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China: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) and the Central Plaza building next to Victoria Harbour, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island.<br/><br/> Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong has become one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. It is the world's tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer.
China: Hong Kong cityscape including the Central Plaza Building and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Looking towards Hong Kong Island from Kowloon.<br/><br/> Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong has become one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. It is the world's tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer.<br/><br/> Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the Qing Empire ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842.
China: A view from inside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) next to Victoria Harbour, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island.<br/><br/> Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong has become one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. It is the world's tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer.
China: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) next to Victoria Harbour, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island.<br/><br/> Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong has become one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. It is the world's tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer.<br/><br/> Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the Qing Empire ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842.
China: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) next to Victoria Harbour, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island.<br/><br/> Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong has become one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. It is the world's tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer.<br/><br/> Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the Qing Empire ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842.
China: The Reunification Monument and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) next to Victoria Harbour, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island.<br/><br/> Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong has become one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. It is the world's tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer.<br/><br/> Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the Qing Empire ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842.
China: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) next to Victoria Harbour, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island.<br/><br/> Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong has become one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. It is the world's tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer.<br/><br/> Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the Qing Empire ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842.
Adolf of Germany (1255-1298), also known as Adolf of Nassau, was the son of Walram II, Count of Nassau, and succeeded his father in 1276. When King Rudolf I died in 1291 without managing to secure the election of his eldest son Albert, Adolf was chosen by the Elector College of imperial princes and bishops, thinking him easy to control and manipulate. He was elected as King of Germany in 1292.<br/><br/> Adolf immediately had to pay and make significant concessions to the electors and archbishops who had given him the crown. Adolf had negligible power and influence within his own empire, but he soon tried to break away from the yoke of the electors and bishops who had elected him, concluding pacts with their opponents and breaking promises made but making sure not to be accused of breaching any contracts signed.<br/><br/> The electors grew increasingly wary of Adolf's policies and moves, which were often not in line with their own interests. They eventually banded together and deposed Adolf, charging him with various crimes and of breaking promises made. Albert I, son of the late King Rudolf I, was elected as the new king in 1298, and killed Adolf in battle when the former king refused to give up his power. Adolf became the first physically and mentally healthy ruler of the Holy Roman Empire to be deposed without a papal excommunication first.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Wat Xieng Thong (Golden City Temple) with its low sweeping roofs epitomising the classic Luang Prabang style, was built in 1560 by King Setthathirat (1548–71) and was patronised by the monarchy right up until 1975.<br/><br/> The temple was spared by the Black Flag gangs that sacked Luang Prabang in 1887.<br/><br/> Luang Prabang was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wat Xieng Thong (Golden City Temple) with its low sweeping roofs epitomising the classic Luang Prabang style, was built in 1560 by King Setthathirat (1548–71) and was patronised by the monarchy right up until 1975.<br/><br/> The temple was spared by the Black Flag gangs that sacked Luang Prabang in 1887.<br/><br/> Luang Prabang was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Tilang Ghar, or ‘Glass House’, was built in the 19th century and was the first private residence in Kathmandu, other than the palace, to be allowed to have glazed windows. Glass is still a rare feature in this part of town, and the windows are indeed conspicuous—even though the shopkeepers occupying Tilang Ghar hang buckets and other metal wares from them. Remarkable too are the building's friezes depicting long lines of marching soldiers carrying rifles; these are said to have been inspired by similar friezes at Prithvi Narayan Shah’s fort in Nuwakot.
The Tilang Ghar, or ‘Glass House’, was built in the 19th century and was the first private residence in Kathmandu, other than the palace, to be allowed to have glazed windows. Glass is still a rare feature in this part of town, and the windows are indeed conspicuous—even though the shopkeepers occupying Tilang Ghar hang buckets and other metal wares from them. Remarkable too are the building's friezes depicting long lines of marching soldiers carrying rifles; these are said to have been inspired by similar friezes at Prithvi Narayan Shah’s fort in Nuwakot.
The Tilang Ghar, or ‘Glass House’, was built in the 19th century and was the first private residence in Kathmandu, other than the palace, to be allowed to have glazed windows. Glass is still a rare feature in this part of town, and the windows are indeed conspicuous—even though the shopkeepers occupying Tilang Ghar hang buckets and other metal wares from them. Remarkable too are the building's friezes depicting long lines of marching soldiers carrying rifles; these are said to have been inspired by similar friezes at Prithvi Narayan Shah’s fort in Nuwakot.
