christian – World Travel

Veracruz est attractions travel destinations in Mexico video clips

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:01:50 +0000

Veracruz, the nation’s most important port, is located in Mexico’s Gulf coast region, 140 km (87 mi) southeast of state capital Xalapa (on Highway 140), and 390 km (242 mi) from Mexico City (on Highway 150). The climate is tropical and the average temperature is 25º C (77º F).

Veracruz est attractions travel destinations in Mexico video clips

VERACRUZ

This destination is famous for the music, dancing and festive atmosphere at its Carnival, the state’s most important event of the year. Here you’ll find beaches with calm waters that are ideal for doing all kinds of aquatic sports, particularly scuba diving along the coral reefs at the Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, which is inhabited by a wide variety of fish, coral and other marine species. Also of interest are the important historic buildings: El Faro (The Lighthouse), el Edificio de Correo (The Post Office), el Baluarte de Santiago (The Santiago Bastion), and the San Juan de Ulua Fort, which was built on the sea and is now an interesting museum that chronicles the history of the port, from the pre-Hispanic era to present day. You can also visit the incredible Acaurio, which is Latin America’s largest saltwater aquarium. Along the boardwalk, you’ll find a wide array of shops selling all kinds of souvenirs. At night, near the boardwalk, you can dance to the music of harps and marimbas in the city’s squares, or you can drink a cup of delicious café con leche at one of the traditional cafes.

In Veracruz’s surrounding areas you can visit the Cempoala archaeological zone; the town of La Antigua, where you can see the first Christian construction in Latin America and the first house of conquistador Hernan Cortes; Pico de Orizaba National Park, which has the highest volcano in the nation; and the picturesque town of Tlacotalpan, declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

View related Mexico travel video clips below.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Veracruz est mexico travel’]

Christiana best Jamaica travel vacation destination videos

WorldTravelDB.com — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:12:45 +0000

About 16km north of Mandeville at an elevation of 900m, the town of Christiana is the lovely heart of a richly farmed agricultural region of gently undulating hills and shallow vales.

Read more to view related tour Video clips share by others on Christiana

The area was settled by German farmers during the 18th and 19th centuries. Moravian missionaries were also active during that era and a Moravian church commands the northern end of sinuous Main St. During the 19th century, Christiana became a hill-town resort popular with European dignitaries and Kingstonians escaping the heat of the plains.

Ethiopia Africa

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:59:57 +0000

Testing, awe-inspiring and heartbreaking – a journey you’ll never forget. You don’t explore Ethiopia for a relaxing getaway, you venture here to be moved. And moved you shall be.

Wade through incense into a medieval world hewn from stone in Lalibela, and watch the line between past and present blur while taking part in striking Christian ceremonies that haven’t changed in 1000 years. Ethiopia’s storied and sovereign history has left its wide-ranging and fertile highlands laden with historical treasures, ranging from the ancient tombs and obelisks of Aksum to 17th-century castles and burnt-out Russian tanks. Many are more than a peek into the nation’s past; they are a giant two-footed leap. Ethiopia’s landscapes are no less dramatic, and range from the Simien Mountains National Park and Bale Mountains National Park, which proffer tremendous trekking and innumerable interactions with dozens of animals and birds seen nowhere else on earth, to the Danakil Depression in Northern Ethiopia, an enchanting and unforgivingly hostile environment offering extreme adventure. The remote lowlands in the sultry southwest are also home to untold adventures and house some of Africa’s most fascinating tribes.

Time GMT/UTC + 3
Population 74.8 million
Borders Kenya, Sudan, Djibouti, Somaliland
Seasons Wet season (mid-March to early October), very hot in lowlands (June to September)
Telephone Country code 251; international access code 00
ATMs None that accept foreign cards
Budget US$10 to US$50 a day
Capital Addis Ababa
Visa One-month visa US$20 at airport; Ethiopian embassies charge more
Languages Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromo
Area 1, 098, 000 sq km
Money Birr; US$1 = Birr8.8

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Ethiopia travel’]

Glastonbury

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

If you suddenly feel the need to get your third eye cleansed or your chakras realigned, then there’s really only one place in England that fits the bill: good old Glastonbury, a bohemian haven and centre for New Age culture since the days of the Summer of Love, and still a favourite hang out for hippies, mystics and counter-cultural types of all descriptions. The main street is more Haight Ashbury than Somerset hamlet, thronged with a bewildering assortment of crystal sellers, veggie cafés, mystical bookshops and bong emporiums, but Glastonbury has been a spiritual centre since long before the weekend Buddhists and white witches arrived. It’s supposedly the birthplace of Christianity in England, and several of Britain’s most important ley lines are said to converge on nearby Glastonbury Tor. Whether you find spiritual enlightenment or just a solid veggie meal in Glastonbury, one thing’s for certain: it’s not a bad place to stock up on joss sticks.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’glastonbury England’]

St Albans

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:59:57 +0000

A mere 25-minute train ride from London, St Albans is one of the most interesting and attractive spots in the Home Counties.

