123 Asia

Doorway To Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:55:00 +0000

Destination Guides

Asia
Cambodia

Cambodia was largely out of bounds to tourists until recently, but now, areas that were unsafe because of Khmer Rouge guerrillas and bandit groups have been returned to the control of the Cambodian army, and virtually the whole of the country has become accessible. For many travellers, lured by the prospect of little explored and unspoilt regions, Cambodia has become a top destination on Southeast Asia's otherwise well-trodden tourist trail.

Angkor Wat Doorway View, Cambodia

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The Kingdom of Cambodia, with a population of ten million, occupies a modest wedge of land, almost completely hemmed in by its neighbours, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. Its glory days began in the early ninth century, when the rival Indian-influenced Chenla kingdoms united under King Jayavarman II to form the Khmer Empire , a powerful and visionary dynasty, which, at its peak, stretched from Vietnam in the east, to China in the north and Burma in the west. Recent history has been less kind to the country. French colonization was followed by an extended period of turbulence and instability, culminating in the devastating Kampuchean holocaust instigated by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge in 1975. The brutal regime lasted four years before invading Vietnamese forces reached the capital in 1979 and overthrew the Khmer Rouge. Pol Pot and his supporters fled to the jungle bordering Thailand, from where they continued to wage war on successive governments in Phnom Penh. Pol Pot's death in 1998 finally signalled the demise of the Khmer Rouge, and their subsequent surrender has given Cambodia a real chance for peace for the first time in thirty years. There are indeed many signs that Cambodia is at last shaking off the shadows of its past and looking to the future with a cautious confidence. International investors are beginning to back business ventures, there is increasing evidence of development and modernization in urban areas and foreign aid is flowing in.

Most visitors to Cambodia head for the stunning Angkor ruins, a collection of over one hundred temples dating back to the ninth century. Once the seat of power of the Khmer Empire, Angkor is royal extravagance on a grand scale, its imposing features enhanced by the dramatic setting of lush jungle greenery and verdant fields. The complex is acknowledged as the most exquisite example of ancient architecture in Southeast Asia, and has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Ta Prohm Tree, Angkor, Cambodia

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The flat, sprawling capital of Phnom Penh is also an alluring attraction in its own right. Wide, sweeping boulevards, and elegant, if neglected, French colonial-style facades lend the city a romantic appeal. However, there's also stark evidence of great poverty, a reminder that you're visiting one of the world's poorest countries.

Those enterprising travellers who look beyond the standard itinerary of Angkor and Phnom Penh will be rewarded with a rich variety of experiences. Miles of unspoilt beaches and remote islands offer sandy seclusion along the southern coastline . Although Sihanoukville is the main port of call, it's easy enough to commandeer transport to nearby hidden coves and offshore islands, with only the odd fisherman or smuggler to interrupt your solitude. Ratanakiri province in the northeastern corner of the country, with its hilltribes and volcanic scenery, is also becoming increasingly popular with visitors. Neighbouring Mondolkiri is less well known, but equally impressive, offering dramatic alpinesque woodlands, villages and mountains. In the central plains, Battambang , Cambodia's second city, is a sleepy provincial capital, and the gateway to the old Khmer Rouge stronghold of Pailin .

Getting to Cambodia's attractions can be half the fun. "Infrastructure" is not a word well known to the locals and travel outside the main tourist routes can be slow and punishing, facilities less than luxurious.

Cambodia's monsoon climate creates two distinct seasons. The southwesterly monsoon from May to October brings heavy rain, humidity and strong winds, while the northeasterly monsoon from November to April produces dry, hot weather, with average temperatures rising from 25°C in November to around 32°C in April. The best months to visit are December and January, as it's dry and relatively cool, though Angkor is at its most stunning during the lush rainy season.

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Destination Asia: Brunei

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:16:00 +0000

Destination Guides

Asia
Brunei

The tiny but thriving Islamic Sultanate of Brunei perches on the northwestern coast of Borneo, completely encircled by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It has a population of 323,000, nearly seventy percent of which is made up of Malays and indigenes from the larger ethnic groups like the Murut and Dusun; the rest are Chinese, Indians, smaller indigenous tribes and expats. They enjoy a quality of life that is quite unparalleled in Southeast Asia, with the literacy rate a staggering 93.7 percent of the population. Education and healthcare are free; houses, cars, and even pilgrimages to Mecca are subsidized; taxation on personal income is unheard of; and the average per capita salary is around US$19,000. The explanation is simple: oil , first discovered in 1903 at the site of what is now the town of Seria.

Golden Mosque Domes, Jame'Asr Hassan Bolkia Mosque, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, Brunei

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The sultanate's full name is Negara Brunei Darussalam, the "Country of Brunei, the Abode of Peace", and peaceful is a fair, if rather polite, description of the state. Nightlife is almost nonexistent, and liquor extremely hard to get hold of since a ban in 1991. Until recently, the Sultan viewed the development of a tourist industry as unnecessary, and there's been little for visitors to do in Brunei.

However, things are gradually changing. Brunei is becoming less introspective and looking more to the West. You can see the results in the building of smart plazas with their requisite coffee bars in the capital Bandar. The authorities are starting to promote Brunei's natural resources, and sections of pristine rainforest like Ulu Temburong National Park in eastern Brunei are opening up to visitors.

The lack of accommodation outside the capital is being tackled by the recently formed homestay programme - where travellers overnight in Malay and Murut kampungs (villages) and Iban longhouses. This opportunity to share in rural life is gaining popularity. Add to this the fact that the capital Bandar Seri Begawan is an attractive city, with two exquisite mosques and the fascinating Kampung Ayer stilt village , and a stop-off in Brunei is a more appealing proposition than ever before.

