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Toyohara Chikanobu (1838-1912), often known by his contemporaries as Yoshu Chikanobu, was a prolific woodblock artist active during the Meiji Era of Japan. He served as a soldier for the Tokugawa loyalists at first, but following the Shogitai's surrender, he was remanded to the Takada domain, and in 1875 CE, he decided to become an artist.<br/><br/> He soon become renowned as a highly skilled ukiyo-e artist, with his works ranging from Japanese mythology to depictions of the battlefields from the wars of his time to women's fashions and <i>shunga</i> (erotic art). He produced a great many war prints in triptych format, documenting the Satsuma Rebellion, the First Sino-Japanese War and the First Russo-Japanese War, among other conflicts and events.
The golden stupa of the Shwedagon Pagoda rises almost 100 m (330ft) above its setting on Singuttara Hill and is plated with 8,688 solid-gold slabs. This central stupa is surrounded by more than 100 other buildings, including smaller stupas and pavilions.<br/><br/> The pagoda was already well established when Bagan dominated Burma in the 11th century. Queen Shinsawbu, who ruled in the 15th century, is believed to have given the pagoda its present shape. She also built the terraces and walls around the stupa.<br/><br/> The giant stupa has a circumference at platform level of 433 m (1,420ft), with its octagonal base ringed by 64 smaller stupas.
Zhuge Liang (CE 181-234) was Chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era. Often depicted wearing a robe and holding a fan made of crane feathers, Zhuge was not only an important military strategist and statesman; he was also an accomplished scholar and inventor.<br/><br/> His reputation as an intelligent and learned scholar grew even while he was living in relative seclusion, earning him the nickname Wolong (literally Crouching Dragon). Zhuge is an uncommon two-character compound family name. His name – even his surname alone – has become synonymous with intelligence and tactics in Chinese culture.
Utagawa Toyokuni (1769 - February 24, 1825), also often referred to as Toyokuni I, to distinguish him from the members of his school who took over his gō (art-name after he died) was a great master of ukiyo-e, known in particular for his Kabuki actor prints.<br/><br/> Utagawa was one of the heads of the renowned Utagawa school of Japanese woodblock artists, and was the person who really moved it to the position of great fame and power it occupied for the rest of the nineteenth century.
Zhuge Liang (CE 181-234) was Chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era. Often depicted wearing a robe and holding a fan made of crane feathers, Zhuge was not only an important military strategist and statesman; he was also an accomplished scholar and inventor.<br/><br/> His reputation as an intelligent and learned scholar grew even while he was living in relative seclusion, earning him the nickname Wolong (literally Crouching Dragon). Zhuge is an uncommon two-character compound family name. His name – even his surname alone – has become synonymous with intelligence and tactics in Chinese culture.
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (January 1, 1798 - April 14, 1861) was one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting. He is associated with the Utagawa school.<br/><br/> The range of Kuniyoshi's preferred subjects included many genres: landscapes, beautiful women, Kabuki actors, cats, and mythical animals. He is known for depictions of the battles of samurai and legendary heroes. His artwork was affected by Western influences in landscape painting and caricature.
Shunbaisai Hokuei, also known as Shunkō III, was a designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints in Osaka, and was active from about 1824 to 1837. He was a student of Shunkōsai Hokushū.<br/><br/> Hokuei’s prints most often portray the kabuki actor Arashi Rikan II.
Beijing Dongyue Temple, literally Beijing Eastern Peak Temple, was built between 1314 and 1320, when it was one of the largest Taoist temples in Beijing. The complex has three courtyards. In the centre of the Hall of Taishan Mountain are statues of the God of Taishan Mountain and his high-ranking attendants. Corridors house 72 statues of deities, called 'chiefs of departments', some handing out harsh punishments to people who have done bad things.<br/><br/> Dongyue Temple was burned down during a battle in the Yuan dynasty (1271 - 1368) and was rebuilt during the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644). The current complex dates back to the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1912), but retains the style of the Yuan and Ming.
Utagawa Kunisada II (歌川国定)(1823–1880) was a Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker, one of three to take the name 'Utagawa Kunisada'.<br/><br/>A pupil of Utagawa Kunisada I, he signed much of his early work 'Baidō Kunimasa III'. He took the name Kunisada after marrying his master's eldest daughter in 1846. He changed his name once more following his master's death, to Toyokuni III. However, since there were three artists called Toyokuni before him, Kunisada II is confusingly often known as Toyokuni IV.<br/><br/>Kunisada II is renowned for his prints. His favourite subjects were pleasure-houses and tea ceremonies. These themes are sometimes found together in some of his prints, as geishas usually acted as chaperones at tea-houses.