The Tilang Ghar, or ‘Glass House’, was built in the 19th century and was the first private residence in Kathmandu, other than the palace, to be allowed to have glazed windows. Glass is still a rare feature in this part of town, and the windows are indeed conspicuous—even though the shopkeepers occupying Tilang Ghar hang buckets and other metal wares from them. Remarkable too are the building's friezes depicting long lines of marching soldiers carrying rifles; these are said to have been inspired by similar friezes at Prithvi Narayan Shah’s fort in Nuwakot.
The seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Hanoi, St. Joseph Cathedral was controversially constructed in 1886 on the site of an ancient pagoda just one year after the French took over the administration of Tonkin and Annam. Built in Neo-Gothic style, the cathedral is still one of the most famous examples of French architecture in Vietnam.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
The Mamluk Sultanate was a medieval realm spanning Egypt, the Levant, and Hejaz. It lasted from the overthrow of the Ayyubid Dynasty until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. Historians have traditionally broken the era of Mamluk rule into two period, one covering 1250–1382, the other, 1382–1517.<br/><br/> Western historians call the former the 'Bahri' period and the latter the 'Burji' due to the political dominance of the regimes known by these names during the respective eras. Contemporary Muslim historians refer to the same divisions as the 'Turkish' and 'Circassian' periods in order to emphasize the change in ethnic origin of the Mamluk rulers.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
China: The Reunification Monument at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) next to Victoria Harbour, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island.<br/><br/> Originally a sparsely populated area of farming and fishing villages, Hong Kong has become one of the world's most significant financial centres and commercial ports. It is the world's tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer.<br/><br/> Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the Qing Empire ceded Hong Kong Island at the end of the First Opium War in 1842.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English writer, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon, and photographer.<br/><br/> His most famous writings are <i>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</i>, its sequel <i>Through the Looking-Glass</i>, which includes the poem <i>Jabberwocky</i>, and the poem <i>The Hunting of the Snark</i>, all examples of the genre of literary nonsense. He is noted for his facility at word play, logic, and fantasy. There are societies in many parts of the world dedicated to the enjoyment and promotion of his works and the investigation of his life.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English writer, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon, and photographer.<br/><br/> His most famous writings are <i>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</i>, its sequel <i>Through the Looking-Glass</i>, which includes the poem <i>Jabberwocky</i>, and the poem <i>The Hunting of the Snark</i>, all examples of the genre of literary nonsense. He is noted for his facility at word play, logic, and fantasy. There are societies in many parts of the world dedicated to the enjoyment and promotion of his works and the investigation of his life.
The seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Hanoi, St. Joseph Cathedral was controversially constructed in 1886 on the site of an ancient pagoda just one year after the French took over the administration of Tonkin and Annam. Built in Neo-Gothic style, the cathedral is still one of the most famous examples of French architecture in Vietnam.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Chang and Eng Bunker (May 11, 1811 – January 17, 1874) were Thai-American conjoined twin brothers whose condition and birthplace became the basis for the term 'Siamese twins'.<br/><br/> The Bunker brothers were born on May 11, 1811, in the province of Samut Songkram, near Bangkok, in the Kingdom of Siam (today's Thailand). Their fisherman father was a Chinese Thai, while their mother was a Chinese Malaysian. Because of their Chinese heritage, they were known locally as the 'Chinese Twins'. The brothers were joined at the sternum by a small piece of cartilage, and though their livers were fused, they were independently complete.<br/><br/> In 1829, Robert Hunter, a Scottish merchant who lived in Bangkok, saw the twins swimming and realized their potential. He paid their parents to permit him to exhibit their sons as a curiosity on a world tour. When their contract with Hunter was over, Chang and Eng went into business for themselves. In 1839, while visiting Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the brothers were attracted to the area and purchased a 110-acre (0.45 km2) farm in nearby Traphill.<br/><br/> Determined to live as normal a life they could, Chang and Eng settled on their small plantation and bought slaves to do the work they could not do themselves. Using their adopted name 'Bunker', they married local women on April 13, 1843. Chang wed Adelaide Yates, while Eng married her sister, Sarah Anne. Chang and Adelaide would become the parents of eleven children. Eng and Sarah had ten. The twins also became naturalized American citizens.<br/><br/> On January 17, 1874, Chang died while the brothers were asleep. Eng awoke to find his brother dead and cried, 'Then I am going'. A doctor was summoned to perform an emergency separation, but he was too late. Eng died approximately three hours later.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Kristallnacht or 'Crystal Night', also referred to as the Night of Broken Glass, was a pogrom against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria that took place on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by SA (Sturmabteilung or Brownshirts) paramilitary forces and German civilians.<br/><br/> German authorities looked on without intervening. The name Kristallnacht comes from the shards of broken glass that littered the streets after Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues had their windows smashed.
