Fukusai-ji Zen Temple, 18m high goddess Kannon on turtle, Nagasaki, Japan

Myanmar's most famous Buddha image, 13ft high and covered in 6 inches of pure gold leaf , Mahamuni Paya, Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma), Southeast Asia

Obelisk, 25 meters high in front of plyon 65 meters wide, Luxor Temple, Luxor, Thebes, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

The 87 feet high statue of Lord Shiva in the sitting posture at Solophok Hill. Solophok Chardham, Namchi, Sikkim, India, Asia

Kirti Stambha (Tower of Fame), 24m high, beside Jain temple, Chittorgarh (Fort), Chittor, Rajasthan, India, Asia

High angle view of Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's Arch and Athens city centre, Athens, Greece, Europe

Temple of Hathor in honour of Nefretare, was moved when Aswan High Dam was built, Abu Simbel, Egypt, North Africa

Myanmar's most famous Buddha image, 13ft high and covered in 6 inches of pure gold leaf , Mahamuni Paya, Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma), Southeast Asia

Temple of Re-Herakhte for Ramses II, was moved when Aswan High Dam was built, Abu Simbel, Egypt, North Africa

Ruins of Temple buildings, Apollonia Archaeological Park, Pojan, Albania, Europe

Monastery (ad-Deir), 3rd century BC, Petra, Jordan, Middle East"The largest Nabatean facade in Petra, 48m high, 47m wide"

Obelisk, 25 meters high in front of plyon 65 meters wide, Luxor Temple, Luxor, Thebes, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Stucco mask (lower left), The High Temple, Lamanai Mayan Site, Belize, Central America

Obelisk, 25 meters high in front of plyon 65 meters wide, Luxor Temple, Luxor, Thebes, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Fukusai-ji Zen Temple, 18m high goddess Kannon on turtle, Nagasaki, Japan

High Temple (Structure N10-43), the highest temple in the Mayan site, Lamanai, Belize, Central America

Reclining Golden Buddha, 45m long and 15m high, Wat Pho Temple, Bangkok, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Golden Temple, with 30m high statue of Buddha, Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Asia

Golden Temple, with 30m high statue of Buddha, Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Asia

High Temple (Structure N10-43), the highest temple at the Mayan site at Lamanai, Lamanai, Belize, Central America

Golden Temple, with 30m high statue of Buddha, Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Asia

Entrance, west pylons, grooved to hold 8 flagstaffs, unfinished stonework, 142ft high, 372ft long, Ptolemaic period, Temple of Ammon, Karnak, Luxor, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple at Philae, moved when the Aswan High Dam was built, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Tourists at Angkor Wat, UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Hindu-Buddhist temple complex near Siem Reap, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

The 80-foot high Great Buddha Statue (Daibutsu), built by the Daijokyo Sect of Nagoya, Japan, unveiled by the XIV Dalai Lama in 1989,Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, Asia

The Temple of Re-Herakhte for Ramses II which was moved when the Aswan High Dam was built, Abu Simbel, Egypt

Yakcheonsa Buddhist Temple, 30 meters high, spanning 3305 square meters, the largest temple in Asia, Jeju Island, South Korea, Asia

Yakcheonsa Buddhist Temple, 30 meters high, spanning 3305 square meters, the largest temple in Asia, Jeju Island, South Korea, Asia

Yakcheonsa Buddhist Temple, 30 meters high, spanning 3305 square meters, the largest temple in Asia, Jeju Island, South Korea, Asia

The colossi of Ramses II, outside the Temple of Re-Herakhte, Abu Simbel, Nubia, Egypt, Africa *** Local Caption *** "Built for Ramses II it is also known as the Sun or Great Temple of Ramses II, moved to current site when the Aswan High Dam was built"

Frieze and steps up to the 130ft high El Castillo, Mayan site, Xunantunich, San Ignacio, Belize, Central America

Mingun Paya badly cracked by earthquakes standing 50m high, Mingun Paya, Mingun, Mandalay, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Temple of Re-Herakhte for the pharaoh Ramses II, moved when the Aswan High dam was built, Abu Simbel, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

View from 130ft high El Castillo at the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich, San Ignacio, Belize, Central America

High Temple (Structure N10-43), the highest temple at the Mayan site of Lamanai, Lamanai, Belize, Central America

