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The lake has no outlet to the ocean causing high levels of salts to accumulate in the waters. They feed on the shrimps, lay eggs and hatch their young ones here. The most unusual feature of Mono Lake are its dramatic tufa towers emerging from the surface. The resulting reaction forms limestone. Photo credit But the drop in surface level was not a natural phenomenon. It started in 1941 when the city of Los Angeles began diverting the streams that fed Mono Lake....

At their peak in the 1980s, Naftalan spas had 75,000 visitors a year. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, petroleum baths closed down entirely. Now nearly two decades later, crude oil spas have started opening up again. The qualities of Naftalan oil has been known since ancient times. He noted the oils therapeutic properties and how it could treat humans and animals with skin diseases. Modern use of the oil started during the 1870s under Czarist Russia....

Today it is home to over 40,000 monks, nuns and lay-students. The campus of Larung Gar is enormous. Houses for monks and nuns sprawl all over the valley and up the surrounding mountains. A huge wall through the middle of Larung Gar separates the monk side from the nun side. Reaching Larung Gar is not an easy task. Sertar is also a sensitive area that is often closed to foreign travelers....

A massive irrigation system was constructed that pump water from underground reservoirs to sustain the artificial ecosystem. Despite the high saline content in the water, the green belt continues to thrive. A lone pumping station by the side of the Tarim Desert Highway. Photo by George Steinmetz For five years the government experimented with various plants that could survive desert conditions. In 2001, the project was expanded until a 30.8-km stretch along the highway was afforested....

It takes months to produce a single painting. Often, she would overpaint an image two or three times to get it right. This is very evident from the women in her paintings that bear an unmistakable resemblance to her. I never paint from just one photograph, she says, it sometimes takes hundreds of separate sources.

Metro Manila is a bustling city with a population of around 12 million. It ranks as the worlds eleventh largest metropolitan area and the fifth largest urban area by population. It is also ranked as one of the most densely populated cities in the world. But the vast majority of the citys residents are poor. Stone and marble sarcophaguses inside the mausoleums became beds. There are karaoke parlours, restaurants and even Internet cafes....

Tulous were built for defense against armed bandits that plagued southern China from the 12th century to 19th century. The people of southern Fujian first built strongholds on top of mountains as a defense. These early strongholds later evolved into Fujian Tulou. Branches, strips of wood and bamboo chips are often laid in the wall as additional reinforcement. The entrance is guarded by 4-5 inch thick wooden doors reinforced with an outer shell of iron plate....

Especially impressive of his murals is the way it interacts with the surroundings. Often, Malland would collaborate with local artists learning traditional craft from them, and exchanging ideas.

Nothing can describe how mesmerizing the water fountain at the Osaka City Station in Japan is. The water droplets are illuminated by overhead lights. Founded in 1987, Koei has produced entertainment fountains and landscape displays in various cities in Japan.

The problem lies in Santos soil. Ideally, the foundations of buildings should reach bedrock, which in the region is about 50 meters deep. Specialists deny such catastrophe could ever happen, as buildings tend to collapse vertically. Surprisingly, people continue to live in these apartments. In all, there are close to a hundred buildings that tilt at scary angles. There was an effort some years ago to straighten some of the buildings but high cost prohibited the execution....

Hong Kongs incredible skylineand high rises must have been photographed by thousands andfrom everyangle possible. But French artist and photographerRomain Jacquet-Lagrezehas a totally new perspective. Jacquet-Lagreze says its the geometry of the urban environment and the vivid lives it shelters which inspires him most.

Some of the stone formations are up to 30 meters tall. It represents one of the worlds most spectacular examples of humid tropical to subtropical karst landscapes. There are pinnacle-shaped, column-shaped, mushroom-shaped, and pagoda-shaped groups. Also see:The Stone Forest of MadagascarandLenas Stone Forest Sources:Wikipedia,UNESCO,China-journeys,China.org.cn

It started in 2009, whenUrban Forms Foundationwas formed.