children during the Khmer Rouge regime.

In the heart of Sichuan Province, nestled at the confluence of the Min, Dadu and Qingyi Rivers, the Leshan Giant Buddha looms as one of China’s most awe inspiring historical landmarks. Towering at 71 metres high, this colossal statue is the largest stone Buddha in the world and remains a profound testament to ancient Chinese ingenuity and spiritual devotion.

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.

Famous for its thousands of vivid orange torii gates, Fushimi Inari is an ancient Shinto head shrine and a designated World Heritage site, located in the southeastern part of Kyoto. Dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice, prosperity and foxes, the shrine dates back to the 8th century and remains one of Japan’s most iconic spiritual landmarks

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

Established in 1236 by an imperial chancellor with ambitions to rival Nara’s grand temples, Tōfuku-ji rose as a monumental testament to Kyoto’s spiritual and architectural aspirations. At its helm was Enni Ben’en (1202–1280), a revered monk fresh from China, where he had immersed himself in Rinzai Zen teachings. Under his guidance, Tōfuku-ji became one of Kyoto’s Five Great Zen Temples, an enduring symbol of Zen’s deep roots in Japan.

Stretching over 21,000 kilometres across rugged mountains, arid deserts and sweeping valleys, the Great Wall of China stands as one of the most iconic and enduring structures in human history. Built, rebuilt and expanded over many centuries by a succession of Chinese dynasties, this colossal fortification was designed to safeguard the Chinese empire from invading forces, particularly the nomadic tribes from the northern steppes, including the Mongols.

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 Shaolin Monastery was founded in 495AD during the Northern Wei Dynasty by Emperor Xiaowen to accommodate an Indian monk named Batuo. But it wasn’t until a second Indian monk, Bodhidharma arrived around 527AD that the legends really began. Bodhidharma, considered the father of Zen Buddhism, is said to have meditated in a cave near the temple for nine years, facing a wall until he achieved enlightenment.

Nestled at the base of the sacred Mount Misen on Miyajima Island, Daishoin Temple is a hidden gem that offers a tranquil yet spiritually profound experience for visitors exploring Japan’s rich cultural and religious tapestry. Founded in 806 AD by the revered Buddhist monk Kōbō Daishi, Daishoin is one of the oldest and most prestigious temples of the Shingon sect of Japanese esoteric Buddhism.

This significant temple complex, within the dense jungles on the northern edge of the Angkor Archaeological Park, was commissioned by the great King Jayavarman VII in honour of his father and the Bodhisattva of universal compassion, Avalokiteshvara. Known as Preah Khan, or the Sacred Sword, the temple was erected in 1191 during the golden years of the ancient Khmer Empire.

This UNESCO World Heritage area, also known as Halong Bay on land, stretches along the Ngo Dong River and is flanked by views of majestic karst cliffs, limestone caves, grottoes, and vibrant green rice fields. Tam Cốc literally translates to “three caves,” referring to the Ca, Hai and Ba caves carved by centuries of flowing water. Locals often refer to the surrounding fields as the Green Sea, a poetic nod to the way the wind ripples through the endless rice paddies like waves

In the heart of Zhengzhou, the capital of China’s Henan Province, stands a structure that quietly guards the soul of a civilization, the Henan Museum. With its soaring, bronze-coloured dome echoing the shape of an ancient Chinese cauldron, the museum is not just a building, it’s a portal to one of the oldest and most culturally rich regions in China. Here, the spirit of one of the world’s oldest civilizations lingers in every artifact, whispering stories from millennia ago.

Originally established in the early 19th century as a humble hermitage tucked beneath the shade of dense tropical foliage, Vĩnh Tràng...

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.