Heritage mini-trips, achievable in just 5 hours!

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported. Source / Moleskine Editorial Department

 

Strolling before world heritage sites, with the power of nature and the wisdom and perseverance of our ancestors, the breathtaking scenery or cultural relics before your eyes will transport travelers' memories to a distant past. However, to experience the romance of being at a world heritage site, you don’t need to spend a month or fly to the other side of the globe. Whether it’s Macau’s Ruins of St. Paul’s, Jeju Island’s lava caves, Okinawa’s Ryukyu Kingdom ruins, Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, Thailand’s Ayutthaya ruins, Malaysia’s Malacca, or Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, you can reach them with about 4–5 hours of flight and complete a relaxing mini-trip in around 3–4 days.

 

The Ruins of St. Paul’s is Macau’s most famous landmark. It is part of the Church of St. Paul, built in 1602. The church consisted of three naves and was constructed with the collaboration of craftsmen from China and Japan, taking eight years to complete. It became a center for Catholic missionary work in Southeast Asia. Later, the Jesuits were expelled from Macau, and the original church was turned into a military barracks. Unfortunately, a great fire in 1835 almost completely destroyed the church, leaving only the Ruins of St. Paul’s that we see today. The reliefs on the façade are deeply meaningful, blending European Renaissance style with traditional Eastern elements.

 

 

Shuri Castle in Okinawa is surrounded by abundant water resources, making it an excellent vantage point and a castle designed with careful consideration of both terrain and military strength. At the time, people paid great attention to feng shui in urban and rural housing as well as gravesites, so Shuri Castle can be said to be a place with exceptional feng shui. But man proposes, God disposes — the beautiful Shuri Castle has been burned down and rebuilt four times: once during a civil war, twice due to fires, and once during World War II. The reconstructed Shuri Castle can now be described as a phoenix rising from the ashes, proudly displaying its beautiful wings. In November 1992, Shuri Castle Park officially opened to the public. This Ryukyu ancient kingdom, built in the 15th century and destroyed during World War II, has finally reappeared before the world.

 

Formed by volcanic eruptions, Jeju Island boasts rich volcanic landscapes. Its inclusion as a world heritage site mainly consists of three areas: Hallasan Mountain Natural Reserve, Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak), and the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System. The lava tube system includes five main caves: Bengdwigul, Manjanggul, Gimnyeonggul, Yongcheondonggul, and Dangcheomuldonggul, showcasing diverse volcanic features. Currently, Manjanggul is open for visits. Geomun Oreum is the highest peak on Jeju Island, and it is also where the beautiful scenery and the lava tubes formed by volcanic activity can be best appreciated.

Thailand — Ayutthaya