The Adalaj Stepwell is a stunning example of Indo-Islamic architecture, located about 20 kilometres from Ahmedabad's central train station. This five-storey well has historically provided both physical relief and social space for travelling pilgrims and locals. Its beautifully carved walls and intricate design make it a significant historical site where people gathered to escape the heat and engage in community interactions

Built in the early 1400s, around the same time as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven was where emperors prayed for good harvests. The vast park contains several ceremonial buildings, the most striking being the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests with its blue-tiled roof and intricate wooden ceiling. The original hall was destroyed by lightning in 1889 but rebuilt soon after. Other highlights include the Hall of Abstinence, where emperors fasted before rituals, and the Circular Mound Altar — a three-tiered marble platform symbolising heaven itself. Today, the park is as much about everyday life as it is about history: locals gather here in the mornings for tai chi, dancing, and music.

Explore Sonoma County’s history, with a trip to the town of Sonoma. Sonoma is home to the last Spanish-Mexican mission built in California, the location of California’s oldest winery: Buena Vista Winery, and the state’s oldest, continually operating family winery: Gundlach Bundschu. Sonoma State Historic Park preserves the Sonoma Mission and the Sonoma Barracks, as well as the nearby historic home of General Vallejo. Shops, tasting rooms, restaurants, bakeries, and a historic theater line the streets around the Sonoma Plaza — an eight-acre town square, the largest in California.

Just outside Qianmen, Dashilan is one of Beijing’s oldest commercial streets, with a history of over 600 years. It used to be the busiest suburban market and remains full of character today. Some of Beijing’s oldest brand boutiques started here, alongside the city’s first cinema, and many are still operating. Walking the street gives a sense of everyday life beyond the imperial palaces, where locals have shopped, worked, and socialised for generations.