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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.
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.
Palmyra was an ancient city in Syria. It was an important city in central Syria, located in an oasis 215 km northeast of Damascus and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates at Deir ez-Zor. It had long been a vital caravan city for travellers crossing the Syrian desert and was known as the Bride of the Desert.<br/><br/> The earliest documented reference to the city by its Semitic name Tadmor, Tadmur or Tudmur (which means 'the town that repels' in Amorite and 'the indomitable town' in Aramaic) is recorded in Babylonian tablets found in Mari.
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.
Sun Yat-sen (12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the Founding Father of Republican China.<br/><br/> Sun played an instrumental role in inspiring the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China. He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912 and later co-founded the Chinese National People's Party or Kuomintang (KMT) where he served as its first leader.<br/><br/> Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, and remains unique among 20th-century Chinese politicians for being widely revered amongst the people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.<br/><br/> Nanjing dates back to the beginning of the Warring States Period (403–221 BCE). Between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE, Nanjing was the capital of the Southern dynasties at a time when non-Chinese were in command in northern China. After various natural disasters and a peasant rebellion, the new Sui dynasty moved the imperial capital to Xi’an (589 CE) and destroyed Nanjing, along with almost all of its cultural and historical relics.<br/><br/> Nanjing regained national importance at the beginning of the Ming dynasty, when its first emperor, Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang), set up the seat of government here in the Southern Capital until it was transferred to Beijing in 1421.
Sun Yat-sen (12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the Founding Father of Republican China.<br/><br/> Sun played an instrumental role in inspiring the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China. He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912 and later co-founded the Chinese National People's Party or Kuomintang (KMT) where he served as its first leader.<br/><br/> Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, and remains unique among 20th-century Chinese politicians for being widely revered amongst the people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.<br/><br/> Nanjing dates back to the beginning of the Warring States Period (403–221 BCE). Between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE, Nanjing was the capital of the Southern dynasties at a time when non-Chinese were in command in northern China. After various natural disasters and a peasant rebellion, the new Sui dynasty moved the imperial capital to Xi’an (589 CE) and destroyed Nanjing, along with almost all of its cultural and historical relics.<br/><br/> Nanjing regained national importance at the beginning of the Ming dynasty, when its first emperor, Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang), set up the seat of government here in the Southern Capital until it was transferred to Beijing in 1421.
Sun Yat-sen (12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the Founding Father of Republican China.<br/><br/> Sun played an instrumental role in inspiring the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China. He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912 and later co-founded the Chinese National People's Party or Kuomintang (KMT) where he served as its first leader.<br/><br/> Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, and remains unique among 20th-century Chinese politicians for being widely revered amongst the people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.<br/><br/> Nanjing dates back to the beginning of the Warring States Period (403–221 BCE). Between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE, Nanjing was the capital of the Southern dynasties at a time when non-Chinese were in command in northern China. After various natural disasters and a peasant rebellion, the new Sui dynasty moved the imperial capital to Xi’an (589 CE) and destroyed Nanjing, along with almost all of its cultural and historical relics.<br/><br/> Nanjing regained national importance at the beginning of the Ming dynasty, when its first emperor, Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang), set up the seat of government here in the Southern Capital until it was transferred to Beijing in 1421.
Sun Yat-sen (12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the Founding Father of Republican China.<br/><br/> Sun played an instrumental role in inspiring the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty of China. He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in 1912 and later co-founded the Chinese National People's Party or Kuomintang (KMT) where he served as its first leader.<br/><br/> Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, and remains unique among 20th-century Chinese politicians for being widely revered amongst the people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.<br/><br/> Nanjing dates back to the beginning of the Warring States Period (403–221 BCE). Between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE, Nanjing was the capital of the Southern dynasties at a time when non-Chinese were in command in northern China. After various natural disasters and a peasant rebellion, the new Sui dynasty moved the imperial capital to Xi’an (589 CE) and destroyed Nanjing, along with almost all of its cultural and historical relics.<br/><br/> Nanjing regained national importance at the beginning of the Ming dynasty, when its first emperor, Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang), set up the seat of government here in the Southern Capital until it was transferred to Beijing in 1421.
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 Putuo Zongcheng Temple is a Qing Dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built between 1767 and 1771, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735–1796). The temple was modeled after the Potala Palace of Tibet, the old sanctuary of the Dalai Lama built a century earlier.<br/><br/> In 1703, Chengde was chosen by the Kangxi Emperor as the location for his summer residence. Constructed throughout the eighteenth century, the Mountain Resort was used by both the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. The site is currently an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since the seat of government followed the emperor, Chengde was a political center of the Chinese empire during these times.<br/><br/> Chengde, formerly known as Jehol, reached its height under the Qianlong Emperor 1735-1796 (died 1799). The great monastery temple of the Potala, loosely based on the famous Potala in Lhasa, was completed after just four years of work in 1771. It was heavily decorated with gold and the emperor worshipped in the Golden Pavilion. In the temple itself was a bronze-gilt statue of Tsongkhapa, the Reformer of the Gelugpa sect.
