Asia’s Most Famous Temples

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While Europe continues to be praised for its medieval churches and cathedrals, Asia’s huge mountains and tropical woods are still hiding some unbelievable pieces of architecture – some of them so masterfully built, that historians haven’t been able to revel their secrets yet. If you come to think of it, Asia is the world’s biggest and most populous continent: no wonder that its traditions and religions are so diverse.

One can have various reasons for visiting Asia: the people, the cities, the mountains, the cuisine, but, no matter what are your reasons to go there, be sure that your journey to Asia will soon go  beyond its initial purposes and become something very close to a pilgrimage. We hereby bring you Asia’s most famous and grandiose temples, hoping that your wanderings will sometime bring you close to at least one of these remarkable achievements:

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat is by far the biggest attraction in Cambodia. One sight of Angkor Wat’s beehive shaped towers, covered in their meticulous sculptures and ennobled by the rust of time is enough to make anyone want the visit this magic place and try to unveil its secrets.

Angkor Wat is only a small part of the huge complex built by the Khmers in the Middle Ages and, due to its size, it continues to represent a mystery even for the best informed archeologists.

Harmandir Sahib, India

Harmandir Sahib, best known as the Golden Temple, has always lived in the shadow of Taj Mahal. However, the famous mausoleum cannot compete with the Golden Temple, both in terms of skill and spirituality.

Built upon the ruins of a small temple that was said to have hosted Buddha himself, Harmandir Sahib amazes visitors with its rich motifs and the bright hollow resulting from the thousand of precious stones and the pure gold covering it.

Borobudur, Java

Boroburdur, now one of the most interesting constructions in the world, could have been totally forgotten if it hadn’t been for the Dutch colonists that discovered it by mistake.The temple itself represents a pilgrimage back to the very roots of Buddhism: carved in the temple’s walls one can find different scenes form Buddha’s live, that one must read while climbing the 7 levels and more than 2 miles that take you to the top.

With its labyrinthic structure, Boroburdur is even more mysterious than Angkor Wat – its exact purpose might never be elucidated.

Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Bhutan

Climbed up on a cliff in Paro Valley, Bhutan, this Buddhist monastery looks more like an eagle’s nest that a tiger’s den. Due to it’s almost impossible location, the monastery is one of the most isolated places on earth: since the tourists’ access has been forbidden in the late ’90s, no one can disturb the absolute peace of the mountains or interfere with the monk’s prays.

Jokhang Temple, Tibet

Once the traveler has reached the footsteps leading to Jokhang Temple in Tibet, it’s will be hard to decide which sight would leave the strongest impression of him/her: that of the majestic ex-residence of the Dalai Lama of the breathtaking view of the Himalaya peaks, that go straight towards the sky, several thousand meters above the Tibetan plateau?  One thing for sure: as a  centerpiece of Tibetan spirituality, Jokhang Temple is definitely a must.

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