' Above there is heaven, below there is Suzhou-Hangzhou ': for gardens, canals, food, operas, silk and scholastic activities - Classical Gardens of Suzhou 813; The Grand Canal 1443; Kun Qu opera 00004 Canal in Suzhou This post marks the 5th anniversary of my blog. What and Why The quote ' Above there is heaven, below there is Suzhou-Hangzhou ( Chinese : 上有天堂、下有苏杭 , Shangyou tiantang, Xiayou Su-hang ) ' aptly describes how beautiful Suzhou (苏州) has always been in the eyes of

The sacred mountain in Malaysia with a rich biodiversity - Kinabalu Park 1012 Low's peak What and Why Mount Kinabalu ( Malay : Gunung Kinabalu ) inside Kinabalu Park ( Taman Kinabalu ) is considered a sacred mountain within the local community, especially the aborigines of Malaysia . The park is located near a small town called Kundasang , an hour drive away from the main city Kota Kinabalu in the state of Sabah . They believe that their ancestors will eventually inhabit

Ancient necropoles in the form of tumuli - Dilmun Burial Mounds 1542; Arabic calligraphy: knowledge, skills and practices 01718 Dilmun Burial Mounds in A'ali After a long break due to my relocation to Scotland , I have finally resumed my blog-writing due to popular demands. I have not given up blogging, just finding the time and space for it. What and Why The Dilmun Burial Mounds ( Arabic : مدافن دلمون, madafin dilmun ) are ancient necropoles in the form of tumulus cluste

Ancient pearling site that started the nation - Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy 1364 ; Fjiri 01747 Oyster beds in Muharraq What and Why For centuries, Muharraq ( Arabic: المحرق, Al-Muḥarraq ) was the Persian Gulf’s pearling epicentre. After all the region produces some of the finest pearls in the world, and this literally gave birth to the regional Bahraini culture and civilisation since the 3rd century BCE. Virtually everyone was involved in the pearling indu

Possibly Japan's most cultural and beautiful city steeped in tradition - Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) 688; Kabuki theatre 00163; Washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year 00869; Traditional skills, techniques and knowledge for the conservation and transmission of wooden architecture in Japan 01618 Kinkaku-ji What and Why Kyoto ( Japanese : 京都, Kyōto ) carries the reputation of being the

A vista of a thousand karst formations of beautiful shapes and forms in the sea - Ha Long Bay 672 Halong Bay What and Why Halong Bay ( Vietnamese : Vịnh Hạ Long ) is the most popular tourist destination of Vietnam ( Việt Nam ) which features an extremely scenic ocean of karst formations in the sea. The entire bay occupies more than 1,500 km2 of area, including almost 2,000 islets or various limestone forms. Many of these karsts are hollow with enormous caves within. Whil

Imperial citadel of Đại Việt since the 11th century - Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi 1328; Ca trù singing 00309 Hanoi and Thăng Long 1000 years plaque What and Why Hanoi ( Vietnamese : Hà Nội ) is one of the oldest cities in the world and has been there for more than a millennium, starting as the capital of Vietnam ( Việt Nam ) in various form from Đại Cồ Việt during the mid-10th century, to subsequently Đại Việt until the early 19th century

Wading through beautiful limestone caves sitting inland - Trang An Landscape Complex 1438; Quan Họ Bắc Ninh folk songs 00183 Tam Coc What and Why Tr à ng An is a very scenic area located near the city of Ninh Bình which features beautiful limestone mountains and caves along the river. A common tourist activity is to ride a boat and wade through the limestone caves and witness the beautiful sceneries. The river itself nurtures an aquatic ecosystem of various seafood species

An desert oasis blossoming rich civilisations and cultural heritages - Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas) 1343; Majlis, a cultural and social space 01076; Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices 01509; Al Aflaj, traditional irrigation network system in the UAE, oral traditions, knowledge and skills of construction, maintenance and equitable water distribution 01577; Falconry, a living human heritage 01708; Arabic calligraphy

Former glorious capital of Vijayanagara with unrivalled sculptures - Group of Monuments at Hampi 241 Chariot near Vitthala temple What and Why Hampi ( Hindi : हम्पी) was the capital of the Vijayanegara Empire (Sanskrit: विजयनगर साम्राज्य) and reached its zenith during the 14th century when it was the second largest city in the world, after Beijing (Chinese: 北京) . As a result it developed rapidly in terms of culture and religion and was considered the richest and most prosp

Once the largest city on Earth, now the largest temple in the world - Angkor 668; Sbek Thom, Khmer shadow theatre 00108 Angkor Wat What and Why Angkor ( Khmer : អង្គរ) is simply one of the most important archaeological and cultural sites in Southeast Asia , and possibly the world. It is a graceful representation of the powerful Khmer Empire (ចក្រភពខ្មែរ) , and was possibly once the largest city on Earth during the 11th to 13th century, housing more than 1 million populatio

World's largest Buddhist temple of superlatives - Borobudur Teminple Compounds 592; Gamelan 01607 Borobudur dawn view What and Why Borobudur Borobudur is simply a world wonder and no other words better suit this! To me one of those mouth-opening moments when one sees it with your own eyes! Dating from the 7th century, this is one of world's truly great ancient monuments. Borobudur is the single largest Buddhist structure anywhere on Earth, and the temple shows some of the

Masterpiece Hindu temples built during the 10th century CE - Prambanan Temple Compounds 642; The Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and its Historic Landmarks 1671; Indonesia kris 00112; Indonesian batik 00170; Gamelan 01607 Prambanan Temple Compounds What and Why Prambanan ( Indonesian : Rara Jonggrang ) is a complex of tall Hindu temples ( candi ) dedicated to Trimūrti (Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति) , the triple personified supreme diety of Hinduism: Brahmā (Sanskrit: ब्रह्मा) th

Stunning karst above and underground - Gunung Mulu National Park 1013; Songket 01505 My wife reaching the Pinnacles What and Why The Gunung Mulu National Park ( Malay : Taman Negara Mulu ) is a national park famous for two things: the extensive and massive underground cave networks and the amazing sharp-bladed limestone karst formation on the slope of a mountain rainforest. One of the most famous of these caves is actually the world's largest cave, the 12 million m³ Saraw

Alms-giving during sunrise - Town of Luang Prabang 479; Khaen music of the Lao people 01296; Traditional craft of Naga motif weaving in Lao communities 01973 Alms-giving at Luang Prabang What and Why Located in the confluence of Mekong River (ແມ່ນ້ຳຂອງ, Maenam Khong ) , Luang Prabang ( Lao : ຫລວງພະບາງ, Louangphabang ) is a remarkable city, so isolated from the outside world that it still possesses extremely well preserved architectural, religious and cultural heritages. In

Oppa Gangnam style! - Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty 1319; Arirang, lyrical folk song in the Republic of Korea 00445; Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea 00881; Knowledge, beliefs and practices related to jang making in the Republic of Korea 01975 Gangnam style What and Why Gangnam ( Korean : 강남) , made famous by the hit song Gangnam Style ( 강남스타일 ) , is the current main business district of Seoul (서울) as a result of the rapid economic boom of Kor

An ultra-modern metropolis with a history of more than 2,000 years - Jongmyo Shrine 738; Changdeokgung Palace Complex 816; Royal ancestral ritual in the Jongmyo shrine and its music 00016; Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea 00881; Knowledge, beliefs and practices related to jang making in the Republic of Korea 01975 Gwanghwamun What and Why Seoul ( Korean : 서울) is an ultra-modern city of stark contrasts. The city proper itself dates back to 18 BCE,

Fusion of Spanish, Oriental and local architecture in churches - Baroque Churches in the Philippines 677; The School of Living Traditions (SLT) 01739 Paoay Church What and Why During the Spanish Colonial Period from the 16th to 19th century, the Spanish missionaries arrived at the Philippines ( Tagalog : Pilipinas ) , spread Christianity and built churches in their new land. The Spanish would like to build new and long-lasting churches to create a proper place to worship an

Asian Spanish colonial city with an old-world charm - Historic City of Vigan 502 Calle Crisologo at night What and Why Vigan is one of the few Spanish East Indies (Spanish: Indias orientales españolas ) colonial towns left in the Philippines ( Tagalog : Pilipinas ) whose old structures have mostly remained intact. The tiny town is well known for its sett and cobblestone pavements, derived from the Spanish Philippines colonial e ra which fuses native Philippine and or

Resort island formed by molten lava - Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes 1264; Culture of Jeju Haenyeo (women divers) 01068 Ilchulbong (from internet) What and Why Jeju City ( Korean : 제주시, Jejusi ) is located on the island province Jeju ( 제주 ) , which the island was formed as a result of massive volcano eruptions. The island is famous for its various geological and volcanic formations, mainly responsible by the main volcano Hallasan ( 한라산 ) . Jeju is scientifically valua