Only the most intrepid urban explorers cross the tattered ruins of the old Iron Curtain to endure the excessive bureaucracy, military paranoia and freezing winds of the East to hunt for the ghosts of an empire. Rebecca Litchfield is one who couldn’t resist the haunting allure of the ruins of the Soviet Union.

Israeli mounted policemen move crowds of Palestinian protestors during a demonstration marking Land Day in the east of the city on March 30, 2012 outside the old city of Jerusalem, Israel. Land Day, which began in 1976, marks the day Israeli forces killed six Palestinians during a protest against Israeli occupation of what Palestinians consider to be their land. Palestinians around the world will commemorate Land Day with protests and demonstrations. (Photo by Lior MizrahiGetty Images)

“Mount Hua, or Hua Shan, or Xiyue located near the city of Huayin in Shaanxi province, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) east of Xi'an. It is one of China's Five Great Mountains, and has a long history of religious significance. Originally classified as having three peaks, in modern times the mountain is classified as five main peaks, of which the highest is the South Peak at 2,154.9 metres (7,070 ft)”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Trip to Xi'an 西安. (Photo by Grant Robinson)

This photo taken on March 29, 2017 shows a young woman offering shots of liquer at a dance bar in Walking Street in Pattaya. Two hours east of Bangkok, Pattaya' s bawdy reputation hails from the Vietnam War era when US GIs partied in their downtime. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/AFP Photo)

From footballs to live fish, delivery mopeds piled high with unwieldy, unlikely goods are one of the Vietnamese capital’s most distinctive sights. As the city plans to ban motorbikes altogether, photographer Jon Enoch captured the drivers at work. (Photo by Jon Enoch/The Guardian)

Dragon boat racers prepare for the fancy dress race on July 5, 2015 in Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Carnival will be staged from 3 July 2015 (Friday) to 5 July 2015 (Sunday). The carnival featured two key programmes: the CCB (Asia) Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races in Victoria Harbour and the San Miguel BeerFest at the UC Centenary Garden in East Tsim Sha Tsui. (Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images for Hong Kong Images)