That said, the problem remains that Brunei is more expensive than neigbouring Malaysia or even Singapore - hotel prices in the capital are at least double those in nearby Kota Kinabalu or Miri. Most travellers still end up in Brunei either because of an enforced stopover on a Royal Brunei Airlines flight, or as a stepping stone to either Sabah or Sarawak. In the latter case, however, it can work out cheaper to take an internal MAS flight between Miri and Labuan rather than bussing it through Brunei.

Brunei's climate , like that of neighbouring Sabah and Sarawak, is hot and humid, with average temperatures in the high twenties throughout the year. Lying 440km north of the equator, Brunei has a tropical weather system, so even if you visit outside the official wet season (usually November to February) there's every chance that you'll see some rain.

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Major League Baseball Games Scheduled For China and Japan

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:42:00 +0000

"China is a leader in international sport, and we know from the enthusiasm and talent the Chinese team displayed in the World Baseball Classic that China may soon become a force to be reckoned with in baseball, too," said Donald Fehr, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. "We are honored that the China Baseball Association has invited us to share Major League Baseball (MLB) with the people of China, and look forward with great anticipation to being in Beijing for these historic games."

2007 World Series champions

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Major League Baseball is moving forward on playing Spring Training games this coming March in Beijing, the home of the 2008 Olympics, and the season opener in Japan a week later.

A pair of exhibition games at the Olympic venue in China are slated for the weekend of March 15-16, with the season-opening two-game series at Tokyo Dome on March 22-23. Different pairs of teams will compete in the two series, said Bob DuPuy, MLB's president and chief operating officer, before Wednesday night's Game 1 of the World Series at Fenway Park.

The Dodgers and Padres will be opening the exhibition games in China while the American League Champion Red Sox play the A's in Japan, where MLB has opened the season twice before in 2000 and 2004. All four teams would then return to the U.S. to conclude Spring Training before starting the regular season over here.

Miss World 2007: The World Embraces Asia

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 19:09:00 +0000

Miss China returns Miss World to Asia

Contestants embrace
Miss China, Zhang Zhi Lin, after being crowned Miss World 2007 at the Beauty Crown Cultural Center in Sanya, Hainan, China (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

The Pageant was held on Saturday, December 1, 2007 - World Aids Day

Asia Idol - Next World Idol! Listen up Simon

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:46:00 +0000

The first-ever Asian Idol show, a spin-off of its American sister, American Idol, will take place in December in Jarkata,Indonesia says, Teges Prita Soraya, a spokeswoman for the show.

The upcoming version is the singing competition format of the original British Pop Idol,

Contestants from Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam will compete for the title of Asian Idol. Missing are China and Japan.

As a kickoff to Asian Idol, all six contestants will be introduced through an Idol Showcase presentation on December 8, 2007. ABC 5 is airing the contest’s primer “Road to Asian Idol,” which offers a behind-the-scenes look at all the contestants.

ABC 5 is also airing the two-night “Asian Idol” special: the performance night on Dec. 15 and the results night on Dec. 16.

Fans of each contestant will be able to choose the song they want their Idol to perform before the Asian Idol performance show. The Idols will perform two songs each--one in English and another in their native language.

Every competing country will send a judge to serve as the contestants' critics, but like the usual Idol shows only three judges will comment on each performer due to time constraints.

The production of Asian Idol will be put up with the help of the production crew from Australian Idol

Three shows will be broadcast to all six countries, where viewers will be able to vote for their favorite by text message. Viewers will cast their votes for two performers to prevent them from voting purely along patriotic lines.

"If the voter were to chose only one contestant, they would choose their fellow countryman and it would benefit the country with the biggest population," said Teges Prita Soraya.

The winner will be announced on December 16.

The winner will be awarded an international recording contract and a free trip around the world to watch international Idol shows

Each participating country will have its own system of determining its representative.

Rini - Indonesian Idol 2007

Contestants

Indonesian Idol -Rini Wulandari
Indian Idol - Prashant Tamang
Malaysian Idol - Jaclyn Victor, Season 1 Winner
Philippine Idol - Mau Marcelo, Season 1 Winner
Singapore Idol - Hady Mirza, Season 2 Winner
Vietnam Idol - Phương Vy, Season 1 Winner

SuperStar KZ, the Idol franchise of Kazakhstan, was included in the lineup but failed to send a representative.

Asia Idol was created by Simon Fuller and produced by Sandra Fulloon

What's next, World idol or Universal Idol? Do you think Simon Cowell could deal with all that? There is a lot of strong competition out there. He's been hiding in his comfort zone for to long. Come out come out and see. You'll be left speechless!

Top Travel Destination: Beijing 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:31:00 +0000

Beijing is one of China's Top Destinations. Travel to Beijing in 2008 will increase significantly because of the Beijing 2008 Olympics. The world will flock to China to showoff their best athletes. So if you plan to travel to China now is the time to start planning if you haven't already.

Unofficial Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics

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Beijing
The City

The brash modernity of BEIJING (meaning Northern Capital) comes as a surprise to most visitors. Traversed by freeways (it's the proud owner of more than a hundred flyovers) and spiked with high-rises, this vivid metropolis is China at its most dynamic. For the last thousand years, the drama of China's imperial history was played out here, with the emperor sitting enthroned at the center of the Chinese universe, and though today the city is a very different one, it remains spiritually and politically the heart of the country. Between the swathes of concrete and glass, you'll find some of the lushest temples, and certainly the grandest remnants of the Imperial Age. Unexpectedly, some of the country's most pleasant scenic spots lie within the scope of a day-trip, and, just to the north of the city, is one of China's most famous sights, the old boundary line between civilizations, the Great Wall .