Founded as Verulamium after the Roman invasion of AD 43, St Albans was renamed in the 3rd century after a Roman soldier, Alban, lost his head (both literally and his detractors believed figuratively) in punishment for sheltering a Christian priest in AD 209. He became England’s first Christian martyr, and the small city soon became a site of pilgrimage – visitors can still see the shrine in the majestic cathedral.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’st albans England’]

Parramatta

WorldTravelDB.com — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:59:57 +0000

Parramatta New South Wales Australia

A fine example of a living museum Shortly after the arrival of the British First Fleet in 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip established Parramatta as a market town to supply fresh produce to the new settlement at Sydney Cove. Parramatta then outshone Sydney as a cultural and social centre for a time. As a result Parramatta has some excellent examples of early colonial architecture including Old Government House, Elizabeth Farm, St John’s Cathedral, the Lancer Barracks and the Linden House Museum. Today’s Parramatta is a modern city with a range of cafes and restaurants exploring cuisines from around the globe, large shopping centres, cinemas, theatre and the Rosehill Racecourse. Parramatta is best a understood with a visit to the visitors centre which features Parramatta: People and Place, a major exhibition that traces the development of Parramatta, and can then be explored following a walking map. Located just 6km west of Sydney Olympic Park, Parramatta is easily accessed on a picturesque Rivercat ferry ride up the western arm of Sydney Harbour. Stroll along the Harris Park Heritage Walk that links the Rivercat with historic properties in East Parramatta. The Riverside walk features Aboriginal artwork inviting you to explore the story of the Parramatta river. Parramatta highlights….

Visit the Parramatta Heritage and Visitors Information Centre, the perfect starting point to experience the area known as “Sydney’s Living Museum”.
Catch a performance at the Parramatta Riverside Theatres, offering drama and comedy shows.
Have a flutter at nearby Rosehill Gardens, home of the famous Golden Slipper.
Step back in time at Old Government House (1799) home to the early governors and see some of the finest Australian colonial furniture in the country.
Experience life in the early colony at Elizabeth Farm (1793) and Experiment Farm Cottage (1834), built on the site of the first private land grant issued to ex-convict James Ruse.
Visit Australia’s oldest Christian cemetery next to St Johns Cathedral to see headstones of early convicts. You can also tour the cemetery at night on a Whispering Bones torchlight tour.
Visit Parramatta Park to experience the many historic sites such as the Governor’s Bathhouse and the Dairy Precinct.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’ Parramatta Australia’]

Parramatta precinct

WorldTravelDB.com — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 07:59:57 +0000

Parramatta precinct New South Wales Australia

Visit the Parramatta Heritage and Visitors Information Centre, the perfect starting point to experience the area known as “Sydney’s Living Museum”.
Catch a performance at the Parramatta Riverside Theatres, offering drama and comedy shows.
Have a flutter at nearby Rosehill Gardens, home of the famous Golden Slipper.
Step back in time at Old Government House (1799) home to the early governors and see some of the finest Australian colonial furniture in the country.
Experience life in the early colony at Elizabeth Farm (1793) and Experiment Farm Cottage (1834), built on the site of the first private land grant issued to ex-convict James Ruse.
Visit Australia’s oldest Christian cemetery next to St Johns Cathedral to see headstones of early convicts. You can also tour the cemetery at night on a Whispering Bones torchlight tour.
Visit Parramatta Park to experience the many historic sites such as the Governor’s Bathhouse and the Dairy Precinct.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’ Parramatta precinct Australia’]

Leshan Giant Buddha Leshan Attraction

WorldTravelDB.com — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:59:57 +0000

Shanxi China travel destination Leshan Giant Buddha Leshan Attraction. View more details including related videos clips reviews comments and rating.

