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* Buffalo NY has UsefulNotes/NiagaraFalls, even though they're a roughly 45 minute drive away from each other in different counties, and because the falls themselves face Canada (and the larger of the two waterfalls is entirely within Canadian waters) all the tourist attractions are in a different country. Works that [[ShownTheirWork actually put in effort]] will most likely show [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_City_Hall Buffalo City Hall]], a pretty impressive 1930s art deco skyscraper that kinda looks like a [[FlippingTheBird giant middle finger]] to the Canadians for getting the good waterfall.
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** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture that's also popular for establishing shots of the city, has become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point of lasting longer than the casino he was built to promote. When the Pioneer Club closed in 1995, Vic had become a landmark in his own right and dismantling him was unthinkable. Instead, financial arrangements were made to let him remain lit during the three years his building sat vacant (it's now a souvenir shop).
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** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture that's also popular for establishing shots of the city, has become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point of lasting longer than the casino he was built to promote. When the Pioneer Club closed in 1995, Vic had become a landmark in his own right and dismantling him was unthinkable. Instead, financial arrangements were made to let him remain lit during the three years his building sat vacant promote (it's now a souvenir shop).
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* UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity used to be instantly recognizable by the Twin Towers (One and Two World Trade Center). Since 9/11, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, or the UN headquarters building - who were all subject to this trope even before 9/11 - are forced to stand in instead.
** The Art/StatueOfLiberty has been used to establish a New York setting since the very beginning of film.
** The Art/StatueOfLiberty has been used to establish a New York setting since the very beginning of film.
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* UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity used to be instantly recognizable by the Twin Towers (One and Two World Trade Center). Since 9/11, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, Art/StatueOfLiberty, or the UN headquarters building - who were all subject to this trope even before 9/11 - are forced to stand in instead.
**The Art/StatueOfLiberty has Since the Twin Towers were only completed in 1973, the aforementioned landmarks had already long been used to establish a New York setting an NYC setting. The Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building in particular have been used for this purpose since the very beginning of film. film.
**
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** There's a reason why Film/{{King Kong|1933}} climbed the Empire State Building.
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** The Twin Towers are still featured in current media, only now they're used for the specific purpose of indicating that a story is not only set in NYC, but in the past between the 70's and the 90's.
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** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture, has become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point that he's outlived the very casino he was built to promote. When the Pioneer Club closed in 1995, Vic had become a landmark in his own right and dismantling him was unthinkable. Instead, financial arrangements were made to let him stay lit during the three years the building sat vacant (it's now a souvenir shop).
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** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture, fixture that's also popular for establishing shots of the city, has become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point that he's outlived of lasting longer than the very casino he was built to promote. When the Pioneer Club closed in 1995, Vic had become a landmark in his own right and dismantling him was unthinkable. Instead, financial arrangements were made to let him stay remain lit during the three years the his building sat vacant (it's now a souvenir shop).
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* UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity used to be instantly recognizable by the Twin Towers. Since 9/11, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, or the UN headquarters building - who were all subject to this trope even before 9/11 - are forced to stand in instead.
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* UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity used to be instantly recognizable by the Twin Towers.Towers (One and Two World Trade Center). Since 9/11, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, or the UN headquarters building - who were all subject to this trope even before 9/11 - are forced to stand in instead.
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** Ever since the completion of One World Trade Center, TV shows and movies set in New York have been quick to include it in establishing shots; it won't be long before the tower is cemented in pop culture like its predecessors. Given the historical baggage of its predecessors, though, don't expect to see it be destroyed in movies anytime soon.
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** Ever since the completion of the new World Trade Center (primarily One World Trade Center, Center), TV shows and movies set in New York have been quick to include it in establishing shots; it won't be long before the tower is cemented in pop culture like its predecessors. Given the historical baggage of its predecessors, though, don't expect to see it be destroyed in movies onscreen anytime soon.
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** The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Tower Sutro Tower]] really can be seen from anywhere in San Francisco–-it's a tripod-shaped radio tower much taller than any building, located on the second-highest hill, in the geographical center of the city. Ironically, it almost never appears in film, possibly because it's often regarded as quite ugly, although it was featured in an episode of ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}''.
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** The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Tower Sutro Tower]] really can be seen from anywhere in San Francisco–-it's Francisco--it's a tripod-shaped radio tower much taller than any building, located on the second-highest hill, in the geographical center of the city. Ironically, it almost never appears in film, possibly because it's often regarded as quite ugly, although it was featured in an episode of ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}''.
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** In slightly-older works, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Eye London Eye]] serves this purpose.
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** In slightly-older works, works (i.e. since the millennium), the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Eye London Eye]] serves this purpose. Before that (and still commonly since), the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament housing Big Ben (now known as the Elizabeth Tower) is a standard indicator that we're in London, and the clock's chime provides a sonic equivalent.
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** First and foremost, the most popular way to establish the city in the media is having the camera pan down the Las Vegas Strip or Fremont Street (they're two different attractions and the Strip is technically outside the city proper) at night with the neon signs blaring.
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** First and foremost, the most popular way to establish the city in the media is having the camera pan {{pan}} down the Las Vegas Strip or Fremont Street (they're two different attractions and the Strip is technically outside the city proper) at night with the neon signs blaring.
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** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture. He was initially built to promote the Pioneer Club, a Wild West-themed casino. The casino closed in 1995, but by then, Vic had become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point that dismantling him was unthinkable. As a result, financial arrangements were made to let him stay lit during the three years the building sat vacant (it's now a souvenir shop).
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** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture. He was initially built to promote the Pioneer Club, a Wild West-themed casino. The casino closed in 1995, but by then, Vic had fixture, has become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point that he's outlived the very casino he was built to promote. When the Pioneer Club closed in 1995, Vic had become a landmark in his own right and dismantling him was unthinkable. As a result, Instead, financial arrangements were made to let him stay lit during the three years the building sat vacant (it's now a souvenir shop).
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** Arguably the area's most well-known individual landmark is the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign at the southern end of the Strip. It helps that, unlike the actual casino resorts on the Strip, the "Welcome" sign is 1) in the public domain, and not owned by any casino chains and 2) not a ThemeParkVersion of an actual city such as (appropriately) Paris or New York City.
** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture. Vic has become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point that he has outlived the original casino he was built to promote (it's now a souvenir shop). And like many examples on this page, tourists note that Vic is a lot ''smaller'' in real life than expected, due to how he's framed in films.
** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture. Vic has become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point that he has outlived the original casino he was built to promote (it's now a souvenir shop). And like many examples on this page, tourists note that Vic is a lot ''smaller'' in real life than expected, due to how he's framed in films.
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** Arguably the area's most well-known individual landmark is the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign at the southern end of the Strip. It helps that, unlike the actual casino resorts on the Strip, the "Welcome" sign is 1) in the public domain, and not owned by any casino chains and 2) not a ThemeParkVersion of an actual city such as (appropriately) Paris or New York City.
NYC.
** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture. He was initially built to promote the Pioneer Club, a Wild West-themed casino. The casino closed in 1995, but by then, Vichas had become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point that he has outlived dismantling him was unthinkable. As a result, financial arrangements were made to let him stay lit during the original casino he was built to promote three years the building sat vacant (it's now a souvenir shop). And like many examples on this page, tourists note that Vic is a lot ''smaller'' in real life than expected, due to how he's framed in films.shop).
** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture. He was initially built to promote the Pioneer Club, a Wild West-themed casino. The casino closed in 1995, but by then, Vic
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** New York has several lesser-used but still highly visible landmarks, especially the Washington Memorial Arch (''Film/WhenHarryMetSally''), the Brooklyn Bridge (''Film/TaxiDriver'', ''Film/SpiderMan1''), the Flatiron Building (TV's ''Veronica's Closet'' and ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''), etc.
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** New York has several lesser-used but still highly visible landmarks, especially the Washington Memorial Arch (''Film/WhenHarryMetSally''), the Brooklyn Bridge (''Film/TaxiDriver'', ''Film/SpiderMan1''), the Flatiron Building (TV's ''Veronica's Closet'' and ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''), ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990''), etc.
