The Huzhu Pagoda, Shanghai's Very Own 'Leaning Tower'

This gravity-defying Buddhist temple was built in China in 1079. Its 20-meter-tall tower tilts because it was built on two different types of surfaces, causing a dramatic inclination almost twice as big as that of the famous Leaning Tower in Italy’s Pisa.

The Italian tower once had a 5.5-degree tilt but after recent restoration work, it now leans at a 3.99-degree angle. Meanwhile, the Huzhu Pagoda boasts an impressive slant of 7.1-degrees. According to officials at the cultural heritage bureau of Shanghai, the pagoda undergoes inspections twice a year, so its leaning is kept under control.