Monster Building (Yick Cheong Building), Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

The Monster Building is a system of five interconnected buildings in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. It is a popular location for photography, and had been used as inspiration for several filming locations.

The housing estate was originally built in the 1960s and named Baakgaa Sancyun and later sold. In 1972, the housing block was split to five blocks: the Fook Cheong Building, the Montane Mansion, the Oceanic Mansion, the Yick Cheong Building, and the Yick Fat Building. The five blocks consist of 2243 apartments and can house 10,000+ people. There are shops on the street front. The highest building is the Oceanic Mansion, with 18 floors. Because it is such a dense living space, it is difficult to have it demolished and rebuilt.

The location is popular with tourists, so much so that locals have placed warning signs that forbid taking photos. The structure inspired locations in films like Transformers: Age of Extinction and Ghost in the Shell and music videos like Labyrinth by Mondo Grosso and Hikari Mitsushima and Cave Me In by Gallant and Eric Nam. The Monster Building is an iconic residential building complex in eastern Hong Kong Island. In the recent years, it has become a very popular spot to take photographs, especially for Instagrammers and urban explorers, the building is one of the most seen places in Hong Kong on Instagram.

People are impressed by the building's unique symmetry and striking density. When standing on a courtyard of the building and looking up, you will see the towering concrete buildings rise on all three sides, leaving only a small, U-shaped gap of sky on the top.

The Monster Building, as it’s been nicknamed by locals, isn’t actually a single building, but an E-shaped complex composed of five connecting structures: Oceanic Mansion, Fook Cheong Building, Montane Mansion, Yick Cheong Building, and Yick Fat Building. They were built during a population boom in the 1960s to offer government-subsidized housing for low-income residents.

The compound has a similar look to other subsidized housing built in the same decade, when the upper floors of the building were used as residences and the lower floors were used for shops selling tea, fish, and other groceries and household goods. Because of its photo-friendly symmetry and aesthetically striking architecture, the building has become a favorite spot for urban explorers and Instagrammers. The area has been used as a set in multiple films, including Ghost in the Shell and Transformers. With the growth of popularity, photographing the building has become more challenging due to a ban on public access to the inner courtyard.

Yik Cheong Building and Montane Mansion are possibly the most well-known locations in Quarry Bay and definitely one of the most Instagrammed spots in Hong Kong.

The building on the east of the complex is Yick Fat Building, the middle one in the complex is Yick Cheong Building, the one on the west is Montane Mansion, and the one that connects these three buildings together on their north is Fook Cheong Building, which is also connected to the smallest building of the complex, the Oceanic Mansion on its west end. There are two courtyards between these buildings. The whole complex is officially referred to as Yick Cheong Building, which is also the name of the central building in the complex.

Like most of other residential buildings in Hong Kong, the upper floors of the Monster Building are for domestic use while the ground floor is occupied by a variety of stores selling seafood, groceries and household goods. The Yick Fat Building (the easternmost building of the complex) has a coffee shop on its ground floor.

As an E-shaped concrete complex, it has two courtyards between the buildings, the two courtyards are very similar, but are painted differently, the western courtyard is painted mostly with plain white color, while the eastern courtyard is painted with a variety of colors and looks more colorful and interesting. Another difference between the two courtyard is that the eastern courtyard is actually surrounded by 4 tower blocks, there's an additional tower sitting on the south side of it, and that tower is much higher

The tower is known as Kornville Tower 2, it is 478 ft (146 meters) tall and has 50 floors, and was built in 1995. If you stand on the eastern courtyard and look up, you can find that the Kornville Tower 2 is perfectly integrated with the Monster Building, the sky is enclosed by buildings on all 4 sides.