First impressions of Beijing are of an almost inhuman vastness, conveyed by the sprawl of identical apartment buildings in which most of the city's population of twelve million are housed, and the eight-lane freeways that slice it up. It's an impression that's reinforced on closer acquaintance, from the magnificent Forbidden City , with its stunning wealth of treasures, the concrete desert of Tian'anmen Square and the gargantuan buildings of the modern executive around it, to the rank after rank of office complexes that line its mammoth roads. Outside the center, the scale becomes more manageable, with parks, narrow alleyways and ancient sites such as the Yonghe Gong , Observatory and, most magnificent of all, the Temple of Heaven , offering respite from the city's oppressive orderliness. In the suburbs beyond, the two Summer Palaces and the Western Hills have been favoured retreats since imperial times.

Ming Tombs, the Sacred Way, Beijing, China

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Beijing is a city that almost everyone enjoys. For new arrivals it provides a gentle introduction to the country and for travelers who've been roughing it round outback China, the creature comforts on offer are a delight. But Beijing is essentially a private city, and one whose surface, attractive though it is, is difficult to penetrate. Sometimes it seems to have the superficiality of a theme park. Certainly there is something mundane about the way tourist groups are efficiently shunted around, plugged from hotel to sight, with little contact with everyday reality. To get deeper into the city, wander the labyrinthine hutongs, "fine and numerous as the hairs of a cow" (as one Chinese guidebook puts it), and check out the little antique markets, the residential shopping districts, the smaller, quirkier sights, and the parks, some of the best in China, where you'll see Beijingers performing tai ji and hear birdsong - just - over the hum of traffic. Take advantage, too, of the city's burgeoning nightlife and see just how far the Chinese have gone down the road of what used to be called spiritual pollution.

Forbidden City and Modern Buildings in Distance, Beijing, China

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Top Destinations in China

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:43:00 +0000

China

Lights Decorate a Building on Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China,

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Top Destinations

•	Beijing
•	Changsha
•	Chengdu
•	Chongqing City
•	Guangzhou
•	Guilin
•	Hangzhou
•	Hong Kong

•	Kunming
•	Lhasa
•	Macau
•	Nanjing
•	Sanya
•	Shanghai
•	Suzhou
•	Xi'an

China is not so much another country as another world. Cut off from the rest of Eurasia by the Himalayas to the south and the Siberian steppe to the north, it has grown up alone and aloof. The only foreigners it saw were visiting merchants from far-flung shores or uncivilized nomads from the wild steppe: peripheral, unimportant and unreal. Apart from a few ruling elites of Mongol and Manchu origin, who quickly became assimilated, China did not experience a significant influx of foreigners until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, something which still colours the experience of today's visitors to China.

When planning a journey through China, bear in mind that your trip is bound to involve an element of stress and hard work. If you have lots of cities on your itinerary, try to fit in some small towns as well, which tend to be cheaper as well as more relaxing. Don't stick exclusively to the famous places and sights; often your most interesting experiences will arise in places which least expect tourists. Above all, if it's your first visit, try not to be in too much of a hurry; take your time and be selective. If your budget is tight, think about staying in just a few places and getting to know them rather than undertaking lots of expensive and exhausting journeys. Even if money is less of a problem, you might do well to fore go too much travel and opt instead for higher quality restaurants and hotels. Given the inevitable frustrations of making arrangements, flexibility is essential whatever your budget

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Central District, Hong Kong, China

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China: When To Go

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:28:00 +0000

When To Go

Climate Chart

Inside the Lu Di (Reed Flute) Caves, Guilin, Guangxi, China

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China's climate is too varied for any but the vaguest generalizations: summers in most parts of the country are extremely hot and humid, which can make travel even harder work than usual, and winters are generally bitterly cold.

The south , however, is subtropical, with wet, humid summers (April to September), when temperatures can approach 40°C, and a typhoon season on the southeast coast between July and September. Though it is often still hot enough to swim in the sea in December, the short winters, from January to March, can be surprisingly chilly.

Central China , around Shanghai and the Yangzi River, has brief, cold winters, with temperatures dipping below zero, and long, hot, humid summers. It is not without reason that China's three "furnaces" - Chongqing, Wuhan and Nanjing - are all in the Yangzi basin. Rainfall here is high all year round. Farther north, the Yellow River basin marks a rough boundary in Chinese heating habits, with central heating fitted as standard in buildings north of here, helping to make northern China's harsh winters a little more tolerable. Winter temperatures in Beijing rarely rise above zero from December to March, and freezing winds off the Mongolian plains add a vicious wind chill factor.

In summer, however, temperatures can be well over 30°C. In the far north , Inner Mongolia and Manchuria, winters are at least clear and dry, but temperatures remain way below zero, while summers can be uncomfortably warm. The Northwest gets fiercely hot in summer, but without the humidity of the rest of the country, and winters are as bitter as anywhere else in northern China. Tibet is ideal in mid-summer, when its mountain plateaux are pleasantly warm and dry. June to September are the wettest months with winter temperatures in Lhasa frequently falling below freezing.

Overall, the best time to visit China is spring or autumn , when the weather is at its most temperate. In the spring, it's best to start in the south and work north or west as summer approaches; in the autumn, start in the north and work south. If you can brave the cold, winters are considerably enlivened by the preparations for Chinese New Year; but during New Year itself, traveling can be extremely difficult as offices close and much of the population is on the move.

