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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.
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.
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.
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.
The entire Tipitaka Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism is set on 729 marble slabs, each with 80 to 100 lines of text, originally in gold ink, on both the obverse and the reverse sides. Each stone is three and a half feet wide, five feet tall and five inches thick and housed in a kyauksa gu or a small cave-like stupa.<br/><br/> Kuthodaw Pagoda, literally meaning Royal Merit Pagoda, and formally titled Mahalawka Marazein, is a Buddhist temple and stupa located in Mandalay, central Burma. It lies at the foot of Mandalay Hill and was built during the reign of King Mindon (1808—78). The stupa itself, which is gilded above its terraces, is 57 m (188 ft) high, and is modelled after the Shwezigon Pagoda at Nyaung-U near Bagan. In the grounds of the pagoda are 729 'kyauksa gu' or stone-inscription caves, each containing a marble slab inscribed on both sides with a page of text from the Tipitaka, the entire Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. The stone inscriptions are considered to be the largest book in the world.<br/><br/> Mandalay, a sprawling city of more than 1 million people, was founded in 1857 by King Mindon to coincide with an ancient Buddhist prophecy. It was believed that Gautama Buddha visited the sacred mount of Mandalay Hill with his disciple Ananda, and proclaimed that on the 2,400th anniversary of his death, a metropolis of Buddhist teaching would be founded at the foot of the hill.
The entire Tipitaka Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism is set on 729 marble slabs, each with 80 to 100 lines of text, originally in gold ink, on both the obverse and the reverse sides. Each stone is three and a half feet wide, five feet tall and five inches thick and housed in a kyauksa gu or a small cave-like stupa.<br/><br/> Kuthodaw Pagoda, literally meaning Royal Merit Pagoda, and formally titled Mahalawka Marazein, is a Buddhist temple and stupa located in Mandalay, central Burma. It lies at the foot of Mandalay Hill and was built during the reign of King Mindon (1808—78). The stupa itself, which is gilded above its terraces, is 57 m (188 ft) high, and is modelled after the Shwezigon Pagoda at Nyaung-U near Bagan. In the grounds of the pagoda are 729 'kyauksa gu' or stone-inscription caves, each containing a marble slab inscribed on both sides with a page of text from the Tipitaka, the entire Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. The stone inscriptions are considered to be the largest book in the world.<br/><br/> Mandalay, a sprawling city of more than 1 million people, was founded in 1857 by King Mindon to coincide with an ancient Buddhist prophecy. It was believed that Gautama Buddha visited the sacred mount of Mandalay Hill with his disciple Ananda, and proclaimed that on the 2,400th anniversary of his death, a metropolis of Buddhist teaching would be founded at the foot of the hill.
The entire Tipitaka Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism is set on 729 marble slabs, each with 80 to 100 lines of text, originally in gold ink, on both the obverse and the reverse sides. Each stone is three and a half feet wide, five feet tall and five inches thick and housed in a kyauksa gu or a small cave-like stupa.<br/><br/> Kuthodaw Pagoda, literally meaning Royal Merit Pagoda, and formally titled Mahalawka Marazein, is a Buddhist temple and stupa located in Mandalay, central Burma. It lies at the foot of Mandalay Hill and was built during the reign of King Mindon (1808—78). The stupa itself, which is gilded above its terraces, is 57 m (188 ft) high, and is modelled after the Shwezigon Pagoda at Nyaung-U near Bagan. In the grounds of the pagoda are 729 'kyauksa gu' or stone-inscription caves, each containing a marble slab inscribed on both sides with a page of text from the Tipitaka, the entire Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. The stone inscriptions are considered to be the largest book in the world.<br/><br/> Mandalay, a sprawling city of more than 1 million people, was founded in 1857 by King Mindon to coincide with an ancient Buddhist prophecy. It was believed that Gautama Buddha visited the sacred mount of Mandalay Hill with his disciple Ananda, and proclaimed that on the 2,400th anniversary of his death, a metropolis of Buddhist teaching would be founded at the foot of the hill.
