There’s something not only solemn, but majestic, in the beauty of church architecture. Russian churches are some of the most beautiful in the world, as you’ll discover in this photostream. It features Russian churches, both those currently in-use and those long since abandoned...

One of the most unique aspects of a holiday in Mauritius is seeing first hand the melting pot of cultures and traditions that the island has adopted from its people. Throughout history, people of many different races and religions have all chosen to settle on the shores of this paradise isle, bringing with them their own folklore and religion. As you can imagine this accumulates in some fantastic festivals. Here are the five best that Mauritius has to offer...

In 2008, UNESCO dubbed China’s Hakka Houses as an official World Heritage Site, noting the historic, cultural and architectural value of these amazing structures.  Constructed from the 12th century up through the 20th, these buildings housed up to 800 people each, a city within a city that provided it’s inhabitants with safety, shelter and community.  Also known as Fujian Tulou, there are 20,000 of these structures across the Fujian province of China, a large section of coastal China across the sea from Taiwan.
The Fujian Tolou are an important part of this province’s history, as these buildings were designed to protect their inhabitants from roaming bandits and warlords.  The typical tulou is a three to five story structure comprised of a thick earthen wall (up to six feet thick in most cases) with a single entrance that was protected by a 4″ thick solid wooden door and an iron gate.  At the roof level, the tulou were dotted with gun holes to ward off attacking intruders...