Climate chart
Average daily temperatures (°C, max and min) and monthly rainfall (mm) Jan Feb Mar Apr ...
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Where To Go In China

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 02:46:00 +0000

Where To Go in China

Inevitably, Beijing is on everyone's itinerary, and the Great Wall and the splendour of the Imperial City are certainly not to be missed. It's a city that's easy to be in, and enjoy, but with skyscrapers aplenty, a large foreign contingent and a wealthy and chic population, Beijing is hardly representative of the nation as a whole. You need to dig under the surface to find the more intimate, private city that exists in the dwindling number of twisted alleyways, the hutongs, to get the best out of the place which can otherwise seem vast, soulless and functional.
While you're here, don't forget that Beijing offers the best food and nightlife in the country. It's also a good place to base yourself for a host of easy short trips.

Chengde , just north of the capital, has some stunning imperial buildings, constructed by emperors when this was their favoured retreat for the summer, while today's city residents escape to the quiet coastal towns of Shanhaiguan and Beidaihe , which offer lush countryside, grand old fortresses and a welter of seaside kitsch.

The Great Wall, Beijing, China

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The territory north of the Great Wall has long had a reputation for severely cold weather and hot-blooded warriors, but the expanses of countryside and milltowns of Dongbei (Manchuria) stand out for their preserves of nature, history and multi-culturalism. Dongbei's frontier with North Korea results in diverting border towns like Dandong and ports such as Dalian . Harbin 's onion-domed cathedrals and local taste for vodka reveal Russia's proximity, while Shenyang tells the story of Dongbei's tumultuous history: the Manchus, Russians, Japanese, war lords, Nationalists and Communists each controlled it in the course of the twentieth century. The region contains most of China's natural resources, but recent closings of state-owned factories make tourism the leading growth industry, as its cities undertake a "Manchurian Makeover". Short on glitz but deep in snow and long on character, a trip to Dongbei reveals the closest thing to "real" China a visitor can find.

Most visitors head for the greater attractions south of the capital, along the Yellow River Valley , the cradle of Chinese civilization, where remnants of the dynastic age lie scattered in a unique landscape of loess terraces. The cave temples at Datong and Luoyang are magnificent, with huge Buddhist sculptures staring out impassively across their now industrialized settings.

Of the dynastic capitals, Xi'an is the most obvious destination, where the celebrated Terracotta Army still stands guard over the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Other, less visited ancient towns, including sleepy Kaifeng in Henan, and Qufu , the birthplace of Confucius in Shandong, hold treasures of dynastic architecture as well as offering an intimate, human scale that is missing in the large cities. The area is also well supplied with holy mountains, some of the few places in twentieth-century China that provide an unbroken continuity with the past: grandmothers still shuffle their way up Tai Shan , perhaps the grandest and most imperial of the country's pilgrimage sites, to pay homage to deities as old as Chinese civilization itself; Song Shan in Henan sees more contemporary pilgrims, followers of kung fu, making the trek to the Shaolin Temple, where the art originated; while Wutai Shan in Shanxi rewards travellers with some of the best-preserved religious sites in the country, as well as a lush and pretty alpine setting.

Yellow River, Lajia, Qinghai Province, China

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Central China forms a basin around the middle reaches of Asia's longest river, the Yangzi . Once the interior's single most important transport artery, several thousand kilometres are still plied by regular passenger ferries, providing one of the world's great river journeys past countless images of everyday Chinese life. Meandering upstream through the provinces of Anhui, Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi, the shores of the two massive freshwater lakes Poyang and Dongting are heavily farmed, while a host of bustling riverside ports, including Wuhan , modern metropolis and former European concession, thrive on an increasing industrial and manufacturing momentum.

Relics of the past range from two-thousand-year-old tombs and third-century battlefields to the Hunanese village of Shaoshan , Mao Zedong's birthplace. Away from the river lurk some evocative landscapes: the classically "Chinese" cloud-and-pine draped peaks of Huang Shan in Anhui; Hubei's Wudang Shan , covered in aged, esoteric Taoist temples; and the splintered cliffs and forested wilds of western Hunan's Wulingyuan Scenic Reserve .

Dominating China's east coast is the great port city of Shanghai , for years the country's main gateway to the outside world and, apart from Hong Kong, its most Westernized city. After years of stagnation, Shanghai is again booming, and alongside the Art-Deco monuments of the old European-built Bund, a thoroughly modern city, crowned with two of the world's tallest skyscrapers, is emerging.

Around Shanghai are areas offering some of China's most characteristic scenery - low-lying and wet, criss-crossed with canals and dotted with historic towns. Jiangsu Province, to the north, is home to Suzhou with its famous ornate gardens, built by Ming dynasty scholars and officials, while a short way to the west lies the city of Nanjing , crowded with relics from its tumultuous history as Ming and Nationalist capital of China.

South from Shanghai, in Zhejiang Province at the terminus of the historic Grand Canal, sits Hangzhou , one of China's greenest and most scenic cities. Hangzhou is located along the historic lake Xi Hu, whose shore and neighbouring hills abound with walking opportunities. Off the coast, an overnight journey by boat from Shanghai, the Buddhist island of Putuo Shan is rarely visited by foreign tourists, but is superbly attractive, with beaches, rural walks and monasteries.