Samurai is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi, and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class.<br/><br/> The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as Bushidō. While they numbered less than ten percent of Japan's population, samurai teachings can still be found today in both everyday life and in martial arts such as Kendō, meaning the way of the sword.
Reverse painting on glass is an art form consisting of applying paint to a piece of glass and then viewing the image by turning the glass over and looking through the glass at the image.<br/><br/>Emperor Tự Đức (22 September 1829 – 17 July 1883) (full name: Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm, also Nguyen Phuc Thi) was the fourth emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam and reigned from 1847–1883.<br/><br/>The son of Emperor Thiệu Trị, Prince Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm succeeded his father on the throne, with the reigning title of Tự Đức, but family troubles caused his era to have a violent start. Thiệu Trị had passed over his more moderate eldest son, Hồng Bảo, to give the throne to Tự Đức, known for his staunch Confucianism and opposition to foreigners and innovation. As a result, and due to the repressive policies of the previous Nguyễn Dynasty emperor, there was now a great deal of dissatisfaction with Nguyễn rule and a legitimate royal figure to rally this opposition.<br/><br/>Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1945. The tombs of several emperors lie in and around the city and along the Perfume River. Hue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Reverse painting on glass is an art form consisting of applying paint to a piece of glass and then viewing the image by turning the glass over and looking through the glass at the image.<br/><br/>Emperor Tự Đức (22 September 1829 – 17 July 1883) (full name: Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm, also Nguyen Phuc Thi) was the fourth emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam and reigned from 1847–1883.<br/><br/>The son of Emperor Thiệu Trị, Prince Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm succeeded his father on the throne, with the reigning title of Tự Đức, but family troubles caused his era to have a violent start. Thiệu Trị had passed over his more moderate eldest son, Hồng Bảo, to give the throne to Tự Đức, known for his staunch Confucianism and opposition to foreigners and innovation. As a result, and due to the repressive policies of the previous Nguyễn Dynasty emperor, there was now a great deal of dissatisfaction with Nguyễn rule and a legitimate royal figure to rally this opposition.<br/><br/>Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1945. The tombs of several emperors lie in and around the city and along the Perfume River. Hue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Reverse painting on glass is an art form consisting of applying paint to a piece of glass and then viewing the image by turning the glass over and looking through the glass at the image.<br/><br/>Emperor Tự Đức (22 September 1829 – 17 July 1883) (full name: Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm, also Nguyen Phuc Thi) was the fourth emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Vietnam and reigned from 1847–1883.<br/><br/>The son of Emperor Thiệu Trị, Prince Nguyễn Phúc Hồng Nhậm succeeded his father on the throne, with the reigning title of Tự Đức, but family troubles caused his era to have a violent start. Thiệu Trị had passed over his more moderate eldest son, Hồng Bảo, to give the throne to Tự Đức, known for his staunch Confucianism and opposition to foreigners and innovation. As a result, and due to the repressive policies of the previous Nguyễn Dynasty emperor, there was now a great deal of dissatisfaction with Nguyễn rule and a legitimate royal figure to rally this opposition.<br/><br/>Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1945. The tombs of several emperors lie in and around the city and along the Perfume River. Hue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wat Xieng Thong (Golden City Temple) with its low sweeping roofs epitomising the classic Luang Prabang style, was built in 1560 by King Setthathirat (1548–71) and was patronised by the monarchy right up until 1975.<br/><br/>The temple was spared by the Black Flag gangs that sacked Luang Prabang in 1887.<br/><br/>Luang Prabang was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wat Xieng Thong (Golden City Temple) with its low sweeping roofs epitomising the classic Luang Prabang style, was built in 1560 by King Setthathirat (1548–71) and was patronised by the monarchy right up until 1975.<br/><br/>The temple was spared by the Black Flag gangs that sacked Luang Prabang in 1887.