The Great Wall of China snakes along the nation's ancient northern border, and protected the southern states from invasion, right up until the Manchu Conquest of the 17th Century. There are many myths about the Great Wall (you can't see it from space) but what are the facts?
The Great Wall isn't really one wall; it's a series of walls of different ages and different styles. This section is the most famous and also the most recent. It was built only around 450 years ago. The oldest parts are just earthen mounds and date back 2000 years.
Structures like 'The Treasury' and 'The Palace of Pharaoh's Daughter' decorate tourists' postcards, but did you know that nearly four fifths of the ancient city remains underground and unexplored? There may be many more unbelievable buildings waiting to be discovered.
The Taj Mahal, found in Agra, India, was the work of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who built this perfectly white, perfectly symmetrical marble tomb as a monument to his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In total, it took 20,000 workers and 1,000 elephants 16 years to build.
But did you know that the sarcophagi inside are actually empty? The Islamic prohibition of wealthy, ornate tombs meant that Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal were buried in a smaller, simple tomb one level below ground…
… This room is rarely opened, because breath of visitors would damage the white marble walls.
Christ the Redeemer stands on the peak of the Corcovado mountain, towering above the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Completed in 1933, the statue is an emblem of Christian faith and national pride. At 30m tall and with arms stretching 28m wide, it's hard to miss.
But did you know that while the statue stands in Brazil, Christ's face was actually made in France? It was carved from solid soapstone by the Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida, then living in Paris. In total, it took Leonida five years to complete the piece!
Machu Picchu clings to the ridgeline of the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru. This stone citadel was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti around 1450 and abandoned around the time of the Spanish conquest. It was only discovered by Europeans in 1911!
In the time of the Inca, this 'lost city' was regarded as the centre of the world. The Intihuatana was a ritual stone platform at Machu Picchu that may have been used as a sundial or altar. Here, essential rituals would have been carried out to ensure the cycle of the sun.
The Mayan city of Chichén Itzá in modern-day Mexico was perhaps the largest urban area in the pre-Colombian Americas. Occupied between 600-1100CE, the city supported a complex and diverse society, and became a major economic and political centre of the region.
You may know about the numerous stepped pyramid temples and the famous Great Ball Court (seen here), but did you know that the city also contained a bath house with a steam sauna, paved causeways known as sacbeob, and a tzompantli, or 'skull rack'.
In ancient Rome, there were few better ways to spend an afternoon than taking in a game at the Colosseum, then known as the Flavian Amphitheatre. Built in 72CE, this building hosted gladiatorial matches, musical events, executions, and even a small-scale sea battle.
But did you know that besides being a monument to gore and glory, the Colosseum is also home to many plants and animals? In 1643, the herbalist Domenico Panaroli surveyed all the plants growing on the ruins. Since then, 684 different species have been identified.
Founded in 1910, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is located in Mount Prospect Park in central Brooklyn, New York, just near the Brooklyn Museum. It's grown over the years to become a space for education as well as entertainment. Click and drag to explore the gardens highlights.
This Italian-style formal garden features an expansive, emerald-green lawn and classically-inspired stone columns and fountain. In spring, rest and watch the cherries, crabapples, and azaleas in bloom.
The Native Flora Garden seeks to recreate the natural lands that once flourished here: small forests, meadows, bogs, and pine barrens. This area is filled with wildlife including hummingbirds and small mammals.
The Cranford Rose Garden has been one of the most popular attractions since it first opened in 1928. In June, when the roses are in full bloom, blossoms cascade down arches and climb up lattices.
The Cherry Esplanade leads from the Rose Garden towards the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Visit at the end of April to witness the double-flowering Kanzan cherries in full blossom.
Follow the winding paths to slowly reveal the Japanese Garden, styled on ancient and modern designs. Take a seat and admire the calm pond with its draping willows and red-painted ceremonial torii.
The garden was designed by the Japanese-American landscape architect Takeo Shiota in 1914, and was the first public Japanese-inspired garden in the USA.
Laid in 1955, the Fragrance Garden was the first garden in the USA designed to accommodate people with visual impairments. Its low beds, braille labels, and enticing scents offer enjoyment to all.
Take a break in the Yellow Magnolia Cafe, found inside the Steinhardt Conservatory, a beau-arts style glasshouse. Enjoy the modern, vegetable-focused menu while looking over the Lily Pool Terrace.
The Desert Pavilion of the Steinhardt Conservatory shows just how vibrant deserts can be. Discover trees, cacti, succulents, and wildflowers from the deserts of Africa, Australia, and the Americas.
The Aquatic House displays plants from Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s large orchid collection as well as a variety of tropical aquatic plants from around the world, including these giant water lilies.
The Japanese art of Bonsai, or cultivating miniature trees, has entertained people for centuries. The C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum holds one of the largest collections of Bonsai trees outside of Japan.
Dedicated to providing a green space for city kids, the Discovery Garden lets children of all ages explore the plants and animals found in a meadows, marshes, woodlands, and vegetable gardens.
Follow the babbling Belle's Brook as it meanders through the Shelby White and Leon Levy Water Garden. Reeds. sedges, and rushes line the banks, providing a home for insects and helping to filter the water.
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Find these, and more, in the beds of the BBG Herb Garden. Filled with plants that, throughout history have been used in perfumes, recipes, and medicines.
The Rock Garden, opened in 1917, provides a safe haven for a number of alpine and desert plants that prefer dry, rough soils. Succulents are found hugging the ground, while conifers tower overhead.
Step outside into more botanical gardens from around the world, like Kew Gardens in London or the gardens of São Paolo, Brazil
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Mountains of the World
Although most of the world’s tallest mountains are in Asia—in particular, in Central Asia where China, Nepal, Tibet, India, and Pakistan share borders—all of the continents have great peaks.
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