Shadow play (Chinese: 皮影戏, pí yĭng xì) or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment using opaque, often articulated figures in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images. It is popular in various cultures. At present, more than 20 countries are known to have shadow show troupes.<br/><br/>Shadow puppetry originated during the Han Dynasty when one of the concubines of Emperor Wu of Han died from an illness. The emperor was devastated, and he summoned his court officers to bring his beloved back to life. The officers made a shape of the concubine using donkey leather. Her joints were animated using 11 separate pieces of the leather, and adorned with painted clothes. Using an oil lamp they made her shadow move, bringing her back to life. Shadow theatre became quite popular as early as the Song Dynasty when holidays were marked by the presentation of many shadow plays. During the Ming Dynasty there were 40 to 50 shadow show troupes in the city of Beijing alone. In the 13th century, the shadow show became a regular recreation in the barracks of the Mongolian troops. It was spread by the conquering Mongols to distant countries like Persia, Arabia, and Turkey. Later, it was introduced to other Southeastern Asian countries.<br/><br/>The earliest shadow theatre screens were made of mulberry paper. The storytellers generally used the art to tell events between various war kingdoms or stories of Buddhist sources. Today, puppets made of leather and moved on sticks are used to tell dramatic versions of traditional fairy tales and myths. In Gansu province, it is accompanied by Daoqing music, while in Jilin, accompanying Huanglong music forms some of the basis of modern opera.
The studio of the artist Tingqua was perhaps the most prolific source of Chinese export painting during the nineteenth century. Located at 16 China Street, Guangzhou, the school specialized in gouache and watercolor paintings influenced by Western artistic traditions. These works became known in America primarily through the American China trader Augustine Heard, who brought a substantial collection of Tingqua paintings back to the United States in ca. 1855. These are now located at the Peabody Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.<br/><br/> Tingqua was from a family of Chinese artists, each of whom were recognized for there skills in painting scenes suitable for the export market. His father, Guan Zuolin, often known by his western name, Spoilum, was the first identifiable artist of the Cantonese export school.<br/><br/> Tingqua's work is perhaps most recognized for its exquisite characterization of daily life and for its exceptional detail. The precision of the brushwork and concentration upon light effects is superb, and in each scene the importance of world trade with China is beautifully displayed.
Wat Lok Moli or ‘topknot of the world’ is thought to have been founded by King Ku Na, the 6th king of the Mangrai Dynasty (1263–1578), who ruled the Lan Na Kingdom from Chiang Mai between about 1367 and 1388. It was probably a royal temple, since the northern side of the city was a royal precinct at the time; certainly the sanctuary enjoyed a long and close association with the Mangrai rulers. According to a notice at the south entrance of the temple, King Ku Na invited a group of ten monks from Burma to come and live in Chiang Mai, providing Lok Moli as a residence for them.<br/><br/> The huge chedi that distinguishes Lok Moli was built in 1527, perhaps after the orders of the 11th Mangrai monarch, King Muang Kaeo (1495–1526), but apparently during the first year of the first reign of his younger brother, King Ket Chettharat (1526–1538).
Wat Lok Moli or ‘topknot of the world’ is thought to have been founded by King Ku Na, the 6th king of the Mangrai Dynasty (1263–1578), who ruled the Lan Na Kingdom from Chiang Mai between about 1367 and 1388. It was probably a royal temple, since the northern side of the city was a royal precinct at the time; certainly the sanctuary enjoyed a long and close association with the Mangrai rulers. According to a notice at the south entrance of the temple, King Ku Na invited a group of ten monks from Burma to come and live in Chiang Mai, providing Lok Moli as a residence for them.<br/><br/> The huge chedi that distinguishes Lok Moli was built in 1527, perhaps after the orders of the 11th Mangrai monarch, King Muang Kaeo (1495–1526), but apparently during the first year of the first reign of his younger brother, King Ket Chettharat (1526–1538).
Wat Lok Moli or ‘topknot of the world’ is thought to have been founded by King Ku Na, the 6th king of the Mangrai Dynasty (1263–1578), who ruled the Lan Na Kingdom from Chiang Mai between about 1367 and 1388. It was probably a royal temple, since the northern side of the city was a royal precinct at the time; certainly the sanctuary enjoyed a long and close association with the Mangrai rulers. According to a notice at the south entrance of the temple, King Ku Na invited a group of ten monks from Burma to come and live in Chiang Mai, providing Lok Moli as a residence for them.<br/><br/> The huge chedi that distinguishes Lok Moli was built in 1527, perhaps after the orders of the 11th Mangrai monarch, King Muang Kaeo (1495–1526), but apparently during the first year of the first reign of his younger brother, King Ket Chettharat (1526–1538).