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* The aforementioned CN Tower is similar to the Washington Monument, but for different reasons. It's not that the buildings in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} are especially small, it's just the CN Tower ''really is that huge''. It can even be seen from some points north of the city.
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* The aforementioned CN Tower is similar to the Washington Monument, but for different reasons. It's not that the buildings in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} are especially small, it's just the CN Tower ''really is that huge''. It can even be seen from some points north of the city.
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* UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity used to be instantly recognizable by the Twin Towers. Since 9/11, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, or the UN headquarters building are forced to stand in instead.
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* UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity used to be instantly recognizable by the Twin Towers. Since 9/11, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, or the UN headquarters building - who were all subject to this trope even before 9/11 - are forced to stand in instead.
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** Arguably the city's most well-known individual landmark is the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign at the southern end of the Strip. It helps that, unlike the actual casino resorts on the Strip, 1) whose likenesses are privately owned by their respective companies, the "Welcome" sign is in the public domain, and 2) the sign is not a ThemeParkVersion of an actual city such as (appropriately) Paris or New York City.
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** Arguably the city's area's most well-known individual landmark is the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign at the southern end of the Strip. It helps that, unlike the actual casino resorts on the Strip, 1) whose likenesses are privately owned by their respective companies, the "Welcome" sign is 1) in the public domain, and not owned by any casino chains and 2) the sign is not a ThemeParkVersion of an actual city such as (appropriately) Paris or New York City.
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* For UsefulNotes/{{Lisbon}} ''and'' UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}}, both the Belém Tower and ''Padrão dos Descobrimentos'' can qualify.
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* For UsefulNotes/{{Lisbon}} ''and'' UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}}, UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}} as a whole, both the Belém Tower and ''Padrão dos Descobrimentos'' can qualify.
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* Speaking of newly completed structures, although TokyoTower has cemented its place almost permanently in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}ese pop culture, Tokyo Skytree of UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}} is starting to become a new one, already being featured in multiple works.
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* Speaking of newly completed structures, although TokyoTower has cemented its place almost permanently effectively on a permanent basis in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}ese pop culture, Tokyo Skytree of UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}} is starting to become a new one, already being featured in multiple works.
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* If there's anything that would be synonymous with Japan, that would be Mt. Fuji.
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* If there's anything that would be synonymous with Japan, Japan as a whole, that would be Mt. Fuji.
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* The Space Needle's entire reason for existence seems to be as a means to set up establishing shots of UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}}. Never mind that the Needle itself is dwarfed by surrounding buildings to such a degree that it ends up looking comically small if not framed well.
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* The Space Needle's entire reason for existence seems to be as a means to set up establishing shots of UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}}. Never mind that the Needle itself is dwarfed by surrounding buildings to such a degree that it ends up looking comically small if not framed well. Even the idea behind the Needle was for it to be the "Eiffel Tower of the Space Age."
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** Even the idea behind the Needle was for it to be an "Eiffel Tower of the Space Age."
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** The idea behind the Needle's development in the early [[TheSixties 1960s]] was for it to be and "Eiffel Tower of the Space Age."
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** The Even the idea behind the Needle's development in the early [[TheSixties 1960s]] Needle was for it to be and an "Eiffel Tower of the Space Age."
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** The idea behind the Needle's development in the early [[TheSixties 1960s]] was for it to be and "Eiffel Tower of the Space Age."
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* Given that it's literally the tallest building in the world, at four-fifths of a kilometer high, it's no surprise that [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Khalifa the Burj Khalifa]] is this to the city of Dubai.
* UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC has a thirteen-story height cap[[note]]Well, not precisely. In general, it limits buildings to 130 feet or the width of the street they face plus twenty feet, whichever is less, except that on the north side of Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 1st and 15th Sts. NW--the stretch between TheWhiteHouse and the Capitol--the cap is 160 feet. This amounts to a thirteen-story cap, on average.[[/note]] on buildings within its city limits, so the Washington Monument is at least partly visible throughout a large portion of that city.
** Supposedly some building codes in the area were made for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes.
** Of course the Washington Monument is not the only notable building in media. The White House and Capitol Building are also well-known presences.
* The aforementioned CN Tower is similar to the Washington Monument, but for different reasons. It's not that the buildings in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} are especially small, it's just the CN Tower ''really is that huge''. It can even be seen from some points north of the city.
** It can be seen (on a very clear day) in ''Rochester, New York'', which is on the other side of a Great freakin' Lake and in another country.
* In UsefulNotes/{{Paris}} itself this does happen to some degree with the Eiffel Tower, visible from the entire Western half of the city, and to the dismay of many Parisians, it also happens with the Montparnasse tower and the Southern half.
** Some go out of their way to avoid this effect: Novelist Creator/GuyDeMaupassant supposedly ate lunch in the Tower's restaurant every day. When asked why, he answered that, as no big fan of the Tower, it was the one place in Paris where he knew he wouldn't see it.
** Georges Clemenceau also allegedly chose his apartment in the Rue Franklin (in Passy, now a museum) so that he would not have to look at the Eiffel Tower from his study.
** The Tower is so prominent because Paris, like Washington DC, has a strict height limitation in the central city. (It's one of the legacies of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann%27s_renovation_of_Paris Baron Haussmann's enormous renovation of the city in the mid-nineteenth century]].) Due to intensive underground quarrying, the ground under considerable parts of the city is too weak to support really high buildings. Paris does have skyscrapers, but they're concentrated at La Défense, a purpose-built business district in the suburb of Nanterre, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.
* Non-visual example. Lots of movies back establishing shots of [[UsefulNotes/TheMiddleEast Middle Eastern]] cities with the Islamic call-to-prayer chant to establish their Middle Eastern-ness. Also truth in television; for example, UsefulNotes/{{Istanbul}} alone has ''thousands'' of mosques, and the call to prayer can be heard sounding out, five times a day, anywhere in the city.
* UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity used to be instantly recognizable by the Twin Towers. Since 9/11, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, or the UN headquarters building are forced to stand in instead.
** The Art/StatueOfLiberty has been used to establish a New York setting since the very beginning of film.
** New York has several lesser-used but still highly visible landmarks, especially the Washington Memorial Arch (''Film/WhenHarryMetSally''), the Brooklyn Bridge (''Film/TaxiDriver'', ''Film/SpiderMan1''), the Flatiron Building (TV's ''Veronica's Closet'' and ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''), etc.
** There's a reason why Film/{{King Kong|1933}} climbed the Empire State Building.
** Ever since the completion of One World Trade Center, TV shows and movies set in New York have been quick to include it in establishing shots; it won't be long before the tower is cemented in pop culture like its predecessors. Given the historical baggage of its predecessors, though, don't expect to see it be destroyed in movies anytime soon.
* Speaking of newly completed structures, although TokyoTower has cemented its place almost permanently in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}ese pop culture, Tokyo Skytree of UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}} is starting to become a new one, already being featured in multiple works.
** It may not be as noticeable as the above two, but the Rainbow Bridge and Fuji TV headquarters in Odaiba are these to some extent.
* If there's anything that would be synonymous with Japan, that would be Mt. Fuji.
* While UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}'s tallest building is the Willis Tower[[note]]formerly the Sears Tower, and still called that by some insistent locals[[/note]], it's the John Hancock Center that's the city's true "signature" structure.
** But the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Board_of_Trade_Building Board of Trade]] is the ''coolest'' Chicago building...
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_City#In_popular_culture Marina City]] gets used a lot, too. It's sometimes called the "Music/{{Wilco}} Towers" since its appearance on the cover of their album ''Music/YankeeHotelFoxtrot''.
** Buckingham Fountain, aka the ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' fountain, is sometimes used if a non-skyline establishing shot is preferred, as is Cloud Gate (aka "the Bean").
* The Gateway Arch in UsefulNotes/StLouis for Missouri in general. That's what ended up on the back of the Missouri quarter. Kansas City, on the opposite side of the state, is generally represented by one of the many, many, ''many'' fountains in the city, most often the JC Nichols fountain.
