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Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice). As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in Asia and the West Indies.<br/><br/> Rice is the most important grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by the human species.<br/><br/> There are many varieties of rice and culinary preferences tend to vary regionally. For example in India, there is a saying that 'grains of rice should be like two brothers, close but not stuck together', while in the Far East there is a preference for softer, stickier varieties.<br/><br/> Because of its importance as a staple food, rice has considerable cultural importance. For example, rice is first mentioned in the Yajur Veda and then is frequently referred to in Sanskrit texts. Rice is often directly associated with prosperity and fertility, therefore there is the custom of throwing rice at weddings.
In East Asian mythology, Yama is a <i>dharmapala</i> (wrathful god) and King of Hell. It is his duty to judge the dead and rule over the various hells and purgatories, presiding over the cycle of <i>samsara</i> (cyclic, circuitous change). Yama has spread from being a Hindu god to finding roles in Buddhism as well as in Chinese, Korean and Japanese mythology.<br/><br/> Yama's role in Theravada Buddhism is vague and not well defined, though he is still a caretaker of hell and the dead. He judges those who die to determine if they are to be reborn to earth, to the heavens or to the hells. Sometimes there are more than one Yama, each presiding over one of the distinct hells. In Tibetan Buddhism, Yama is seen as a guardian of spiritual practice, and regarded with horror for his role in the cycle of death and rebirth.<br/><br/> In Chinese mythology, and similar stories in Korea and Japan, he is primarily known as either Yanluo or King Yan, and is the god of death and overseer of the Ten Kings of Hell. He is portrayed as a large man with bulging eyes, a long beard and a scowling red face. He is both ruler and judge of the underworld, and is always found alongside his two guardians, Ox-Head and Horse-Face. Those spirits who do good are rewarded, while those who have sinned are punished and tortured.
Wat Ku Tao dates from the 16th century. Its unusual chedi, the 'watermelon stupa', is unique in Northern Thailand and its neighbours.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai, sometimes written as 'Chiengmai' or 'Chiangmai', is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, and is the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is located 700 km (435 mi) north of Bangkok, among the highest mountains in the country. The city is on the Ping river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya river.<br/><br/> King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai (meaning 'new city') in 1296, and it succeeded Chiang Rai as capital of the Lanna kingdom. The ruler was known as the Chao. The city was surrounded by a moat and a defensive wall, since nearby Burma was a constant threat.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774 by an agreement with Chao Kavila, after the Thai King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic importance to its current status as the unofficial capital of northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok.
Thailand: Buddhist monks on their early morning almsround through the market at Doi Mae Salong (Santikhiri), Chiang Rai Province. Doi Mae Salong was once an impoverished, heavily-armed Kuomintang (KMT) outpost, it is today a tranquil oasis of tea gardens, fruit orchards and Yunnanese-style houses.
Thailand: Buddhist monks on their early morning almsround through the market at Doi Mae Salong (Santikhiri), Chiang Rai Province. Doi Mae Salong was once an impoverished, heavily-armed Kuomintang (KMT) outpost, it is today a tranquil oasis of tea gardens, fruit orchards and Yunnanese-style houses.
The Hemudu culture (5500 to 3300 BCE) was a Neolithic culture that flourished just south of the Hangzhou Bay area in Jiangnan in modern Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. The culture may be divided into early and late phases, before and after 4000 BCE respectively.<br/><br/> The Hemudu people lived in long, stilt houses. Communal longhouses were also common in Hemudu settlements. The Hemudu were one of the earliest cultures to cultivate rice. Scholars view the Hemudu culture as a source of many proto-Austronesian cultures.