The entire Tipitaka Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism is set on 729 marble slabs, each with 80 to 100 lines of text, originally in gold ink, on both the obverse and the reverse sides. Each stone is three and a half feet wide, five feet tall and five inches thick and housed in a kyauksa gu or a small cave-like stupa.<br/><br/> Kuthodaw Pagoda, literally meaning Royal Merit Pagoda, and formally titled Mahalawka Marazein, is a Buddhist temple and stupa located in Mandalay, central Burma. It lies at the foot of Mandalay Hill and was built during the reign of King Mindon (1808—78). The stupa itself, which is gilded above its terraces, is 57 m (188 ft) high, and is modelled after the Shwezigon Pagoda at Nyaung-U near Bagan. In the grounds of the pagoda are 729 'kyauksa gu' or stone-inscription caves, each containing a marble slab inscribed on both sides with a page of text from the Tipitaka, the entire Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. The stone inscriptions are considered to be the largest book in the world.<br/><br/> Mandalay, a sprawling city of more than 1 million people, was founded in 1857 by King Mindon to coincide with an ancient Buddhist prophecy. It was believed that Gautama Buddha visited the sacred mount of Mandalay Hill with his disciple Ananda, and proclaimed that on the 2,400th anniversary of his death, a metropolis of Buddhist teaching would be founded at the foot of the hill.
As early as 1400 BCE, this Egyptian stela portrayed a young man with a leg deformity showing the similar effects Polio causes. Polio was given it's first clinical description in 1789 by the British Physician, Michael Underwood and was recognised as a condition in 1840 by Jakob Heine. In 1908, polio virus was identified as the cause for polio, by Karl Steiner<br/><br/> Around the 1800's Polio was still a very uncommon disease with rarely any cases. But in the 1900's there was a large, global outbreak of the virus, especially in countries of unsanitary living standards and even in counties with high living standards (many European countries and in North America). In 1952, at the height of the Polio outbreak, in the United States, around 60,000 cases were reported with 20,000 resulting in a mild to disabling paralysis and approximately 3,000 deaths.
Nestorius developed his Christological views as an attempt to rationally explain and understand the incarnation of the divine Logos, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity as the man Jesus Christ. He had studied at the School of Antioch where his mentor had been Theodore of Mopsuestia; Theodore and other Antioch theologians had long taught a literalist interpretation of the Bible and stressed the distinctiveness of the human and divine natures of Jesus. Nestorius took his Antiochene leanings with him when he was appointed Patriarch of Constantinople by Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II in 428.<br/><br/> Nestorius' teachings became the root of controversy when he publicly challenged the long-used title Theotokos (Mother of God) for the Virgin Mary. He suggested that the title denied Christ's full humanity, arguing instead that Jesus had two loosely joined natures, the divine Logos and the human Jesus. As such he proposed Christotokos (Mother of Christ) as a more suitable title for Mary.<br/><br/> Nestorius' opponents found his teaching too close to the heresy of adoptionism – the idea that Christ had been born a man who had later been 'adopted' as God's son. Nestorius was especially criticized by Cyril, Pope (Patriarch) of Alexandria, who argued that Nestorius' teachings undermined the unity of Christ's divine and human natures at the Incarnation. Nestorius himself always insisted that his views were orthodox, though they were deemed heretical at the First Council of Ephesus in 431, leading to the Nestorian Schism, when churches supportive of Nestorius broke away from the rest of the Christian Church.
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.
Buddhism in the Maldives was the predominant religion at least until the 12th century CE. It is not clear how Buddhism was introduced into the islands although there are a number of competing theories. The predominant view is that it was introduced with the expansion of the Sinhalese people from neighboring Sri Lanka who are primarily Buddhist.<br/><br/> In February 2012, a group of Islamic extremists forced their way into the National Museum in Male and attacked the museum's collection of pre-Islamic sculptures, destroying or severely damaging nearly the entire collection about thirty Hindu and Buddhist sculptures dating from the 6th to 12th centuries.<br/><br/> Museum staff indicated that as the sculptures were made from very brittle coral or limestone it would be impossible to repair most of them, and only two or three pieces were in a repairable condition.