* The Golden Gate Bridge in UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco (prevalent in the title credits in ''Series/FullHouse'', for one). You can substitute cable cars for similar effect.
** The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Tower Sutro Tower]] really can be seen from anywhere in San Francisco–-it's a tripod-shaped radio tower much taller than any building, located on the second-highest hill, in the geographical center of the city. Ironically, it almost never appears in film, possibly because it's often regarded as quite ugly, although it was featured in an episode of ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}''.
** The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transamerica_Pyramid Transamerican Pyramid Center]] is also a building that stands out in the city's skyline.
** Also Coit Tower and the "crookedest street in the world" block of Lombard Street.
** Or any photogenic intersection where a nice shot of a passing cable car can be filmed.
** The [[https://polymathically.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/sing-chong-building-san-francisco/ Sing Chong Building]] is frequently used to establish the setting as San Francisco's Chinatown.
* Stockholm, UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}} has a few:
** The most famous one is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_City_Hall City Hall]], visible from much of the inner city. This building is to Stockholm what the Westminster Palace/Big Ben is to London. It even has a signature tune, played by the bells at 12 and 6 pm.
** There's also [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicii_Arena Globen]] (aka Music/{{Avicii}} Arena), a hemispherical ice hockey/entertainment venue, which is currently the largest hemispherical building in the world. When Sweden hosts an ice hockey world championship, it's usually there.
** Usually depicted together with the City Hall and Globen are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hötorgsskraporna Hötorgsskraporna]] (Haymarket Buildings), a row of five high-rise office buildings.
** A lesser one is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaknästornet Kaknästornet]] (the Kaknäs tower), a tall TV tower located on Djurgården.
* For Helsinki, UsefulNotes/{{Finland}} this is the 19th century St. Nicholas' Cathedral. If you do an image search with the city's name, it's literally impossible to not work out which building it is.
* Probably even more visible (though far less spectacular) than the tower in Paris is the Petřínská rozhledna on a hilltop in Prague, a city with few skyscrapers. Unfortunately, despite being higher up than the real Eiffel Tower, it's still not as conspicuous in the skyline as [[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C5%BDi%C5%BEkov_tv_tower_from_far.jpg the world's second ugliest building]].
* UsefulNotes/{{South Africa}}n TV news, when broadcasting from Johannesburg, includes an opening shot of the Hillbrow Tower, even though it's just a radio antenna and the newsroom isn't in there, to establish the location (justified in that it's the tallest building in Africa). Foreign news stories tend to include shots of Table Mountain, which overlooks the country's legislative capital of Cape Town, if an event happened anywhere in South Africa generally. This is sometimes quite funny, as if you were reporting on an event happening in Maine while showing a picture of the Statue of Liberty. Close, but no cigar.
* The Space Needle's entire reason for existence seems to be as a means to set up establishing shots of UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}}. Never mind that the Needle itself is dwarfed by surrounding buildings to such a degree that it ends up looking comically small if not framed well.
** It also stands somewhat apart from the rest of the skyline, another reason for exact framing. As a result, almost every notable photo of the Seattle skyline is shot from a single location: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Park_(Seattle) Kerry Park]]. This often results in the Needle looking much taller on film than it is in real life.
** One of the Seattle area's other iconic landmarks, Mount Rainier, is easily visible from a large portion of Washington State on a clear day.
** Pike Place Market (with the big PUBLIC MARKET CENTER sign and clock) is sometimes used as a secondary establishing landmark.
** Meanwhile, the nearby city of Tacoma has the Tacoma Dome featured in many shots of the city.
* The Oriental Pearl Tower since it's completion in 2004 shows up in nearly every establishing shot of UsefulNotes/{{Shanghai}}.
** Shanghai's skyline is also instantly recognizable by the presence of the World Finance Center "Bottle Opener" building, which was the tallest building in the city until the Shanghai Tower [[https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/01/Shanghai-Tower_Gensler_dezeen_ban.jpg surpassed it in height.]]
* Tian'anmen gate is often used as a establishing shot for UsefulNotes/{{Beijing}}, but as a bit of a subversion, the structure is only visible if you stand next to it. Classical Chinese architecture is rather disdainful of the vertical dimension. Chinese television and movies tend to use the CCTV tower instead.[[note]]When it's not smogged in, anyway[[/note]]
** The Temple of Heaven, or rather the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the central building of the complex, is also used not just to signify Beijing but ''UsefulNotes/{{China}}'' as a whole[[note]]See World Showcase at EPCOT Center[[/note]], even though it, too, is not very visible unless you're in the surrounding park.
* In TaiwaneseSeries, the Taipei 101 building in the country's capital is the tallest building on the island and tends to show up in the background of at least one episode.
* UsefulNotes/{{Los Angeles}} has the US Bank Tower, which is the tallest and usually the most recognizable skyscraper in the city. It's usually shown in establishing shots when the story takes place in Los Angeles, or they'll show the whole skyline if the shot is being taken from one of the many hills.[[note]][[http://jimcorwin.photoshelter.com/image/I0000Z7s.EFYVNFg Especially the view from Mulholland Drive]], with the curving Hollywood Freeway in the foreground[[/note]] Sometimes a shot of the Hollywood sign is used as well/instead. The Hollywood sign is visible throughout most of West LA, but usually as a small white smudge on a big mountain range. It's best viewed -- you guessed it -- in Hollywood.
** Another recognizable LA landmark is the Capitol Records building which isn't very tall, but it is cylindrical to simulate a stack of records.
** For when you want to show the GangstersParadise side of things, shots of the Los Angeles River and the bridges spanning East LA with West LA get shown often. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watts_Towers Watts Towers]] also get used a little.
** You'd never know from TV or movies, but there ''are'' other streets in Beverly Hills besides Rodeo Drive.
* In the ultra-rare instances where you're filming in Salt Lake City ([[CaliforniaDoubling and want the audience to know you're filming in Salt Lake City]]), the Salt Lake Temple, the largest temple of the [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} LDS Church]], will be briefly shown.
* UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}'s main cities are not exempt from this.
** UsefulNotes/MexicoCity has this with the Zócalo, a huge slab of concrete bearing a huge monumental flag, as well as with the Angel of Independence, the Torre Latinoamericana, and the Reform Avenue.
** Guadalajara has this with the cathedral, the Minerva Roundabout, and more recently, the small patch of skyscrapers near Puerta de Hierro in the northwest.
** Monterrey, however, is best represented by the prominent Saddle Hill (Cerro de la Silla).
* California's state capital, Sacramento, as well as West Sacramento, is represented by the Ziggurat building (in West Sacramento) and the Tower Bridge (not [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} that Tower Bridge]]) a golden bridge in Sacramento which crosses the Sacramento River.
* Due to the significant plurality of cultural groups in the {{UsefulNotes/Philippines}}, no one site could represent them if not beyond the capital city Manila's sites (as mentioned in ''Maynila'''s above). The examples, therefore, tend to be very specific to the local regions (and indeed [[JustForFun/TropeOverdosed heavily exploited]] by Philippine tourism advertising).
** The usual candidates, specifically for Manila, would likely be the tower of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_City_Hall Manila City Hall]] or the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizal_Monument Rizal Monument]], the central nexus of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizal_Park Rizal Park]] complex in honor of its national hero Jose Rizal.
** The second (and previous) capital, Quezon City, is usually represented by the tower of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Memorial_Shrine Quezon Memorial Shrine]], built in honor of its eponymous president, Manuel Quezon.
*** A more modern but negative example: Quezon City also is the site of [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Skysuites_Tower the Skysuites Tower]], which can indeed be seen from a very wide radius of the city, even from districts far away (though rather subverted since the tower was halted for construction for several years due to financial corruption, and thus is not yet operational nor prominently featured in local Philippine pop culture.)
** Bicol Region is almost always represented by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayon Mayon Volcano]], which natural cone shape makes it a striking vista.
