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Vladimir Vasilyevich Lebedev (14 May 1891, Saint Petersburg – 21 November 1967) was a Soviet painter and graphic artist. He became famous for his exceptional illustrations of the poems of the prominent poet and translator Samuil Marshak, such as Circus, Ice Cream, Tale About a Foolish Mouse, Moustached and Striped, Book of Many Colours, Twelve Months and Luggage.<br/><br/> As a young boy, Lebedev started to paint postcards that were sold in a shop in Saint Petersburg. At the age of nineteen, he held his first exhibit at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 1913, he began work as a cartoonist for several satirical journals, including the famed 'Satirikon'). From 1920-1922, Lebedev worked for The Russian Telegraph Agency (ROSTA) and The Department of Agitation (Agitprop) designing propaganda posters.
This photograph of a 'Liberated African' slave was taken after they were freed from slaving ships by the British Navy. From 1861 to 1874, more than 2500 'Liberated Africans' were shipped to Port Victoria, Seychelles.<br/><br/> While the Slave Trade continued across eastern and southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, the 'liberated' were taken to a depot, classified by the District Magistrate, photographed, renamed, and assigned as 'apprentices' to the French-owned plantations, where they were indentured for five years.
This photograph of a 'Liberated African' slave was taken after they were freed from slaving ships by the British Navy. From 1861 to 1874, more than 2500 'Liberated Africans' were shipped to Port Victoria, Seychelles.<br/><br/> While the Slave Trade continued across eastern and southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, the 'liberated' were taken to a depot, classified by the District Magistrate, photographed, renamed, and assigned as 'apprentices' to the French-owned plantations, where they were indentured for five years.
This photograph of a 'Liberated African' slave was taken after they were freed from slaving ships by the British Navy. From 1861 to 1874, more than 2500 'Liberated Africans' were shipped to Port Victoria, Seychelles.<br/><br/> While the Slave Trade continued across eastern and southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, the 'liberated' were taken to a depot, classified by the District Magistrate, photographed, renamed, and assigned as 'apprentices' to the French-owned plantations, where they were indentured for five years.
This photograph of a 'Liberated African' slave was taken after they were freed from slaving ships by the British Navy. From 1861 to 1874, more than 2500 'Liberated Africans' were shipped to Port Victoria, Seychelles.<br/><br/> While the Slave Trade continued across eastern and southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, the 'liberated' were taken to a depot, classified by the District Magistrate, photographed, renamed, and assigned as 'apprentices' to the French-owned plantations, where they were indentured for five years.
This photograph of a 'Liberated African' slave was taken after they were freed from slaving ships by the British Navy. From 1861 to 1874, more than 2500 'Liberated Africans' were shipped to Port Victoria, Seychelles.<br/><br/> While the Slave Trade continued across eastern and southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, the 'liberated' were taken to a depot, classified by the District Magistrate, photographed, renamed, and assigned as 'apprentices' to the French-owned plantations, where they were indentured for five years.
This photograph of a 'Liberated African' slave was taken after they were freed from slaving ships by the British Navy. From 1861 to 1874, more than 2500 'Liberated Africans' were shipped to Port Victoria, Seychelles.<br/><br/> While the Slave Trade continued across eastern and southern Africa and the Indian Ocean, the 'liberated' were taken to a depot, classified by the District Magistrate, photographed, renamed, and assigned as 'apprentices' to the French-owned plantations, where they were indentured for five years.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 CE, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 CE tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 CE, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 CE tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Trang has been a trading center since at least the 1st century AD. It grew to prosperity between the 7th and 13th centuries during the Srivijaya period and remains an important commercial town today.<br/><br/> Rubber, palm oil and fishing are the mainstays of the town's economy. Tourism is making an increasing impact as Trang’s Anadaman Coast and islands are increasingly developed and popularized.<br/><br/> The town has a strong Overseas Chinese character (and hence good Chinese restaurants) as a result of an influx of Chinese labor in the latter half of the 19th century.