The Qingjing Mosque, also known as the Ashab Mosque, was initially built in 1009 during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It was based on a mosque in Damascus, Syria and is the oldest Arab-style mosque in China. The mosque, built and repaired by Arab Muslims, reflects the longstanding cultural exchange between China and the Arabic countries.<br/><br/> A thousand years ago Quanzhou was arguably the world’s most significant port, with a lucrative position at the centre of the maritime silk trade.<br/><br/> It prospered enormously during the Song and Yuan dynasties, when it was visited by Marco Polo (the port was known as Zaytoun then) and played host to thousands of Arab merchants, many of whom made fortunes introducing Chinese inventions such as gunpowder and printing to the West.<br/><br/> The port fell into irreversible decline following the restrictions on maritime trade imposed by the Ming emperors in the 15th century.
The Qingjing Mosque, also known as the Ashab Mosque, was initially built in 1009 during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It was based on a mosque in Damascus, Syria and is the oldest Arab-style mosque in China. The mosque, built and repaired by Arab Muslims, reflects the longstanding cultural exchange between China and the Arabic countries.<br/><br/> A thousand years ago Quanzhou was arguably the world’s most significant port, with a lucrative position at the centre of the maritime silk trade.<br/><br/> It prospered enormously during the Song and Yuan dynasties, when it was visited by Marco Polo (the port was known as Zaytoun then) and played host to thousands of Arab merchants, many of whom made fortunes introducing Chinese inventions such as gunpowder and printing to the West.<br/><br/> The port fell into irreversible decline following the restrictions on maritime trade imposed by the Ming emperors in the 15th century.
This ancient clay tablet is dated to the 14th-13th century BCE, and on it is inscribed a map of the countryside around the Mesopotamian city of Nippur, located in the middle of the southern Mesopotamia floodplain, near the modern city of Diwaniyah. The inscription on the tablet is in cuneiform.<br/><br/> It may be the oldest city map in the world.
The Putuo Zongcheng Temple is a Qing Dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built between 1767 and 1771, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735–1796). The temple was modeled after the Potala Palace of Tibet, the old sanctuary of the Dalai Lama built a century earlier.<br/><br/> In 1703, Chengde was chosen by the Kangxi Emperor as the location for his summer residence. Constructed throughout the eighteenth century, the Mountain Resort was used by both the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. The site is currently an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since the seat of government followed the emperor, Chengde was a political center of the Chinese empire during these times.<br/><br/> Chengde, formerly known as Jehol, reached its height under the Qianlong Emperor 1735-1796 (died 1799). The great monastery temple of the Potala, loosely based on the famous Potala in Lhasa, was completed after just four years of work in 1771. It was heavily decorated with gold and the emperor worshipped in the Golden Pavilion. In the temple itself was a bronze-gilt statue of Tsongkhapa, the Reformer of the Gelugpa sect.
The Naxi or Nakhi are an ethnic group inhabiting the foothills of the Himalayas in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, as well as the southwestern part of Sichuan Province in China. The Naxi are thought to have come originally from Tibet and, until recently, maintained overland trading links with Lhasa and India. The Naxi form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. The Naxi are traditionally followers of the Dongba religion. Through both Han Chinese and Tibetan cultural influences, they adopted Tibetan Buddhism and, to a lesser extent, Taoism, in the 10th century.
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region of China.<br/><br/> In Mongolia, the Khalkha dialect, written in Cyrillic (and at times in Latin for social networking), is predominant, while in Inner Mongolia, the language is dialectally more diverse and is written in the traditional Mongolian script.
The Pyu city states were a group of city-states that existed from c. 2nd century BCE to c. mid-11th century CE in present-day Upper Burma (Myanmar). The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu, the earliest inhabitants of Burma of whom records are extant. The thousand-year period, often referred to as the Pyu millennium, linked the Bronze Age to the beginning of the classical states period when the Pagan Kingdom emerged in the late 9th century.<br/><br/> The city-states—five major walled cities and several smaller towns have been excavated—were all located in the three main irrigated regions of Upper Burma: the Mu valley, the Kyaukse plains and Minbu region, around the confluence of the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers. Part of an overland trade route between China and India, the Pyu realm gradually expanded south.<br/><br/> Halin, founded in the 1st century CE at the northern edge of Upper Burma, was the largest and most important city until around the 7th or 8th century when it was superseded by Sri Ksetra (near modern Pyay) at the southern edge. Twice as large as Halin, Sri Ksetra was the largest and most influential Pyu center.<br/><br/> Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organization. The Pyu calendar, based on the Buddhist calendar, later became the Burmese calendar. Latest scholarship, though yet not settled, suggests that the Pyu script, based on the Indian Brahmi script, may have been the source of the Burmese script.
