Escaped Alive: The 8 Greatest Labyrinths in the World

By MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network Editorial Department, compiled and reported by Liao Qiyu

 

Adapted from the novel *The Maze Runner* by American fantasy writer James Dashner, the film premiered last Friday (9/12) and topped the box office in Taiwan with over NT$66.5 million in its first week. The movie tells the story of a group of teenagers whose memories have been erased and who are sent by an unknown organization to a place called the "Glade" surrounded by a maze. The stone walls of the maze open every morning and close every night. To escape this maze enclosure, they must navigate the ever-changing labyrinth and find the exit to break free.

 

In ancient Greek mythology, the labyrinth was designed by Daedalus to imprison the Minotaur (a half-man, half-bull monster). The labyrinth reveals the dual nature of the human spirit: complex yet simple; mysterious yet knowable; emotional yet rational. It symbolizes the eternal philosophical conflict between free will and destiny. Solving the maze becomes a test of wisdom and courage.

Chartres Cathedral Spiral Labyrinth - Chartres Cathedral (France)

In the nave of Chartres Cathedral in France, there is a massive spiral labyrinth that divides the nave into a three-quarter circle, featuring a total of 12 concentric circles leading to a rose-like center. At the center, there used to be a bronze plaque depicting the scene from Greek mythology where Theseus defeats the Minotaur. This plaque follows the tradition of the ancient Knossos labyrinth and Egyptian labyrinths, which often featured the same story at their centers.