Copán is an archaeological site of the Maya civilization located in the Copan Department of western Honduras, not far from the border with Guatemala. It was the capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries CE. The city was located in the extreme southeast of the Mesoamerican cultural region, on the frontier with the Isthmo-Colombian cultural region, and was almost surrounded by non-Maya peoples.<br/><br/> Copan was occupied for more than two thousand years, from the Early Preclassic period to the Postclassic. The city developed a distinctive sculptural style within the tradition of the lowland Maya, perhaps to emphasize the Maya ethnicity of the city's rulers.
Buddhism in the Maldives was the predominant religion at least until the 12th century CE. It is not clear how Buddhism was introduced into the islands although there are a number of competing theories. The predominant view is that it was introduced with the expansion of the Sinhalese people from neighboring Sri Lanka who are primarily Buddhist.<br/><br/> In February 2012, a group of Islamic extremists forced their way into the National Museum in Male and attacked the museum's collection of pre-Islamic sculptures, destroying or severely damaging nearly the entire collection about thirty Hindu and Buddhist sculptures dating from the 6th to 12th centuries.<br/><br/> Museum staff indicated that as the sculptures were made from very brittle coral or limestone it would be impossible to repair most of them, and only two or three pieces were in a repairable condition.
Buddhism in the Maldives was the predominant religion at least until the 12th century CE. It is not clear how Buddhism was introduced into the islands although there are a number of competing theories. The predominant view is that it was introduced with the expansion of the Sinhalese people from neighboring Sri Lanka who are primarily Buddhist.<br/><br/> In February 2012, a group of Islamic extremists forced their way into the National Museum in Male and attacked the museum's collection of pre-Islamic sculptures, destroying or severely damaging nearly the entire collection about thirty Hindu and Buddhist sculptures dating from the 6th to 12th centuries.<br/><br/> Museum staff indicated that as the sculptures were made from very brittle coral or limestone it would be impossible to repair most of them, and only two or three pieces were in a repairable condition.
Tutankhamun was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (ruled ca. 1332–1323 BCE in the conventional chronology), during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom.<br/><br/> The 1922 discovery by Howard Carter and George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon of Tutankhamun's nearly intact tomb received worldwide press coverage. It sparked a renewed public interest in ancient Egypt, for which Tutankhamun's mask, now in the Egyptian Museum, remains the popular symbol. Exhibits of artifacts from his tomb have toured the world.<br/><br/> In February 2010, the results of DNA tests confirmed that he was the son of Akhenaten and Akhenaten's sister and wife.
Buddhism in the Maldives was the predominant religion at least until the 12th century CE. It is not clear how Buddhism was introduced into the islands although there are a number of competing theories. The predominant view is that it was introduced with the expansion of the Sinhalese people from neighboring Sri Lanka who are primarily Buddhist.<br/><br/> In February 2012, a group of Islamic extremists forced their way into the National Museum in Male and attacked the museum's collection of pre-Islamic sculptures, destroying or severely damaging nearly the entire collection about thirty Hindu and Buddhist sculptures dating from the 6th to 12th centuries.<br/><br/> Museum staff indicated that as the sculptures were made from very brittle coral or limestone it would be impossible to repair most of them, and only two or three pieces were in a repairable condition.
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.
The entire Tipitaka Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism is set on 729 marble slabs, each with 80 to 100 lines of text, originally in gold ink, on both the obverse and the reverse sides. Each stone is three and a half feet wide, five feet tall and five inches thick and housed in a <i>kyauksa gu</i> or a small cave-like stupa.<br/><br/> Kuthodaw Pagoda, literally meaning Royal Merit Pagoda, and formally titled Mahalawka Marazein, is a Buddhist temple and stupa located in Mandalay, central Burma. It lies at the foot of Mandalay Hill and was built during the reign of King Mindon (1808—78). The stupa itself, which is gilded above its terraces, is 57 m (188 ft) high, and is modelled after the Shwezigon Pagoda at Nyaung-U near Bagan. In the grounds of the pagoda are 729 'kyauksa gu' or stone-inscription caves, each containing a marble slab inscribed on both sides with a page of text from the Tipitaka, the entire Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. The stone inscriptions are considered to be the largest book in the world.<br/><br/> Mandalay, a sprawling city of more than 1 million people, was founded in 1857 by King Mindon to coincide with an ancient Buddhist prophecy. It was believed that Gautama Buddha visited the sacred mount of Mandalay Hill with his disciple Ananda, and proclaimed that on the 2,400th anniversary of his death, a metropolis of Buddhist teaching would be founded at the foot of the hill.
