• Asia has always teetered between old and new, quirky and traditional, and nowhere is this more apparent than in its stunning temples.
  • Photographer Eleonora Costi traveled around the continent to capture some of the most beautiful and eye-catching temples she could find.
  • Most of the ones she photographed feature giant dragon, tiger, and fish sculptures, many of which are incorporated into the buildings.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Eleonora Costi has been working as a photographer since her university days, but says that social media has really changed the world of photography.

Foto: The Sumeru mountain palace, guarded by a giant Anand fish, is located in Thailand.sourceCourtesy of Eleonora Costi

She credits Instagram with turning her into a travel photographer.

“I started publishing my travel photos on Instagram and people started following me, and even travel companies started noticing me, so I became a travel photographer and content creator,” she told Insider.


While Costi is based in Milan, Italy, she considers herself a “digital nomad.”

Foto: The Dragon and Tiger Pagodas are at Lotus Lake in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and were built in 1976.sourceCourtesy of Eleonora Costi

“Give me a computer and a camera and I can work anywhere,” she said.


Currently, her travels are mainly concentrated around Asia.

Foto: The Spring and Autumn Pavilions are a Taoist temple on Lotus Lake in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and built in 1953.sourceCourtesy of Eleonora Costi

“I love Asian culture, food, and people, and for a woman who travels alone it’s a truly safe place,” Costa said.


Her last trip took her to seven countries around Asia in 20 days.

Foto: The Taiwan Confucian Temple is in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.sourceCourtesy of Eleonora Costi

She visited Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Macao, Hong Kong, Brunei, and Singapore, and took 12 different planes.


Her goal during this trip was to find the wildest places to shoot with her drone.

Foto: The 17-story Wat Sampran Dragon Temple is a Buddhist temple in Khlong Mai, Thailand.sourceCourtesy of Eleonora Costi

This shot is her favorite. "It's a truly impressive temple!" she said.


But she told Insider that finding these places wasn't easy.

Foto: She ended up looking for anything eye-catching, temple or not.sourceCourtesy of Eleonora Costi

"I did a lot of research online, asked for information, and I also had some luck," she said.


Not all of her images ended up being temples, either.

Foto: The Leshan Giant Buddha in Leshan, China, is almost 233 feet tall.sourceCourtesy of Eleonora Costi

Many of her shots are taken from above, but this one is an exception.


She's off to Thailand next to find unusual spots to photograph, so keep an eye out for new work.

Foto: This gate leads to the Dazu Rock Carvings in China.sourceCourtesy of Eleonora Costi

You can see more of her work on her website and Instagram.