Ferry Crossing Pearl River at Dusk, Guangzhou, China

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In China's southeast, comprising the coastal provinces of Fujian and Guangdong, as well as Hainan Island, you'll find all the paradoxes of any rapidly industrializing nation: incredible economic success in go-ahead Special Economic Zone cities such as Guangdong's Zhuhai and Shenzhen, back to back with chronic poverty throughout the region's rural population; and a lust for modernity and Westernization, refuted by staunch conservatism.

Only a short hop from Hong Kong, the chaotic city of Guangzhou (Canton) and the adjacent industrial sprawl of the Pearl River Delta have it all to the point of absurdity: skyscrapers and temples, beggars and businessmen, nightclubs and traditional opera, fast food and the finest in classical Chinese cuisine. Guangzhou also shares a fair scattering of European architecture with other cities across the region - the Fujian island port of Xiamen is the nicest - built by colonial victors after the nineteenth-century Opium Wars.

Elsewhere, towns such as Chaozhou proudly retain their traditions, seemingly little disturbed by recent history, while the Guangdong-Fujian border is home to ethnic Hakka, who live as they have done for centuries in massive fortified stone apartments. Hainan at first glance seems to have no heritage at all, just a very nice beach, but there's a little more depth to the place if you dig hard enough - most rewarding is a visit to the Li villages in the island's central highlands.

The Hong Kong Skyline is Lit up at Night with Thousands of Lights

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Returned to Beijing in 1997, but enjoying a degree of autonomy that's unprecedented in modern times , Hong Kong is one of the most interesting cities in the world and is likely to remain so for a long time, as its officials choose how to shape the city's future. There is almost nothing Hong Kong cannot offer in the way of tourist facilities, from fine beaches, to colonial remains to stunning cityscapes. It also contains more good eating, drinking and nightlife than the rest of China put together. Macau , too, is well worth a visit, if not for its casinos then for its Baroque churches and fine Portuguese cuisine.

Bridge Connecting Macau to Mainland China

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Aside from major tourist attractions, much of southwestern China is only just beginning to be probed by visitors, though Sichuan's Chengdu and Yunnan's Kunming remain two of China's most interesting and easy-going provincial capitals, and the entire region is, by any standards, exceptionally diverse. Guanxgi and Guizhou provinces are known for their dramatic limestone scenery, the most famous of which surrounds the Li River near Guilin in Guangxi, while over in Sichuan , pilgrims flock to see the colossal Big Buddha carved into a cliffside at Leshan , and to ascend the holy mountain of Emei Shan . The new province of Chongqing, formerly part of eastern Sichuan, marks the start of river trips down the Yangzi through the Three Gorges , while Yunnan sets the tone for the whole area, with landscapes encompassing everything from snowbound summits and alpine lakes to steamy tropical jungles. Sichuan has a similar variety, while the damp highlands shared by Guizhou and Guangxi descend south to a hot coastline. As Yunnan and Guangxi share borders with Vietnam, Laos and Burma, while Sichuan rubs up against Tibet, it's also not surprising to find that all four provinces have very independent histories, and are home to near-extinct wildlife and dozens of ethnic autonomous regions, whose attractions range from the traditional Naxi town of Lijiang and Dai villages of Xishuangbanna in Yunnan, to the exuberant festivals and textiles of Guizhou's Miao and wooden architecture of Dong settlements in Guangxi's north.

The huge area of China referred to as the Northwest is where the people thin out and real wilderness begins. Inner Mongolia, just hours from Beijing, is already at the frontiers of Central Asia; here you can follow in the footsteps of Genghis Khan by horse-riding on the endless grasslands of the steppe. Otherwise, following the Yellow River east, the old Silk Road heads west out of Xi'an and you can follow it right through China and out through its western borders. Highlights en route start with the fabulous Buddhist sculptures at Maiji Shan and Bingling Si just outside Lanzhou , while south from Lanzhou lies the delightful rural retreat and Buddhist monastery town of Xiahe . Further to the west, in the northwestern part of Gansu, you'll find the terminus of the Great Wall of China, the famous last fort of Jiayuguan , and nearby, one of the major draws of all China, the fabulous Buddhist cave art in the sandy deserts of Dunhuang

Sunrise Over Himalayan Foothills, Seen from Poon Hill, Poon Hill, Nepal

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by Corey Wise
item #: 11912878A

30" x 40"

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West of here lie the mountains and deserts of vast Xinjiang, where China blends into old Turkestan and where simple journeys between towns are epics of modern bus travel. The oasis cities of Turpan and remote Kashgar , with their donkey carts and bazaars, are the main attractions, though the blue waters of Tian Chi, offering alpine scenery in the midst of searing desert, are deservedly popular. Beyond Kashgar, travellers face some of the most adventurous routes of all, over the Karakoram or Torugut passes to Pakistan and Kirgyzistan respectively. Tibet , now open to independent travellers, still sounds the most exotic of all travel possibilities - and so in some ways it is, especially if you come across the border from Nepal or brave the long road in from Golmud in Qinghai Province.

Digitally Printed on Archival Photographic Paper resulting in vivid, pure color and exceptional detail that is suitable for museum or gallery display

Thanksgiving Asian Style

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 02:59:00 +0000

Plan a visit to Asia today: www.travelyourway123.com

Thanksgiving has become quite widespread in the world today. They maybe held at different times of the year but in each culture it is about giving thanks for all they have been given.

In Asia, thanksgiving is celebrated on the 15th of the 8th Lunar month, August. This when the moon is brightest - the moon is said to be full. Mooncakes, rice and fruit are customary delicacies.