The kingdom of Champa (Campadesa or nagara Campa) Chăm Pa in Vietnamese, 占城 Chiêm Thành in Hán Việt and Zhàn chéng in Chinese records) was an Indianized kingdom that controlled much of southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.<br/><br/> Champa reached its apogee in the 9th and 10th centuries. Then began a gradual decline under pressure from Đại Việt, the Vietnamese polity centered in the region of modern Hanoi. In 1471, Viet troops sacked the northern Cham capital of Vijaya, and in 1697 the southern principality of Panduranga became a vassal of the Vietnamese emperor.<br/><br/> In 1832, the Vietnamese emperor Minh Mạng annexed the remaining Cham territories. Mỹ Sơn, a former religious center, and Hội An, one of Champa's main port cities, are now UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The kingdom of Champa (Campadesa or nagara Campa) Chăm Pa in Vietnamese, 占城 Chiêm Thành in Hán Việt and Zhàn chéng in Chinese records) was an Indianized kingdom that controlled much of southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.<br/><br/> Champa reached its apogee in the 9th and 10th centuries. Then began a gradual decline under pressure from Đại Việt, the Vietnamese polity centered in the region of modern Hanoi. In 1471, Viet troops sacked the northern Cham capital of Vijaya, and in 1697 the southern principality of Panduranga became a vassal of the Vietnamese emperor.<br/><br/> In 1832, the Vietnamese emperor Minh Mạng annexed the remaining Cham territories. Mỹ Sơn, a former religious center, and Hội An, one of Champa's main port cities, are now UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The kingdom of Champa (Campadesa or nagara Campa) Chăm Pa in Vietnamese, 占城 Chiêm Thành in Hán Việt and Zhàn chéng in Chinese records) was an Indianized kingdom that controlled much of southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.<br/><br/> Champa reached its apogee in the 9th and 10th centuries. Then began a gradual decline under pressure from Đại Việt, the Vietnamese polity centered in the region of modern Hanoi. In 1471, Viet troops sacked the northern Cham capital of Vijaya, and in 1697 the southern principality of Panduranga became a vassal of the Vietnamese emperor.<br/><br/> In 1832, the Vietnamese emperor Minh Mạng annexed the remaining Cham territories. Mỹ Sơn, a former religious center, and Hội An, one of Champa's main port cities, are now UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The kingdom of Champa (Campadesa or nagara Campa) Chăm Pa in Vietnamese, 占城 Chiêm Thành in Hán Việt and Zhàn chéng in Chinese records) was an Indianized kingdom that controlled much of southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.<br/><br/> Champa reached its apogee in the 9th and 10th centuries. Then began a gradual decline under pressure from Đại Việt, the Vietnamese polity centered in the region of modern Hanoi. In 1471, Viet troops sacked the northern Cham capital of Vijaya, and in 1697 the southern principality of Panduranga became a vassal of the Vietnamese emperor.<br/><br/> In 1832, the Vietnamese emperor Minh Mạng annexed the remaining Cham territories. Mỹ Sơn, a former religious center, and Hội An, one of Champa's main port cities, are now UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Qingyang Gong Shi (Green Goat Palace Temple) is the oldest and largest Daoist temple in the Southwest of China. It is situated in the western part of Chengdu City. Originally built in the early Tang Dynasty (618-907), this temple has been rebuilt and repaired many times. The existing buildings were mostly built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). According to legend, Qing Yang Gong is said to be the birth place of the founder of Taoism, Lao Tsu / Laozi, and is where he gave his first sermon.<br/><br/> Chengdu, known formerly as Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. In the early 4th century BCE, the 9th Kaiming king of the ancient Shu moved his capital to the city's current location from today's nearby Pixian.
