Beautiful Places On Earth

The Colosseum is a famous landmark located in the center of the city of Rome, Italy. The amphitheatre was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was also included in the recently announced New Seven Wonders of the World by Swiss corporation – New Open World Corporation (NOWC).

The Colosseum is widely considered as one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman Engineering. It was said that its construction started in 70AD and was completed in 80AD. Once capable to house around 80,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiator contests and public spectacles such as animal hunts, reenactments of famous battles, dramas and many others.

Today, the Colosseum stays partially ruined due to damage caused by several earthquakes in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD. However the main reason why it is such a ruin is a result of stone pillaging from the 5th century onwards. The Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th century and since the arena was no longer used for big events, people began to take the stones to rebuild the city. Nonetheless, the Colosseum today is still a major tourist attraction as well as icon for the city of Rome. It also features in Italian 5-cent coin.

Discover the engineering secrets behind Rome’s Colosseum with the following National Geographic clip.

The Colosseum

Taroko Gorge is located within the Taroko National Park, one of the seven national parks in Taiwan. The gorge spans the counties of Hualian, Taizhong and Nantou. The word “Taroko” was derived from Atayal language which literally means bucket or barrel. The Taroko National Park was originally established as the Tsugitaka-Taroko National Park in 1937 during Japanese occupation in Taiwan.

Literally cut out of marble by the river cruising through it, Taroko Gorge is one-of-a-kind natural wonder. The rock in Taroko was sediment on the bottom of the ocean some 200 million years ago. Over the years, this sediment has hardened into limestone. The 20-kilometer Taroko Gorge boasts many beautiful sights, which include Eternal Spring Shrine, Swallow’s Mouth, Tunnel of Nine Turns and many others. The central cross island highway itself is a remarkable feat of human engineering. With a total length of 78 kilometers, the highway connects the whole island of Taiwan, providing access to numerous spots in Taroko Gorge.

This is a Discovery Channel video on Taroko Gorge.

Taiwan’s Beauty – Taroko National Park

Salzburg is a city in central Austria, approximately 150 kilometers east of Munich, Germany and 300 kilometers west of Vienna. Despite being only the fourth largest city in Austria, Salzburg is noted as the birthplace of the greatest composer of all time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The city is also the filming location of Julie Andrew’s The Sound of Music.

The name Salzburg literally means “Salt Castle” derived from the barges carrying salt on the Salzach River in the 8th century. The city itself is located on the banks of the Salzach River, facing the Alps in the south. Thus, Salzburg is also famous for its alpine setting especially during the winter.

Salzburg has lots more to offer than being Mozart’s birthplace. Salzburg’s Old Town which is famous for it Baroque architecture was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Among the famous buildings found here are Salzburg Cathedral, Fortress Hohensalzburg, Franziskanerchurch, St. Peter Cemetery, Nonnberg Abbey, Mozart’s Birthplace, Mozart’s Residence and the Getreidegasse. Other favorite tourist spots are Palace of Mirabell, Hellbrunn and many more.

Go to Salzburg when the snows fall in November, and you will find one of Europe’s most romantic spots.

Austria – Salzburg

Macau is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. It lies on the south western side of the Pearl River Delta. It is only 56 kilometers from Hong Kong and is accessible via ferries. Besides, Macau is also accessible from Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China also via ferries. Handed over to China by the Portuguese only in 1999, Macau still maintains “one country, two systems” policy, where it has its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy and immigration policy.

Macau has the highest population density than any other countries/regions in the world. Besides, Macau is also the highest volume gambling center in the world, outdoing Las Vegas in United States. In fact, gambling is the biggest industry in Macau. In there, one can find numerous hotel casinos with Venetian Macau the world’s largest casino recently opened in 2007.

Due to hundred years of fusion between Portuguese and Chinese cultures, Macau preserves many historical buildings with a mix of European and Chinese characteristics. The Historic Center of Macau in Macau Peninsula has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area includes a number of churches, fortresses, monuments, squares and temples such as St. Lawrence’s Church, St. Joseph’s Church, ruins of St. Paul’s Church, Mount Fortress, Guia Fortress, Barra Square, Lilau Square, Cathedral Square, Ma Temple and Sam Kai Vui Kun Temple, just to name a few.

You can see a short clip introducing Macau below. Explore the unique beauty of Macau with us Click here.

Introduction on Macau

Let me ask you a Standard 6 geography question. What continent does Hawaii belong to? To be honest, I also have difficulty in answering this seemed to be a very simple question. After I googled up, I found that Hawaii is part of the Pacific Rim of Fire, and thus belongs to the continent of Australasia or Oceania.

Hawaii is an archipelago located in the central of Pacific Ocean. It is the 50th state in the United States. It is southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan and northeast of Australia. Among hundreds of islands in the archipelago, the eight largest and main islands are Hawaii (also known as the “Big Island” to avoid confusion with the state as a whole), Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau and Kahoolawe. Honolulu on the island of Oahu is the capital.

Once prospered in the whaling, sugar and pineapple industries, Hawaii has now become increasingly popular among the local United States and foreign tourists. What one must do in Hawaii? You could go hiking, surfing, kayaking, swimming with dolphins, whale watching and snorkeling just to name a few. The following clip shows how fun is it to surf in Hawaii.

Hawaii surfing

The summer months and major holidays are the peak tourist season in Hawaii. However, due to its mild weather all year round, you can actually avoid visiting Hawaii during this time of the year.