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About 12 km (7½ miles) south of Phnom Penh lie the infamous Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Here victims of the Khmer Rouge, including many from Tuol Sleng, were taken for execution and burial in mass graves. Many of these have now been exhumed, and a stupa-shaped mausoleum has been erected to their memory.<br/><br/> The Khmer Rouge, or Communist Party of Kampuchea, ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan. It is remembered primarily for its brutality and policy of social engineering which resulted in millions of deaths. Its attempts at agricultural reform led to widespread famine, while its insistence on absolute self-sufficiency, even in the supply of medicine, led to the deaths of thousands from treatable diseases (such as malaria). Brutal and arbitrary executions and torture carried out by its cadres against perceived subversive elements, or during purges of its own ranks between 1976 and 1978, are considered to have constituted a genocide. Several former Khmer Rouge cadres are currently on trial for war crimes in Phnom Penh.
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis.<br/><br/> Thought to have started in China, it travelled along the Silk Road and reached the Crimea by 1346. From there, probably carried by Oriental rat fleas living on the black rats that were regular passengers on merchant ships, it spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe.<br/><br/> The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30–60 percent of Europe's population, reducing the world's population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in the 14th century.<br/><br/> The aftermath of the plague created a series of religious, social and economic upheavals, which had profound effects on the course of European history. It took 150 years for Europe's population to recover. The plague returned at various times, killing more people, until it died out in Europe in the 19th century.
Oracle bones (Chinese: jiagu) are pieces of ox scapula or turtle plastron, which were used for pyromancy – a form of divination – in ancient China, mainly during the late Shang dynasty. Scapulimancy is the correct term if ox scapulae were used for the divination; plastromancy if turtle plastrons were used.<br/><br/> The oracle bones bear the earliest known significant corpus of ancient Chinese writing and contain important historical information such as the complete royal genealogy of the Shang dynasty. When they were discovered and deciphered in the early twentieth century, these records confirmed the existence of the Shang, which some scholars had until then doubted.
Warwick Goble (22 November 1862 – 22 January 1943) was an illustrator of children's books. He specialized in Orientalist and Indian themes.<br/><br/> Goble was born in Dalston, north London, the son of a commercial traveller, and educated and trained at the City of London School and the Westminster School of Art. He worked for a printer specializing in chromolithography and contributed to the Pall Mall Gazette and the Westminster Gazette.<br/><br/> In 1909, he became resident gift book illustrator for MacMillan and produced illustrations for <i>The Water Babies</i>, <i>Green Willow, and Other Japanese Fairy Tales</i>, <i>The Complete Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer</i>, <i>Stories from the Pentamerone</i>, <i>Folk Tales of Bengal</i>, <i>The Fairy Book</i>, and <i>The Book of Fairy Poetry</i>.
Kumarajiva, (Chinese:Jjiumoluoshi; 344 CE – 413 CE) was a Kuchean (Kucha, Kuqa) Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator. He first studied teachings of the Sarvastivada schools, later studied under Buddhasvamin, and finally became a Mahāyāna adherent, studying the Madhyamaka doctrine of Nagarjuna. He settled in Chang'an (modern Xi'an). He is mostly remembered for the prolific translation of Buddhist texts written in Sanskrit to Chinese he carried out during his later life.<br/><br/> Wuwei has a population of around 500,000, mainly Han Chinese, but with visible numbers of Hui as well as Mongols and Tibetans. In earlier times it was called Liangzhou. Dominating the eastern end of the Hexi Corridor, it has long played a significant role on this major trade route.<br/><br/> Wuwei’s most famous historic artefact, the celebrated Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) bronze horse known as the Flying Horse of Gansu, was discovered here in a tomb beneath Leitai Temple (Leitai Si) in the north part of town. Although the original is now on display in the Gansu Provincial Museum at Lanzhou, the horse’s likeness – depicted at an elegant, flying gallop, with one hoof briefly resting on the head of a flying swallow – is everywhere to be seen, most notably at the centre of Wuwei’s downtown Wenhua Square.
Kumarajiva, (Chinese:Jjiumoluoshi; 344 CE – 413 CE) was a Kuchean (Kucha, Kuqa) Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator. He first studied teachings of the Sarvastivada schools, later studied under Buddhasvamin, and finally became a Mahāyāna adherent, studying the Madhyamaka doctrine of Nagarjuna. He settled in Chang'an (modern Xi'an). He is mostly remembered for the prolific translation of Buddhist texts written in Sanskrit to Chinese he carried out during his later life.<br/><br/> Wuwei has a population of around 500,000, mainly Han Chinese, but with visible numbers of Hui as well as Mongols and Tibetans. In earlier times it was called Liangzhou. Dominating the eastern end of the Hexi Corridor, it has long played a significant role on this major trade route.<br/><br/> Wuwei’s most famous historic artefact, the celebrated Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) bronze horse known as the Flying Horse of Gansu, was discovered here in a tomb beneath Leitai Temple (Leitai Si) in the north part of town. Although the original is now on display in the Gansu Provincial Museum at Lanzhou, the horse’s likeness – depicted at an elegant, flying gallop, with one hoof briefly resting on the head of a flying swallow – is everywhere to be seen, most notably at the centre of Wuwei’s downtown Wenhua Square.