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.
Emperor Gia Long ordered the construction of Hue Citadel in 1805. The vast complex is built according to the notions of fengshui or Chinese geomancy, but following the military principles of the noted 18th century French military architect Sebastien de Vauban. The result is an unusual and elegant hybrid, a Chinese-style Imperial City carefully aligned with surrounding hills, islands and waterways, but defended by massive brick walls between 6-12 metres high and 2.5 metres thick, punctuated by towers, ramparts, a massive earth glacis, and 24 Vauban-inspired bastions.<br/><br/>The entire complex was further protected by wide moats, crossed by gracefully arched stone bridges leading to ten gates, the chief of which is Cua Ngo Mon, the south-east facing ‘Meridian Gate’. To compound the exotic hybrid effect, guard posts designed as Chinese-style miradors, complete with sweeping eaves crowned by imperial dragons, surmounted each gate. Finally, directly in front of the Ngo Mon Gate, a massive brick fort 18 metres high was constructed both as an additional barrier against malign spirits, and as a defensive redoubt.<br/><br/>The area within the Citadel - in all, 520 hectares (1300 acres) - comprises three concentric enclosures, the Civic, Imperial and Forbidden Purple Cities. Access is by way of ten fortified gates, each of which is reached by a low, arched stone bridge across the moat. In imperial times a cannon would sound at 5am and 9pm to mark the opening and closing of the gates.<br/><br/>Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1945. The tombs of several emperors lie in and around the city and along the Perfume River. Hue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Emperor Gia Long ordered the construction of Hue Citadel in 1805. The vast complex is built according to the notions of fengshui or Chinese geomancy, but following the military principles of the noted 18th century French military architect Sebastien de Vauban. The result is an unusual and elegant hybrid, a Chinese-style Imperial City carefully aligned with surrounding hills, islands and waterways, but defended by massive brick walls between 6-12 metres high and 2.5 metres thick, punctuated by towers, ramparts, a massive earth glacis, and 24 Vauban-inspired bastions.<br/><br/>The entire complex was further protected by wide moats, crossed by gracefully arched stone bridges leading to ten gates, the chief of which is Cua Ngo Mon, the south-east facing ‘Meridian Gate’. To compound the exotic hybrid effect, guard posts designed as Chinese-style miradors, complete with sweeping eaves crowned by imperial dragons, surmounted each gate. Finally, directly in front of the Ngo Mon Gate, a massive brick fort 18 metres high was constructed both as an additional barrier against malign spirits, and as a defensive redoubt.<br/><br/>The area within the Citadel - in all, 520 hectares (1300 acres) - comprises three concentric enclosures, the Civic, Imperial and Forbidden Purple Cities. Access is by way of ten fortified gates, each of which is reached by a low, arched stone bridge across the moat. In imperial times a cannon would sound at 5am and 9pm to mark the opening and closing of the gates.<br/><br/>Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1945. The tombs of several emperors lie in and around the city and along the Perfume River. Hue is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Maitreya (Sanskrit), Metteyya (Pāli), Maithree (Sinhala), or Jampa (Tibetan) is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor of the historic Śākyamuni Buddha. The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya references a time when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Jambudvipa. It is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna), and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an event that will take place when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Earth.<br/><br/> Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Maitreya (Sanskrit), Metteyya (Pāli), Maithree (Sinhala), or Jampa (Tibetan) is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor of the historic Śākyamuni Buddha. The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya references a time when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Jambudvipa. It is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna), and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an event that will take place when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Earth.<br/><br/> Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Maitreya (Sanskrit), Metteyya (Pāli), Maithree (Sinhala), or Jampa (Tibetan) is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on Earth, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor of the historic Śākyamuni Buddha. The prophecy of the arrival of Maitreya references a time when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Jambudvipa. It is found in the canonical literature of all Buddhist sects (Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna), and is accepted by most Buddhists as a statement about an event that will take place when the Dharma will have been forgotten on Earth.<br/><br/> Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
Stelae (Chinese: 碑; pinyin: béi) have been the major medium of stone inscription in China since the Tang dynasty (618 - 907 CE). Chinese stelae are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures.
