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In Vietnamese <i>ha long</i> means ‘descending dragon’, and legend has it that Halong Bay was formed by a gigantic dragon which plunged into the Gulf of Tonkin, creating thousands of limestone outcrops by the lashing of its tail. Geologists tend to dismiss this theory, arguing that the myriad islands that dot Halong Bay and extend all the way north to the Chinese frontier are the product of selective erosion of the seabed over millennia.
Phallus shrines are believed to have special properties, or their resident spirits are believed to have special powers to redress specific problems. A noteworthy example is the shrine of Chao Mae Tuptim, a female deity considered to reside in a venerable banyan tree in Nai Lert Park, Bangkok.<br/><br/> Chao Mae Tuptim has the power to induce fertility, and many young women seeking to become pregnant visit the shrine, leaving presents of flowers and incense, as well as the less common offering of wooden phalluses of all sizes, from a few inches long to giant representations up to 3 metres long.
Phallus shrines are believed to have special properties, or their resident spirits are believed to have special powers to redress specific problems. A noteworthy example is the shrine of Chao Mae Tuptim, a female deity considered to reside in a venerable banyan tree in Nai Lert Park, Bangkok.<br/><br/> Chao Mae Tuptim has the power to induce fertility, and many young women seeking to become pregnant visit the shrine, leaving presents of flowers and incense, as well as the less common offering of wooden phalluses of all sizes, from a few inches long to giant representations up to 3 metres long.
Phallus shrines are believed to have special properties, or their resident spirits are believed to have special powers to redress specific problems. A noteworthy example is the shrine of Chao Mae Tuptim, a female deity considered to reside in a venerable banyan tree in Nai Lert Park, Bangkok.<br/><br/> Chao Mae Tuptim has the power to induce fertility, and many young women seeking to become pregnant visit the shrine, leaving presents of flowers and incense, as well as the less common offering of wooden phalluses of all sizes, from a few inches long to giant representations up to 3 metres long.
Phallus shrines are believed to have special properties, or their resident spirits are believed to have special powers to redress specific problems. A noteworthy example is the shrine of Chao Mae Tuptim, a female deity considered to reside in a venerable banyan tree in Nai Lert Park, Bangkok.<br/><br/> Chao Mae Tuptim has the power to induce fertility, and many young women seeking to become pregnant visit the shrine, leaving presents of flowers and incense, as well as the less common offering of wooden phalluses of all sizes, from a few inches long to giant representations up to 3 metres long.
Some monks apparently added lighthearted touches to the marginalia of their manuscripts by doodling murderous beasts, penis monsters, and assorted bizarre and vulgar images.<br/><br/> The <i>Decretum Gratiani</i>, also known as the <i>Concordia discordantium canonum</i> or <i>Concordantia discordantium canonum</i>, is a collection of Canon law compiled and written in the 12th century as a legal textbook by the jurist known as Gratian.
Loei (Thai: เลย) Province is located in Thailand's upper North-East. Neighboring provinces are (from east clockwise) Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Nongbua Lamphu, Khon Kaen, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok. In the north it borders Xaignabouli and Vientiane Provinces of Laos.<br/><br/> The province is covered with low mountains, while the capital Loei is located in a fertile basin. The Loei River, which flows through the province, is a tributary of the Mekong which, together with the smaller Hueang River, forms the northern boundary of the province with neighboring Laos.<br/><br/> Although temperatures in the hot season (April-May) can be more than 40 degrees Celsius, the province is the only one in Thailand where temperatures regularly drops below freezing at night in the cold season (December-January).<br/><br/> Loei is rich in national parks, including especially Phu Kradung, Phu Ruea, Phu Suan Sai (also known as Na Haeo) and Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary.<br/><br/> In 1853 King Mongkut (Rama IV) founded the city of Loei to administer the increasing population in what was then a remote area. In 1907 the province was created by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). The province is also famous for the Phi Ta Khon festival held at Dansai during the 6th lunar month to make merit and honour the spirits of the ancestors - a colourful mix of Buddhism and spirit worship.<br/><br/> The symbol of the province is the stupa (chedi) at Phra That Si Song Rak in Dan Sai, which was built in 1560 by King Maha Chakrapat of Ayutthaya and King Chai Chetha of Lan Xang as a symbol of friendship between the Siamese and Lao kingdoms.
They are known, variously, as sadhus (saints, or 'good ones'), yogis (ascetic practitioners), fakirs (ascetic seeker after the Truth) and sannyasins (wandering mendicants and ascetics). They are the ascetic – and often eccentric – practitioners of an austere form of Hinduism. Sworn to cast off earthly desires, some choose to live as anchorites in the wilderness. Others are of a less retiring disposition, especially in the towns and temples of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley.<br/><br/> If the Vale of Kathmandu seems to boast more than its share of sadhus and yogis, this is because of the number and importance of Hindu temples in the region. The most important temple of Vishnu in the valley is Changunarayan, and here the visitor will find many Vaishnavite ascetics. Likewise, the most important temple for followers of Shiva is the temple at Pashupatinath. Vishnu, also known as Narayan, can be identified by his four arms holding a sanka (sea shell), a chakra (round weapon), a gada (stick-like weapon) and a padma (lotus flower). The best-known incarnation of Vishnu is Krishna, and his animal is the mythical Garuda.<br/><br/> Shiva is often represented by the lingam, or phallus, as a symbol of his creative side. His animal is the bull, Nandi, and his weapon is the trisul, or trident. According to Hindu mythology Shiva is supposed to live in the Himalayas and wears a garland of snakes. He is also said to smoke a lot of bhang, or hashish.
A dildo is a sex toy, often explicitly phallic in appearance, intended for bodily penetration during masturbation or sex with partners. In Japanese dildos are called harigata.
The lingam, or linga, meaning 'mark' or 'sign', represents the penis and is an aniconic representation of the Hindu deity Shiva used for worship in temples. Although most Hindu sculpted images (murtis) are anthropomorphic, the aniconic Shiva linga is an important exception. The lingam is often represented with the Yoni, the aniconic symbol of the goddess.
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.
The Akha are a hill tribe of subsistence farmers known for their artistry. The ethnic group may have originated in Mongolia around 1500 years ago. Most of the remaining Akha people are now distributed in small villages among the mountains of China, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and northern Thailand, where they are one of the six main hill tribes. The Akha began arriving in Thailand in the early 20th century and continue to immigrate, with some 80,000 now living in Thailand's northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai at high altitudes. They speak Akha, a language in the Loloish (Yi) branch of the Tibeto-Burman family.
Shunga (春画) is a Japanese term for erotic art. Most shunga are a type of ukiyo-e, usually executed in woodblock print format. While rare, there are extant erotic painted handscrolls which predate the Ukiyo-e movement. Translated literally, the Japanese word shunga means picture of spring; 'spring' is a common euphemism for sex.<br/><br/>The ukiyo-e movement as a whole sought to express an idealisation of contemporary urban life and appeal to the new chōnin class. Following the aesthetics of everyday life, Edo period shunga varied widely in its depictions of sexuality. As a subset of ukiyo-e it was enjoyed by all social groups in the Edo period, despite being out of favour with the shogunate. Almost all ukiyo-e artists made shunga at some point in their careers, and it did not detract from their prestige as artists. Classifying shunga as a kind of medieval pornography can be misleading in this respect.
In Greek mythology, Priapus was a minor rustic fertility god, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens and male genitalia. Priapus is marked by his oversized, permanent erection, which gave rise to the medical term priapism.<br/><br/> He became a popular figure in Roman erotic art and Latin literature, and is the subject of the often humorously obscene collection of verse called the Priapeia.
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.