Moon Festival

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by Guosong Liu
item #: 11728730A

18" x 24"

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The Giclee printing process delivers a fine stream of ink resulting in vivid, pure color and exceptional detail that is suitable for museum or gallery display. This art print is produced on a heavy 310 gsm, acid-free and watercolor textured paper.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival celebration of abundance and togetherness, dating back over 3,000 years to , is a popular East Asian China's Zhou Dynasty. In Malaysia and Singapore, it is also sometimes referred to as the Lantern Festival or "Mooncake Festival."

China: Mid-Autumn Festival

The festival similar to the Thanksgiving Day in China is known as 'Chung Ch'ui.' It is a three-day long harvest festival celebrated on the full moon day (15th day)of the 8th Chinese month and was believed to be the birthday of the moon. The specialty of the festival was its round and yellow 'moon cakes' with an image of rabbit on them. Their feast featured roasted pigs and first fruits of the harvest. A legend says that anyone who sees flowers falling from the moon on this day is blessed with a good fortune. An interesting anecdote to these moon cakes narrates that at the times when Chinese were surrounded by enemies, their women used these moon cakes to deliver secret messages in the name of their rituals and thus, helped the men to win back their liberty.

Korean: Chusok

Chusok, also known as the Korean Thanksgiving, is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Chusok means a great day in the middle of August. It occurs during the harvest season. Thus, Korean families take this time to thank their ancestors for providing them with rice and fruits.

Trung Thu Mid-Fall Festival

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by Dynamic Graphics
item #: 12350784A

18" x 24"

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Vietnamese: Tet Trung Thu

In Vietnam, Têt-Trung-Thu (tet-troong-thoo) or the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most popular family holidays. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
Like the Chinese, Vietnamese parents tell their children fairy tales and serve mooncakes and other special treats under the silvery moon.
Appropriately, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Children’s Festival.

Do Asians Celebrate Halloween?

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 17:38:00 +0000

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Twenty Sticks, Kohoku
Michael Kenna
28 x 28 inches

Fine Art Print

Although Halloween has lost a lot of it's meaning in the west, it's meaning in the east is still intact.
The reverence for the long departed is very high and has survived the westernization of Halloween. In western cultures, like the United States and Canada, Halloween is a holiday enjoyed by Kids who dress up in their favorite costumes and go trick or treating for all the candy they can get. In the east Halloween is more sirene and more about the dead while in the west it is more commercialized and about the living enjoying themselves.

China

In China, the Halloween festival is known as Teng Chieh. Food and water are placed in front of photographs of family members who have departed while bondires and lanterns are lit in order to light the paths of the spirits as they travel the earth on Halloween night. Worshipers in Buddhist temples fashion "boats of the law" from paper, some of which are very large, which are then burned in the evening hours. The purpose of this custom is twofold: as a remembrance of the dead and in order to free the spirits of the "pretas" in order that they might ascend to heaven. "Pretas" are the spirits of those who died as a result of an accident or drowning and whose bodies were consequently never buried. The presence of "pretas" among the living is thought by the Chinese to be dangerous. Under the guidance of Buddhist temples, societies are formed to carry out ceremonies for the "pretas," which includes the lighting of lanterns. Monks are invited to recite sacred verses and offerings of fruit are presented.

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Man Standing Near Water, Guangxi, China
Erwin Nielsen
40 x 30 inches

Photographic Print

Hong Kong

The Halloween celebration in Hong Kong
is known as "Yue Lan" (Festival of the Hungry Ghosts)
and is a time when it is believed that spirits roam
the world for twenty-four hours. Some people
burn pictures of fruit or money at this time,
believing these images would reach the spirit
world and bring comfort to the ghosts.

Japan

The Japanese celebrate the "Obon Festival"
(also known as "Matsuri" or "Urabon") which is
similar to Halloween festivities in that it is
dedicated to the spirits of ancestors.
Special foods are prepared and bright red lanterns
are hung everywhere. Candles are lit and
placed into lanterns which are then set
afloat on rivers and seas. During the "Obon Festival,"
a fire is lit every night in order to show the
ancestors where their families might be found.
"Obon" is one of the wo main occasions during
the Japanese year when the dead are
believed to return to their birthplaces.
Memorial stones are cleaned and community dances performed.
The "Obon Festival" takes place during July or August.

Korea

In Korea, the festival similar to Halloween is known
as "Chusok." It is at this time that families
thank their ancestors for the fruits of their labor.
The family pays respect to these ancestors by
visiting their tombs and making offerings of rice and fruits.
The "Chusok" festival takes place in the month of August.

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Foggy Morning, Shikotsu L...
Michael Kenna
28 x 28 inches

Fine Art Print

Cambodia: Reclaiming Heritage through Art

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 01:04:00 +0000

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Cambodian Princess
Manta Vision
20 x 24 inches

Reprint Poster

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LIFE® - Royal Ballet Performing in Temple of Angkor Wat, 1949
Eliot Elisofon
23 x 18 inches

Photographic Print

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Giants Causeway at South Gate of Angkor Thom Angkor,
Siem Reap, Cambodia ...
Glenn Beanland
64 x 48 inches

Photographic Print

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Tolensap, Cambodia
pui sangsuriyasilp
10 x 8 inches

Wall Poster

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Smiling Girl at Preah Khan Temple,
Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Anders Blomqvist
45 x 33 inches

Framed Photographic Print

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The Entrance of the Temples of Angkor Vat, Cambodia

Photographic Print

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Tower of Smiling Face at the Ta Prohm, Angkor, Cambodia

Photographic Print
Keren Su

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Reflection of Angkor Wat ...
Walter Bibikow
64 x 48 inches

Photographic Print

Art from http://www.artsaleclub.com

The civilization of the ancient Khmer in Cambodia is renowned for its extraordinary art and architecture of the sixth to the sixteenth centuries.
The Khmer empire created one of the world's most glorious traditions of sculpture and architecture. The hundreds of Hindu and Buddhist temples that were constructed at Angkor and throughout Cambodia reflect the strong influence of the culture and religions of India.