Ifugao is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Covering a total land area of 262,820 hectares, the province of Ifugao is located in a mountainous region characterized by rugged terrain, river valleys, and massive forests. Its capital is Lagawe and borders Benguet to the west, Mountain Province to the north, Isabela to the east, and Nueva Vizcaya to the south.<br/><br/> The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras and Banaue Rice Terraces are the main tourist attractions in the province. These 2000-year-old terraces were carved into the mountains, without the aid of machinery, to provide level steps where the native Ifugao people can plant rice. In 1995, they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<br/><br/> Ifugao culture revolves around rice, which is considered a prestige crop. There is an elaborate and complex array of rice culture feasts inextricably linked with taboos and intricate agricultural rites, from rice cultivation to rice consumption. Harvest season calls for grandiose thanksgiving feasts, while the concluding harvest rites 'tungo' or 'tungul' (the day of rest) entail a strict taboo of any agricultural work. Partaking of rice wine (bayah), rice cakes, and moma (a mixture of several herbs, powdered snail shell and betel nut/ arecoline: and acts as a chewing gum to the Ifugaos) is an indelible practice during the festivities and ritual activities.
Oracle bone inscriptions (Chinese: 甲骨; pinyin: jiǎgǔ) are the ancient Chinese characters carved on animal scapulas (shoulder blades) or turtle plastron (underside).<br/><br/> The oracle bone inscriptions were mainly used for divination and keeping records of events that happened in the late Shang Dynasty (c. 1300 - 1050 BCE).<br/><br/> Before the discovery of the oracle bone inscriptions, the major historical records of the Shang Dynasty were based on the Shiji (Historical Records) of Sima Qian (司馬遷), who lived in the days of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 25) and is generally regarded as the father of Chinese historiography.<br/><br/> However, the lack of archaeological evidence caused many scholars to doubt the reliability and credibility of this account. The discovery of oracle bone inscriptions provided the first scientific verification of Sima Qian's historiography and proves the existence of the former Shang Dynasty.
Oracle bone inscriptions (Chinese: 甲骨; pinyin: jiǎgǔ) are the ancient Chinese characters carved on animal scapulas (shoulder blades) or turtle plastron (underside).<br/><br/> The oracle bone inscriptions were mainly used for divination and keeping records of events that happened in the late Shang Dynasty (c. 1300 - 1050 BCE).<br/><br/> Before the discovery of the oracle bone inscriptions, the major historical records of the Shang Dynasty were based on the Shiji (Historical Records) of Sima Qian (司馬遷), who lived in the days of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 25) and is generally regarded as the father of Chinese historiography.<br/><br/> However, the lack of archaeological evidence caused many scholars to doubt the reliability and credibility of this account. The discovery of oracle bone inscriptions provided the first scientific verification of Sima Qian's historiography and proves the existence of the former Shang Dynasty.
On May 27, 1948, Nguyễn Văn Xuân, then President of the Republic of Cochinchina, became President of the rightist Provisional Central Government of Vietnam (Thủ tướng lâm thời) following the merging of the government of Cochin China and Vietnam. Nguyễn Văn Xuân later went into exile in France, where he died in 1989.
Oracle bone inscriptions (Chinese: 甲骨; pinyin: jiǎgǔ) are the ancient Chinese characters carved on animal scapulas (shoulder blades) or turtle plastron (underside).<br/><br/> The oracle bone inscriptions were mainly used for divination and keeping records of events that happened in the late Shang Dynasty (c. 1300 - 1050 BCE).<br/><br/> Before the discovery of the oracle bone inscriptions, the major historical records of the Shang Dynasty were based on the Shiji (Historical Records) of Sima Qian (司馬遷), who lived in the days of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 25) and is generally regarded as the father of Chinese historiography.<br/><br/> However, the lack of archaeological evidence caused many scholars to doubt the reliability and credibility of this account. The discovery of oracle bone inscriptions provided the first scientific verification of Sima Qian's historiography and proves the existence of the former Shang Dynasty.
The Second Sino-Japanese War is usually dated from 1937 to Japan's final defeat in 1945, but in fact Japan and China had been in a state of undeclared war from the time of the Mukden Incident in 1931 when Japan seized Manchuria and set up the puppet state of Manchukuo. The Japanese installed the former Qing Emperor Puyi as Head of State in 1932, and two years later he was declared Emperor of Manchukuo with the era name of Kangde ('Tranquility and Virtue'). Manchukuo would remain in Japanese hands until the Red Army swept across the frontier from the Soviet Union in 1945, at the end of the Second World War, and routed the Japanese in several weeks of bitter fighting.