The date of construction of the Svayambhunath stupa, its origins steeped in myth, is unknown. According to the inscriptions on an ancient and damaged stone tablet at Svayambhunath, King Vrishadeva (ca. 400 CE) was the first to build a place of worship on the site. His grandson, King Manadeva I (ca. 464-505) may have made some additions.<br/><br/> The Muslim invasion of 1349 undid all the pious building work, the marauding Muslim warriors dismantling every kafir (infidel) sanctuary that they came across. An inscription at Svayambhunath records the date of the Muslim invasion as 20 November 1349, in all probability a very accurate account. After the raids Svayambhunath was restored, and most of the buildings seen today are from the post-invasion period.<br/><br/> Swayambhunath is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. It is also known as the Monkey Temple as there are holy monkeys living in parts of the temple in the north-west. The Tibetan name for the site means 'Sublime Trees', for the many varieties of trees found on the hill.<br/><br/> For the Buddhist Newars in whose mythological history and origin myth as well as day-to-day religious practice, Swayambhunath occupies a central position, it is probably the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Bodhnath.
The Hemudu culture (5500 to 3300 BCE) was a Neolithic culture that flourished just south of the Hangzhou Bay area in Jiangnan in modern Yuyao, Zhejiang Province. The culture may be divided into early and late phases, before and after 4000 BCE respectively.<br/><br/> The Hemudu people lived in long, stilt houses. Communal longhouses were also common in Hemudu settlements. The Hemudu were one of the earliest cultures to cultivate rice. Scholars view the Hemudu culture as a source of many proto-Austronesian cultures.
Dur-Sharrukin, present day Khorsabad, was the Assyrian capital in the time of Sargon II of Assyria. Khorsabad is a village in northern Iraq, 15 km northeast of Mosul. The great city was entirely built in the decade preceding 706 BCE. After the unexpected death of Sargon in battle, the capital was moved 20 km south to Nineveh.<br/><br/> On 8 March 2015 the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) reportedly started the plunder and demolition of Dur-Sharrukin, according to a Kurdish official from Mosul. The Iraqi Tourism and Antiquities Ministry launched the related investigation on the same day.
The Tashrih al-aqvam ('An Account of Origins and Occupations of Some of the Sects, Castes, and Tribes of India') was completed in 1825. The text, a summary of the Vedas and Shastras, translated into Persian by Colonel James Skinner (1778–1841), is a survey of both Hindu and Muslim occupational groups and religious mendicants in the Delhi region and begins with an account of the house of Timur down to Akbar II (r. 1806–37).<br/><br/> Skinner commissioned Delhi artists to illustrate the album, the chief of them being Ghulam Ali Khan. The artist accompanied Skinner on his travels, and the watercolor portraits are probably all studies from life.
The date of construction of the Svayambhunath stupa, its origins steeped in myth, is unknown. According to the inscriptions on an ancient and damaged stone tablet at Svayambhunath, King Vrishadeva (ca. 400 CE) was the first to build a place of worship on the site. His grandson, King Manadeva I (ca. 464-505) may have made some additions.<br/><br/> The Muslim invasion of 1349 undid all the pious building work, the marauding Muslim warriors dismantling every kafir (infidel) sanctuary that they came across. An inscription at Svayambhunath records the date of the Muslim invasion as 20 November 1349, in all probability a very accurate account. After the raids Svayambhunath was restored, and most of the buildings seen today are from the post-invasion period.<br/><br/> Swayambhunath is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. It is also known as the Monkey Temple as there are holy monkeys living in parts of the temple in the north-west. The Tibetan name for the site means 'Sublime Trees', for the many varieties of trees found on the hill.<br/><br/> For the Buddhist Newars in whose mythological history and origin myth as well as day-to-day religious practice, Swayambhunath occupies a central position, it is probably the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Bodhnath.
Wat Ku Tao dates from the 16th century. Its unusual chedi, the 'watermelon stupa', is unique in Northern Thailand and its neighbours.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai, sometimes written as 'Chiengmai' or 'Chiangmai', is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, and is the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is located 700 km (435 mi) north of Bangkok, among the highest mountains in the country. The city is on the Ping river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya river.<br/><br/> King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai (meaning 'new city') in 1296, and it succeeded Chiang Rai as capital of the Lanna kingdom. The ruler was known as the Chao. The city was surrounded by a moat and a defensive wall, since nearby Burma was a constant threat.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774 by an agreement with Chao Kavila, after the Thai King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic importance to its current status as the unofficial capital of northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok.