In sculpture, Khmer artists demonstrated their technical mastery of stone carving and bronze casting, creating profoundly spiritual images of Hindu and Buddhist divinities.

Cambodia's artistic legacy has been largely inaccessible to the West owing to decades of political turbulence and isolation.

The rich cultural heritage of Cambodia was nearly lost during the horrific destruction and genocide wrought by the Khmer Rouge during the "Killing Fields" of 1975-1979.

The arts play a particularly important role in helping Cambodians reclaim their heritage and heal their souls for an emerging renaissance.

PHNOM PENH: The clutch of galleries on Phnom Penh's Street 178 offers a pageant of Cambodia's cultural history. From the colossal faces of Angkorian kings to apsara dancers swathed in amethyst and ruby, the ubiquity of these images provides ample evidence that the Khmer Rouge ultimately failed to extinguish Cambodia's resplendent heritage.

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Asia: A Place Of Extremes

noreply@blogger.com (Joyangel123) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:42:00 +0000

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Torii, Takaishima, Honshu...

Michael Kenna

28 x 28 inches
Fine Art Print

Destination Guides > Asia

by www.travelyourway123.com

ASIA

A place of extremes! The world's largest continent is also home to the world's highest peak, Mt. Everest in Nepal, and the world's lowest point in the Dead Sea.

These are the Top Destinations in Asia

Brunei

The tiny but thriving Islamic Sultanate of Brunei perches on the northwestern coast of Borneo, completely encircled by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It has a population of 323,000, nearly seventy percent of which is made up of Malays and indigenes from the larger ethnic groups like the Murut and Dusun; the rest are Chinese, Indians, smaller indigenous tribes and expats. They enjoy a quality of life that is quite unparalleled in Southeast Asia, with the literacy rate a staggering 93.7 percent of the population. Education and healthcare are free; houses, cars, and even pilgrimages to Mecca are subsidized; taxation on personal income is unheard of; and the average per capita salary is around US$19,000. The explanation is simple: oil , first discovered in 1903 at the site of what is now the town of Seria.

The sultanate's full name is Negara Brunei Darussalam, the "Country of Brunei, the Abode of Peace", and peaceful is a fair, if rather polite, description of the state. Nightlife is almost nonexistent, and liquor extremely hard to get hold of since a ban in 1991. Until recently, the Sultan viewed the development of a tourist industry as unnecessary, and there's been little for visitors to do in Brunei. However, things are gradually changing. Brunei is becoming less introspective and looking more to the West. You can see the results in the building of smart plazas with their requisite coffee bars in the capital Bandar.

Bandar Seri Begawan

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Cambodia

Cambodia was largely out of bounds to tourists until recently, but now, areas that were unsafe because of Khmer Rouge guerrillas and bandit groups have been returned to the control of the Cambodian army, and virtually the whole of the country has become accessible. For many travellers, lured by the prospect of little explored and unspoilt regions, Cambodia has become a top destination on Southeast Asia's otherwise well-trodden tourist trail.
The Kingdom of Cambodia, with a population of ten million, occupies a modest wedge of land, almost completely hemmed in by its neighbours, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.

Phnom Penh

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China

China is not so much another country as another world. Cut off from the rest of Eurasia by the Himalayas to the south and the Siberian steppe to the north, it has grown up alone and aloof. The only foreigners it saw were visiting merchants from far-flung shores or uncivilized nomads from the wild steppe: peripheral, unimportant and unreal. Apart from a few ruling elites of Mongol and Manchu origin, who quickly became assimilated, China did not experience a significant influx of foreigners until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, something which still colours the experience of today's visitors to China.
Beijing Changsha Chengdu Chongqing City Guangzhou
Guilin Hangzhou Hong Kong Kunming Lhasa Macau Nanjing Sanya Shanghai Suzhou

Xi'an

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India

"Unity in Diversity" was the slogan chosen when India celebrated fifty years of Independence in 1997, a declaration replete with as much optimism as pride. Stretching from the frozen barrier of the Himalayas to the tropical greenery of Kerala, and from the sacred Ganges to the sands of the Thar desert, the country's boundaries encompass incomparable variety. Walk the streets of any Indian city and you'll rub shoulders with representatives of several of the world's great faiths, a multitude of castes and outcastes, fair-skinned, turbanned Punjabis and dark-skinned Tamils. You'll also encounter temple rituals that have been performed since the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs, onion-domed mosques erected centuries before the Taj Mahal was ever dreamt of, and quirky echoes of the British Raj on virtually every corner.

Bombay (Mumbai) Calcutta (Kolkata) Delhi

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Indonesia

For sheer size, scale and variety, Indonesia is pretty much unbeatable. The country is so enormous that nobody is really sure quite how big it is; there are between 13,000 and 17,000 islands. It's certainly the largest archipelago in the world, spreading over 5200km between the Asian mainland and Australia, all of it within the tropics and with huge areas of ocean separating the landmasses. Not surprisingly, Indonesia's ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity is correspondingly great - the best estimate is of 500 languages and dialects spoken by around 200 million people.

Jakarta Surabaya Ubud Yogyakarta

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Japan

For a country that lived in self-imposed isolation until 150 years ago, Japan has not hesitated in making up for lost time since the world came calling. Anyone who's eaten sushi or used a Sony Walkman feels they know something about this slinky archipelago of some 6800 volcanic islands tucked away off the far eastern coast of Asia, and yet, from the moment of arrival in this oddly familiar, quintessentially Oriental land it's almost as if you've touched down on another planet.

Hiroshima Kamakura Kobe Kyoto Nagasaki Nara

Nikko Okayama Osaka Sapporo Tokyo Yokohama

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Laos

Less than a decade ago, Laos (pop. 5.25 million) was largely unknown to Western travellers. Other than a brief period during the 1960s, when the former French colony became a player in the Vietnam War , it has been largely ignored by the West - a situation that only intensified after the 1975 revolution and the years of xenophobic communist rule that ensued. However, since the Lao People's Democratic Republic reluctantly reopened its doors in the 1990s, a steady flow of visitors has trickled into this poverty-stricken, old-fashioned country, and a few traveller-oriented services have begun to emerge.

For many, a journey through Laos consists of a whistlestop tour through the two main towns of Vientiane and Louang Phabang, with perhaps a brief detour to the mysterious Plain of Jars or ancient Wat Phou. However, those willing to explore further and brave difficult roads and basic, candlelit accommodation will be rewarded with sights of a rugged natural landscape and ethnically diverse people not much changed from those that greeted French explorers more than a century ago.

Louang Phabang Vientiane

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Malaysia

Malaysia does not have the grand, ancient ruins of neighbouring Thailand, but its rich cultural heritage is apparent, both in its traditional kampung (village) areas and in its commitment to religious plurality. The dominant cultural force has undoubtedly been Islam, but the country's diverse population of indigenous Malays, Chinese and Indians has spawned a fabulous juxtaposition of mosques, temples and churches, a panoply of festivals and a wonderful mixture of cuisines. In addition, Malaysia boasts fine beaches, as well as some of the world's oldest tropical rainforest and most spectacular cave systems.

Kota Kinabalu Kuala Lumpur Melaka

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Nepal

Nepal forms the very watershed of Asia. Landlocked between India and Tibet, it spans terrain from subtropical jungle to the icy Himalaya, and contains or shares eight of the world's ten highest mountains. Its cultural landscape is every bit as diverse: a dozen major ethnic groups , speaking as many as fifty languages and dialects, coexist in this narrow, jumbled buffer state, while two of the world's great religions , Hinduism and Buddhism, overlap and mingle with older tribal traditions - yet it's a testimony to the Nepalis' tolerance and good humour that there is no tradition of ethnic or religious strife. Unlike India, Nepal was never colonized, a fact which comes through in fierce national pride and other, more idiosyncratic ways. Founded on trans-Himalayan trade, its dense, medieval cities display a unique pagoda-style architecture, not to mention an astounding flair for festivals and pageantry. But above all, Nepal is a nation of unaffected villages and terraced hillsides - more than eighty percent of the population lives off the land - and whether you're trekking, biking or bouncing around in packed buses, sampling this simple lifestyle is perhaps the greatest pleasure of all.

Bhaktapur (Bhadgaun) Janakpur Kathmandu Patan (Lalitpur) Pokhara

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Philippines

The Philippines has suffered in the tourism stakes because of its position on the map. Imelda Marcos once said it was "hamburgered" geographically. What she meant was that the Philippines receives fewer visitors than other Southeast Asian countries - about two million a year compared to Thailand's six million - because it is not part of the Southeast Asian mainland. Travellers on the traditional Asian trails tend to get as far as Thailand or Hong Kong, but ignore the Philippines because it involves an extra flight, albeit it a short one, across the South China Sea.

Manila

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Singapore

Conveniently linked by a kilometre-long causeway to the southern tip of Malaysia, the tiny city-state of Singapore (just 580 square kilometres) makes a gentle gateway for many first-time travellers to Asia, providing Western standards of comfort and hygiene alongside traditional Chinese, Malay and Indian enclaves. Its downtown areas are dense with towering skyscrapers and gleaming shopping malls, yet the island retains an abundance of nature reserves and lush, tropical greenery.

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Thailand

With over six million foreigners flying into the country each year, Thailand has become Asia's primary holiday destination and is a useful and popular first stop on any overland journey through Southeast Asia. The influx of tourist cash has played a significant part in the country's recent development, yet Thailand's cultural integrity remains largely undamaged. In this country of fifty-three million people, over ninety percent are practising Theravada Buddhists, and King Bhumibol is a revered figure across his nation. Tiered temple rooftops and saffron-robed monks dominate every vista, and, though some cities and beach resorts are characterized by high-rises and neon lights, the typical Thai community is the traditional farming village: ninety percent of Thais still earn their living from the land.

Bangkok Chiang Mai

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Vietnam

History weighs heavily on Vietnam . For more than a decade, reportage of the war that racked the country portrayed it as a savage netherworld, yet, only twenty-odd years after the war's end, this incredibly resilient nation is beginning to emerge from the shadows.
As the number of tourists finding their way here soars, the word is out that this is a land not of bomb craters and army ordnance, but of shimmering paddy fields and sugar-white beaches, full-tilt cities and venerable pagodas. The speed with which Vietnam's population of 77 million has been able to transcend the recent past comes as a surprise to visitors who are generally met with warmth and curiosity rather than shell-shocked resentment and war fatigue.

Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Hué

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