City sitting on seven hills, mixed with rich maritime history and contemporary culture - Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon 263; Fado, urban popular song in Portugal 00563 Rua Augusta Arch - main entrance gateway of the city Another relocation, this time to Southampton , another hiatus of my blog. Based on popular demand, I am on board again. What and Why Lisbon ( Portuguese : Lisboa ) , sitting on seven hills, occupies a unique space in Europe’s hist

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

Formation of Alps in Switzerland - Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona 1179; Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps 1363; Avalanche risk management 01380; Alpinism 01471; Alpine pasture season 01966; Yodelling 02287 Piz Sardona What and Why The Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona ( German : Weltnaturerbe TektonikArena Sardona ) is a major mountain thrust fault caused by the collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates 100 million years ago! This major shearing action no

A Carthaginian trading post with a syncretic urban structure and culture - Kasbah of Algiers 565; Knowledge, know-how and practices...

The warm cradle that produces Swiss wines - Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces 1243; The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement 1321; Winegrowers’ Festival in Vevey 01201; Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques 02106 Lavaux vineyard What and Why Along the north bank of Lake Geneva ( French : Le Léman ) lies a 30-km stretch of terraced vineyards that produces the wine appellation of the region. The region, which occupi

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

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

A ‘nice’ touristy riviera city - Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera 1635; The skills related to perfume in Pays de Grasse: the...

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...

6,000 year-old megalithic burial mounds with astronomical precision - Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne...

A mosque? A cathedral? - Historic Centre of Cordoba 313; Fiesta of the patios in Cordova 00846; Mediterranean diet 00884...

Magical use of space, light, water and greens in a Moorish castle - Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada 314; Flamenco 00363;...

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...

The Pearl of Adriatic as if a page from Games of Thrones - Old City of Dubrovnik 95; Festivity of Saint Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik...