greenstem's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Tongren, China

Fanjingshan (Mount Fanjing)

Two ancient Buddhist temples crown this dramatic rocky pinnacle.
Warsaw, Poland

Mały Powstaniec (The Little Insurrectionist)

A statue honors the children who fought Nazis in Poland.
São Jorge, Portugal

Fajãs of São Jorge

Bits of flat terrain surrounded by cliffs make one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Azores.
Xianyang, China

Chinese Pyramids of Xian

Enormous burial mounds of ancient emperors.
Nga Khin Nyo Gyee Island, Myanmar (Burma)

Boulder Island

This remote island known for its balancing boulder may have inspired Peter Pan's Neverland.
Devon, England

Hound Tor

Legend says these rocks used to be hunting dogs, a story that may have inspired Sherlock Holmes' most famous case.
Chichibu, Japan

Wado Ruins

The birthplace of Japanese coinage.
Chongqing, China

Three Natural Bridges

Not one, not two, but three natural bridges remain in this captivating spot post-sinkhole.
Nara, Japan

Buddha's Nostril

Devoted Buddhists can earn enlightenment in the next life by crawling through this symbolic nostril.
Nara, Japan

Tōdai-ji Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall)

This massive wooden building contains a giant Buddha, healing pillars, and tame deer wandering the grounds.
Tokyo, Japan

Naki Sumo Baby Crying Contest

For hundreds of years, participants in this Japanese festival have been making babies cry to ward off demons.
Nashville, Tennessee

Concrete Parthenon

This replica of the Greek structure is in the heart of Nashville.
Monte Albán, Mexico

Monte Albán

These sacred Mesoamerican ruins feature peculiar petroglyphs hidden in the stones.
Charlevoix, Michigan

Weathervane Restaurant Boulder Fireplace

In the main dining room, a nine-ton boulder caps the fireplace designed by local architect Earl Young.
Charlevoix, Michigan

Earl Young Gnome Houses

Unique Michigan homes look like something out of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings."
Charlevoix, Michigan

Former World's Largest Cherry Pie Pan

There's more contention than one might expect from cherry pie pans.
Knoxville, Tennessee

The Sunsphere

Knoxville’s architectural icon was the symbol of the 1982 World’s Fair, even catching the googly eye of Bart Simpson.
Pensacola Beach, Florida

Fort Pickens

One of the only Florida forts to remain in the hands of the Union all through the Civil War still stands as a historic stronghold.
New Orleans, Louisiana

Séance Room at Muriel's Jackson Square

The restaurant keeps a hidden séance room on the second floor and reserves a table for the spirit of the former owner each night.
Kumamoto, Japan

Musashizuka Park

This beautiful Japanese garden is a memorial to the samurai who literally wrote the book on business as martial art.
San Andrés Cholula, Mexico

The Great Pyramid of Cholula

An Aztec temple, the largest man-made pyramid in the world, sits buried in earth with a Spanish church set on top.