China

Back in 2012 we visited the Gobi Desert, but there are four smaller deserts to the south and west of it which are also well worth exploring. Travelling east to west, we begin with the Tengger Desert. As with the…

At the turn of the millennium, an effort was launched by a Swiss foundation to identify the 'New 7 Wonders of the World', through a "decidedly unscientific" polling method allowing the public to vote - online or by phone -…

The roster of the world's tallest statues is dominated by Buddhist figures, with most of the top ten (actually 11 because of a tie) being representations of the Buddha or Guanyin. While we've looked at Very Large Buddhas twice before…

We've visited a few solar power generation facilities in the past, but here is a roundup of solar power towers - elevated structures surrounded by movable mirrors called heliostats. The mirrors concentrate solar energy onto receptors in the tower where…

Floating bridges, while often temporary structures used in times of war or disaster, can also be used long-term in locations where water conditions are very sheltered. The road surface is supported by pontoons, which - while they do float -…

The rain shadow caused by the massive bulk of the Himalayan mountains creates arid conditions for a huge distance to the east. The 1,600km (1,000 mile) long arc of the Gobi Desert spans the border between China and Mongolia; it…