China Cultural Chronicles December 15, 2012
- 5 Days in Tibet: 3rd Day, Namtso Lake (5/5)
Jesus Mtnez Valencia has added a photo to the pool:
"Namtso Lake, the bright pearl of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is known as one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. Endowed with pure water and stunning landscapes, it has been the holy land of Tibetan Buddhists and Mecca of the hiking enthusiasts from all over the world.
Placing at an elevation of 4,718 meters, and covers an area of 1,940 square kilometers, Namtso Lake ranks the second largest saltwater lake of its kind in China (after Qinghai Lake) and the highest altitude saltwater lake in the world. The water here is crystal-clear blue. Clear skies join the surface of the lake in the distance, creating an integrated, scenic vista. Soul of every visitor who has ever been here seems to be cleansed by the pure lake water". - Divine Music Administration I Little Planet
etherflyer has added a photo to the pool:
Shenyueshu (Divine Music Administration) in Temple of Heaven is a royal organization for playing ancient music. The Divine Music Administration was housed in a group of buildings northwest of the West Heavenly Gate of the Circular Mound Altar and on the other side of the wall of the Fasting Palace. Its job was to play music and perform dance at the heaven-worshiping and other grand ceremonies. It was the top academy of ceremonial music during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The building complex was first built in 1420 in the Ming Dynasty. They were typital government office building. The administration was under the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Ministry of Rites.
This High Dynamic Range 360° panorama was stitched from 66 bracketed photographs with PTGUI Pro, tone-mapped with Photomatix, and touched up in Aperture.
Original size: 18212 × 9106 (165.8 MP; 162.10 MB).
Location: Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China - Buddha
Aidan McRae Thomson has added a photo to the pool:
The Tiger Balm Gardens, nowadays known as Haw Par Villa, are one of Singapore's most unique and iconic sites, a Chinese mythological sculpture park filled with colourful tableaux of vivid, often truly bizarre imagery.
It was begun in 1937 by the two Aw brothers (Boon Haw - Gentle Tiger, and Boon Par - Gentle Leopard) who had found fortune marketing their father's popular invention, Tiger Balm, hence the original name of the park. Their intention was to create an educational theme park dedicated to Chinese culture, bringing to life various scenes from Chinese myth and legend, along with Buddhist themes such as virtue and vice, reincarnation and hell. It was intended for free public access, for families to learn from and enjoy.
The park was taken over by the local authorities in 1979 and sadly it's revamp in the 1980s was not a happy one, as it was decided to make it into a paying visitor attraction through transformation into the 'Dragon World' amusement park, which entailed some of the original tableaux and sculptures being removed to make way for rides, and hefty entrance fees introduced, never part of the founders' vision.
Over the years visitor numbers decreased sharply and the amusement park elements were eventually dismantled, leaving the sculptures as the main attraction once more and the park is again free to enter, though sadly short of visitors compared to the height of it's popularity when whole crowds thronged the place in the 1960s. Part of the problem lies in it's distance from the centre of Singapore, though with the new Haw Par Villa MRT station opening next door in 2011 getting there now couldn't be easier.
The Tiger Balm Garden was somewhere I'd longed to see since childhood, having heard my parents descriptions with their photos of this fascinating, surrealist landscape of exotic sculpture (their last address in Singapore was a flat not far away on Pasir Panjang Road). It is a great pity a few of the pieces they photographed have since vanished (particularly a wonderful fish tableaux), but the bulk remains as it was, and to finally be visiting it myself was an amazing experience, there was simply no question of us leaving Singapore until we'd done it!
www.kuriositas.com/2011/01/haw-par-villa-unusual-singapor... - burakercakir.jpg
Burak - 霍元甲 has added a photo to the pool:
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- Drowsy Tibetan woman in front of her shop, Tibet 2012
reurinkjan has added a photo to the pool:
Like to see the pictures as LARGE as your screen? Just click on this Slideshow : www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/sets/72157630983897338/s...
Sangchu county, as its name suggests, occupies the grasslands around the upper reaches of the Sang chu river The county capital is located at Labrang. The largest monastery in Amdo "Labrang Tashikyil Gompa". The winter here is severe, with temperatures falling to -20 , but in the short spring season the hillsides bloom, and summer is very pleasant despite the rain. Autumn is cool and clear.
Area: 8.562 sq km.
www.footprinttravelguides.com/c/2848/tibet/&Action=pr... - Drowsy Tibetan woman in front of her shop, Tibet 2012
reurinkjan has added a photo to the pool:
Like to see the pictures as LARGE as your screen? Just click on this Slideshow : www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/sets/72157630983897338/s...
Sangchu county, as its name suggests, occupies the grasslands around the upper reaches of the Sang chu river The county capital is located at Labrang. The largest monastery in Amdo "Labrang Tashikyil Gompa". The winter here is severe, with temperatures falling to -20 , but in the short spring season the hillsides bloom, and summer is very pleasant despite the rain. Autumn is cool and clear.
Area: 8.562 sq km.
www.footprinttravelguides.com/c/2848/tibet/&Action=pr... - People enjoy hotspring in Hebei during snowy days
People soak in the hotspring in Xingtai, north China's Hebei Province, Dec. 13, 2012. Local people went to hotspring during snowy days. [Photo/Xinhua]
- Puppet show & shadow play competition in Xi'an
An artist controls a puppet during the 4th national puppet show and shadow play competition in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Dec. 13, 2012. Sixteen team from the nation would perform 51 shows during the competition. [Photo/Xinhua]
- Night scenery of Taipei
- Peaceful life in Yinan County, E China
- Traditional Chinese pottery making art
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