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It's no fun being excluded. It tells us that we're not allowed to go somewhere, and you'd better believe the stubborn child inside us is buying a ticket for that exact destination.
But sometimes access to certain places is restricted for good reason, whether for our benefit or not. Maybe the climate is too extreme, or maybe the inhabitants are too hostile.
From virgin lands that scientists want to study without human interference to super-secret military bases, here's a list of amazing places you'll never step foot on.
Ise Grand Shrine, Japan
Forget going into the Ise Grand Shrine in Japan — they won't even let you see the building.
The Shinto shrine is dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu and is one the holiest places in Japan. The story behind it goes something like this:
A sacred mirror, the Yata no Kagami, was used to lure Amaterasu out of a cave in which she had hidden following an argument with Susano-o, the god of storms and the sea, which plunged the world into darkness. The mirror was given to Amaterasu's grandson Ninigi-no-Mikoto, who is thought to be the great-grandfather of Japan's first emperor, Jimmu, through whom it passed into the hands of the Imperial Family.
The mirror is located in the Ise Grand Shrine, and only the chief priest or priestess of the shrine, who must be a member of the Imperial Family, is allowed to enter.
Lascaux Caves, France
Lascaux Cave in Southwest France is home to ancient works of art painted about 17,000 years ago. The images, which depict large animals around the time of the Paleolithic era, were discovered in 1940. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site nearly 40 years later, and public interest in the site grew.
However, Lascaux Cave is now closed to visitors because the paintings are beginning to fade and mold was found in the cave. Instead, you can see a replica called "Lascaux II" located nearby.
Area 51, Nevada
You've likely heard of Area 51 as the place in the desert where aliens supposedly landed in the 1940s near Roswell, New Mexico — a landing that resulted in an ongoing clash between government officials who deny the landing and conspiracy theorists who smell a cover-up.
But the super-secret US military base is located in Nevada, and the government refused to admit it existed until 2013, when the CIA was forced to acknowledge it under the Freedom of Information Act. According to the History Channel, though you can see the complex's buildings in satellite images, it doesn't appear on any public US government maps. And you can't drive anywhere near it.
Tomb of the First Qin Emperor, China
Known as First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang died in 210 BC. He is credited with uniting the country and building the Great Wall of China. To match his large legacy, he was buried at the center of a complex designed to mirror the urban plan of the then-capital, Xianyang. The massive 21-square-mile structure contains 8,000 lifelike terracotta soldiers, each designed individually with horses, chariots and weapons, which were first unearthed in 1974. The mausoleum is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Snake Island, Brazil
Ilha da Queimada Grande, also known as Snake Island, is a tiny 110-acre island off the coast of Brazil. It is home to more than 4,000 deadly snakes and is the only known place you'll find the golden lancehead (Bothrops insularis), one of the most venomous vipers in the world. Its venom can kill you in an hour.
While scientists venture here for study, locals fear it; no humans call this terrifying place home. In fact, the island contains no mammal species at all, and birds nest here at their own risk.
(CHINA DAILY & Mother Nature Network)