The Ottheinrich Bible was commissioned in c.1425 by the Royal Court of Bavaria. The unusually large manuscript was not completed until the following century when the German painter and engraver, Matthias Gerung, was offered 60 Rhenish guilders and winter clothes to illustrate the text.<br/><br/> The Bible carries the name of the benefactor who supported its completion. Ottheinrich (1502-1559) was the Prince of Neuburg, Elector Palatine, soldier, pilgrim, reformer and art patron.
Wat Yang Kuang, Suriyawong Road, Chiang Mai has a long and chequered history. Originally mentioned in the Nirat Haripunchai (1517) as Wat Nang Rua, it was abandoned as a result of the destructive 18th century wars with Burma, leading to the abandonment of the city of Chiang Mai between 1775 and 1797 on the instruction of Chao Kawila.<br/><br/> When Kawila ordered the repopulation of Chiang Mai in 1797, he transported Tai Khoen people from the neighbourhood of Wat Yang Kuang in Chiang Tung (Kengtung in the eastern part of Shan State) to Chiang Mai, settling them south of the Old City, in the newly populated area between the Old City walls and the earthen ramparts of Kamphaeng Din. Following the custom of the time, the resettled Tai Khoen centred their new community on the former Wat Nang Rua, which they gave the new name Wat Yang Kuang in honour of their former temple and place of origin.<br/><br/> The temple fell into disuse in the late 19th or early 20th century, but was been restored and re-established between 2008 and 2012.
Bagan, formerly Pagan, was mainly built between the 11th century and 13th century. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma.
Wat Ku Tao dates from the 16th century. Its unusual chedi, the 'watermelon stupa', is unique in Northern Thailand and its neighbours.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai, sometimes written as 'Chiengmai' or 'Chiangmai', is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, and is the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is located 700 km (435 mi) north of Bangkok, among the highest mountains in the country. The city is on the Ping river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya river.<br/><br/> King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai (meaning 'new city') in 1296, and it succeeded Chiang Rai as capital of the Lanna kingdom. The ruler was known as the Chao. The city was surrounded by a moat and a defensive wall, since nearby Burma was a constant threat.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774 by an agreement with Chao Kavila, after the Thai King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic importance to its current status as the unofficial capital of northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok.
Khosrau I (also called Xusro I, Khosnow I, Chusro I, Khusro I, Husraw I or Khosrow I, Chosroes I in classical sources, most commonly known in Persian as Anushirvan, meaning the immortal soul), also known as Anushiravan the Just (Born c. 501, ruled 531–579), was the favourite son and successor of Kavadh I (488–531), twentieth Sassanid Emperor (Great King) of Persia, and the most famous and celebrated of the Sassanid Emperors.<br/><br/> He laid the foundations of many cities and opulent palaces, and oversaw the repair of trade roads as well as the building of numerous bridges and dams. During Khosrau I's ambitious reign, art and science flourished in Persia and the Sassanid Empire reached the peak of its glory and prosperity.
Jar with lotus, chrysanthemum motifs. Pattern brown glazed ceramic, Trần dynasty, 13th-14th century. Nam Äịnh province, northern Vietnam. Domestic use. National Museum of Vietnamese History, Hanoi.
The Liao Dynasty, also known as the Khitan Empire, was a state that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper. It was founded by the Yelü clan of the Khitan people in the same year as the Tang Dynasty collapsed (907), even though its first ruler, Yelü Abaoji (Yaruud Ambagai Khan), did not declare an era name until 916.<br/><br/> Although it was originally known as the Empire of the Khitan, the Emperor Yelü Ruan officially adopted the name 'Liao' (formally ‘Great Liao’) in 947. Another name for China in English, Cathay, is derived from the name Khitan. This is also the origin of the Russian word for China, Китай or Kitay, and that of several other East European languages.<br/><br/> The Liao Empire was destroyed by the Jurchen of the Jin Dynasty in 1125. However, remnants of its people led by Yelü Dashi established the Xi (Western) Liao Dynasty 1125-1220, also known as Kara-Khitan Khanate, which extended its influence over Central Asia into Persia and survived until the arrival of Genghis Khan's unified Mongolian army.
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.
Dunhuang was an important oasis on the eastern section of the Silk Road. While silk travelled west from China to Europe and the Middle East, fine glass products such as this faceted glass bowl travelled east, from Syria and Europe, to China.
The Khwarezm Shahs were a Persianate Turkish Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled over Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and western Afghanistan from a succession of capitals at Urgench, Samarkand, Ghazni and Tabriz.<br/><br/> Trade contacts between the Khwarezmids and China’s Song Dynasty (960-1279) were maintained via the Silk Road as well as by sea, but while Chinese porcelain techniques and designs strongly influenced Islamic potters, there is little indication of Chinese artistic influence on Iran and Central Asia through paintings.<br/><br/> In 1218 Genghis Khan sent ambassadors to Khwarezm, but they were seized and executed, prompting a Mongol invasion in 1220 that captured Bukhara, Urgench and Samarkand, resulting in the total destruction of the Khwarezmian state.
Wat Ku Tao dates from the 16th century. Its unusual chedi, the 'watermelon stupa', is unique in Northern Thailand and its neighbours.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai, sometimes written as 'Chiengmai' or 'Chiangmai', is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, and is the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is located 700 km (435 mi) north of Bangkok, among the highest mountains in the country. The city is on the Ping river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya river.<br/><br/> King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai (meaning 'new city') in 1296, and it succeeded Chiang Rai as capital of the Lanna kingdom. The ruler was known as the Chao. The city was surrounded by a moat and a defensive wall, since nearby Burma was a constant threat.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774 by an agreement with Chao Kavila, after the Thai King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic importance to its current status as the unofficial capital of northern Thailand, second in importance only to Bangkok.
In Thai Theravada Buddhism young men are usually expected to ordain into the monkhood at some point in their life. Ordination into the Buddhist monkhood has never implied a lifetime commitment and most men usually only spend a short time in the temple.<br/><br/> Entering the monkhood, even for a short time, is believed to bring great merit to the ordained as well as his parents.
In Thai Theravada Buddhism young men are usually expected to ordain into the monkhood at some point in their life. Ordination into the Buddhist monkhood has never implied a lifetime commitment and most men usually only spend a short time in the temple.<br/><br/> Entering the monkhood, even for a short time, is believed to bring great merit to the ordained as well as his parents.
In Thai Theravada Buddhism young men are usually expected to ordain into the monkhood at some point in their life. Ordination into the Buddhist monkhood has never implied a lifetime commitment and most men usually only spend a short time in the temple.<br/><br/> Entering the monkhood, even for a short time, is believed to bring great merit to the ordained as well as his parents.
In Thai Theravada Buddhism young men are usually expected to ordain into the monkhood at some point in their life. Ordination into the Buddhist monkhood has never implied a lifetime commitment and most men usually only spend a short time in the temple.<br/><br/> Entering the monkhood, even for a short time, is believed to bring great merit to the ordained as well as his parents.
In Thai Theravada Buddhism young men are usually expected to ordain into the monkhood at some point in their life. Ordination into the Buddhist monkhood has never implied a lifetime commitment and most men usually only spend a short time in the temple.<br/><br/> Entering the monkhood, even for a short time, is believed to bring great merit to the ordained as well as his parents.
The Sa Huỳnh culture (Vietnamese: Văn hóa Sa Huỳnh) was a culture in central and southern Vietnam that flourished between c. 1000 BCE and 200 CE. Archaeological sites from the culture have been discovered from the Mekong Delta to just south of the Tonkin region. The Sa Huynh people were most likely the predecessors of the Cham people, the founders of the kingdom of Champa.<br/><br/> The site at Sa Huynh was discovered in 1909. Sa Huynh sites were rich in locally-worked iron artefacts, typified by axes, swords, spearheads, knives and sickles. In contrast, bronze artefacts were dominant in the Dong Son culture sites found in northern Vietnam and elsewhere in mainland Southeast Asia.<br/><br/> The Sa Huynh culture cremated adults and buried them in jars covered with lids, a practice unique to the culture. Ritually broken offerings usually accompanied the jar burials. The culture is also typified by its unique ear ornaments featuring two-headed animals. The ornaments were commonly made from jade (nephrite), but also made from glass. Bead ornaments were also commonly found in Sa Huynh burials, most commonly made from glass.<br/><br/> The Sa Huynh culture showed evidence of an extensive trade network. Sa Huynh beads were made from glass, carnelian, agate, olivine, zircon, gold and garnet; most of these materials were not local to the region, and were most likely imported. Han Dynasty-styled bronze mirrors were also found in Sa Huynh sites. Conversely, Sa Huynh produced ear ornaments have been found in archaeological sites in Central Thailand, Taiwan (Orchid Island), and the Philippines (Palawan).
