Author: Ms. R.

Nestled behind the imposing Dazhong Temple crouches a nondescript, circular construction, roughly as tall as a person. Though it was at one point decorated with plastered-on Western-style art, this art has largely faded or peeled off, giving a ragged, abandoned feel.  The few tourists who notice the concrete structure would be forgiven if they assumed it to be a storage shed. But it is a tomb intended to house the bones of 17th-century Dutch soldiers. The Dutch held Taiwan……

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Constructed in the mid-1890s, Hungary’s national film theater Uránia is a breathtaking work of Art Nouveau architecture, combining Venetian Gothic elements with the Italian Renaissance into the crown jewel of Neo-Moorish style in Budapest. Originally an “orpheum,” the theater was first called Caprice and then (fittingly) renamed Alhambra. It was given projection equipment in 1899, becoming the Uránia Science Theater. Two years later, its rooftop terrace provided a location for the film A táncz (The Dance), arguably the very……

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Wonder is everywhere. That’s why, every other week, Atlas Obscura drags you down some of the rabbit holes we encounter as we search for our unusual stories. We highlight surprising finds, great writing, and inspiring stories from some of our favorite publications. The Man Who Raced to Tell the World That Mount Everest Had Been Climbed by Peter Frick, Outside At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Mount Everest. News……

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Coney Island was once a glittering star of the early 1900s. It was the Progressive Era, amusement parks were becoming enormously popular across America, and New York City’s version of roller coasters and carnival games seemed like the epitome of wholesome fun. But the beachy entertainment land was quite different than it is today. Coney Island mainly consisted of three theme parks: Steeplechase Park, Luna Park, and Dreamland. And from 1904 to 1911, all were locked into a perpetual……

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In the medina of Casablanca, just a stone’s throw away from the more famous Rick’s Cafe, stands La Sqala. A traditional Moroccan restaurant established circa 2001, it has since grown popular among the local Casablancais and tourists alike. In addition to its quintessential Moroccan menu, from lamb tagine to classic pastries such as sfenj, msamen and baghrir, this restaurant’s attraction also lies in its overall atmosphere, which channels the ambience of historic Maghreb. Visitors enclosed within these imposing stone walls may be……

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Japan is known for its affinity with unique manhole covers, often decorated with local motifs or popular characters, contributing to a boost in tourism. The Pokémon franchise is no exception to this trend, with the “Poké Lids” project launched in 2019. Most of the Poké Lids are found outside Tokyo, as one of the project’s main goals is to attract visitors to other parts of Japan, but the suburban city of Machida curiously has a total of six of them…….

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Built when the Clark Freeport Zone was still a U.S. military air base, the K-9 Cemetery is a memorial for military police dogs that served alongside the military officers. 284 headstones bearing the names and identification numbers of each dog are arranged in rows surrounded by a chain fence. The once-painted signboard identifying the cemetery is now blank while an empty pedestal once held a statue of a U.S. military officer and his dog companion. The statue was removed……

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A silent witness to the evolution of religious life and architectural prowess, Leiston Abbey was a religious house dedicated to St Mary and home to Canons Regular following the Premonstratensian rule. Founded by the Chief Justiciar to King Henry II Ranulf de Glanville, St. Mary de Insula was established on a marshland isle. However, due to frequent flooding in the 1300s, a decision was made to relocate and rebuild the abbey where it currently resides. Considered a monumental task,……

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“There are so many bagel shops right now,” says Shanghai-based food writer and photographer Rachel Gouk. “We only had maybe two bagel shops for the past ten years, and all of a sudden they’re everywhere.” In 2023, Gouk wrote about her trip to New York Bagelous Museum, a Shanghai bakery she refers to as “not from New York, not a museum, not bagels.” The ring-shaped breads at this and other bagel shops in Shanghai are more like a……

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If America is truly the Land of Liberty, then one of the best demonstrations of that virtue can be found in a roadside park along a barren stretch of Highway 281 near the town of Harlan, Kansas. Here, a miniature version of the Statue of Liberty, rising nearly 8 ½ feet tall, stands proudly over a windswept prairie, with little else in sight. For those who are ready to rush to one of the nation’s most remote locations to……

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Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast apps. In this episode of The Atlas Obscura Podcast, historian and author Edda L. Fields-Black tells us the fascinating and action-packed story of one of the most daring spy operations and raids of the entire Civil War—led by Harriet Tubman. Our podcast is an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places. In under 15 minutes, we’ll take you to an incredible site, and along the……

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