Bukhara was founded in 500 BCE in the area now called the Ark. However, the Bukhara oasis had been inhabitated long before.<br/><br/> The city has been one of the main centres of Persian civilization from its early days in 6th century BCE. From the 6th century CE, Turkic speakers gradually moved in.<br/><br/> Bukhara's architecture and archaeological sites form one of the pillars of Central Asian history and art. The region of Bukhara was for a long period a part of the Persian Empire. The origin of its inhabitants goes back to the period of Aryan immigration into the region.
Bukhara was founded in 500 BCE in the area now called the Ark. However, the Bukhara oasis had been inhabitated long before.<br/><br/> The city has been one of the main centres of Persian civilization from its early days in 6th century BCE. From the 6th century CE, Turkic speakers gradually moved in.<br/><br/> Bukhara's architecture and archaeological sites form one of the pillars of Central Asian history and art. The region of Bukhara was for a long period a part of the Persian Empire. The origin of its inhabitants goes back to the period of Aryan immigration into the region.
Zanzibar (from Arabic: زنجبار‎ Zanjibār, from Persian: زنگبار‎ Zangibār'Coast of Blacks'; zangi [black-skinned] + bār [coast]) is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania in East Africa. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar), and Pemba.<br/><br/> The capital of Zanzibar, located on the island of Unguja, is Zanzibar City. Its historic centre, known as Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site and is claimed to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa.<br/><br/> Zanzibar's main industries are spices, raffia, and tourism. In particular, the islands produce cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. For this reason, the islands, together with Tanzania's Mafia Island, are sometimes called the Spice Islands (a term also associated with the Maluku Islands in Indonesia).
Zanzibar (from Arabic: زنجبار‎ Zanjibār, from Persian: زنگبار‎ Zangibār'Coast of Blacks'; zangi [black-skinned] + bār [coast]) is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania in East Africa. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar), and Pemba.<br/><br/> The capital of Zanzibar, located on the island of Unguja, is Zanzibar City. Its historic centre, known as Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site and is claimed to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa.<br/><br/> Zanzibar's main industries are spices, raffia, and tourism. In particular, the islands produce cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. For this reason, the islands, together with Tanzania's Mafia Island, are sometimes called the Spice Islands (a term also associated with the Maluku Islands in Indonesia).
In 1698, Zanzibar fell under the control of the Sultanate of Oman. Until around 1890, the sultans of Zanzibar controlled a substantial portion of the East African coast, known as Zanj, which included Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, and trading routes extending much further inland, such as the route leading to Kindu on the Congo River.<br/><br/> The sultans developed an economy of trade and cash crops in the Zanzibar Archipelago with a ruling Arab elite. Ivory was a major trade good. The archipelago, also known as the Spice Islands, was famous worldwide for its cloves and other spices, and plantations were developed to grow them. The archipelago's commerce gradually fell into the hands of traders from the Indian subcontinent, whom Said bin Sultan encouraged to settle on the islands.<br/><br/> Zanzibar City was East Africa's main port for the slave market between Africa and Asia (including the Middle East), and in the mid-19th century as many as 50,000 slaves passed annually through the port. Sultan Barghash bin Said helped abolish the slave trade in the Zanzibar Archipelago after 1870.
In 1698, Zanzibar fell under the control of the Sultanate of Oman. Until around 1890, the sultans of Zanzibar controlled a substantial portion of the East African coast, known as Zanj, which included Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, and trading routes extending much further inland, such as the route leading to Kindu on the Congo River.<br/><br/> The sultans developed an economy of trade and cash crops in the Zanzibar Archipelago with a ruling Arab elite. Ivory was a major trade good. The archipelago, also known as the Spice Islands, was famous worldwide for its cloves and other spices, and plantations were developed to grow them. The archipelago's commerce gradually fell into the hands of traders from the Indian subcontinent, whom Said bin Sultan encouraged to settle on the islands.<br/><br/> Zanzibar City was East Africa's main port for the slave market between Africa and Asia (including the Middle East), and in the mid-19th century as many as 50,000 slaves passed annually through the port. Sultan Barghash bin Said helped abolish the slave trade in the Zanzibar Archipelago after 1870.