<br/><br/>Luang Prabang was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Four centuries ago coffee was all but unknown beyond the Horn of Africa and Southern Arabia, the area from which a small, berry-bearing tree, known to science as coffee arabica, first sprang. The unassuming plant which plays so important a part in our lives today, is thought to be indigenous to the Kaffa region of highland Ethipia -- from which the name 'coffee' may originate; others argue that it derives from its Arabic name qahwa. Certainly the earliest known legend concerning coffee -- still recounted today in the suqs, or markets, of Southern Arabia -- tells how an Arab goatherd called Kaldi, whilst out tending his flock, noted their queer behaviour on eating certain small berries. Kaldi tried them himself, liked the mild sense of euphoria they induced, and told his companions.<br/><br/>Within a short time -- probably in the early 15th century -- the wild coffee plant had been introduced to the highlands of Yemen, and was being cultivated and selectively bred in a process which would eventually create the many diverse types of bean now available. Blue Mountain from Jamaica, Kenyan from East Africa, Java from Indonesia, Brasilica from Brazil -- all these famous blends derive originally from Kaldi's stunted shrubs, but the godfather of them all is Mocha.
Factory was the English term for the trading posts system originally established by Europeans in foreign territories, first within different states of medieval Europe, and later in their colonial possessions.<br/><br/> Factories served simultaneously as market, warehouse, customs, defense and support to the navigation or exploration, headquarters or de facto government of local communities, with the head of the factory being called a factor.
Damarwulan is a Javanese legendary hero who appears in a cycle of stories used in the performance of wayang klitik, as well as Langendriya (female dance-opera) and ketoprak (popular theater). These stories tell of the struggles between the Majapahit and Blambangan kingdoms, in which Damarwulan gains honor. The stories are especially popular in East Java.<br/><br/>The Damarwulan legend is associated with the Majapahit court at the time of the queen Suhita, at which time there was a war with Blambangan. However, the names of the characters Damar Wulan ('radiance of the moon') and Menak Jingga ('red knight') suggest that it may incorporate elements of an older sun-moon myth. It is uncertain when the story was first recorded and by whom.
The concept of a 'Tree of Life' has been used in biology, religion, philosophy, and mythology. A tree of life is a common motif in various world theologies, mythologies, and philosophies. It alludes to the interconnection of all life on our planet and serves as a metaphor for common descent in the evolutionary sense. The term tree of life may also be used as a synonym for sacred tree.<br/><br/> Luang Prabang was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wat Xieng Thong (Golden City Temple) with its low sweeping roofs epitomising the classic Luang Prabang style, was built in 1560 by King Setthathirat (1548–71) and was patronised by the monarchy right up until 1975.<br/><br/> The temple was spared by the Black Flag gangs that sacked Luang Prabang in 1887.<br/><br/> Luang Prabang was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wat Xieng Thong (Golden City Temple) with its low sweeping roofs epitomising the classic Luang Prabang style, was built in 1560 by King Setthathirat (1548–71) and was patronised by the monarchy right up until 1975.<br/><br/> The temple was spared by the Black Flag gangs that sacked Luang Prabang in 1887.<br/><br/> Luang Prabang was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In 1436, King Sam Fang Kaen of Chiang Mai arranged for a procession of the Emerald Buddha image from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. The elephant carrying the image ran towards Lampang and on reaching Lampang refused to move. The king issued an order to place the image within Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao. 32 years later it was moved to Chiang Mai.<br/><br/> Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao (The Monastery of the Emerald Buddha on the Water Jar Knoll) is Lampang's most important temple having onced housed the Emerald Buddha (Phra Kaeo Morakot). The Emerald Buddha now resides in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaeo (part of the Grand Palace complex), the most important temple in Thailand.<br/><br/> Lampang was originally founded during the 7th century Dvaravati period. Nothing remains from these early times, but the city is rich in temples, many of which have a distinctly Burmese flavour as Lampang had a substantial Burmese population in the 19th century, most of whom were involved in the logging industry.
During the late 19th century, all the territory stretching from Dien Bien Phu in the south to the Chinese frontier in the north formed an autonomous region called Sipsongchutai, or ‘Twelve Tai Principalities’. It was ruled over by a hereditary White Tai prince from his capital at Lai Chau and paid tribute, at one time or another, to Siam, Vietnam or China, and sometimes to all three.<br/><br/> At this time the White Tai chieftain was Kham Sing, known to the Vietnamese as Deo Van Seng. He ruled over Sipsongchutai from his capital at Lai Chau, but was old and tired, so real power had already passed to his eldest son, the fiercely independent Kham Hum, known to the Vietnamese (and to the recently arrived French) as Deo Van Tri.<br/><br/> Neither Deo Van Seng nor Deo Van Tri wanted to submit completely either to Bangkok or to Hanoi, preferring to pursue the delicate balancing act between the two that had for long years allowed continuing autonomy. But times were changing fast, maps being drawn and frontiers delimited as modern nation states came into being in mainland Southeast Asia.<br/><br/> Accordingly in 1889 Deo Van Tri signed a treaty with France making Sipsongchutai a semi-autonomous region within the French Protectorate of Tonkin – and therefore, ultimately, a part of Vietnam.
Galle was for centuries Sri Lanka’s main port, a position which strengthened during the periods of Portuguese and Dutch colonial rule. Galle only lost its primacy in the late 19th century, when the British expanded and developed the harbour at Colombo to become the island’s major port.<br/><br/>Perhaps the earliest recorded reference to Galle comes from the great Arab traveller Ibn Battuta, who visited the port—which he calls Qali—in the mid-14th century.<br/><br/>The Portuguese first arrived in 1505, when a fleet commanded by Lorenzo de Almeida took shelter from a storm in the lee of the town. Clearly the strategic significance of the harbour impressed the Portuguese, for 82 years later, in 1587, they seized control of the town from the Sinhala kings and began the construction of Galle Fort. This event marked the beginning of almost four centuries of European domination of the city, resulting in the fascinating hybrid—architecturally, culturally and ethnically—which Galle is today.<br/><br/>The Dutch captured the city from the Portuguese in 1640, and immediately began strengthening the fortifications. They remained for almost 150 years, until the city was in turn taken by the British in 1796.<br/><br/>Not until 1947, when Ceylon gained its independence from the British, did Galle become, once again, an independent city—and by this time the long years of association with European colonialism had left an indelible stamp on the city which makes it unique in today’s Sri Lanka.
Reverse painting on glass is an art form consisting of applying paint to a piece of glass and then viewing the image by turning the glass over and looking through the glass at the image.
Reverse painting on glass is an art form consisting of applying paint to a piece of glass and then viewing the image by turning the glass over and looking through the glass at the image.
This painting depicts a Biblical tale about Simon hosting Jesus Christ for dinner. In front of the table, a sinful woman is overcome and washes the Messiah's feet with her tears before drying them with her hair and then anointing them with fragrance from the pot that lies beside her. Simon is incensed that Jesus is allowing the prostitute to touch him, but Christ admonishes him, saying that the woman's sins are forgiven. Some of Jesus' disciples look on through the window with astonished expressions.<br/><br/> The woman later becomes a consort of Jesus and is known as Mary Magdalene.
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.
Jiayuguan, the ‘First and Greatest Pass under Heaven’, was completed in 1372 on the orders of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Ming Emperor (1368-98), to mark the end of the Ming Great Wall. It was also the very limits of Chinese civilisation, and the beginnings of the outer ‘barbarian’ lands.<br/><br/> For centuries the fort was not just of strategic importance to Han Chinese, but of cultural significance as well. This was the last civilised place before the outer darkness, those proceeding beyond, whether disgraced officials or criminals, faced a life of exile among nomadic strangers.<br/><br/> Jiayuguan or Jiayu Pass (literally "Excellent Valley Pass") is the first pass at the west end of the Great Wall of China, near the city of Jiayuguan in Gansu province.