Wat Lok Moli or ‘topknot of the world’ is thought to have been founded by King Ku Na, the 6th king of the Mangrai Dynasty (1263–1578), who ruled the Lan Na Kingdom from Chiang Mai between about 1367 and 1388. It was probably a royal temple, since the northern side of the city was a royal precinct at the time; certainly the sanctuary enjoyed a long and close association with the Mangrai rulers. According to a notice at the south entrance of the temple, King Ku Na invited a group of ten monks from Burma to come and live in Chiang Mai, providing Lok Moli as a residence for them.<br/><br/> The huge chedi that distinguishes Lok Moli was built in 1527, perhaps after the orders of the 11th Mangrai monarch, King Muang Kaeo (1495–1526), but apparently during the first year of the first reign of his younger brother, King Ket Chettharat (1526–1538).
Wat Saen Fang was originally constructed in the 14th century, but none of the structures visible today date from before the 19th century.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai is often called Thailand’s ‘Rose of the North’, and is the country’s second city and a popular tourist destination due primarily to its mountainous scenery, colourful ethnic hilltribes and their handicrafts.<br/><br/> Founded in 1296 by King Mengrai as the capital of his Lanna kingdom, Chiang Mai was later overrun by Burmese invaders in 1767. The city was then left abandoned between 1776 and 1791. Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774 by an agreement with local prince Chao Kavila, after the Siamese King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic importance.
Built in 1894 by the 72 Chen (usually romanised as Chan in Cantonese) clans, the Chen Family Temple (Chenjia Si), also known as the Chen Clan Academy (simplified Chinese: 陈家祠; traditional Chinese: 陳家祠; pinyin: Chén Jiā Cí) is an academic temple in Guangzhou (Canton). The academy was built for the clans juniors', a place to live and prepare for the imperial examinations during the Qing Dynasty.
Built in 1894 by the 72 Chen (usually romanised as Chan in Cantonese) clans, the Chen Family Temple (Chenjia Si), also known as the Chen Clan Academy (simplified Chinese: 陈家祠; traditional Chinese: 陳家祠; pinyin: Chén Jiā Cí) is an academic temple in Guangzhou (Canton). The academy was built for the clans juniors', a place to live and prepare for the imperial examinations during the Qing Dynasty.
Built in 1894 by the 72 Chen (usually romanised as Chan in Cantonese) clans, the Chen Family Temple (Chenjia Si), also known as the Chen Clan Academy (simplified Chinese: 陈家祠; traditional Chinese: 陳家祠; pinyin: Chén Jiā Cí) is an academic temple in Guangzhou (Canton). The academy was built for the clans juniors', a place to live and prepare for the imperial examinations during the Qing Dynasty.
Nanning was originally founded during the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368), although there was a county seat here called Jinxing as far back as 318 CE.<br/><br/> Opened to foreign trade by the Chinese in 1907, Nanning grew rapidly. From 1912 to 1936 it was the provincial capital of Guangxi, replacing Guilin.<br/><br/> Due to its proximity to the Vietnamese border Nanning became a major centre for supplying Ho Chi Minh's North Vietnam during the Second Indochina War (Vietnam War).
The revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin (四十七士 Shi-jū-shichi-shi), also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Akō vendetta, or the Genroku Akō incident (元禄赤穂事件 Genroku akō jiken) took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century. One noted Japanese scholar described the tale as the country's 'national legend'. It recounts the most famous case involving the samurai code of honor, bushidō.<br/><br/> The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzuke no suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for two years to kill Kira.<br/><br/> In turn, the ronin were themselves ordered to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good people should preserve in their daily lives. The popularity of the almost mythical tale was only enhanced by rapid modernization during the Meiji era of Japanese history, when it is suggested many people in Japan longed for a return to their cultural roots.<br/><br/> Fictionalized accounts of these events are known as Chūshingura. The story was popularized in numerous plays including bunraku and kabuki. Because of the censorship laws of the shogunate in the Genroku era, which forbade portrayal of current events, the names of the ronin were changed.
Suzuki Harunobu (鈴木 春信4, 1724 – July 7, 1770) was a Japanese woodblock print artist, one of the most famous in the Ukiyo-e style. He was an innovator, the first to produce full-color prints (nishiki-e) in 1765, rendering obsolete the former modes of two- and three-color prints.<br/><br/> Harunobu used many special techniques, and depicted a wide variety of subjects, from classical poems to contemporary beauties (bijin, bijin-ga). Like many artists of his day, Harunobu also produced a number of shunga, or erotic images.<br/><br/> During his lifetime and shortly afterwards, many artists imitated his style. A few, such as Harushige, even boasted of their ability to forge the work of the great master. Much about Harunobu's life is unknown.
