' Above there is heaven, below there is Suzhou-Hangzhou ': for gardens, canals, food, operas, silk and scholastic activities - Classical...

The sacred mountain in Malaysia with a rich biodiversity - Kinabalu Park 1012 Low's peak What and Why Mount Kinabalu ( Malay : Gunung...

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 CE - 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 CE, to subsequently Đại Việt until the early 19th c

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...

Once the largest city on Earth, now the largest temple in the world - Angkor 668; Sbek Thom, Khmer shadow theatre 00108 Angkor Wat What...

World's largest Buddhist temple of superlatives - Borobudur Temple Compounds 592; Gamelan 01607 Borobudur dawn view What and Why...

Masterpiece Hindu temples built during the 10th century CE - Prambanan Temple Compounds 642; The Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and its...

Stunning karst above and underground - Gunung Mulu National Park 1013; Songket 01505 My wife reaching the Pinnacles What and Why The...

Alms-giving during sunrise - Town of Luang Prabang 479; Khaen music of the Lao people 01296; Traditional craft of Naga motif weaving in...

Oppa Gangnam style! - Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty 1319; Arirang, lyrical folk song in the Republic of Korea 00445; Kimjang, making...

An ultra-modern metropolis with a history of more than 2,000 years - Jongmyo Shrine 738; Changdeokgung Palace Complex 816; Royal...

Fusion of Spanish, Oriental and local architecture in churches - Baroque Churches in the Philippines 677; The School of Living Traditions...

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...

Resort island formed by molten lava - Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes 1264; Culture of Jeju Haenyeo (women divers) 01068 Ilchulbong...