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4 modern man-made marvels in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is well-known for its gorgeous natural and historical attractions. Just think of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Halong Bay in Vietnam and Borobudur in Indonesia.

Equally gorgeous and impressive, though, are these modern, man-made structures. Check out these four impressive sites that are also attracting large crowds.

1. Golden Bridge, Vietnam

High up on Ba Na hill near Danang City in Vietnam sits a pair of giant hands holding up a pedestrian walkway.

The 150-metre long Cau Vang, or Golden Bridge, rises more than 1400 metres above sea level and offers spectacular views of the surrounding area.

Although brand new – the attraction just opened in June – the hands have been aged to look like they’ve been around for many decades. According to the principal architect, the project was designed to look like the hands of God pulling out a strip of gold from the land.

2. Gardens by the Bay, Singapore

Futuristic-looking giant trees and a man-made forest under a glass dome are all part of this 101-hectare multi-award winning horticultural destination that opened in 2012.

The giant Supertrees are between nine and 16 storeys tall and you can take a stroll on a suspended walkway between two of these trees to enjoy the view from up above.

A short walk away, you’ll come across the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest. The former houses a collection of flowers found in deserts around the world, while the latter has the world’s tallest indoor waterfall and showcases plants that are usually found some 2000 metres above sea level.

3. Statue of Lord Murugan, Batu Caves, Malaysia

Located just 12 kilometres from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves is the site of the tallest statue of a Hindu deity in Malaysia and the second tallest in the world.

The statue of Lord Murugan, located at the Sri Murugan Perumal Kovil at the foot of Batu Caves, was completed in 2006 and stands a little over 42 metres tall.

There are three limestone caves in the area, all of which house Hindu temples and shrines.

Visitors have to scale 272 steps in order to reach the entrance of the caves.

4. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, Brunei

With floors and walls made from gleaming Italian marble, made-in-England chandeliers, granite from Shanghai and millions of glass mosaic pieces covering the golden main dome, this is definitely no ordinary mosque.

Named after the 28th sultan of Brunei, the grand mosque was completed in 1958.

The impressive building is surrounded by an artificial lagoon, where a replica of a 16th century royal barge is docked at the end of a marble bridge.

Written by Siti Rohani. This article first appeared in Reader’s Digest. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, here’s our best subscription offer.

Tags:
Southeast Asia, Asia, Singapore, Travel, International travel, Malaysia, Vietnam