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

Cradle and tourbillon of Swiss-watchmaking - La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle, Watchmaking Town Planning 1302; Craftsmanship of mechanical...

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 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

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

Hanseatic dockyards standing for more than a thousand years - Bryggen 59; Oselvar boat - reframing a traditional learning process of building and use to a modern context 01156; Nordic clinker boat traditions 01686 Bryggen 1 What and Why Bergen , a coastal city in Norway ( Norwegian : Norge ) , was the main commercial hub of the Hanseatic League (German: Hanse ) during the 13th to 17th century CE. The Hanseatic League started as a mediaeval commercial confederation of guilds

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

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

Mediaeval church with frescoes of long-lasting legacy - Boyana Church 42; Bulgarian Chitalishte (Community Cultural Centre): practical...

Indentured labour gateway - Aapravasi Ghat 1227; Bhojpuri folk songs in Mauritius, Geet-Gawai 01178 Aapravasi Ghat What and Why The...

Small pyramids and temples of the Kush Empire - Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe 1336; Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices 01509; Al-Jertiq: practices, rituals and expressions for preservation, protection, abundance and fertility in Sudan 02275 Small pyramids of Meroe What and Why I am extremely proud that as a Chinese I actually took a Sudanese to his own heritage treasure of Meroë ( Arabic : مروي) , during my recent diplomatic work. No joke, t

Whitewashed multicultural city - Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin) 837 What and Why The story of the city itself gives a hint...

Labyrinth of medina - Medina of Fez 170; Arts, skills and practices associated with engraving on metals (gold, silver and copper) 01951...

Capital of art nouveau and pickpockets - Works of Antoni Gaudí 320; Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona 804;...

Time warp to the mediaevals and Game of Thrones - City of Valletta 131; L-Għana, a Maltese folksong tradition 01681 Valletta What and Why Valletta 's 16th-century CE buildings have now been recognised as the backdrop of the famed television series Game of Thrones . The city main architecture is Baroque , adding elements of neo-classicism really put one back into a mediaeval fantasy. The city was ruled successively by the Phoenicia (Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍, Kenāʿan ) , Ancient

Triangular shaped village houses in a beautiful snow mountain - Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama 734; Washoku, traditional...