Before you entering into the courtyard, it's recommended to first have a look at the Fook Cheong Building from the King's Road, the facade of this residential building is extremely long, and also tall, its view is not less impressive than what is seen from the courtyards. The upper floors of Kornville Tower 2 is no doubt an ideal place to get a different and even better view of the Monster Building, the price for buying or renting a unit in the tower are lower than the average in the city, as the tower is situated a little far from the city center.

walking between these towering concrete walls can get you a fascinating experience, you should realize that these buildings are for residential use, people actually live there, you can find elders sitting at tables playing Mahjong in the courtyards. As so many people are flocking to the site everyday, a sign has been erected stating visitors should ask for permission before taking photos, though it has done little to stop those happy snappers.

Tungnath Temple (One of The Highest Shiva Temples In World), Rudraprayag District, Uttarakhand, India

Tungnath Temple is one of the highest Shiva temples in the world and is the highest of the five Panch Kedar temples located in Rudraprayag district, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Tunganath (literal meaning: Lord of the peaks) mountains form the Mandakini and Alaknanda river valleys. It is located at an altitude of 3,470 m (11,385 ft), and just below the peak of Chandrashila and is the second(Dwitiya Kedar) in the pecking order of the Panch Kedars. It has a rich legend linked to the Pandavas, heroes of the Mahabharata epic.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva and his consort, Parvati both reside in the Himalayas: Lord Shiva resides at Mount Kailash. Parvati is also called Shail Putri, which means 'daughter of hills'.

The Tunganath temple is indelibly linked to the origin of the Panch Kedar temples built by the Pandavas. The legend states that sage Vyas Rishi advised the Pandavas that since they were culpable of slaying their own relatives (Kauravas, their cousins) during the Kurukshetra war, their act could be pardoned only by Lord Shiva.Consequently, the Pandavas went in search of Shiva who was avoiding them since he was convinced of the guilt of Pandavas. In order to keep away from them, Shiva took the form of a bull and went into hiding in an underground safe haven at Guptakashi, where Pandavas chased him. Later, Shiva's body in the form of bull's body parts rematerialized at five different locations that represent the Panch Kedar. The Pandavas built temples at each of these locations to worship and venerate Lord Shiva, seeking his pardon and blessings. Each temple is identified with a part of the bull or Shiva's body; Tungnath temple is identified as the place where the bahu (arms) were seen; hump was seen at Kedarnath; head appeared at Rudranath; his navel and stomach surfaced at Madhyamaheshwar; and his jata (hair or locks) at Kalpeshwar.

Legend also states that Lord Rama, the central character of Ramayana, meditated at the Chandrashila peak which is close to Tungnath, in India. It is also said that Ravana performed penance to Shiva, the lord of the peaks, when he resided here.

The priest at this temple is a local Brahmin from Makku village, unlike the other Kedar temples where the priests are from South India, a tradition set by the eighth century Hindu seer Sankaracharya. It is also said that the Maithani Brahmins officiate as priests at this temple. During the winter season, the temple is closed and the symbolic image of the deity and the temple priests are moved to Makkumath, which is 29km from here. It is near Duggalbitha 10 km (6 mi) before Chopta towards Ukhimath.

Tungnath temple is at the top of the ridge dividing the waters of the Mandakini River (raising from Kedarnath) from those of the Alaknanda River (raising above Badrinath). The Tungnath peak on this ridge is the source of three springs, which form the Akashkamini River. The temple lies about 2 km (1.2 mi) below the Chandrashila Peak (3,690 m (12,106 ft)). The road to Chopta is just below this ridge and hence provides the shortest bridle approach path for trekking to the temple from Chopta, over a short distance of about 5 km (3.1 mi). From the top of the Chandrashila peak, picturesque views of the Himalayan range comprising snow peaks of Nanda Devi, Panch Chuli, Banderpoonch, Kedarnath, Chaukhamba and Neelkanth on one side, and the Garhwal valley on the opposite side could be witnessed. The valley between Chopta and Tunganath temple has wooded hills with rich alpine meadows with rhododendron coppices and also agricultural fields. The rhododendrons, when they are in full bloom during March, display dazzling colours ranging from crimson to pink. A high-altitude botanical station of the Garhwal University is located here. Nearing the top of the temple, there is a forest resthouse at Dugalibitta, just opposite to the Kedarnath range of hills. The Kedaranth Wild Life Sanctuary, also called the Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary, set up in 1972 to preserve the endangered musk deer, which lies in the region, also has a musk deer breeding centre at Kharchula Kharak near Chopta.