Rongorongo is a system of glyphs discovered in the 19th century on Rapa Nui / Easter Island that appears to be writing or proto-writing. Numerous attempts at decipherment have been made, none successfully. Although some calendrical and what might prove to be genealogical information has been identified, not even these glyphs can actually be read. If rongorongo does prove to be writing and proves to be an independent invention, it would be one of very few independent inventions of writing in human history.<br/><br/> Two dozen wooden objects bearing rongorongo inscriptions, some heavily weathered, burned, or otherwise damaged, were collected in the late 19th century and are now scattered in museums and private collections. None remain on Easter Island. The objects are mostly tablets shaped from irregular pieces of wood, sometimes driftwood, but include a chieftain's staff, a bird-man statuette, and two ornaments. There are also a few petroglyphs which may include short rongorongo inscriptions. Oral history suggests that only a small elite was ever literate and that the tablets were sacred.
The Pyu city states were a group of city-states that existed from c. 2nd century BCE to c. mid-11th century CE in present-day Upper Burma (Myanmar). The city-states were founded as part of the southward migration by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu, the earliest inhabitants of Burma of whom records are extant. The thousand-year period, often referred to as the Pyu millennium, linked the Bronze Age to the beginning of the classical states period when the Pagan Kingdom emerged in the late 9th century.<br/><br/> The city-states—five major walled cities and several smaller towns have been excavated—were all located in the three main irrigated regions of Upper Burma: the Mu valley, the Kyaukse plains and Minbu region, around the confluence of the Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers. Part of an overland trade route between China and India, the Pyu realm gradually expanded south.<br/><br/> Halin, founded in the 1st century CE at the northern edge of Upper Burma, was the largest and most important city until around the 7th or 8th century when it was superseded by Sri Ksetra (near modern Pyay) at the southern edge. Twice as large as Halin, Sri Ksetra was the largest and most influential Pyu center.<br/><br/> Pyu culture was heavily influenced by trade with India, importing Buddhism as well as other cultural, architectural and political concepts, which would have an enduring influence on later Burmese culture and political organization. The Pyu calendar, based on the Buddhist calendar, later became the Burmese calendar. Latest scholarship, though yet not settled, suggests that the Pyu script, based on the Indian Brahmi script, may have been the source of the Burmese script.
Cuneiform script is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Emerging in Sumer around the 30th century BCE, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium (the Uruk IV period), cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs. In the three millennia the script spanned, the pictorial representations became simplified and more abstract as the number of characters in use also grew gradually smaller, from about 1,000 distinct characters in the Early Bronze Age to about 400 distinct characters in Late Bronze Age (Hittite cuneiform).<br/><br/> The original Sumerian script was adapted for the writing of the Akkadian, Eblaite, Elamite, Hittite, Luwian, Hattic, Hurrian, and Urartian languages, and it inspired the Ugaritic and Old Persian alphabets. Cuneiform writing was gradually replaced by the Phoenician alphabet during the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and by the 2nd century CE, the script had become extinct.<br/><br/> Cuneiform documents were written on clay tablets, by means of a blunt reed for a stylus. The impressions left by the stylus were wedge shaped, thus giving rise to the name cuneiform ('wedge shaped', from the Latin cuneus, meaning 'wedge').
A cuneiform temple hymn from the 19th Century BCE; the hymn is addressed to the Lugal Iddin-Dagan of Larsa.<br/><br/> Cuneiform script is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Emerging in Sumer around the 30th century BC, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium (the Uruk IV period), cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs. In the three millennia the script spanned, the pictorial representations became simplified and more abstract as the number of characters in use also grew gradually smaller, from about 1,000 unique characters in the Early Bronze Age to about 400 unique characters in Late Bronze Age (Hittite cuneiform).<br/><br/> The original Sumerian script was adapted for the writing of the Akkadian, Eblaite, Elamite, Hittite, Luwian, Hattic, Hurrian, and Urartian languages, and it inspired the Ugaritic and Old Persian alphabets. Cuneiform writing was gradually replaced by the Phoenician alphabet during the Neo-Assyrian Empire, and by the 2nd century AD, the script had become extinct.<br/><br/> Cuneiform documents were written on clay tablets, by means of a blunt reed for a stylus. The impressions left by the stylus were wedge shaped, thus giving rise to the name cuneiform ('wedge shaped', from the Latin cuneus, meaning 'wedge').
The Persepolis Fortification Archive and Persepolis Treasury Archive are two groups of clay administrative archives - sets of records physically stored together - found in Persepolis (Old Persian: Pârsa, Modern Takht-e Jamshid in Fars near Shiraz in southwestern Iran) dating to the Persian Achaemenid Empire.<br/><br/> The discovery was made during legal excavations conducted by the archaeologists from the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in the 1930s. Hence they are named for their in situ findspot: Persepolis (Greek meaning City of Persians). The archaeological excavations at Persepolis for the Oriental Institute were initially directed by Ernst Herzfeld from 1931 to 1934 and carried on from 1934 until 1939 by Erich Schmidt.