Suzuki Harunobu (鈴木 春信4, 1724 – July 7, 1770) was a Japanese woodblock print artist, one of the most famous in the Ukiyo-e style. He was an innovator, the first to produce full-color prints (nishiki-e) in 1765, rendering obsolete the former modes of two- and three-color prints.<br/><br/> Harunobu used many special techniques, and depicted a wide variety of subjects, from classical poems to contemporary beauties (bijin, bijin-ga). Like many artists of his day, Harunobu also produced a number of shunga, or erotic images.<br/><br/> During his lifetime and shortly afterwards, many artists imitated his style. A few, such as Harushige, even boasted of their ability to forge the work of the great master. Much about Harunobu's life is unknown.
The Kaiyuan Temple is a Buddhist temple originally constructed in 738 CE during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). Chaozhou is believed to have been founded more than 1700 years ago. The town reached its zenith during the Ming era and was well known as a place of great culture as well as an important commercial and trading centre.<br/><br/> Teochew dialect (潮州話), by which the Chaozhou culture is conveyed, is one of the most conservative Chinese dialects because it preserves many contrasts from ancient Chinese that have been lost in some of the other modern dialects of Chinese.
The Kaiyuan Temple is a Buddhist temple originally constructed in 738 CE during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). Chaozhou is believed to have been founded more than 1700 years ago. The town reached its zenith during the Ming era and was well known as a place of great culture as well as an important commercial and trading centre.<br/><br/> Teochew dialect (潮州話), by which the Chaozhou culture is conveyed, is one of the most conservative Chinese dialects because it preserves many contrasts from ancient Chinese that have been lost in some of the other modern dialects of Chinese.
The Kaiyuan Temple is a Buddhist temple originally constructed in 738 CE during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). Chaozhou is believed to have been founded more than 1700 years ago. The town reached its zenith during the Ming era and was well known as a place of great culture as well as an important commercial and trading centre.<br/><br/> Teochew dialect (潮州話), by which the Chaozhou culture is conveyed, is one of the most conservative Chinese dialects because it preserves many contrasts from ancient Chinese that have been lost in some of the other modern dialects of Chinese.
<i>Hikifuda</i> are advertising handbills that became popular in late 19th to early 20th century Japan. Showing the increasing sophistication of Japanese commerce, the handbills were produced to advertise a company or promote a product, and sometimes they were even used as wrapping paper.<br/><br/> While <i>hikifuda</i> began to be produced as woodblock prints in the late 17th century, they witnessed a boom in the later 19th century when they were cheaply printed using colour lithography.
The revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin (四十七士 Shi-jū-shichi-shi), also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Akō vendetta, or the Genroku Akō incident (元禄赤穂事件 Genroku akō jiken) took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century. One noted Japanese scholar described the tale as the country's 'national legend'. It recounts the most famous case involving the samurai code of honor, bushidō.<br/><br/> The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzuke no suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for two years to kill Kira.<br/><br/> In turn, the ronin were themselves ordered to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good people should preserve in their daily lives. The popularity of the almost mythical tale was only enhanced by rapid modernization during the Meiji era of Japanese history, when it is suggested many people in Japan longed for a return to their cultural roots.<br/><br/> Fictionalized accounts of these events are known as Chūshingura. The story was popularized in numerous plays including bunraku and kabuki. Because of the censorship laws of the shogunate in the Genroku era, which forbade portrayal of current events, the names of the ronin were changed.
The revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin (四十七士 Shi-jū-shichi-shi), also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Akō vendetta, or the Genroku Akō incident (元禄赤穂事件 Genroku akō jiken) took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century. One noted Japanese scholar described the tale as the country's 'national legend'. It recounts the most famous case involving the samurai code of honor, bushidō.<br/><br/> The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzuke no suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for two years to kill Kira.<br/><br/> In turn, the ronin were themselves ordered to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good people should preserve in their daily lives. The popularity of the almost mythical tale was only enhanced by rapid modernization during the Meiji era of Japanese history, when it is suggested many people in Japan longed for a return to their cultural roots.<br/><br/> Fictionalized accounts of these events are known as Chūshingura. The story was popularized in numerous plays including bunraku and kabuki. Because of the censorship laws of the shogunate in the Genroku era, which forbade portrayal of current events, the names of the ronin were changed.
The revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin (四十七士 Shi-jū-shichi-shi), also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Akō vendetta, or the Genroku Akō incident (元禄赤穂事件 Genroku akō jiken) took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century. One noted Japanese scholar described the tale as the country's 'national legend'. It recounts the most famous case involving the samurai code of honor, bushidō.<br/><br/> The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzuke no suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for two years to kill Kira.<br/><br/> In turn, the ronin were themselves ordered to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good people should preserve in their daily lives. The popularity of the almost mythical tale was only enhanced by rapid modernization during the Meiji era of Japanese history, when it is suggested many people in Japan longed for a return to their cultural roots.<br/><br/> Fictionalized accounts of these events are known as Chūshingura. The story was popularized in numerous plays including bunraku and kabuki. Because of the censorship laws of the shogunate in the Genroku era, which forbade portrayal of current events, the names of the ronin were changed.
The revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin (四十七士 Shi-jū-shichi-shi), also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Akō vendetta, or the Genroku Akō incident (元禄赤穂事件 Genroku akō jiken) took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century. One noted Japanese scholar described the tale as the country's 'national legend'. It recounts the most famous case involving the samurai code of honor, bushidō.<br/><br/> The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzuke no suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for two years to kill Kira.<br/><br/> In turn, the ronin were themselves ordered to commit seppuku for committing the crime of murder. With much embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good people should preserve in their daily lives. The popularity of the almost mythical tale was only enhanced by rapid modernization during the Meiji era of Japanese history, when it is suggested many people in Japan longed for a return to their cultural roots.<br/><br/> Fictionalized accounts of these events are known as Chūshingura. The story was popularized in numerous plays including bunraku and kabuki. Because of the censorship laws of the shogunate in the Genroku era, which forbade portrayal of current events, the names of the ronin were changed.
The rugged, indomitable Chinese muleteers known to the Burmese as Panthay, and to the Thai and Lao as Haw or Chin Haw, were—and to some extent still are—the masters of the Golden Triangle. Certainly they were the traders par excellence, penetrating into the remotest reaches of forbidden territory such as the Wa States, whilst at the same time their mule caravans, laden with everything from precious stones and jade to opium and copper pans, traded as far as Luang Prabang in Laos, Moulmein in Burma, Dali and Kunming in Yunnan, and Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.<br/><br/> 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.
Hanoi's Old Quarter lies immediately north of Ho Hoan Kiem lake. It's better known locally as Bam Sau Pho Phuong or the ‘Thirty Six Streets’. 'Phuong' means a trade guild, and most of the streets begin with the word 'hang' meaning merchandise. This ancient section of the city has long been associated with commerce, and it remains very much so today.
The Temple of Literature or Van Mieu is one of Vietnam’s foremost cultural treasures. Founded in 1070 by King Ly Thanh Tong of the Early Ly Dynasty, the temple was originally dedicated both to Confucius and to Chu Cong, a member of the Chinese royal family credited with originating many of the teachings that Confucius developed five hundred years later. The site was selected by Ly Dynasty geomancers to stand in harmony with the Taoist Bich Cau temple and the Buddhist One Pillar Pagoda, representing the three major fonts of Vietnamese tradition.<br/><br/> Six years later, in 1076, the Quoc Tu Giam, or ‘School for the Sons of the Nation’, was established at the same location when King Ly Nhan Tong (1072-1127) established Vietnam’s first university. The tradition of Confucian education flourished at the Temple of Literature, with the custom of offering a cloak to successful candidates beginning in 1374, whilst in 1484 the first stele bearing the names of doctoral graduates was erected.
Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.<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. Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand.
Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.<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. Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand.
Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.<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. Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand.
T. Enami (Enami Nobukuni, 1859 – 1929) was the trade name of a celebrated Meiji period photographer. The T. of his trade name is thought to have stood for Toshi, though he never spelled it out on any personal or business document.<br/><br/> Born in Edo (now Tokyo) during the Bakumatsu era, Enami was first a student of, and then an assistant to the well known photographer and collotypist, Ogawa Kazumasa. Enami relocated to Yokohama, and opened a studio on Benten-dōri (Benten Street) in 1892. Just a few doors away from him was the studio of the already well known Tamamura Kozaburō. He and Enami would work together on at least three related projects over the years.<br/><br/> Enami became quietly unique as the only photographer of that period known to work in all popular formats, including the production of large-format photographs compiled into what are commonly called "Yokohama Albums". Enami went on to become Japan's most prolific photographer of small-format images such as the stereoview and glass lantern-slides. The best of these were delicately hand-tinted.
Yi Peng lantern made from mulberry paper, Yi Peng Festival, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.
Yi Peng lantern made from mulberry paper, Yi Peng Festival, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 – October 12, 1858) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, and one of the last great artists in that tradition. He was also referred to as Andō Hiroshige, and by the art name of Ichiyūsai Hiroshige.<br/><br/> Among many masterpieces, Hiroshige is particularly remembered for 'The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kisokaidō' (1834–1842) and 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji' (1852–1858).