Zanzibar (from Arabic: زنجبار‎ Zanjibār, from Persian: زنگبار‎ Zangibār'Coast of Blacks'; zangi [black-skinned] + bār [coast]) is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania in East Africa. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25–50 kilometres (16–31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar), and Pemba.<br/><br/> The capital of Zanzibar, located on the island of Unguja, is Zanzibar City. Its historic centre, known as Stone Town, is a World Heritage Site and is claimed to be the only functioning ancient town in East Africa.<br/><br/> Zanzibar's main industries are spices, raffia, and tourism. In particular, the islands produce cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. For this reason, the islands, together with Tanzania's Mafia Island, are sometimes called the Spice Islands (a term also associated with the Maluku Islands in Indonesia).
The Javanese are an ethnic group native to the Indonesian island of Java. At approximately 100 million people (as of 2011), they form the largest ethnic group in Indonesia. They are predominantly located in the central to eastern parts of the island. There are also significant numbers of people of Javanese descent in most Provinces of Indonesia, Malaysia, Suriname, South Africa and the Netherlands.<br/><br/> Today the majority of the Javanese people identify themselves as Muslims, with a minority identifying as Christians and Hindus, but because Javanese civilization has been influenced by more than a millennium of interactions between the native animism and the Indian Hindu—Buddhist culture, the influence is still visible in Javanese history, culture, traditions and art forms.
At the turn of the 20th century, the vast majority of Siamese were rice farmers who lived and worked along waterways. A perfect climate, fertile soil and an excellent irrigation system lent to some farmers enjoying three rice harvests a year. Farmers were also able to grow maize, corn, wheat and barley. Other crops include beans, peas, garlic, cauliflower, melons, pumpkin, cabbage, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, mustard seed, mangoes, oranges, sugar cane, papaya, sago, opium poppies, many spices, coffee, tea, cotton and tobacco.
At the turn of the 20th century, the vast majority of Siamese were rice farmers who lived and worked along waterways. Fishermen, too, lived close to or on the rivers and canals. Every household had a boat, an estimated 600,000 of which navigated the canals and rivers of Bangkok. Rowing was done from the back of the boat. Most houses were made from wood and bamboo, and were built on stilts with a ladder running to the water. Corn was mostly grown in the mountainous north of the country, often by ethnic hilltribes peoples.
The Chatuchak Weekend Market is the King of Thai markets; on weekends almost 9000 stalls cater to an estimated 200,000 visitors a day.<br/><br/> Everything is sold here, from pets to opium pipes and pots to herbal remedies. You'll also find musical instruments, hill-tribe crafts, religious amulets, antiques, flowers, clothes imported from India and Nepal, camping gear and military surplus equipment. The best bargains are household goods like pots and pans, dishes, drinking glasses and second hand books.
The Chatuchak Weekend Market is the King of Thai markets; on weekends almost 9000 stalls cater to an estimated 200,000 visitors a day.<br/><br/> Everything is sold here, from pets to opium pipes and pots to herbal remedies. You'll also find musical instruments, hill-tribe crafts, religious amulets, antiques, flowers, clothes imported from India and Nepal, camping gear and military surplus equipment. The best bargains are household goods like pots and pans, dishes, drinking glasses and second hand books.
