Once home to China’s emperors, the Forbidden City has more than 800 buildings and nearly 10,000 rooms. This vast imperial household opened to the public in 1949, and it’s remarkably well-preserved. The Hall of Supreme Harmony, covered in thousands of dragon motifs, hosted grand ceremonies, while the Palace of Heavenly Purity was where emperors lived, with bedrooms and private halls. Walking through the courtyards and along the red walls, it’s easy to feel the scale and ritual of life here.

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.

The Arkas Art Center is a small yet quite impressive art gallery with a commendable art curatorship. Housed in a historic and visually striking building, the centre takes pride in being the first in İzmir to showcase the works of numerous renowned international painters, including Picasso.

When in Melbourne, one must visit the bohemian Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, an area well known for its many bars, cafés, restaurants and unique boutiques that remain busy any hour of the day. Catch an indie music performance, see an art display or shop around for something unique.