Aerial view over the Temple of Re-Herakhte (Sun Temple) (Great Temple) built for Ramses II, moved to current site when the Aswan High Dam was built, Abu Simel, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple of Hathor in honour of Nefertari, moved when the Aswan High Dam was built, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Abu Simbel, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple at Philae, moved when the Aswan High Dam was built, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

The 55 foot high sandalwood statue of Maitreya Buddha recorded in the Guiness Book of Records at Yonghe Gong Tibetan Buddhist Lama Temple, Beijing, China, Asia

Tea ceremony at Yakcheonsa Buddhist Temple, the largest temple in Asia, measuring 30 meters high and spanning 3305 square meters, Jeju Island, South Korea, Asia

Temple at Philae, moved when the Aswan High Dam was built, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple at Philae, UNESCO World Heritage Site, moved when the Aswan High Dam was built, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple at Philae, moved when the Aswan High Dam was built, near Aswan, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple at Philae, moved when the Aswan High Dam was built, near Aswan, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Detail of the peristyle of 13m high columns from the Roman Temple of Artemis, dating from the 1st century AD, Jerash, one of the ancient Roman cities of the Decapolis, Jordan, Middle East

Temple of Re-Herakhte for the pharaoh Ramses II (The Great), moved when Aswan High Dam built, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Abu Simbel, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple of Re-Herakhte for pharaoh Ramses II, moved when Aswan High Dam built, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Abu Simbel, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Statue inside the mortuary temple of Ramses II dedicated to Re-Herakhte, moved when Aswan High Dam built, Abu Simbel, UNESCO Heritage Site, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple at Philae, moved when the Aswan High Dam was built, near Aswan, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple of Re-Herakhte for pharaoh Ramses II, moved when Aswan High Dam built, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Abu Simbel, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple at Philae, moved when the Aswan High Dam was built, near Aswan, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple of Hathor in honour of Nefretare, moved when the Aswan High dam was built, Abu Simbel, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple of Hathor in honour of Nefretare, moved when Aswan High Dam built, Abu Simbel, UNESCO Heritage Site, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple of Re-Herakhte for the pharaoh Ramses II (The Great), moved when Aswan High Dam built, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Abu Simbel, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple of Re-Herakhte for the pharaoh Ramses II (The Great), moved when Aswan High Dam built, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Abu Simbel, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Temple of Re-Herakhte for pharaoh Ramses II, moved when Aswan High Dam built, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Abu Simbel, Nubia, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

That Luang (That Louang) stupa, 45m high, main Buddhist temple and national symbol of Laos, Vientiane, Laos, Indochina, Asia

Sulamani Temple, largest temple at the back, Bagan, Myanmar, (Burma)

El Castillo, Pyramid of Kukulkan, Chichen Itza Archaeological Site, Chichen Itza, Yucatan State, Mexico

Replica of Mahabodhi Paya, at Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, (Rangoon), Myanmar, (Burma)

Replica of Mahabodhi Paya, at Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, (Rangoon), Myanmar, (Burma)

Stupas at Botataung Pagoda, Buddha's First Sacred Hair Relic Pagoda, Yangon, (Rangoon), Myanmar, (Burma)

El Castillo, Pyramid of Kukulkan, Chichen Itza Archaeological Site, Chichen Itza, Yucatan State, Mexico

Aerial views of El Castillo and the Ruins of the Mayan temple grounds at Tulum, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Mexico. Tulum is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on 12 meter 39 ft tall cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya; it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted in very high fatalities, disrupting the society, and eventually causing the city to be abandoned.

Pagoda at Chinese Temple, Pyin Oo Lwin, also known as Pyin U Lwin and Maymyo, near Mandalay, Myanmar, (Burma)

Aerial views of El Castillo and the Ruins of the Mayan temple grounds at Tulum, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Mexico. Tulum is the site of a pre-Columbian Mayan walled city which served as a major port for Coba, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The ruins are situated on 12 meter 39 ft tall cliffs along the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula on the Caribbean Sea in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya; it was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted in very high fatalities, disrupting the society, and eventually causing the city to be abandoned.