The Chatuchak Weekend Market is the King of Thai markets; on weekends almost 9000 stalls cater to an estimated 200,000 visitors a day.<br/><br/> Everything is sold here, from pets to opium pipes and pots to herbal remedies. You'll also find musical instruments, hill-tribe crafts, religious amulets, antiques, flowers, clothes imported from India and Nepal, camping gear and military surplus equipment. The best bargains are household goods like pots and pans, dishes, drinking glasses and second hand books.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
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.<br/><br/> According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
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.<br/><br/> According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
According to oral tradition, tea has been grown in China for more than four millennia. The earliest written accounts of tea making, however, date from around 350 AD, when it first became a drink at the imperial court.<br/><br/> Around 800 AD tea seeds were taken to Japan, where regular cultivation was soon established. Just over five centuries later, in 1517, tea was first shipped to Europe by the Portuguese soon after they began their trade with China. In 1667 the Honourable East India Company ordered the first British shipment of tea from China, requesting of their agents ‘one hundred pounds weight of the best tey that you can get’.<br/><br/> In 1826 the Dutch bought seeds from Japan for cultivation in their growing East Indian Empire, supplementing this effort in 1833 by imports of seeds, workers and implements from China. Meanwhile, also in the 1830s, the East India Company began growing tea on an experimental basis in Assam – the first one hundred boxes of Assamese tea reached Britain in 1840, and found a ready market.<br/><br/> About the same time, tea seedlings were transplanted from Assam to Sri Lanka and planted in the highlands around Kandy. By the beginning of the present century tea was very much in fashion, with plantations established as far afield as Vietnam in Southeast Asia, Georgia in Europe, Natal, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Peru in South America, and Queensland in Australia. Despite this proliferation, however, Sri Lanka remains the largest producer of tea in the world today, with the fragrant black leaf the mainstay of its economy.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
Mahjong is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players (with some three-player variations found in Korea and Japan). Similar to the Western card game rummy, mahjong is a game of skill, strategy and calculation and involves a certain degree of chance. In Asia, mahjong is also popularly played as a gambling game (though it may just as easily be played recreationally).<br/><br/> The game is played with a set of 136 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols, although some regional variations use a different number of tiles. In most variations, each player begins by receiving thirteen tiles. In turn players draw and discard tiles until they complete a legal hand using the fourteenth drawn tile to form four groups (melds) and a pair (head). There are fairly standard rules about how a piece is drawn, stolen from another player (melded), the use of basic (numbered tiles) and honours (winds and dragons), the kinds of melds, and the order of dealing and play. However there are many regional variations in the rules; in addition, the scoring system, the minimum hand necessary to win varies significantly based on the local rules being used.
Mahjong is a game that originated in China, commonly played by four players (with some three-player variations found in Korea and Japan). Similar to the Western card game rummy, mahjong is a game of skill, strategy and calculation and involves a certain degree of chance. In Asia, mahjong is also popularly played as a gambling game (though it may just as easily be played recreationally).<br/><br/> The game is played with a set of 136 tiles based on Chinese characters and symbols, although some regional variations use a different number of tiles. In most variations, each player begins by receiving thirteen tiles. In turn players draw and discard tiles until they complete a legal hand using the fourteenth drawn tile to form four groups (melds) and a pair (head). There are fairly standard rules about how a piece is drawn, stolen from another player (melded), the use of basic (numbered tiles) and honours (winds and dragons), the kinds of melds, and the order of dealing and play. However there are many regional variations in the rules; in addition, the scoring system, the minimum hand necessary to win varies significantly based on the local rules being used.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.
Built on the banks of Lake Dian and surrounded by limestone mountains, Kunming was an important ancient trade route between Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. The city, then called Yunnanfu, suffered at the hands of rebel leader Du Wenxiu, the Sultan of Dali, who attacked and besieged the city several times between 1858 and 1868, razing most of the city's Buddhist temples.<br/><br/> In the 1890s, an uprising against working conditions on the Kunming-Haiphong railway line saw 300,000 laborers executed after France shipped in weapons to suppress the revolt. The railway line, only completed in 1911, was built by the French so that they could tap Yunnan's mineral resources for their colonies in Indochina.<br/><br/> Today, Kunming is a city of over 6 million people, and is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan.