Located in Xiamen's gloriously green Dongping Shan (Dōngpíng Shān, 东坪山) scenic area, about 15 minutes' drive out of the main city, the Strange Slope (Guài Pō, 怪坡) is a bizarre little stretch of road that will turn your senses, if not upside down, then certainly a little off kilter.

What is "strange" about this particular slope is that it appears to defy gravity; while it looks like it goes uphill, it is in fact going down. Discovered in 2003 by a taxi driver, it has become a popular tourist stop and you can expect to be beset by hawkers pitching RMB 1 rides on their rickety old bicycles. Head to the "bottom" of the slope, take your feet off the pedals and be amazed as you just keep on rolling along! Your taxi driver will also be more than happy to drive onto the hill and, cutting the engine, grin at your reaction as the car seems to be pulled uphill as if by magic.

The Xiamen Strange Slope joins the ranks of a number of other known gravity-defying hills found across China, the US, Korea, Uruguay and Taiwan. There are those who claim these unusual phenomenon are proof of the existence of dark matter, though the more accepted explanation is that of an optical illusion caused by the angles of the surrounding mountains and foliage. Whatever your opinion, it's an entertaining and scenic reminder that things are not always what they seem.

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