Yi Peng lantern made from mulberry paper, Yi Peng Festival, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.
Yi Peng Festival, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.
Zhuge Liang (CE 181-234) was Chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era. Often depicted wearing a robe and holding a fan made of crane feathers, Zhuge was not only an important military strategist and statesman; he was also an accomplished scholar and inventor. His reputation as an intelligent and learned scholar grew even while he was living in relative seclusion, earning him the nickname Wolong (literally Crouching Dragon). Zhuge is an uncommon two-character compound family name. His name – even his surname alone – has become synonymous with intelligence and tactics in Chinese culture.
Yi Peng lantern made from mulberry paper, Yi Peng Festival, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.
Robert George Talbot Kelly (1861 – 1934) was an English orientalist landscape and genre painter, author and illustrator. Kelly was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, the son of Irish landscape artist Robert George Kelly.<br/><br/>Kelly travelled to Burma, which he wrote about and painted for two books published by A & C Black, Burma Painted and Described (1905) and Burma (1909).<br/><br/>Kelly had a significant impact on the early 20th century development of Burmese painting. In Burma, he is believed to have met and taught the basics of Western painting to a major painter of Burma, M.T. Hla (U Tun Hla) (1874–1946), and the paintings of Maung Maung Gyi (painter) (1890–1942) and Ba Ohn (c.1877-fl.1924) show clear influence of Kelly's style in certain works.
Yi Peng Festival, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.
Tokyo (東京 Tōkyō, 'Eastern Capital') is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the most populous metropolitan area in the world.<br/><br/> It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family. Tokyo is in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (東京府 Tōkyō-fu) and the city of Tokyo (東京市 Tōkyō-shi).
Yi Peng lantern made from mulberry paper, Yi Peng Festival, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.
Yi Peng lantern made from mulberry paper, Yi Peng Festival, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.
Yi Peng Festival, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.
Yi Peng lantern made from mulberry paper, Yi Peng Festival, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.
Shanghai (Chinese: 上 海; Pinyin Shànghǎi) is one of the largest cities by population in the People's Republic of China, and the world. The city is located in eastern China, at the middle portion of the Chinese coast, and sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Due to its rapid growth over the last two decades it has again become a global city, exerting influence over finance, commerce, fashion, technology and culture.<br/><br/> Once a fishing and textiles town, Shanghai grew in importance in the 19th century due to its favourable port location and was one of the cities opened to foreign trade by the 1842 Treaty of Nanking. The city then flourished as a centre of commerce between east and west, and became a multinational hub of finance and business in the 1930s. However, with the Communist Party takeover of the mainland in 1949, the city's international influence declined.<br/><br/> In 1990, the economic reforms introduced by Deng Xiaoping resulted in an intense re-development of the city, aiding the return of finance and foreign investment to the city. Shanghai is now aiming to be an international shipping centre in the future, and is one of the world's major financial centres.<br/><br/> Shanghai is also a popular tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as The Bund, City God Temple and Yuyuan Garden, as well as the extensive and growing Pudong skyline. It is described as the 'showpiece' of the booming economy of mainland China.<br/><br/>
Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.<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.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai sometimes written as 'Chiengmai' or 'Chiangmai', is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand.
Loy Krathong is held annually on the full moon night of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In northern Thailand this coincides with the Lanna festival known as Yi Peng.<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.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai sometimes written as 'Chiengmai' or 'Chiangmai', is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand.
Wat Saen Fang was originally constructed in the 14th century, but none of the structures visible today date from before the 19th century.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai is often called Thailand’s ‘Rose of the North’, and is the country’s second city and a popular tourist destination due primarily to its mountainous scenery, colourful ethnic hilltribes and their handicrafts.<br/><br/> Founded in 1296 by King Mengrai as the capital of his Lanna kingdom, Chiang Mai was later overrun by Burmese invaders in 1767. The city was then left abandoned between 1776 and 1791. Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774 by an agreement with local prince Chao Kavila, after the Siamese King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic importance.
Wat Saen Fang was originally constructed in the 14th century, but none of the structures visible today date from before the 19th century.<br/><br/> Chiang Mai is often called Thailand’s ‘Rose of the North’, and is the country’s second city and a popular tourist destination due primarily to its mountainous scenery, colourful ethnic hilltribes and their handicrafts.<br/><br/> Founded in 1296 by King Mengrai as the capital of his Lanna kingdom, Chiang Mai was later overrun by Burmese invaders in 1767. The city was then left abandoned between 1776 and 1791. Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774 by an agreement with local prince Chao Kavila, after the Siamese King Taksin helped drive out the Burmese. Chiang Mai then slowly grew in cultural, trading and economic importance.
