This famed Silk Road oasis was one of the largest cities in the world before it was destroyed by a Mongol horde.

A cemetery with goat-horn bedecked gravestones.

A fiery crater has been burning in the Karakum Desert since 1971.

A shrine to the missionary who first brought Islam to China.

An exquisite example of Uyghur Islamic architecture.

Three floors above a 2,000-year-old royal tomb is a rare collection of ancient porcelain pillows.

Massive fortified towers blend North American and Chinese architecture.

A replica of the Statue of Liberty watches over the tomb of 72 Chinese revolutionaries.

The embalmed remains of the communist leader lie within a custom crystal coffin.

The world's tallest circular building is loaded with symbolism, but many just see a big donut.

The knock-off oil painting capital of the world.

Be careful not to get trampled at this lively two thousand-year-old market.

What can compare to the comforting sound of 10,000 toilets running?

A fantastic assortment of China's finest and most disturbing wares.

This massive neon wheel is the only one of its kind to be built over a bridge.

Hundreds of caves filled with thousands of centuries-old statues and murals.

This historic Chinese tower was said to have been haunted by fox spirits but is now haunted by a grisly murder.

Walled family complexes in Southern China.

These tiny statues form a terracotta army from China's Han dynasty.

An out-of-place slice of France, smack in the middle of Shanghai.

A son-and-daughter meat market, hawked by mom and dad.

This smaller cousin of the Forbidden City has gone from ancestral sacrifice to tourist's whispers.

The once highest point in China blends symbolic design with a kick of adrenaline.

A lush desert oasis in the shape of a narrow crescent.