Back then, businessmen would meet in teahouses in the late morning to yum cha (drink tea).

WSJ: The Best Dim Sum in Hong Kong | In Search Of

Following Nagashima into the labyrinth of teahouses, temples and restored samurai houses, I felt like Alice slipping into the rabbit hole.

BBC: Get lost in Japan��s ancient samurai town

But after the sun goes down, geishas recede behind closed doors and teahouses shut down for the night, Kyoto offers spectacular nighttime charms.

BBC: Where to find Kyoto��s glow

No longer is the trail an endless line of teahouses and lodges, and the villages are well spaced to assist trekkers with altitude acclimatisation.

BBC: Nepal��s other Everest

It is also is home to all the skyscrapers and neon you could wish for, while offering historic contrast with ancient temples, palace complexes and teahouses.

BBC: Five cities where you can live large, for a little

There is nothing to do here: no nightclubs, no places of entertainment, and no bars in which to drown your sorrows, as even the teahouses are dry of liquor.

NPR: Somalia's Farah: Humanizing a Broken Place

Among the other high-profile designers working in the city: London-based Zaha Hadid Architects designed a new opera house under construction, and Information Based Architecture of Amsterdam designed the TV and sightseeing tower that will contain retail shops and gardens with teahouses.

WSJ: Skyline Gets Facelift Ahead of Asian Games