In the early decades of the 18th century, a man with a malleable head made a living as a popular sideshow attraction. It is said that he could collapse his head like a traditional paper lantern. The Kaikidan Ekotoba is a mid-19th century handscroll that profiles 33 legendary monsters and human oddities, mostly from the Kyushu region of Japan, but with several from other countries, including China, Russia and Korea. The document, whose author is unknown, is in the possession of the Fukuoka City Museum.
The San Jao Lim Ko Niaw shrine is dedicated to the sister of Lim To Khieng, a visiting Chinese merchant who had married a local woman and converted to Islam.<br/><br/> To show his devotion to his new faith, he started building a mosque, the Kru Se Mosque situated outside Pattani town. His sister, Lim Ko Niaw, sailed from China to protest about his conversion, and he swore that he would return to China as soon as the new mosque was finished. However, he made sure that it never was, and his sister, on her deathbed, cursed the building and anyone who attempted to complete it. Her shrine, Chao Mae Lim Ko Niao, located in downtown Pattani, and the Kru Se Mosque, still attract huge numbers of devotees, the former mainly ethnic Chinese, and the latter Muslim.<br/><br/> Pattani, founded in the 15th century, was once the capital of an independent Malay-speaking sultanate. Today it is the spiritual heart and most important town in the Malay Muslim region of Thailand’s Deep South. About 75 per cent of the population are Malay-speaking Muslims (figures are disputed), and the city and region are at the centre of the current political instability that has disturbed the Deep South border provinces for at least four decades.
Zhuge Liang (CE 181-234) was Chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era. Often depicted wearing a robe and holding a fan made of crane feathers, Zhuge was not only an important military strategist and statesman; he was also an accomplished scholar and inventor.<br/><br/> His reputation as an intelligent and learned scholar grew even while he was living in relative seclusion, earning him the nickname Wolong (literally Crouching Dragon). Zhuge is an uncommon two-character compound family name. His name – even his surname alone – has become synonymous with intelligence and tactics in Chinese culture.
The Vegetarian Festival is a religious festival annually held on the island of Phuket in southern Thailand. It attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed. Many religious devotees will slash themselves with swords, pierce their cheeks with sharp objects and commit other painful acts. The Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Chinese: Jiǔhuángyé; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Káu-ông-iâ; Cantonese: Kow Wong Yeh) is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which is observed primarily in Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The Vegetarian Festival is a religious festival annually held on the island of Phuket in southern Thailand. It attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed. Many religious devotees will slash themselves with swords, pierce their cheeks with sharp objects and commit other painful acts. The Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Chinese: Jiǔhuángyé; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Káu-ông-iâ; Cantonese: Kow Wong Yeh) is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which is observed primarily in Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The Vegetarian Festival is a religious festival annually held on the island of Phuket in southern Thailand. It attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed. Many religious devotees will slash themselves with swords, pierce their cheeks with sharp objects and commit other painful acts. The Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Chinese: Jiǔhuángyé; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Káu-ông-iâ; Cantonese: Kow Wong Yeh) is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which is observed primarily in Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The Vegetarian Festival is a religious festival annually held on the island of Phuket in southern Thailand. It attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed. Many religious devotees will slash themselves with swords, pierce their cheeks with sharp objects and commit other painful acts. The Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Chinese: Jiǔhuángyé; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Káu-ông-iâ; Cantonese: Kow Wong Yeh) is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which is observed primarily in Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The Vegetarian Festival is a religious festival annually held on the island of Phuket in southern Thailand. It attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed. Many religious devotees will slash themselves with swords, pierce their cheeks with sharp objects and commit other painful acts. The Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Chinese: Jiǔhuángyé; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Káu-ông-iâ; Cantonese: Kow Wong Yeh) is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which is observed primarily in Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
The Vegetarian Festival is a religious festival annually held on the island of Phuket in southern Thailand. It attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed. Many religious devotees will slash themselves with swords, pierce their cheeks with sharp objects and commit other painful acts. The Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Chinese: Jiǔhuángyé; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Káu-ông-iâ; Cantonese: Kow Wong Yeh) is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of 9th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which is observed primarily in Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
San Chao Saeng Tham is a Taoist Chinese temple in Phuket's old town in the south of Thailand.<br/><br/> Taoism, or Daoism, refers to a variety of related philosophical and religious traditions that have influenced the people of Eastern Asia for more than two millennia. They also notably influenced the Western world, particularly since the 19th century.<br/><br/> The word Tao translates as 'path' or 'way'. It carries more abstract, spiritual meanings in folk religion and Chinese philosophy. Taoist propriety and ethics emphasize the Three Jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation and humility, while Taoist thought generally focuses on nature, the relationship between humanity and the cosmos; health and longevity; and ‘wu wei’ (action through inaction).<br/><br/> Harmony with the universe is the intended result of many Taoist rules and practices. Reverence for ancestor spirits and immortals is common in popular Taoism. Organized Taoism distinguishes its ritual activity from that of the folk religion, which some professional Taoists view as debased.<br/><br/> Chinese alchemy (including Neidan), astrology, cuisine, Zen Buddhism, several Chinese martial arts, Chinese traditional medicine, feng shui, and many styles of qi gong have been intertwined with Taoism throughout history.