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.
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.
A Nestorian stele from one of the earliest natural history books about China, by an anonymous Jesuit Missionary author.
The Nestorian Stele of Xi'an (also known as the Nestorian Stone, Nestorian Monument or Nestorian Tablet) is a Tang Dynasty Chinese stele erected in 781 that documents 150 years of history of early Christianity in China. The name of the stele can also be translated as 'A Monument Commemorating the Propagation of the Ta-Chin Luminous Religion in the Middle Kingdom', Daqin being the Chinese name for the Roman Empire in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.<br/><br/> The stele is a 279-cm tall limestone block with text in both Chinese and Syriac, describing the existence of Christian communities in several cities in northern China. It reveals that the church had initially received recognition by the Tang Emperor Taizong, due to efforts of the Christian missionary Alopen in 635. A Nestorian Cross is incised above the main inscription in Chinese. Buried in 845, probably during religious suppression, the stele was not rediscovered until 1625.
The Nestorian Stele of Xi'an in 1907, a short time before it was moved from this outdoor location to the Stele Forest (Beilin) Museum. The Nestorian Stele (also known as the Nestorian Stone, Nestorian Monument or Nestorian Tablet) is a Tang Chinese stele erected in 781 that documents 150 years of history of early Christianity in China. It is a 279-cm tall limestone block with text in both Chinese and Syriac, describing the existence of Christian communities in several cities in northern China. It reveals that the church had initially received recognition by the Tang Emperor Taizong, due to efforts of the Christian missionary Alopen in 635. Buried in 845, probably during religious suppression, the stele was not rediscovered until 1625.
The kingdom of Champa (Campadesa or nagara Campa) Chăm Pa in Vietnamese, 占城 Chiêm Thành in Hán Việt and Zhàn chéng in Chinese records) was an Indianized kingdom that controlled much of southern and central Vietnam from approximately the 7th century through to 1832.<br/><br/> Champa reached its apogee in the 9th and 10th centuries. Then began a gradual decline under pressure from Đại Việt, the Vietnamese polity centered in the region of modern Hanoi. In 1471, Viet troops sacked the northern Cham capital of Vijaya, and in 1697 the southern principality of Panduranga became a vassal of the Vietnamese emperor.<br/><br/> In 1832, the Vietnamese emperor Minh Mạng annexed the remaining Cham territories. Mỹ Sơn, a former religious center, and Hội An, one of Champa's main port cities, are now UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The Nestorian Stele of Xi'an (also known as the Nestorian Stone, Nestorian Monument or Nestorian Tablet) is a Tang Dynasty Chinese stele erected in 781 that documents 150 years of history of early Christianity in China. The name of the stele can also be translated as 'A Monument Commemorating the Propagation of the Ta-Chin Luminous Religion in the Middle Kingdom', Daqin being the Chinese name for the Roman Empire in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.<br/><br/> The stele is a 279-cm tall limestone block with text in both Chinese and Syriac, describing the existence of Christian communities in several cities in northern China. It reveals that the church had initially received recognition by the Tang Emperor Taizong, due to efforts of the Christian missionary Alopen in 635. A Nestorian Cross is incised above the main inscription in Chinese. Buried in 845, probably during religious suppression, the stele was not rediscovered until 1625.
The Nestorian Stele (also known as the Nestorian Stone, Nestorian Monument or Nestorian Tablet) is a Tang Chinese stele erected in 781 that documents 150 years of history of early Christianity in China. It is a 279-cm tall limestone block with text in both Chinese and Syriac, describing the existence of Christian communities in several cities in northern China. It reveals that the church had initially received recognition by the Tang Emperor Taizong, due to efforts of the Christian missionary Alopen in 635. Buried in 845, probably during religious suppression, the stele was not rediscovered until 1625.