** The islands of the Visayas region are likeliest to be represented by:
*** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boracay Boracay Island]] (usually for BeachEpisode stories);
*** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boracay the Chocolate Hills]] (for unique nature-shots); or
*** the Leyte-Samar [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juanico_Bridge San Juanico Bridge]], previously the longest sea-crossing bridge before it was surpassed by the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cebu%E2%80%93Cordova_Link_Expressway Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway]].
** Mindanao is likely to be represented by the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marawi_Grand_Mosque Marawi Grand Mosque]], as one of the largest structures representing the [[{{UsefulNotes/Islam}} Islamic ethnic groups]] of the island region. Tragically, it would be a major casualty of the Siege of Marawi in 2017 due to the actions of terrorists affiliated with [[MiddleEasternTerrorists Islamic State]].
* Thousands of UsefulNotes/{{Armenia}}n paintings and photographs would suggest that Mt. Ararat is visible all over the country, when in fact it has to be a really clear day to be able to see it from its capital, Yerevan. And partly due to a long, sad history of horrible luck, Armenia's most iconic landmark isn't even in Armenia anymore but in Turkey.
* Many recent British productions have used [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe the Gherkin]] in establishing montages because of its distinctive architecture. London's tallest tower (as of 2012), [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shard_London_Bridge the Shard]], may be joining it. These are both pretty well-justified examples, as it wasn't until fairly recently that advances in construction techniques enabled true skyscrapers to be built in London's soft ground, and they can be seen from quite a large section of the city.
** In slightly-older works, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Eye London Eye]] serves this purpose.
* As mentioned before, the Great Pyramid of Giza and/or the Sphinx is generally the establishing shot for UsefulNotes/{{Cairo}}, or anywhere else in UsefulNotes/{{Egypt}} for that matter. Egyptian and other Middle Eastern productions tend to use the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Tower Cairo Tower]] or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahrir_Square Tahrir Square]] for Cairo.
** Again, framing matters, since The Pyramids are quite close to Cairo (the oldest parts of Cairo were actually built from the scavenged facade of the Pyramids, and the Sphinx is deteriorating due to the modern city's pollution).
** UsefulNotes/{{Napoleon|Bonaparte}}[='s=] Battle of the Pyramids actually took place about nine miles away from the Pyramids, where they were only faintly visible on the horizon. Napoleon named the battle as such because he was mindful of this trope. Accordingly, most paintings of the battle depict it happening much closer to the Pyramids than it really did.
* Any time UsefulNotes/{{Auckland}}, UsefulNotes/{{New Zealand}} appears, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Tower_(Auckland) Sky Tower]] is guaranteed to be shown. Justified, since it is a 328m (1076ft) structure in a city where there are only two other buildings taller than 150m. Locals sometimes use the tower as a compass, since it can be seen from afar and is to the north from most of the city.
** The Sky Tower was only completed in 1997; before then the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Harbour_Bridge Auckland Harbour Bridge]] or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Tree_Hill,_New_Zealand One Tree Hill/Maungakiekie]] were used.
* The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge Sydney Harbour Bridge]] and the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Opera_House Sydney Opera House]] define urban UsefulNotes/{{Australia}} while [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru Uluru/Ayers Rock]] defines the Outback.
** Even within Australia the Harbour Bridge and Opera House are used to define Sydney since they are such iconic parts of the skyline. Sometimes they will use [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Tower Sydney Tower]] (formerly known as Centrepoint Tower) to change it up.
** As for other cities, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Parliament_House Parliament House]] is used as short hand for Canberra - although often the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Parliament_House,_Canberra old Parliament House]], which is still more recognisable to many Australians 25 years after the switchover - and, more rarely [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_Bridge The Story Bridge]] for Brisbane, though it's mostly seen in news casts.
** Because UsefulNotes/{{Melbourne}} lacks any landmarks of international stature, the go-to iconic image for Melbourne is usually a tram (Melbourne, alone among Australian cities, has an extensive light rail network and in fact the world's largest urban tram network). If the media in question is aimed at Melburnians, expect to see steps at Flinders Street Station or the Arts Centre Tower. And a tram.
* St. Basil's Cathedral is the visual shorthand for UsefulNotes/{{Moscow}} and, to some extent, the entirety of UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}. So in works set during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, the atheistic Soviet Union is ubiquitously represented by [[{{Irony}} a colorful, onion-domed church]]. (The building was turned into a museum under Soviet rule. Today it's a church and museum in one.) And just so everyone is clear on this, St. Basil's Cathedral is ''not'' the Kremlin (which is right next to the cathedral).
* The Christ the Redeemer statue in UsefulNotes/RioDeJaneiro, justified since it stands on a very high mountain top overlooking the city.
** In an interesting subversion, the nearby city of Niterói, tired of being overshadowed by neighbouring Rio de Janeiro, built an "extravagant" landmark of its own. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niter%C3%B3i_Contemporary_Art_Museum Contemporary Art Museum]] has the shape of a flying saucer (think of the Space Needle minus needle, or the Chemosphere house of LA), and every single media appearance of the city has to feature it since - it's even on the city administration logo.
* Whenever something is established to take place in UsefulNotes/{{Cleveland}}, it always includes a shot of the Terminal Tower, the oldest and most distinctive highrise in the city. If not Terminal Tower, you are bound to see an image of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum.
* UsefulNotes/SaintPetersburg, Russia is often represented by the Peter and Paul Fortress or the Winter Palace.
* Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung Square for UsefulNotes/NorthKorea, usually StockFootage of a military parade there.
* A UsefulNotes/{{South Korea}}n example would be the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_Seoul_Tower N Seoul Tower]] of UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}}, also known as the Namsan Tower, atop the Namsan mountain. It is visible at most parts of the city thanks to it's considerable height and since it's construction it has earned a landmark status, being featured in various news stock footages.
** The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namdaemun Sungyemun]], otherwise known as the Namdaemun, is the south castle gate of the Seoul city walls. Live footage of the intersection surrounding the gate is commonly featured as a background of news briefing.
** Although to a lesser extent, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Center_Seoul Trade Tower]] in Gangnam is also used to indicate something happening in the region. The tower was the first thing you saw in the Seoul mission of ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyAdvancedWarfare'' to show the battle going on the region.
* UsefulNotes/LasVegas unsurprisingly has a couple of these:
** First and foremost, the most popular way to establish the city in the media is having the camera pan down the Las Vegas Strip or Fremont Street (they're two different attractions and the Strip is technically outside the city proper) at night with the neon signs blaring.
** Arguably the city's most well-known individual landmark is the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign at the southern end of the Strip. It helps that, unlike the actual casino resorts on the Strip, 1) whose likenesses are privately owned by their respective companies, the "Welcome" sign is in the public domain, and 2) the sign is not a ThemeParkVersion of an actual city such as (appropriately) Paris or New York City.
** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture. Vic has become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point that he has outlived the original casino he was built to promote (it's now a souvenir shop). And like many examples on this page, tourists note that Vic is a lot ''smaller'' in real life than expected, due to how he's framed in films.
* UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} is most often represented by the PPG Place, aka the glass skyscraper that looks like a castle. Before its completion in 1984, the US Steel Building and the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning were popular for this.
* The UsefulNotes/{{Milwaukee}} Art Museum's Quadracci Pavillion (completed and opened in 2001), with it's distinctive "wings" that give it the appearance of a sailboat has become this for Milwaukee. Before then, City Hall was often used (most famously in the opening montage on ''Series/LaverneAndShirley'').
* Ottawa contains no buildings other than Parliament. The Centre Block of Parliament, specifically.
* The big UsefulNotes/{{German|y}} cities are confusing. Either their defining building is rather unseeming/small, or they suffer from having too many to chose from (most often the case). Only some examples are given, since there are simply too many.
** UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}} has so many, it's difficult to make a choice. The most well known are the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_gate Brandenburger Tor]], the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_building Reichstag]] and the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegessäule Siegessäule]]. In the future, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_City_Palace Stadtschloß]], which is currently in reconstruction, could join them. In general, the Reichstag is used for political news and the Brandenburger Tor for the city itself
*** The landmark that can be seen from almost everywhere in the city (and from way outside) is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernsehturm_Berlin TV Tower]], although that wasn't used much until reunification, because it is in former East Berlin.
