However, even if you think “the butterfly” is a type of pastry, Beijing has a lot to offer you. In the last few thousand years it has been able to accumulate a lot more than just the uneven bars. Here are three sights you shouldn’t miss on your next visit to the city formally known as Peking.

The Forbidden City

Creative Commons picture by r_neches.

In the category of “places that display the might of an empire” the forbidden city is arguably cooler than the death star. Visitors are allowed to see about 2/5 ths of this incredible palace complex. You can marvel at the beautiful yellow roofs (the color of the emperor) and vast courtyards secure in the knowledge that Darth Vader never ordered this complex to destroy a planet.

The Temple of Heaven

Creative Commons picture by [Satbir].

Since the emperor, who was regarded as the son of heaven, gets such a cool palace it only makes sense that there should be an incredible building dedicated to heaven itself. This is that building.

As you climb the three levels of engraved marble that make up the alter of heaven you can reflect on the fact that you stand where emperors of imperial china once went to pray.

If you show up early enough, you will also be able to see locals doing their morning tai chi in the parks surrounding the temple.

Rent a Bike and Wander The More Traditional Areas

Creative Commons picture by j.fisher.

Aside from the grandeur of monuments like the temple of heaven and the forbidden city the homes of the grassroots citizens of Beijing are also worthy of a look. Built around central courtyards, many of these siheyuan houses are still in use today.

Check out the reflection in his visor. It is of the astronaut who took this picture.

I can see the desolation, extreme isolation, and unfiltered bombardment of solar radiation…but that reflection. It strikes a cord in me that results in both amazement and a touch of fear.

A Rate of Climb Comparison

The building of such a tall structure in Taiwan demonstrates a certain amount of moxy on the part of…well…almost everyone involved. Taiwan is a seismically active area that has a history of getting pummeled by typhoons. It has the natural disaster downsides of both Florida and California. This is where they decided to build a huge skyscraper.

During the building’s construction the area was even hit by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake. Some cranes were knocked off the nascent structure, however, even in such an incomplete form the structure didn’t flinch. When the next typhoon hits, the building is designed to handle that too. Taipei 101 can sustain winds of up to 137 miles per hour.

Creative Commons picture by Wm Jas.

Amore Turistico (tourist love)

Most people know that Shakespeare was an excellent English playwright and a sub-par historian. However, sometimes the fictional stories can matter more than the real ones. In an attempt to make Shakespeare’s story appear true, a house in Verona was declared to have been “Juliet’s house.” To make this claim more convincing a balcony was built onto it in 1938. People have flocked there ever since.

The house features a courtyard with a statue of Juliet that is overlooked by a balcony. It is said that if one gropes the right breast of Juliet’s statue, they will receive good luck. Juliet’s statue now has a very shiny right breast.

War

While Verona may have some really good stories about love they have a history full of war. Even in ancient roman times the city had an important strategic location (the junction of four major roman roads) that many generals were willing to have their soldiers die to control. Napoleon controlled it a few times. In world war two it was one of the most bombed cities in the region. [warning: cheesy sentence follows] Much like love itself, many have risked their lives to have Verona. [told you]

Creative Commons picture by luiginter.

The Modern City

Luckily many historic attractions have been able to weather the centuries of conflict. In ancient roman times the city had the third largest amphitheater in Italy. This amphitheater’s inner structure still stands and is quite an impressive site. It is said that much of the ancient roman city, with it’s roads paved in basalt, is quite well preserved about 6m underneath the present city.

Not to mention that the modern city hosts cool castles and excellent gelato. Even without stories of rival families and true love, this city would surely be a worthwhile place to visit.

Rangitoto is Maori for “Bloody Sky.”

Ironically, it was not named “Bloody Sky” because of the way it appears at dawn.

As cool as that experience can be, there is a waterfall-related bathing activity that far exceeds it. Bathing at the top of HUGE waterfalls.

Usually bathing at the top of waterfalls is a recipe for trouble. Water that is about to slide off a cliff has an unfortunate tendency of encouraging other things to slide of the cliff. Because of this I usually discourage the top-of-waterfall bath. However, some waterfalls have a small sheltered area, a pool of relative tranquility, that will allow you to safely bathe in water that is about to free fall off a mountain. Just be really sure that such a pool exists before jumping in.

Creative Commons picture by mckaysavage.There is one such pool at the top of one of the biggest waterfalls in the world: Victoria Falls in Zambia/Zimbabwe. Non-suicidal people actually wade into water that is about to fall around 360ft (pictured above). The small safe patch of water at the top of the falls is called the devil’s swimming pool. I’m not sure, but the devil reference could be implying that it is terrifying to bathe inches from the precipice of Victoria Falls.

Bathing at the bottom of waterfalls one can feel the natural excitement and freshness of the water around them. However, when you bathe at the top of waterfalls there is one other characteristic you can feel in the water: earth shaking potential.

I saved this one for the end because it is kind of creepy. Luckily it also fits well at the end because…you know…it is related to…endings.

The catacombs are certainly an important part of Rome’s history. They tell us about the logistical problems of burying people in a large ancient city. The catacombs also speak to the persecuted populations of Christians before 380 AD that worked to create secret burial locations. The catacombs even emphasize the volcanic geology of the area that is so suitable for tunneling.

With so much of the art in other parts of the city celebrating life, vitality, and achievement the catacombs have an important role to play in completing the artistic symbolism of the city. The frescoes in the catacombs can show us a more holistic approach to life, a valuable retrospective view.

After all, everything must come to an end.

Here are the other articles in this series:

• The Six Pictures of Rome You Should Definitely Take (Part 1)
• The Six Pictures of Rome You Should Definitely Take (Part 2)
• The Six Pictures of Rome You Should Definitely Take (Part 3)
• The Six Pictures of Rome You Should Definitely Take (Part 4, The Final Photo)