Climate is generally cool throughout the year. Summers are pleasant with average temperature hovering around 16 degrees Celsius during the day time. Winters are very chilly and temperature drops below the freezing point very frequently. The best time to visit the temple is from April to September. Due to heavy snowfall, Tungnath temple remains closed for around 6 months during winter.

The 5 km (3.1 mi) trek starts from Chopta (9,600 ft (2,926 m)), the nearest place on the NH 58. Chopta is 63 km (39 mi) from Rudraprayag towards Karnaprayag and is reached from Rishikesh via Devprayag, Srinagar and Rudraprayag.

Of all the Panch Kedar trek routes, the route to Tungnath is the shortest: only 5 km (3.1 mi) from Chopta (on the Ukhimath Gopeshwar road) that can be covered in approximately 4–5 hours (depending on the trekker's physical ability). Trek is a steep climb (9,600–11,350 ft (2,926–3,459 m)), the trek path is stone paved with benches provided en route at intervals. The path is surrounded by scenic views and captivating flora and fauna on both sides. Generally, the pilgrimage to Tunganath is undertaken as part of the Panch Kedar trekking covering all five temples over a 170 km (105.6 mi) route (road cum trek length) starting from Rishikesh in the order of: Kedarnath, Tungnath, Rudranath, Madhyamaheswar and Kalpeshwar. The few pilgrims who undertake this trekking pilgrimage to the shrine do so in summer months (end April or early May to October) as the temple remains snow bound and unapproachable. During this period even Chopta, the nearest road head remains deserted. But it is said that few adepts come to the area during the winter avoiding the pilgrims. The steep climb to Chandarshila is for 2 km (1.2 mi).

The nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun (258 km (160 mi). The nearest railway station is at Rishikesh (241 km (150 mi).

Ravana shila is above from Tungnath temple, there is a small temple which is known as Chandra sila. Ravana shila or Speaking mountain have his own historical importance related to Ramayana Lord Ram and Ravana Death, After killing Ravana lord Ram feel guilt then he started austerity for lord Shiva and requested to release him from Ravana guilt.

The Gangbal Lake, Mount Harmukh in Ganderbal District, Srinagar City, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

The Gangbal Lake also called Gangbal Lake, is a lake situated at the foothills of Mount Haramukh. Its the second highest mountain peak in the vicinity of Kashmir valley in Ganderbal district, north of Srinagar, in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is an alpine high altitude oligotrophic lake, home to many species of fish,including the brown trout.

The lake has a maximum length of two and a half kilometers and maximum width of one kilometre. It is fed by precipitation, glaciers and springs. The lake water outflows to a nearby Nundkol Lake and then via Wangath Nallah to Sind River.

The Gangbal lake is approached from Srinagar 45 kilometers by road via Ganderbal up to Naranag and then a trek of 15 kilometers upslope leads to the lake, which can be covered by a horse ride or by foot. The gujjar shepherds can be seen during the trek with their flocks of sheep and goats. Another trek (25 kilometers long) leads to the lake site from Sonamarg via the Vishansar Lake crossing three mountain passes Nichnai pass, Gadsar pass and Zajibal pass of an average elevation of 4100 meters. It can also be accessed through a trek from Bandipore via Arin. The trek to the lake Gangabal takes place in an alpine environment, (cut crossing) with meadows, (cut from) and huts of Gujjars with their herds crossing through two passes over 4,000 m to get to the lake Gangabal. 

 

 

To reach Gangabal Lake, you need to take a car ride from Srinagar up to Naranag via Ganderbal. From there, take a 13 kilometers trek to the lake. You can also hire horses to reach the lake, but will cost you a very hefty amount.