*** For works set (or made) during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, expect the UsefulNotes/BerlinWall to be used. Typically, it will be the stretch of the Wall which was in front of the Brandenburger Tor, thus putting two recognizable structures into one shot.
** It's somewhat easier for Munich. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Frauenkirche Münchner Frauenkirche]] is so iconic, everyone recognises it right away.
*** Located about 80 miles outside Munich, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle Neuschwanstein Castle]] is an iconic symbol of Bavaria and sometimes even Germany as a whole.
** Cologne has two that are so close together, that they are often seen together. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral Kölner Dom]] is of course the most well-known one of world fame, but the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenzollern_Bridge Hohenzollenbrücke]] right at its feet is also famous.
** The city of UsefulNotes/{{Hamburg}} lost tons of old buildings in WW II, but still retained three that almost everyone recongises at once. The [[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger_Michel Hamburger Michel]] is the most famous one, closely followed by the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg_Rathaus Rathaus]]. The big surprise is the third one, which is the very distinctive [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg_Hauptbahnhof Hamburg Central Station]].
** Dresden is a very interesting case. There was no defining building after WWII (many good ones, but nothing defining) until the reconstruction of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Frauenkirche Frauenkirche]].
*** A more modern defining building for the city is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transparent_Factory Transparent Factory]], a Volkswagen factory whose walls are almost completely made of glass.
** The city of Bremen is an example of something rather small that is defining. The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremen_Roland Bremer Roland]] is mere 5,47 meters high, but is ''the'' sign of the city.
* Major cities in UsefulNotes/{{Texas}} have these:
** San Antonio has The Alamo.
** [[UsefulNotes/DFWMetroplex Dallas]] has the Reunion Tower (the one with the big ball on top).
* The Merlion used to be UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}}'s icon, but this privilege is gradually being taken over by the Marina Bay Sands buildings.
* Whereas there's no consent what the most iconic landmark for UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} is, St Mary's Basilica in Kraków remains the strongest contender (though it's sometimes challenged King Sigismund's Column in Warsaw, mirroring the centuries-long rivalry between the former and the current capital).
** As for Warsaw itself, the Palace of Culture and Science is slowly becoming this. Many people in Poland revile this building for its socialist-realism ugliness and wish it were gone (imagine what would have happened in France had the Eiffel Tower been built by occupiers).
* [[https://polymathically.wordpress.com/2015/06/20/los-arcos-coconuts/ Los Arcos]] in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
* For any tourist, foreign or local, landing in UsefulNotes/{{Manila}}, they would always stop for Rizal Park.
* Akron, Ohio has a few notable buildings and landmarks including the Goodyear Airdock, All American Soap Box Derby, and the Quaker Oats grain silos (a present-day student dormitory) but when the city is represented in media the most likely image you'll see is the Goodyear Blimp.
* Blackpool in Lancashire is usually represented by the Tower, which is a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower. More recently, the Big One (which at launch was the world's tallest roller coaster) is sometimes used.
* A French example outside of Paris is [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Clermont_vu_de_Montjuzet.JPG Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption]], which dominates the skyline of Clermont-Ferrand. While Clermont-Ferrand isn't exactly a common location for films, two of France's all-time classics were shot there and have panorama shots with the cathedral standing out (''Film/TheSorrowAndThePity'' and ''Film/MyNightAtMauds'').
* For UsefulNotes/NewOrleans, showing the French Quarter is mandatory, and showing it during Mardi Gras is strongly encouraged. Jackson Square, with the statue of UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson framed perfectly in front of St. Louis Cathedral, is the secondary choice, and the Superdome also works. And of course, a second line parade with a colorfully-dressed brass band marching in any of those locations doesn't hurt either.
* When UsefulNotes/NorthMacedonia is shown in media and the go-to image is not a statue of Alexander the Great, it will often times be the main square of the capital Skopje, the skyline of the city of Ohrid as seen from the lake, the Macedonium found in the city of Kruschevo, or the main pedestrian street or clock tower of Bitola.
* Spanish examples include for its capital UsefulNotes/{{Madrid}} either Gran Vía, Plaza de Cibeles, Plaza Mayor, or La Puerta de Alcalá and for -to give some examples- Barcelona, Seville, Granada, Zaragoza, Ávila, and Segovia, either La Sagrada Familia or Las Ramblas, either La Giralda or La Torre del Oro, the Alhambra, la Basílica del Pilar, the Walls of Avila, and either the Alcázar or the Aqueduct of Segovia respectively.
* It is absolutely ''compulsory'' for establishing shots of [[UsefulNotes/OtherBritishTownsAndCities Edinburgh]], the Scottish capital, to include footage of the honking great castle on Castle Rock which dominates the city skyline and has done for centuries. Helpfully, it's very photogenic.
* When a media wants to depict Pripyat, an abandoned Soviet/Ukrainian city made (in)famous by the UsefulNotes/{{Chernobyl}} disaster, in addition of the Chernobyl Power Plant itself, it's almost mandatory to also include an establishing shot of the famous ferris wheel in its amusement park. A move popularized by many video games such as ''[[VideoGame/{{Stalker}} S.T.A.L.K.E.R.]]'' and ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare''.
* ''Art/TheMonaLisa'': Want to show someone is in an art museum? Put them in front of the Mona Lisa! This even occurs in cases where the subject is not in the Louvre, nor even in France.
* For UsefulNotes/{{Lisbon}} ''and'' UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}}, both the Belém Tower and ''Padrão dos Descobrimentos'' can qualify.
* The Ka'aba in UsefulNotes/{{Mecca}}, UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia.
* UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC has a thirteen-story height cap[[note]]Well, not precisely. In general, it limits buildings to 130 feet or the width of the street they face plus twenty feet, whichever is less, except that on the north side of Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 1st and 15th Sts. NW--the stretch between TheWhiteHouse and the Capitol--the cap is 160 feet. This amounts to a thirteen-story cap, on average.[[/note]] on buildings within its city limits, so the Washington Monument is at least partly visible throughout a large portion of that city.
** Supposedly some building codes in the area were made for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes.
** Of course the Washington Monument is not the only notable building in media. The White House and Capitol Building are also well-known presences.
* The aforementioned CN Tower is similar to the Washington Monument, but for different reasons. It's not that the buildings in UsefulNotes/{{Toronto}} are especially small, it's just the CN Tower ''really is that huge''. It can even be seen from some points north of the city.
** It can be seen (on a very clear day) in ''Rochester, New York'', which is on the other side of a Great freakin' Lake and in another country.
* In UsefulNotes/{{Paris}} itself this does happen to some degree with the Eiffel Tower, visible from the entire Western half of the city, and to the dismay of many Parisians, it also happens with the Montparnasse tower and the Southern half.
** Some go out of their way to avoid this effect: Novelist Creator/GuyDeMaupassant supposedly ate lunch in the Tower's restaurant every day. When asked why, he answered that, as no big fan of the Tower, it was the one place in Paris where he knew he wouldn't see it.
** Georges Clemenceau also allegedly chose his apartment in the Rue Franklin (in Passy, now a museum) so that he would not have to look at the Eiffel Tower from his study.
** The Tower is so prominent because Paris, like Washington DC, has a strict height limitation in the central city. (It's one of the legacies of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann%27s_renovation_of_Paris Baron Haussmann's enormous renovation of the city in the mid-nineteenth century]].) Due to intensive underground quarrying, the ground under considerable parts of the city is too weak to support really high buildings. Paris does have skyscrapers, but they're concentrated at La Défense, a purpose-built business district in the suburb of Nanterre, at the western end of the Champs-Élysées.
* Non-visual example. Lots of movies back establishing shots of [[UsefulNotes/TheMiddleEast Middle Eastern]] cities with the Islamic call-to-prayer chant to establish their Middle Eastern-ness. Also truth in television; for example, UsefulNotes/{{Istanbul}} alone has ''thousands'' of mosques, and the call to prayer can be heard sounding out, five times a day, anywhere in the city.
* UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity used to be instantly recognizable by the Twin Towers. Since 9/11, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Statue of Liberty, or the UN headquarters building are forced to stand in instead.
** The Art/StatueOfLiberty has been used to establish a New York setting since the very beginning of film.
** New York has several lesser-used but still highly visible landmarks, especially the Washington Memorial Arch (''Film/WhenHarryMetSally''), the Brooklyn Bridge (''Film/TaxiDriver'', ''Film/SpiderMan1''), the Flatiron Building (TV's ''Veronica's Closet'' and ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''), etc.
** There's a reason why Film/{{King Kong|1933}} climbed the Empire State Building.
** Ever since the completion of One World Trade Center, TV shows and movies set in New York have been quick to include it in establishing shots; it won't be long before the tower is cemented in pop culture like its predecessors. Given the historical baggage of its predecessors, though, don't expect to see it be destroyed in movies anytime soon.
* Speaking of newly completed structures, although TokyoTower has cemented its place almost permanently in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}ese pop culture, Tokyo Skytree of UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}} is starting to become a new one, already being featured in multiple works.
** It may not be as noticeable as the above two, but the Rainbow Bridge and Fuji TV headquarters in Odaiba are these to some extent.
* If there's anything that would be synonymous with Japan, that would be Mt. Fuji.
* While UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}'s tallest building is the Willis Tower[[note]]formerly the Sears Tower, and still called that by some insistent locals[[/note]], it's the John Hancock Center that's the city's true "signature" structure.
** But the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Board_of_Trade_Building Board of Trade]] is the ''coolest'' Chicago building...
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_City#In_popular_culture Marina City]] gets used a lot, too. It's sometimes called the "Music/{{Wilco}} Towers" since its appearance on the cover of their album ''Music/YankeeHotelFoxtrot''.
** Buckingham Fountain, aka the ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' fountain, is sometimes used if a non-skyline establishing shot is preferred, as is Cloud Gate (aka "the Bean").
* The Gateway Arch in UsefulNotes/StLouis for Missouri in general. That's what ended up on the back of the Missouri quarter. Kansas City, on the opposite side of the state, is generally represented by one of the many, many, ''many'' fountains in the city, most often the JC Nichols fountain.
* The Golden Gate Bridge in UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco (prevalent in the title credits in ''Series/FullHouse'', for one). You can substitute cable cars for similar effect.
** The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutro_Tower Sutro Tower]] really can be seen from anywhere in San Francisco–-it's a tripod-shaped radio tower much taller than any building, located on the second-highest hill, in the geographical center of the city. Ironically, it almost never appears in film, possibly because it's often regarded as quite ugly, although it was featured in an episode of ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}''.
** The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transamerica_Pyramid Transamerican Pyramid Center]] is also a building that stands out in the city's skyline.
** Also Coit Tower and the "crookedest street in the world" block of Lombard Street.
** Or any photogenic intersection where a nice shot of a passing cable car can be filmed.
** The [[https://polymathically.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/sing-chong-building-san-francisco/ Sing Chong Building]] is frequently used to establish the setting as San Francisco's Chinatown.
* Stockholm, UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}} has a few:
** The most famous one is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_City_Hall City Hall]], visible from much of the inner city. This building is to Stockholm what the Westminster Palace/Big Ben is to London. It even has a signature tune, played by the bells at 12 and 6 pm.
** There's also [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avicii_Arena Globen]] (aka Music/{{Avicii}} Arena), a hemispherical ice hockey/entertainment venue, which is currently the largest hemispherical building in the world. When Sweden hosts an ice hockey world championship, it's usually there.
** Usually depicted together with the City Hall and Globen are [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hötorgsskraporna Hötorgsskraporna]] (Haymarket Buildings), a row of five high-rise office buildings.
** A lesser one is [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaknästornet Kaknästornet]] (the Kaknäs tower), a tall TV tower located on Djurgården.
* For Helsinki, UsefulNotes/{{Finland}} this is the 19th century St. Nicholas' Cathedral. If you do an image search with the city's name, it's literally impossible to not work out which building it is.
* Probably even more visible (though far less spectacular) than the tower in Paris is the Petřínská rozhledna on a hilltop in Prague, a city with few skyscrapers. Unfortunately, despite being higher up than the real Eiffel Tower, it's still not as conspicuous in the skyline as [[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C5%BDi%C5%BEkov_tv_tower_from_far.jpg the world's second ugliest building]].
* UsefulNotes/{{South Africa}}n TV news, when broadcasting from Johannesburg, includes an opening shot of the Hillbrow Tower, even though it's just a radio antenna and the newsroom isn't in there, to establish the location (justified in that it's the tallest building in Africa). Foreign news stories tend to include shots of Table Mountain, which overlooks the country's legislative capital of Cape Town, if an event happened anywhere in South Africa generally. This is sometimes quite funny, as if you were reporting on an event happening in Maine while showing a picture of the Statue of Liberty. Close, but no cigar.
* The Space Needle's entire reason for existence seems to be as a means to set up establishing shots of UsefulNotes/{{Seattle}}. Never mind that the Needle itself is dwarfed by surrounding buildings to such a degree that it ends up looking comically small if not framed well.
** It also stands somewhat apart from the rest of the skyline, another reason for exact framing. As a result, almost every notable photo of the Seattle skyline is shot from a single location: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Park_(Seattle) Kerry Park]]. This often results in the Needle looking much taller on film than it is in real life.
** One of the Seattle area's other iconic landmarks, Mount Rainier, is easily visible from a large portion of Washington State on a clear day.
** Pike Place Market (with the big PUBLIC MARKET CENTER sign and clock) is sometimes used as a secondary establishing landmark.
** Meanwhile, the nearby city of Tacoma has the Tacoma Dome featured in many shots of the city.
* The Oriental Pearl Tower since it's completion in 2004 shows up in nearly every establishing shot of UsefulNotes/{{Shanghai}}.
** Shanghai's skyline is also instantly recognizable by the presence of the World Finance Center "Bottle Opener" building, which was the tallest building in the city until the Shanghai Tower [[https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2016/01/Shanghai-Tower_Gensler_dezeen_ban.jpg surpassed it in height.]]
* Tian'anmen gate is often used as a establishing shot for UsefulNotes/{{Beijing}}, but as a bit of a subversion, the structure is only visible if you stand next to it. Classical Chinese architecture is rather disdainful of the vertical dimension. Chinese television and movies tend to use the CCTV tower instead.[[note]]When it's not smogged in, anyway[[/note]]
** The Temple of Heaven, or rather the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the central building of the complex, is also used not just to signify Beijing but ''UsefulNotes/{{China}}'' as a whole[[note]]See World Showcase at EPCOT Center[[/note]], even though it, too, is not very visible unless you're in the surrounding park.
* In TaiwaneseSeries, the Taipei 101 building in the country's capital is the tallest building on the island and tends to show up in the background of at least one episode.
* UsefulNotes/{{Los Angeles}} has the US Bank Tower, which is the tallest and usually the most recognizable skyscraper in the city. It's usually shown in establishing shots when the story takes place in Los Angeles, or they'll show the whole skyline if the shot is being taken from one of the many hills.[[note]][[http://jimcorwin.photoshelter.com/image/I0000Z7s.EFYVNFg Especially the view from Mulholland Drive]], with the curving Hollywood Freeway in the foreground[[/note]] Sometimes a shot of the Hollywood sign is used as well/instead. The Hollywood sign is visible throughout most of West LA, but usually as a small white smudge on a big mountain range. It's best viewed -- you guessed it -- in Hollywood.
** Another recognizable LA landmark is the Capitol Records building which isn't very tall, but it is cylindrical to simulate a stack of records.
** For when you want to show the GangstersParadise side of things, shots of the Los Angeles River and the bridges spanning East LA with West LA get shown often. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watts_Towers Watts Towers]] also get used a little.
** You'd never know from TV or movies, but there ''are'' other streets in Beverly Hills besides Rodeo Drive.
* In the ultra-rare instances where you're filming in Salt Lake City ([[CaliforniaDoubling and want the audience to know you're filming in Salt Lake City]]), the Salt Lake Temple, the largest temple of the [[UsefulNotes/{{Mormonism}} LDS Church]], will be briefly shown.
* UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}'s main cities are not exempt from this.
** UsefulNotes/MexicoCity has this with the Zócalo, a huge slab of concrete bearing a huge monumental flag, as well as with the Angel of Independence, the Torre Latinoamericana, and the Reform Avenue.
** Guadalajara has this with the cathedral, the Minerva Roundabout, and more recently, the small patch of skyscrapers near Puerta de Hierro in the northwest.
** Monterrey, however, is best represented by the prominent Saddle Hill (Cerro de la Silla).
* California's state capital, Sacramento, as well as West Sacramento, is represented by the Ziggurat building (in West Sacramento) and the Tower Bridge (not [[UsefulNotes/{{London}} that Tower Bridge]]) a golden bridge in Sacramento which crosses the Sacramento River.
* Due to the significant plurality of cultural groups in the {{UsefulNotes/Philippines}}, no one site could represent them if not beyond the capital city Manila's sites (as mentioned in ''Maynila'''s above). The examples, therefore, tend to be very specific to the local regions (and indeed [[JustForFun/TropeOverdosed heavily exploited]] by Philippine tourism advertising).
** The usual candidates, specifically for Manila, would likely be the tower of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_City_Hall Manila City Hall]] or the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizal_Monument Rizal Monument]], the central nexus of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rizal_Park Rizal Park]] complex in honor of its national hero Jose Rizal.
** The second (and previous) capital, Quezon City, is usually represented by the tower of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Memorial_Shrine Quezon Memorial Shrine]], built in honor of its eponymous president, Manuel Quezon.
*** A more modern but negative example: Quezon City also is the site of [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Skysuites_Tower the Skysuites Tower]], which can indeed be seen from a very wide radius of the city, even from districts far away (though rather subverted since the tower was halted for construction for several years due to financial corruption, and thus is not yet operational nor prominently featured in local Philippine pop culture.)
** Bicol Region is almost always represented by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayon Mayon Volcano]], which natural cone shape makes it a striking vista.
** The islands of the Visayas region are likeliest to be represented by:
*** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boracay Boracay Island]] (usually for BeachEpisode stories);
*** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boracay the Chocolate Hills]] (for unique nature-shots); or
*** the Leyte-Samar [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juanico_Bridge San Juanico Bridge]], previously the longest sea-crossing bridge before it was surpassed by the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cebu%E2%80%93Cordova_Link_Expressway Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway]].
** Mindanao is likely to be represented by the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marawi_Grand_Mosque Marawi Grand Mosque]], as one of the largest structures representing the [[{{UsefulNotes/Islam}} Islamic ethnic groups]] of the island region. Tragically, it would be a major casualty of the Siege of Marawi in 2017 due to the actions of terrorists affiliated with [[MiddleEasternTerrorists Islamic State]].
* Thousands of UsefulNotes/{{Armenia}}n paintings and photographs would suggest that Mt. Ararat is visible all over the country, when in fact it has to be a really clear day to be able to see it from its capital, Yerevan. And partly due to a long, sad history of horrible luck, Armenia's most iconic landmark isn't even in Armenia anymore but in Turkey.
* Many recent British productions have used [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_St_Mary_Axe the Gherkin]] in establishing montages because of its distinctive architecture. London's tallest tower (as of 2012), [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shard_London_Bridge the Shard]], may be joining it. These are both pretty well-justified examples, as it wasn't until fairly recently that advances in construction techniques enabled true skyscrapers to be built in London's soft ground, and they can be seen from quite a large section of the city.
** In slightly-older works, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Eye London Eye]] serves this purpose.
* As mentioned before, the Great Pyramid of Giza and/or the Sphinx is generally the establishing shot for UsefulNotes/{{Cairo}}, or anywhere else in UsefulNotes/{{Egypt}} for that matter. Egyptian and other Middle Eastern productions tend to use the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Tower Cairo Tower]] or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahrir_Square Tahrir Square]] for Cairo.
** Again, framing matters, since The Pyramids are quite close to Cairo (the oldest parts of Cairo were actually built from the scavenged facade of the Pyramids, and the Sphinx is deteriorating due to the modern city's pollution).
** UsefulNotes/{{Napoleon|Bonaparte}}[='s=] Battle of the Pyramids actually took place about nine miles away from the Pyramids, where they were only faintly visible on the horizon. Napoleon named the battle as such because he was mindful of this trope. Accordingly, most paintings of the battle depict it happening much closer to the Pyramids than it really did.
* Any time UsefulNotes/{{Auckland}}, UsefulNotes/{{New Zealand}} appears, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Tower_(Auckland) Sky Tower]] is guaranteed to be shown. Justified, since it is a 328m (1076ft) structure in a city where there are only two other buildings taller than 150m. Locals sometimes use the tower as a compass, since it can be seen from afar and is to the north from most of the city.
** The Sky Tower was only completed in 1997; before then the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auckland_Harbour_Bridge Auckland Harbour Bridge]] or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Tree_Hill,_New_Zealand One Tree Hill/Maungakiekie]] were used.
* The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge Sydney Harbour Bridge]] and the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Opera_House Sydney Opera House]] define urban UsefulNotes/{{Australia}} while [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru Uluru/Ayers Rock]] defines the Outback.
** Even within Australia the Harbour Bridge and Opera House are used to define Sydney since they are such iconic parts of the skyline. Sometimes they will use [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Tower Sydney Tower]] (formerly known as Centrepoint Tower) to change it up.
** As for other cities, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Parliament_House Parliament House]] is used as short hand for Canberra - although often the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Parliament_House,_Canberra old Parliament House]], which is still more recognisable to many Australians 25 years after the switchover - and, more rarely [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Story_Bridge The Story Bridge]] for Brisbane, though it's mostly seen in news casts.
** Because UsefulNotes/{{Melbourne}} lacks any landmarks of international stature, the go-to iconic image for Melbourne is usually a tram (Melbourne, alone among Australian cities, has an extensive light rail network and in fact the world's largest urban tram network). If the media in question is aimed at Melburnians, expect to see steps at Flinders Street Station or the Arts Centre Tower. And a tram.
* St. Basil's Cathedral is the visual shorthand for UsefulNotes/{{Moscow}} and, to some extent, the entirety of UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}. So in works set during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, the atheistic Soviet Union is ubiquitously represented by [[{{Irony}} a colorful, onion-domed church]]. (The building was turned into a museum under Soviet rule. Today it's a church and museum in one.) And just so everyone is clear on this, St. Basil's Cathedral is ''not'' the Kremlin (which is right next to the cathedral).
* The Christ the Redeemer statue in UsefulNotes/RioDeJaneiro, justified since it stands on a very high mountain top overlooking the city.
** In an interesting subversion, the nearby city of Niterói, tired of being overshadowed by neighbouring Rio de Janeiro, built an "extravagant" landmark of its own. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niter%C3%B3i_Contemporary_Art_Museum Contemporary Art Museum]] has the shape of a flying saucer (think of the Space Needle minus needle, or the Chemosphere house of LA), and every single media appearance of the city has to feature it since - it's even on the city administration logo.
* Whenever something is established to take place in UsefulNotes/{{Cleveland}}, it always includes a shot of the Terminal Tower, the oldest and most distinctive highrise in the city. If not Terminal Tower, you are bound to see an image of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum.
* UsefulNotes/SaintPetersburg, Russia is often represented by the Peter and Paul Fortress or the Winter Palace.
* Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung Square for UsefulNotes/NorthKorea, usually StockFootage of a military parade there.
* A UsefulNotes/{{South Korea}}n example would be the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_Seoul_Tower N Seoul Tower]] of UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}}, also known as the Namsan Tower, atop the Namsan mountain. It is visible at most parts of the city thanks to it's considerable height and since it's construction it has earned a landmark status, being featured in various news stock footages.
** The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namdaemun Sungyemun]], otherwise known as the Namdaemun, is the south castle gate of the Seoul city walls. Live footage of the intersection surrounding the gate is commonly featured as a background of news briefing.
