Taj Mahal, Agra
Photograph by Apratim Saha
The Mogul emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in Agra as a tribute to his favorite wife, who died in childbirth in 1630. The white marble monument, with its sprawling gardens, took 20 years to build. A red sandstone mosque stands on one side.
Photograph by Patitucci/Aurora Photos
Decorated elephants carry tourists past the Jaigarh and Amber Forts in Jaipur, Rajasthan, constructed beginning in the 15th century. The marble-and-sandstone Amber Fort has intricate carvings; the immense Jaigarh Fort once served as a center of artillery production.
Sacred Cows, Varanasi
Photograph by Mark Henley/photolibrary.com
Cows, such as these two in Varanasi, are a common sight on India’s congested streets. Hindus revere cows, believing that they offer sustenance and ask nothing in return.
Sikh Holy Book
Photograph by Charles Meacham, My Shot
Sikhs reach to touch a chest containing a copy of their holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, as it’s carried into Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib, a temple in Nanded, during the 300th-anniversary celebration of the book’s consecration. Sikhs also mark the anniversaries of the passing of their religion’s gurus.
Jain Wedding, Mumbai
Photograph by Kris Pannecoucke/Aurora Photos
In Mumbai, a bride feeds the groom at a Jain wedding, which requires a series of rituals thanking deities. Some tenets of Jainism are similar to those of Hinduism, but the religion hasn’t spread far beyond India.
Henna Hands
Photograph by Petra Warner
The hands of a woman in Jaipur are covered with mehndi patterns painted with henna. Trendy in recent years, the lacework decorations are part of a 5,000-year-old tradition of creating designs to ward off evil or declare one’s happiness.
Ganesh Festival, Mumbai
Photograph by Gautam Singh/Associated Press
During the ten-day Ganesh festival in Mumbai, devotees carry a statue of the elephant-headed Hindu god into the sea. Across India, worshippers carry hundreds of the statues into rivers and lakes as well as the sea.
Great Wall
Photograph by Justin Guariglia
China’s most rural reaches retain their beauty and mystery even as the countryside and its people are touched by the rapid pace of industrialization.
Writhing like dragon tails, the Great Wall is not one structure but many. Most of what is called the Great Wall was built during the 14th-century to 17th-century Ming dynasty. The total length of the walls is unknown, though the sections built by the Ming alone would stretch from Washington, D.C., to Wichita, Kansas.
Shanghai Highways
Photograph by Sung Ming Whang, My Shot
Shanghai's ever growing network of highways rings the city and links more than 500 cities across 22 provincial areas.
Yu Yuan Teahouses, Shanghai
Photograph by Grant Faint, Getty Images
Near the elaborate Chenghuang, or City God, Temple in Shanghai are the famous Yu Yuan Bazaar and Gardens. Teahouses line the main street, where tourists flock each morning to buy calligraphy, pearls, and antiques.
Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai
Photograph by Justin Guariglia
Combining Chinese architectural style with cutting-edge technology, the Jin Mao Tower boasts 88 stories that reach 1,380 feet (421 meters) into the booming Shanghai skyline. The 88th-floor Skywalk gives visitors a panoramic look at the city as well as a bird’s-eye view of the atrium spiraling down below them.
