Follow along as I visit the spiritual sights of the world, soaking up devotion and prayers in places of worship, embarking on pilgrimages, and looking inwards as I take in the Mother Earth’s religious, cultural, and natural wonders.
So you’re heading on a Mt. Fuji day trip from Tokyo? With only one day, you may need a bit of luck to get a clear view of the elusive mountain. But not all hope is lost, as there are many other great things to do in Mt. Fuji area, whether you get clear views …
There are already as many “best views of Mount Fuji” LISTS as there are claimed best places to see Mt. Fuji. Personally, I don’t think any single one is best, but for this list, I have focused on the best places to see Mount Fuji if you want a good chance to ACTUALLY SEE Mt. …
This article was written by Sarah Hodge, prolific writer and lover of spiritual & cultural sights in Japan. A convenient one-hour trip from Central Tokyo via the JR line, Kamakura is a history and nature lover’s paradise. Doing a Kamakura day trip is not only easy but also a great way to immerse yourself in …
When I was planning my most recent trip to South Korea, the thing I was most excited about was visiting Busan’s incredible array of temples. The tough thing was deciding when to go. Visiting for the Buddha’s birthday was an obvious choice. The event is a major national holiday in South Korea. At that time, …
Temple lovers, hiking fans, and anyone looking to get a little off-the-beaten-path in Busan, you have to add Seokbulsa Temple (Seokbul Temple, more correctly, since “–sa” means “temple”) to your Busan bucket list. This is no ordinary Korean temple; Seokbulsa is built into the sides of sandstone cliffs on Geumjeongsan (Mt. Geumjeong), the highest mountain …
Haedong Yonggunsa, or Haedong Yonggung Temple, is one of the most impressive Buddhist temples in South Korea. It is without a doubt one of Busan’s top temples and makes my list of top 50 things to do in Busan. Haedong Yonggungsa is famous for its picturesque seaside location. Busan’s “Temple on the Coast” is also …
South Korea’s second city and largest port, Busan, is home to a surprisingly impressive array of breathtaking temples. Busan’s temples are a varied lot, from sea-facing temple complexes to ancient mountain retreats with Buddhas carved into cliff walls, and everything in between. For this reason, temples are surely one of the things South Korea is …
Every year on the 15th day of the first lunar calendar month, the same day as the Lantern Festival, a sleepy town in Tainan City in southern Taiwan called Yanshui (鹽水) lights up from what has been called “the world’s most dangerous festival.” It is without a doubt the most exciting (or rather, terrifying) or …
I’ve been living in Taiwan since 2008, and I’ve always loved exploring and photographing the incredible array breathtaking temples in Taipei. In recent years, I’ve traveled to several neighboring countries to visit and write about their temples (for example, see my articles on the most beautiful temples in Southeast Asia, Busan, Chiang Mai, and Myanmar). …
Tainan is the original capital city of Taiwan, before it was moved to Taipei. Today, it is known for its historical sights and night markets – it is even considered by many to be the country’s food capital. Tainan’s temples feature prominently on my list of things to do in Tainan. In fact, the city has …