Jiayuguan, the ‘First and Greatest Pass under Heaven’, was completed in 1372 on the orders of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Ming Emperor (1368-98), to mark the end of the Ming Great Wall. It was also the very limits of Chinese civilisation, and the beginnings of the outer ‘barbarian’ lands.<br/><br/> For centuries the fort was not just of strategic importance to Han Chinese, but of cultural significance as well. This was the last civilised place before the outer darkness, those proceeding beyond, whether disgraced officials or criminals, faced a life of exile among nomadic strangers.<br/><br/> Jiayuguan or Jiayu Pass (literally "Excellent Valley Pass") is the first pass at the west end of the Great Wall of China, near the city of Jiayuguan in Gansu province.
The Royal Palace (Preah Barum Reacha Veang Nei Preah Reacheanachak Kampuchea) and Silver Pagoda, in Phnom Penh, is a complex of buildings which serves as the royal residence of the king of Cambodia. Its full name in the Khmer language is Preah Barom Reachea Veang Chaktomuk. The Kings of Cambodia have occupied it since it was built in the 1860's, with a period of absence when the country came into turmoil during and after the reign of the Khmer Rouge.<br/><br/> The palace was constructed after King Norodom relocated the royal capital from Oudong (Udong) to Phnom Penh in the mid-19th century. It was gradually built atop an old citadel called Banteay Kev. It faces towards the East and is situated at the Western bank of the four divisions at the Mekong River called Chaktomuk (an allusion to Brahma, the Hindu god of creation).
Sarmatian golden neck circlet, 1st century CE, studded with turquoise, coral and glass from the Chochlatch Kurgan, Novocherkask. Image released to the press in 2009.<br/><br/> The Scythians were an ancient Iranian people of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who throughout Classical Antiquity dominated the Pontic-Caspian steppe, known at the time as Scythia. By Late Antiquity the closely-related Sarmatians came to dominate the Scythians in the west.
The present St. Paul Cathedral was built in 1641. There had been a more modest wood and thatched chapel built on the same site in 1574, but it twice suffered the ravages of earthquakes, first in 1619 and then just a few years later in 1627.<br/><br/> The City of Vigan is the capital of the Province of Ilocos Sur and located on the western coast of the island of Luzon.<br/><br/> Vigan is the only surviving historic city in the Philippines that dates back to the 15th century Spanish colonial period. The town was also an important trading post in pre-colonial times with a community of Chinese traders from Fujian settled in the area.<br/><br/> Today it has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status acknowledging that it is one of the few Hispanic towns left in the Philippines, and is well-known for its cobblestone streets, and a unique architecture that fuses Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial European architecture.
Lamphun was the capital of the small but culturally rich Mon Kingdom of Haripunchai from about 750 CE to the time of its conquest by King Mangrai (the founder of Chiang Mai) in 1281.
The temple's full name is Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram. It is also known as the marble temple. Construction of the temple began in 1899 at the request of King Chulalongkorn after building his palace nearby. The temple's name literally means the Temple of the fifth King located nearby Dusit Palace. It was designed by Prince Naris, a half-brother of the king, and is built of Italian marble.
The Amulet Market next to Wat Mahathat in Bangkok is one of the city's best known places to buy Buddhist amulets and lucky charms. Vendors line the street with miniature Buddhas, astrological icons, pendants, phalluses, ivory, gems and other assorted paraphernalia for the religious, the superstitious and the curious.<br/><br/> Thailand's amulet trade is a lively one, and prices for particularly powerful amulets can run into millions of Baht.
Carthage (Latin: Carthago or Karthago, Ancient Greek: Karkhēdōn, Arabic: Qarṭāj‎, Berber: Kartajen, meaning New City) is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC. It is currently a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia, with a population (2004 Census) of 20,715.<br/><br/> The first civilization that developed within the city's sphere of influence is referred to as Punic (a form of the word Phoenician) or Carthaginian. The city of Carthage is located on the eastern side of Lake Tunis across from the centre of Tunis. According to Roman legend it was founded in 814 BC by Phoenician colonists from Tyre under the leadership of Elissa (Queen Dido).<br/><br/> It became a large and rich city and thus a major power in the Mediterranean. The resulting rivalry with Syracuse and Rome was accompanied by several wars with respective invasions of each other's homeland.
Kitagawa Utamaro (ca. 1753 - October 31, 1806) was a Japanese printmaker and painter, who is considered one of the greatest artists of woodblock prints (ukiyo-e). He is known especially for his masterfully composed studies of women, known as bijinga. He also produced nature studies, particularly illustrated books of insects.