** Although to a lesser extent, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Center_Seoul Trade Tower]] in Gangnam is also used to indicate something happening in the region. The tower was the first thing you saw in the Seoul mission of ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyAdvancedWarfare'' to show the battle going on the region.
* UsefulNotes/LasVegas unsurprisingly has a couple of these:
** First and foremost, the most popular way to establish the city in the media is having the camera pan down the Las Vegas Strip or Fremont Street (they're two different attractions and the Strip is technically outside the city proper) at night with the neon signs blaring.
** Arguably the city's most well-known individual landmark is the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" sign at the southern end of the Strip. It helps that, unlike the actual casino resorts on the Strip, 1) whose likenesses are privately owned by their respective companies, the "Welcome" sign is in the public domain, and 2) the sign is not a ThemeParkVersion of an actual city such as (appropriately) Paris or New York City.
** "Vegas Vic," the neon cowboy fixture. Vic has become a symbol of Las Vegas to the point that he has outlived the original casino he was built to promote (it's now a souvenir shop). And like many examples on this page, tourists note that Vic is a lot ''smaller'' in real life than expected, due to how he's framed in films.
* UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}} is most often represented by the PPG Place, aka the glass skyscraper that looks like a castle. Before its completion in 1984, the US Steel Building and the University of Pittsburgh's Cathedral of Learning were popular for this.
* The UsefulNotes/{{Milwaukee}} Art Museum's Quadracci Pavillion (completed and opened in 2001), with it's distinctive "wings" that give it the appearance of a sailboat has become this for Milwaukee. Before then, City Hall was often used (most famously in the opening montage on ''Series/LaverneAndShirley'').
* Ottawa contains no buildings other than Parliament. The Centre Block of Parliament, specifically.
* The big UsefulNotes/{{German|y}} cities are confusing. Either their defining building is rather unseeming/small, or they suffer from having too many to chose from (most often the case). Only some examples are given, since there are simply too many.
** UsefulNotes/{{Berlin}} has so many, it's difficult to make a choice. The most well known are the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_gate Brandenburger Tor]], the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_building Reichstag]] and the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegessäule Siegessäule]]. In the future, the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_City_Palace Stadtschloß]], which is currently in reconstruction, could join them. In general, the Reichstag is used for political news and the Brandenburger Tor for the city itself
*** The landmark that can be seen from almost everywhere in the city (and from way outside) is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernsehturm_Berlin TV Tower]], although that wasn't used much until reunification, because it is in former East Berlin.
*** For works set (or made) during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, expect the UsefulNotes/BerlinWall to be used. Typically, it will be the stretch of the Wall which was in front of the Brandenburger Tor, thus putting two recognizable structures into one shot.
** It's somewhat easier for Munich. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Frauenkirche Münchner Frauenkirche]] is so iconic, everyone recognises it right away.
*** Located about 80 miles outside Munich, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle Neuschwanstein Castle]] is an iconic symbol of Bavaria and sometimes even Germany as a whole.
** Cologne has two that are so close together, that they are often seen together. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_Cathedral Kölner Dom]] is of course the most well-known one of world fame, but the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenzollern_Bridge Hohenzollenbrücke]] right at its feet is also famous.
** The city of UsefulNotes/{{Hamburg}} lost tons of old buildings in WW II, but still retained three that almost everyone recongises at once. The [[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger_Michel Hamburger Michel]] is the most famous one, closely followed by the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg_Rathaus Rathaus]]. The big surprise is the third one, which is the very distinctive [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg_Hauptbahnhof Hamburg Central Station]].
** Dresden is a very interesting case. There was no defining building after WWII (many good ones, but nothing defining) until the reconstruction of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Frauenkirche Frauenkirche]].
*** A more modern defining building for the city is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transparent_Factory Transparent Factory]], a Volkswagen factory whose walls are almost completely made of glass.
** The city of Bremen is an example of something rather small that is defining. The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremen_Roland Bremer Roland]] is mere 5,47 meters high, but is ''the'' sign of the city.
* Major cities in UsefulNotes/{{Texas}} have these:
** San Antonio has The Alamo.
** [[UsefulNotes/DFWMetroplex Dallas]] has the Reunion Tower (the one with the big ball on top).
* The Merlion used to be UsefulNotes/{{Singapore}}'s icon, but this privilege is gradually being taken over by the Marina Bay Sands buildings.
* Whereas there's no consent what the most iconic landmark for UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} is, St Mary's Basilica in Kraków remains the strongest contender (though it's sometimes challenged King Sigismund's Column in Warsaw, mirroring the centuries-long rivalry between the former and the current capital).
** As for Warsaw itself, the Palace of Culture and Science is slowly becoming this. Many people in Poland revile this building for its socialist-realism ugliness and wish it were gone (imagine what would have happened in France had the Eiffel Tower been built by occupiers).
* [[https://polymathically.wordpress.com/2015/06/20/los-arcos-coconuts/ Los Arcos]] in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
* For any tourist, foreign or local, landing in UsefulNotes/{{Manila}}, they would always stop for Rizal Park.
* Akron, Ohio has a few notable buildings and landmarks including the Goodyear Airdock, All American Soap Box Derby, and the Quaker Oats grain silos (a present-day student dormitory) but when the city is represented in media the most likely image you'll see is the Goodyear Blimp.
* Blackpool in Lancashire is usually represented by the Tower, which is a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower. More recently, the Big One (which at launch was the world's tallest roller coaster) is sometimes used.
* A French example outside of Paris is [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Clermont_vu_de_Montjuzet.JPG Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption]], which dominates the skyline of Clermont-Ferrand. While Clermont-Ferrand isn't exactly a common location for films, two of France's all-time classics were shot there and have panorama shots with the cathedral standing out (''Film/TheSorrowAndThePity'' and ''Film/MyNightAtMauds'').
* For UsefulNotes/NewOrleans, showing the French Quarter is mandatory, and showing it during Mardi Gras is strongly encouraged. Jackson Square, with the statue of UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson framed perfectly in front of St. Louis Cathedral, is the secondary choice, and the Superdome also works. And of course, a second line parade with a colorfully-dressed brass band marching in any of those locations doesn't hurt either.
* When UsefulNotes/NorthMacedonia is shown in media and the go-to image is not a statue of Alexander the Great, it will often times be the main square of the capital Skopje, the skyline of the city of Ohrid as seen from the lake, the Macedonium found in the city of Kruschevo, or the main pedestrian street or clock tower of Bitola.
* Spanish examples include for its capital UsefulNotes/{{Madrid}} either Gran Vía, Plaza de Cibeles, Plaza Mayor, or La Puerta de Alcalá and for -to give some examples- Barcelona, Seville, Granada, Zaragoza, Ávila, and Segovia, either La Sagrada Familia or Las Ramblas, either La Giralda or La Torre del Oro, the Alhambra, la Basílica del Pilar, the Walls of Avila, and either the Alcázar or the Aqueduct of Segovia respectively.
* It is absolutely ''compulsory'' for establishing shots of [[UsefulNotes/OtherBritishTownsAndCities Edinburgh]], the Scottish capital, to include footage of the honking great castle on Castle Rock which dominates the city skyline and has done for centuries. Helpfully, it's very photogenic.
* When a media wants to depict Pripyat, an abandoned Soviet/Ukrainian city made (in)famous by the UsefulNotes/{{Chernobyl}} disaster, in addition of the Chernobyl Power Plant itself, it's almost mandatory to also include an establishing shot of the famous ferris wheel in its amusement park. A move popularized by many video games such as ''[[VideoGame/{{Stalker}} S.T.A.L.K.E.R.]]'' and ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare''.
* ''Art/TheMonaLisa'': Want to show someone is in an art museum? Put them in front of the Mona Lisa! This even occurs in cases where the subject is not in the Louvre, nor even in France.
* For UsefulNotes/{{Lisbon}} ''and'' UsefulNotes/{{Portugal}}, both the Belém Tower and ''Padrão dos Descobrimentos'' can qualify.
* The Ka'aba in UsefulNotes/{{Mecca}}, UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia.
