Spiritual Places in Asia

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth and Hinduism’s holiest place, strung along the sacred Ganges. Pilgrims bathe at dawn, funeral pyres burn day and night at the cremation ghats, and each evening the mesmerising Ganga Aarti fire ceremony lights the waterfront. Take a sunrise boat trip.

The spiritual centre of Sikhism shimmers in the middle of a sacred pool in Amritsar, its gilded dome perfectly mirrored in the still water. Pilgrims circle the marble walkway to sung hymns, and the community kitchen serves free vegetarian meals to tens of thousands daily. Stay for both dusk and dawn.

The place where the Buddha attained enlightenment beneath a spreading bodhi tree is the holiest site in the Buddhist world. The soaring Mahabodhi Temple marks the spot, and a descendant of the original tree still shades meditating pilgrims. Monasteries in Thai, Tibetan and Japanese styles ring the town.

A perfect black pyramid rising from the high Tibetan plateau, sacred to four religions and, out of profound reverence, never climbed. Pilgrims undertake a gruelling 52-kilometre circuit at punishing altitude, some measuring the distance in full-body prostrations. Permits and a guide are required; the window is May to September.

Myanmar’s most sacred site is a vast golden stupa, said to enshrine relics of four Buddhas, dominating the Yangon skyline from its hilltop platform. Plated with tonnes of gold and crowned with a diamond-studded orb, it glows most spectacularly after dark. Circle the platform barefoot at dusk to avoid the heat.

The former winter palace of the Dalai Lamas rises in dramatic white and ochre tiers above Lhasa, a fortress-monastery on the roof of the world. Its labyrinth of chapels, tombs and treasure halls remains the enduring symbol of Tibetan Buddhism. Entry is by timed ticket; acclimatise first.

Home to a colossal reclining Buddha 46 metres long and gleaming with gold leaf, this is one of Bangkok’s oldest and most revered temples. The soles of its feet, inlaid with mother-of-pearl, are a highlight. Wat Pho is also the birthplace of traditional Thai massage; it sits beside the Grand Palace.

A riot of thousands of vividly painted stone figures climbs the towering gateway gopurams of this vast temple in Madurai. Dedicated to a fierce warrior goddess, its pillared halls and sacred bathing tank form a dazzling maze of Dravidian architecture and living, colourful worship.

The largest religious monument on Earth was built in the twelfth century as a Hindu temple to Vishnu before becoming Buddhist, and it remains a place of active worship. Its five lotus-bud towers, mirrored in a reflecting pool at sunrise, form one of Asia’s most revered silhouettes. Arrive before dawn.

Thousands of vermilion torii gates snake up a wooded mountainside behind this Shinto shrine near Kyoto, forming glowing orange tunnels that feel otherworldly. Dedicated to Inari, deity of rice and prosperity, it is guarded by countless stone foxes. Walk the summit loop early or after dark, when the crowds thin.

A gilded boulder balanced improbably on the very edge of a cliff, seemingly defying gravity, is one of Myanmar’s holiest pilgrimage sites. Legend holds it is anchored by a single strand of the Buddha’s hair, and devout pilgrims press gold leaf onto its surface. Many climb through the night for dawn prayers.

Bhutan’s celebrated Tiger’s Nest monastery clings to a sheer cliff some 900 metres above the Paro valley, one of the world’s most dramatically sited buildings. The steep pilgrimage climb through blue-pine forest hung with prayer flags takes two to three hours. Visiting Bhutan requires a tour and daily fee.

Tokyo’s oldest and most famous Buddhist temple draws crowds through the giant red lantern of its Thunder Gate and along a bustling approach of traditional stalls. The incense-wreathed main hall, five-storey pagoda and legend of a golden Kannon keep it the spiritual heart of the old city. Atmospheric floodlit at night.

This great temple in Nara houses one of the world’s largest bronze Buddhas, seated inside what was for centuries the biggest wooden building on Earth. A pillar with a hole said to grant enlightenment delights those who squeeze through, and tame deer, considered messengers of the gods, bow for crackers. Arrive early.

Perched on a hilltop above Kathmandu, this ancient stupa is watched over by the painted, all-seeing eyes of the Buddha and encircled by fluttering prayer flags. Nicknamed the Monkey Temple for its bold resident troop, it draws pilgrims spinning prayer wheels in a mix of worship. Visit at dawn; mind the monkeys.

One of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China, its mist-wrapped slopes rise past ancient monasteries to a golden summit temple that often floats above the clouds. Pilgrims climb stone staircases through forest patrolled by cheeky macaques to the Golden Summit above 3,000 metres. Stay overnight near the top for dawn.

The most sacred Hindu temple in Nepal spreads along the holy Bagmati River in Kathmandu, a sprawling complex of shrines to Shiva. Open-air cremations on the riverside ghats offer a raw encounter with the Hindu view of death and rebirth. Ash-smeared sadhus gather in the courtyards; come respectfully.

A cluster of five sacred flat-topped peaks in northern China, revered as the earthly home of Manjushri, Bodhisattva of Wisdom, and dotted with dozens of ancient temples. Here Tibetan and Chinese Buddhist traditions mingle among prostrating pilgrims and spinning prayer wheels. It preserves some of China’s oldest wooden buildings.

The largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia rises in colourful tiers up a hillside on Penang, crowned by a seven-storey pagoda blending Chinese, Thai and Burmese styles. A towering bronze Kuan Yin presides over the upper terraces. Most spectacular during Chinese New Year, lit by tens of thousands of lanterns.

A striking conical Sri Lankan mountain held sacred by Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike, all revering the footprint-shaped mark at its summit. Pilgrims climb thousands of illuminated steps through the night for a dawn that casts the peak’s perfect triangular shadow across the plains. The season runs December to May.