Wenshu Yuan (Wenshu Temple) dates back to the Tang Dynasty (June 18, 618–June 4, 907), and was originally known as Xinxiang Temple. It is now a popular Zen Buddhist temple.<br/><br/> Chengdu, known formerly as Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. In the early 4th century BC, the 9th Kaiming king of the ancient Shu moved his capital to the city's current location from today's nearby Pixian.
Wenshu Yuan (Wenshu Temple) dates back to the Tang Dynasty (June 18, 618–June 4, 907), and was originally known as Xinxiang Temple. It is now a popular Zen Buddhist temple.<br/><br/> Chengdu, known formerly as Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. In the early 4th century BC, the 9th Kaiming king of the ancient Shu moved his capital to the city's current location from today's nearby Pixian.
Wenshu Yuan (Wenshu Temple) dates back to the Tang Dynasty (June 18, 618–June 4, 907), and was originally known as Xinxiang Temple. It is now a popular Zen Buddhist temple.<br/><br/> Chengdu, known formerly as Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. In the early 4th century BC, the 9th Kaiming king of the ancient Shu moved his capital to the city's current location from today's nearby Pixian.
T. Enami (Enami Nobukuni, 1859 – 1929) was the trade name of a celebrated Meiji period photographer. The T. of his trade name is thought to have stood for Toshi, though he never spelled it out on any personal or business document.<br/><br/> Born in Edo (now Tokyo) during the Bakumatsu era, Enami was first a student of, and then an assistant to the well known photographer and collotypist, Ogawa Kazumasa. Enami relocated to Yokohama, and opened a studio on Benten-dōri (Benten Street) in 1892. Just a few doors away from him was the studio of the already well known Tamamura Kozaburō. He and Enami would work together on at least three related projects over the years.<br/><br/> Enami became quietly unique as the only photographer of that period known to work in all popular formats, including the production of large-format photographs compiled into what are commonly called "Yokohama Albums". Enami went on to become Japan's most prolific photographer of small-format images such as the stereoview and glass lantern-slides. The best of these were delicately hand-tinted.
Suzuki Harunobu (鈴木 春信4, 1724 – July 7, 1770) was a Japanese woodblock print artist, one of the most famous in the Ukiyo-e style. He was an innovator, the first to produce full-color prints (nishiki-e) in 1765, rendering obsolete the former modes of two- and three-color prints.<br/><br/> Harunobu used many special techniques, and depicted a wide variety of subjects, from classical poems to contemporary beauties (bijin, bijin-ga). Like many artists of his day, Harunobu also produced a number of shunga, or erotic images.<br/><br/> During his lifetime and shortly afterwards, many artists imitated his style. A few, such as Harushige, even boasted of their ability to forge the work of the great master. Much about Harunobu's life is unknown.
Sadanobu's small landscapes of Kyoto and Osaka were produced very much with the Edo artist Hiroshige in mind. Indeed, he also did miniature copies of some of Hiroshige's most famous designs.<br/><br/> Kyoto was the capital of Japan from 1180 to 1868, when the capital was moved to Tokyo (previously Edo) at the beginning of the Meiji Era in 1868. Sadanobu's woodblock prints of 'Famous Places in the Capital' was thus produced towards the very end of Kyoto's position as the Japanese capital, and possibly continued into the first year or two of the Meiji Period.
Chinese erotic art was a tradition that spanned from antiquity until its apex in the late Ming Dynasty (early 17th century). This art was not just produced for stimulation. Chinese erotica portrays ideals of feminine beauty, narratives on imperial and vernacular life, humour, tenderness and love. However, traditional Chinese erotic art remains a little known tradition because so much of it was destroyed during the Maoist era.<br/><br/> Foot binding (pinyin: <i>chanzu</i>, literally 'bound feet') was a custom practiced on young girls and women for approximately one thousand years in China, beginning in the 10th century and ending in the first half of 20th century.<br/><br/> Qing Dynasty sex manuals listed 48 different ways of playing with women's bound feet. For men, the primary erotic effect was a function of the lotus gait, the tiny steps and swaying walk of a woman whose feet had been bound.