Sacred Places of Asia and the Pacific

Angkor Wat was hidden in the jungles of Cambodia for centuries until its re-discovery in 1858 by a French naturalist. By the end of the 19th century, the great Khmer temple complex was nearly as famous a sacred place as the pyramids of Egypt. Angkor Wat, and nearby Angkor Thom are some of the most beautiful temples in the world.

The sacred mountain, Mt. Koya, is south of Osaka on Japan's island of Honshu. It was built 1,000 years ago on an energy vortex by a monk who is believed to be still alive and in deep meditation. An important pilgrimage is made in late autumn to Izumo Taisha, a great Shinto shrine inhabited by elemental beings, or nature spirits, known as Kami.

Wu Tai Shan is a sacred mountain in northern China with 20 beautiful temple complexes that have been revered by Taoists and Buddhists for thousands of years. Another important sacred place in China is the Kuan Yin temple at Putuo Shan, an island near Shanghai.

Uluru, according to Australian aboriginal tradition, was created during Dreamtime by two boys who were playing in the mud. The giant sandstone monolith, formerly known as Ayers Rock, is more than one mile wide, two miles long and 1,115 feet high. There are superb rock paintings in caves near the base of the rock. 30 miles away is Uluru-Kata Tjuta, a female sacred site where fertility ceremonies were held. The best way to understand the spirit of the land in Australia is to spend some time in the outback with an aboriginal guide.

At least one visitor who made the long journey to meditate among the 600 mysterious Moai stone statues on Easter Island was rewarded with inspirational visions about the direction his life should take.

On the South Pacific island of Tonga is a huge arch made from coral that bears a striking resemblance to a pre-Inca arch discovered at Tiahuanaco, Bolivia.