Srinagar is both the starting and finishing points of the trek to Gangabal (3,570 m), which takes 8 days to complete. The trek is flagged off from the capital city Srinagar and cutting and crossing Sonmarg, Nichinai, Krishansar and Dubta Pani, one finally reaches the pristine Gangabal Lake. Needless to mention that Gangabal Lake is amongst the most beautiful places in Kashmir; also it is a less explored destination. The trekking route of Gangabal passes through many picturesque places, and one would be particularly stupefied by the sight of Himalayan wildlife and striking flora. The trek introduces many challenging situations for a trekker, and great skills are needed to overcome them. Giving the weary trekker a breather are the flower-strewn meadows, alpine lakes like Kishansar and Vishansar, and the lofty Mt. Haramukh (5,380 m). The nomadic tribes of Gujars and Bakarwals add an extra dimension to the trekking trail of Gangabal.

Gangabal Lake is an oligotrophic Lake, which is ideal for rainbow and brown trout fishing. It is 2.5 kms in length and feeds Nundkol Lake and through Wangath Nallah it merges with the Sindh River. Camping facilities at both Nundkol and Gangabal are available.

The best season to visit the lake is from the month of May to October.

Naranag (Ancient Hindu Pilgrimage Site), Ganderbal District, J & K, India

Naranag or Nara Nag is a tourist village and ancient Hindu pilgrimage site in Ganderbal district, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Well-known for its ancient but pillaged temple ruins complex, it is located around 8 km from Kangan, 6 km upstream from the Sind River. Noted for its scenic meadows, lakes and mountains, it is a base camp for trekking to the Mount Haramukh 16,870 ft (5,142 metres) and Gangabal Lake. The village lies at the left bank of the Wangath river, which is a tributary of the Sind River. Tourism hut at Naranag for any information and assistance tourism officials are available and hut is also provide for accommodation.

The Naranag valley is noted for its scenic meadows. The village is a base camp for trekkers to the Mount Haramukh, the Gangabal Lake and Satsar (the seven lakes). It is also a base for the trekkers to Gadsar Lake, the Vishansar Lake and the Krishansar Lake, though it takes 5 to 7 days of trekking.

There are also many other peaks and alpine meadows around the Naranag Valley. In the winters, Naranag receives heavy snowfall, during which skiing is practiced.

The Naranag temple is the main attraction for the tourists. It is one of the important archaeological sites of the country. The site consists of a cluster of temples facing each other at a distance of about 200 meters. Historians say that the temple is dedicated to Shiva and was built by Lalitaditya Muktapida, of the Kayastha Naga Karkota Dynasty in the 8th century AD. It is believed that the king Awantivarman paid a visit and donated a pedestal for bathing at Bhuteshwar ("Bhutsher").

It is also believed to be dedicated to the ancient Nagas. Hence, the name "Naranag". It was built by the Naga Karkotas, who are said to be Hindu Kashmiri Kayasthas of the Naga sect, known for their reverence of serpents. They used to stay here and do their sadhanas.

Its architecture reveals the art of the 8th century. The government has only constructed walls to protect it from encroachments and nothing else has been done. It is now left in ruins of which only faint traces have survived. This temple has the typical Aryan structure as was present in Aryan Kashmir.

Naranag is located almost 50 kilometers from Srinagar in Ganderbal district on the road to Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir. It’s a place blessed with such beauty that it belongs in your dreams. Tucked cozily in the mountains and encircled by dense forests, it is the kind of place that photographers are always on the lookout for. One of the famous tourist attractions of  Naranag is the Naranag Temple built in the 8th century, much of which lies in ruins today but is great for sightseeing. The village here serves as a base camp to Mount Harmukh, Gangabal & Satsar. River Wangath, a tributary of River Sindh, flows through the village, and right beside it is a glacier. Coming across this sight will relieve you from all your inner worries and stress.

You can hire a private vehicle from Srinagar to Naranag, which is located about 50 kilometers away. Another option is to catch a bus ride from Srinagar, which will drop you at Kangan, a town located about 14 kilometers from Naranag. A shared car can be taken from Kangan.