Stony stairs of tomb of the High Priest pyramid at Chichen Itza Archaeological Site in Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo, Caribbean Coast, Mexico

Master demonstrates Taichi movements, in front of his old house below the peak, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

monk meditating in lotus position, sunrise, Golden Hall, Jindian Gong, peak 1613 metres high, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

Statue of Zhen Wu in a temple on the summit of Mount Wudang, Wudang Shan, 1613 metres high, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China

pilgrims burn incense sticks and candles, main hall, fire, red, Wannian monastery and temple, China, Asia, World Heritage Site, UNESCO

antique water vessel, Golden Hall, Jindian Gong, Golden Palace Temple, gilded bronze roof, temple, protected against lightning strikes by an iron cage, peak 1613 metres high, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

Taichi training from Wudang School of Martial Arts, in front of Purple Heaven Hall, Zi Xiao Gong, peak 1613 metres high, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

Taichi master, monk demonstrates a ritual sword fight, Tianzhu feng, monastery village, below the peak, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

Sunrise at the Golden Hall, Jindian Gong, Golden Palace Temple, protected against lightning strikes by an iron cage, summit 1613 metres high, Mount Wudang, Wudang Shan, Hubei province, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China

Porter, Stairway to Heaven, Tai Shan, Shandong province, Taishan, Mount Tai, World Heritage, China, Asia, UNESCO

Taoist monk in Tai Chi pose, Tai Shan, Shandong province, Taishan, Mount Tai, World Heritage, UNESCO, China, Asia

Taoist monk in Tai Chi pose, Tai Shan, Shandong province, Taishan, Mount Tai, World Heritage, UNESCO, China, Asia

Taoist monk in Tai Chi pose, Tai Shan, Shandong province, Taishan, Mount Tai, World Heritage, UNESCO, China, Asia

Taoist monk in Tai Chi pose, Tai Shan, Shandong province, Taishan, Mount Tai, World Heritage, UNESCO, China, Asia

Porter with sedan chair for tired tourists, Jiuhuashan, Mount Jiuhua, mountain of nine flowers, Jiuhua Shan, Anhui province, China, Asia

flute playing monk, music teacher, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

Taichi training from Wudang School of Martial Arts, in front of Purple Heaven Hall, Zi Xiao Gong, peak 1613 metres high, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

Mummy of 126 year old monk Wuxia, in the Longevity Hall, Baisui Gong, Jiuhuashan, Mount Jiuhua, mountain of nine flowers, Jiuhua Shan, Anhui province, China, Asia

Taichi training at the Wudang School of Martial Arts, in front of the Purple Cloud Temple, Zi Xiao Gong, 1613 metres high, Mount Wudang, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China

Shaolin Buddhist monks rehearse for a performance on Buddhas birthday, Shaolin Monastery, known for Shaolin boxing, Taoist Buddhist mountain, Song Shan, Henan province, China, Asia

Master demonstrates Taichi movements, in front of his old house below the peak, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

Shaolin Buddhist monks rehearse for a performance on Buddhas birthday, Shaolin Monastery, known for Shaolin boxing, Taoist Buddhist mountain, Song Shan, Henan province, China, Asia

Kung Fu student kick boxing training, Song Shan, Henan province, China, Asia

duel and training between two Shaolin monks, Shaolin Monastery, known for Shaolin boxing, Taoist Buddhist mountain, Song Shan, Henan province, China, Asia

Azure Cloud Temple, Tai Shan, Shandong province, Taishan, Mount Tai, World Heritage, UNESCO, China, Asia

practice for foreign students in side courtyard of the Shaolin Monastery, known for Shaolin boxing, Taoist Buddhist mountain, Song Shan, Henan province, China, Asia

Kung Fu student kick boxing training, Song Shan, Henan province, China, Asia

Three of the eight immortals of Taoism, Wudang summit 1613 metres high, Mount Wudang, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China

young boy at breakfast, one of many new Kung Fu schools in Dengfeng, near Shaolin, Song Shan, Henan province, China, Asia

Tianzhu feng, monastery village, below the peak, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

Kung Fu training at kindergarten age, at one of the many new Kung Fu schools in Dengfeng, school near Shaolin, Song Shan, Henan province, China, Asia

Taichi training from Wudang School of Martial Arts, in front of Purple Heaven Hall, Zi Xiao Gong, peak 1613 metres high, Wudang Shan, Taoist mountain, Hubei province, Wudangshan, Mount Wudang, UNESCO world cultural heritage site, birthplace of Tai chi, China, Asia

Porter, Stairway to Heaven, Tai Shan, Shandong province, Taishan, Mount Tai, World Heritage, China, Asia, UNESCO

Porter, incense burner, Tianchi Monastery, Bodhisvattva Kshitigarbha, Jiuhuashan, Mount Jiuhua, mountain of nine flowers, Jiuhua Shan, Anhui province, China, Asia