Ban Bat in the centre of Bangkok's old Ratanakosin area still produces handmade alms bowls for Buddhist monks. The community originally fled Ayutthaya in the 18th century to avoid the war with Burma.
Ban Bat in the centre of Bangkok's old Ratanakosin area still produces handmade alms bowls for Buddhist monks. The community originally fled Ayutthaya in the 18th century to avoid the war with Burma.
Ban Bat in the centre of Bangkok's old Ratanakosin area still produces handmade alms bowls for Buddhist monks. The community originally fled Ayutthaya in the 18th century to avoid the war with Burma.
The old silversmiths’ quarter centred on Baan Wua Lai (Spotted Cow Village) stretches along both sides of Wua Lai Road, to the south of Chiang Mai's old city. This long-established, prosperous community of artisans maintains a tradition that stretches back more than two centuries, to the time of Chao Kawila’s re-establishment of Chiang Mai in the years after 1797.<br/><br/> Silversmiths have long been valued and held in high esteem by Southeast Asian royal courts from Burma to Java, and in times past the Lan Na Kingdom was no exception.
The old silversmiths’ quarter centred on Baan Wua Lai (Spotted Cow Village) stretches along both sides of Wua Lai Road, to the south of Chiang Mai's old city. This long-established, prosperous community of artisans maintains a tradition that stretches back more than two centuries, to the time of Chao Kawila’s re-establishment of Chiang Mai in the years after 1797.<br/><br/> Silversmiths have long been valued and held in high esteem by Southeast Asian royal courts from Burma to Java, and in times past the Lan Na Kingdom was no exception.
The old silversmiths’ quarter centred on Baan Wua Lai (Spotted Cow Village) stretches along both sides of Wua Lai Road, to the south of Chiang Mai's old city. This long-established, prosperous community of artisans maintains a tradition that stretches back more than two centuries, to the time of Chao Kawila’s re-establishment of Chiang Mai in the years after 1797.<br/><br/> Silversmiths have long been valued and held in high esteem by Southeast Asian royal courts from Burma to Java, and in times past the Lan Na Kingdom was no exception.
Bahram V was the fourteenth Sassanid King of Persia (421–438). Also called Bahram Gur or Bahramgur, he was a son of Yazdegerd I (399–421), after whose sudden death (or assassination) he gained the crown against the opposition of the grandees by the help of Mundhir, the Arab dynast of al-Hirah.<br/><br/> Bahram Gur is a great favorite in Persian literature and poetry. Numerous legends have been associated with Bahram. One account says that he aided an Indian king in his war against China and that, in return for his help, the Indian king made over the provinces of Makran and Sindh to Persia. The Lurs of Persia, it is argued, are the descendants of musicians sent to Persia by the grateful Indian monarch. However there does not exist any historical proof in support of this story.<br/><br/> Other accounts suggest that he married an Indian princess. However, the conclusion of such a marriage alliance is regarded as highly dubious once again due to lack of evidence.<br/><br/> Another legend, found in the Shahnameh, is about Bahram slaying two lions and gaining the crown between them.
The hills around Bac Ha are home to ten separate minorities, including Dao, Giay, Nung and Tai, but the most distinctive and colourful are the Flower (Flowery) Hmong. From before dawn they converge on Bac Ha’s dusty town centre and, especially, the concrete market. Goods sold and exchanged include fruit and vegetables of every description, fresh meat and wild orchids.