5 Bizarre Asian Travel Destinations
In the next of our series on bizarre travel destinations, we’ll head to Asia, where parasites are put on display and 1200-year-old human remains are part of the scenery.
If that’s not strange enough for you, how about a rat-infested underground labyrinth used during the Vietnam War, or the world’s only eunuch museum?
Strap on your weird goggles. It’s time to explore the most bizarre places you can visit in Asia.
1. Củ Chi Tunnels, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Spend the day following in the footsteps of the Viet Cong as they planned the Tet Offensive from beneath the bowels of Saigon.
The Cu Chi Tunnels are part of a vast network of underground tunnels that still exist throughout Vietnam, and were used by the North Vietnamese in the fight against the United States.
Visitors can explore the tunnels, learn about the lifestyle of the soldiers who lived below ground, and sample food that would have been eaten by the VC.
2. Kingdom of the Little People, Kunming, China
In an act defying the very notion of political correctness, the creators of the Kingdom of the Little People theme park near Kunming have built an homage to dwarfism.
Performers at the theme park must be shorter than 130 centimeters. Visitors come to watch them sing, dance, and perform choreographed ballets wearing fairy costumes. Hmmm…..
3. Tian Yi Mausoleum, Beijing, China
Also known as “the eunuch museum,” the mausoleum was built as a tribute to the most popular eunuch of the Ming Dynasty, Tian Yi.
At the time of Tian Yi’s death, emperor Wanli employed some 20,000 eunuchs in his palace. But Tian Yi was his favorite, and was subsequently given an elaborate burial that included a beautifully carved marble tomb – an honor unheard of at the time.
Today, the mausoleum carvings can be observed along with an unidentified, mummified eunuch and artwork that depicts the operation boys underwent to become eunuchs (!).
4. Meguro Parasite Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Meguro Parasite Museum is the world’s only parasite museum. Located in Tokyo’s Meguro district, the museum displays tape worms and parasite-infested animal heads floating in glass jars.
In addition to 300 specimens, visitors can watch educational movies and purchase a parasitic specimen as a souvenir.
5. Skeleton Lake, Uttarakhand, India
Officially known as Roopkund Lake and referred to as Mystery Lake by locals, the edge of Skeleton Lake in Northern India is home to hundreds of human skeletal remains.
Scientific research has identified the skeletons as being around 1200 years old, and having mostly originated from an area in present-day Iran.
Once a year when the ice covering the lake melts, the bones can be seen through the clear, shallow water – water that’s so cold, it’s helped to preserve the bones over the centuries. National Geographic researchers even recovered several bones with the flesh still intact!
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve visited in Asia? Let us know in the comments below!
Rebecca Anne Nguyen is a freelance writer and the Founder of TheHappyPassport.com, an inspiration site for solo female travellers.
