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.

“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)

Mikhail Kalashnikov, the father of the world's most popular assault rifle, is handed an AK-74 November 23, 2002 in Izhevsk,1000 East km. from Moscow. November 23 marked the 55th anniversary of the release of the first Kalashnikov gun. According to the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategic and Technologies some 70 million to 100 million Kalashnikovs have been built worldwide since 1947, compared about 7 million to Kalashnikov's Western rival the M-16 assault rifles. (Photo by Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

In this Monday, July 24, 2017 photo, a police officer walks in front of a mural during a protest demanding an end to the current pension fund system, in Santiago, Chile. Protesters say the government pension system robs retirees of fair pension payments, and are demanding a new social security system with higher payments. (Photo by Esteban Felix/AP Photo)

Young children at a Bristol, Great Britain health centre unsure of the benefits of sun-lamps and the special glasses that must be worn, July 1948. The health centre was part of the newly introduced free National Health Service. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

Brides-to-be participate in the “Running of the Brides” race in a park in Bangkok, Thailand March 25, 2017. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

A model, painted by the artist Avi Ram from Airbrush Hero, poses for a photo as part of a calendar project, at the Tower of David in Jerusalem's Old City, April 27, 2017. (Photo by Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)

Solo, a rare baby tapir, makes his debut at Chester zoo, UK on July 18, 2016. The Malayan tapir is an endangered species and Solo is the first ever calf born at the zoo. (Photo by Chester Zoo/Rex Features/Shutterstock)