Kumarajiva, (Chinese:Jjiumoluoshi; 344 CE – 413 CE) was a Kuchean (Kucha, Kuqa) Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator. He first studied teachings of the Sarvastivada schools, later studied under Buddhasvamin, and finally became a Mahāyāna adherent, studying the Madhyamaka doctrine of Nagarjuna. He settled in Chang'an (modern Xi'an). He is mostly remembered for the prolific translation of Buddhist texts written in Sanskrit to Chinese he carried out during his later life.<br/><br/> Wuwei has a population of around 500,000, mainly Han Chinese, but with visible numbers of Hui as well as Mongols and Tibetans. In earlier times it was called Liangzhou. Dominating the eastern end of the Hexi Corridor, it has long played a significant role on this major trade route.<br/><br/> Wuwei’s most famous historic artefact, the celebrated Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) bronze horse known as the Flying Horse of Gansu, was discovered here in a tomb beneath Leitai Temple (Leitai Si) in the north part of town. Although the original is now on display in the Gansu Provincial Museum at Lanzhou, the horse’s likeness – depicted at an elegant, flying gallop, with one hoof briefly resting on the head of a flying swallow – is everywhere to be seen, most notably at the centre of Wuwei’s downtown Wenhua Square.
Anatomical drawing of a male body showing the bones and organs. Tibet - Early 20th century Thangka, Gouache on paper.<br/><br/> Tibetan medicine or <i>Sowa-Rigpa</i> ('Healing Science') is a centuries-old traditional medical system that employs a complex approach to diagnosis, incorporating techniques such as pulse analysis and urinalysis, and utilizes behavior and dietary modification, medicines composed of natural materials (e.g., herbs and minerals) and physical therapies (e.g. Tibetan acupuncture, moxabustion, etc.) to treat illness.<br/><br/> The Tibetan medical system is based upon a synthesis of the Indian (Ayurveda), Persian (Unani), Greek, indigenous Tibetan, and Chinese medical systems, and it continues to be practiced in Tibet, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Ladakh, Siberia, China and Mongolia, as well as more recently in parts of Europe and North America. It embraces the traditional Buddhist belief that all illness ultimately results from the 'three poisons' of the mind: ignorance, attachment and aversion.
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India (particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Dharamsala, Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim).<br/><br/> It is the state religion of Bhutan. It is also practiced in Mongolia and parts of Russia (Kalmykia, Buryatia, and Tuva) and Northeast China. Texts recognized as scripture and commentary are contained in the Tibetan Buddhist canon, such that Tibetan is a spiritual language of these areas.<br/><br/> A Tibetan diaspora has spread Tibetan Buddhism to many Western countries, where the tradition has gained popularity. Among its prominent exponents is the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. The number of its adherents is estimated to be between ten and twenty million.
Oracle bone inscriptions (Chinese: 甲骨; pinyin: jiǎgǔ) are the ancient Chinese characters carved on animal scapulas (shoulder blades) or turtle plastron (underside).<br/><br/> The oracle bone inscriptions were mainly used for divination and keeping records of events that happened in the late Shang Dynasty (c. 1300 - 1050 BCE).<br/><br/> Before the discovery of the oracle bone inscriptions, the major historical records of the Shang Dynasty were based on the Shiji (Historical Records) of Sima Qian (司馬遷), who lived in the days of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 25) and is generally regarded as the father of Chinese historiography.<br/><br/> However, the lack of archaeological evidence caused many scholars to doubt the reliability and credibility of this account. The discovery of oracle bone inscriptions provided the first scientific verification of Sima Qian's historiography and proves the existence of the former Shang Dynasty.
The Sogdians established a trading network across the 2400 kilometres (1500 miles) from Sogdiana to China. In fact, the Sogdians turned their energies to trade so thoroughly that the Saka (Scythians) of the Kingdom of Khotan called all merchants suli, 'Sogdian', whatever their culture or ethnicity.<br/><br/> An ossuary is a chest, box, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years the skeletal remains are removed and placed in an ossuary. The greatly reduced space taken up by an ossuary means that it is possible to store the remains of many more people in a single tomb than if the original coffins were left as is.
The Sogdians established a trading network across the 2400 kilometres (1500 miles) from Sogdiana to China. In fact, the Sogdians turned their energies to trade so thoroughly that the Saka (Scythians) of the Kingdom of Khotan called all merchants suli, 'Sogdian', whatever their culture or ethnicity.<br/><br/> An ossuary is a chest, box, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years the skeletal remains are removed and placed in an ossuary. The greatly reduced space taken up by an ossuary means that it is possible to store the remains of many more people in a single tomb than if the original coffins were left as is.