View 1 of these 3 photos, or you can help us upload shares your photos in the comments area, please share your experience with others.
Historical Background of the Great Buddha
In the first year of the first reign (the Kaiyuan, or “Initiating the First”, reign) of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang (CE 618-907) Dynasty (his second reign was entitled the Tianbao, meaning “green waves”), namely, in the year 713, a monk of the Lingyun Temple, a certain Shi Haitong, believing that the turbulence of the waterway which forms the confluence of the Dadu, Min and Qingyi Rivers near Leshan – which turbulent waters posed a danger to shipping vessels passing through them, and therefore posed a threat to the livelihoods of the local people – could be quieted if the people chiseled out a likeness of Buddha on the cliff-side of Lingyun Mountain facing this turbulent waterway.
Though the construction of Dafo (the Giant Buddha) was started in 713, it would first be completed ninety years later (when funding for the project was threatened – it turned out to be an enormous expenditure even for the time – Shi Haitong is said to have gouged out his eyes to show his piety and sincerity for the project). It would appear that the appeasement of Buddha in this fashion had the desired effect, for the turbulence of the waterway was indeed calmed, though the direct agent of this may have been the massive amount of chipped stone waste that had fallen into the waterway during the sculpting of the Buddha.
Dafo is in the image of a Maitreya Buddha, i.e., a unique “messianic” future Buddha who will indeed achieve complete enlightenment, then appear again on earth to teach the pure dharma that will supercede the incomplete teachings of the lesser Gautama Buddha.* By tradition, the Maitreya is depicted as a “stout” monk, usually in sitting position and with bare breast and visible paunch (a symbol of affluence?). In addition to its stately pose, aided by the figure’s symmetrical proportions, Dafo conceals a well thought-out drainage system.
The Largest of Its Kind
The Great Buddha, with its height of 71m, is the largest Buddha figure in the world (by contrast, the largest of the two Bamiyan Buddhas was only 53m in height, and these were standing Buddhas). The Great Buddha’s head alone has a height of 14.7m, with 1021 nubs depicting hair, the ear is 6.72m long (high), the eye socket 3.3m wide, and the nose 5.33m long (high). Other key dimensions include the shoulders at 24m wide, the index finger at 8.3m long, and the lap, which can seat a hundred people, at 9m wide and 11m long.
In back of the figure’s head (the back side of the figure is of course attached to/ is part of the mountain) is a cleverly devised set of crisscrossing drain channels such that no water can accumulate here and weaken the mountain’s “hold” on the figure, though some water damage to the Great Buddha has occured, namely on its paunch/ lap area (and pollution has blackened its nose, though this can no doubt be safely removed). The fact that the Great Buddha remains in excellent overall condition after more than a thousand years can to a large extent be attributed to the ingeniousness of its drainage system.
The Nine Turns and Lingyun Paths
To take in the sheer enormity of the sculpture, one can observe it at close quarters as one descends the “staircase” that zig-zags along the right wall – i.e., on the sculpture’s right-hand side – of the cube that was cut into the mountain in order to create a throne, as it were, for the Great Buddha. This 250-step wooden-plank pathway (in all, nine “zigs” and “zags”, hence the name “Nine Turns Path”) was originally carved into the mountain in ancient times, but has been improved through time such that today it is a wooden-plank staircase, yet it retains a link to its primitive origins. The descent down the “Nine Turns Path” is decidedly not for the faint of heart, but the reward is an impressive close-up view of one of the marvels of the world of Buddhism.
There is a less daunting staircase cut into the opposite wall, i.e., on the Great Buddha’s left-hand side. Its origins are more modern, as are its method of construction and materials: deep excavations into the face of the wall, reinforced by steel bars. Yet it offers the visitor unhurried moments of observation and tranquility.
Once at the foot of the sculpture the visitor can look upwards at the enormous figure like a commoner might have looked up in awe at a king sitting on his throne, remembering that this figure belongs to China’s feudal past. Lastly, the visitor can get a panoramic view of the Giant Buddha and its surroundings by taking a trip on one of the ferry boats expressly commissioned for this purpose.
Leshan Great Buddha is a cultural treasure not only to the people of China, but also to the world at large (as part of the Mount Emei Scenic Area it is as well a World Cultural Heritage Site).
The Gigantic Sleeping Buddha
Another of the area’s Buddhas, though “made” only in the eye of the beholder, is the gigantic “Sleeping Buddha” that is formed by the outline of several mountains, some adorned with man-made structures, including as well Leshan Giant Buddha, that enhance the illusion of a Buddha lying on its back. The “head” of this imaginary Buddha is Wulong Mountain with its many man-made towers, pavilions, halls and temples with their colorful tiled walls, as well as the contribution of nature’s own rock formations, trees and towering bamboo plants, which, together, uncannily suggest the image of a head of wavy hair with the broad forehead, straight nose and slightly parted lips of a solemn yet kindly, quintessentially Chinese Buddha.
The “body” of the imaginary Buddha is represented by the nine peaks of Lingyun Mountain, suggesting swelling breasts, a well-formed round waist above which curves the slightly distended paunch of the typical Chinese Buddha, and finally, a set of sturdy legs. To round out the impression of a sleeping Buddha, the figure’s “feet” seem to rest against an upturned baseboard – as if the imaginary Buddha were indeed lying in a bed – which parts are formed by the contours of Guicheng Mountain. But the crowning perfection of this partly man-made and partly nature-made imaginary Buddha is that at its heart – i.e., at roughly the spot where one would expect its heart to be – sits Leshan Giant Buddha itself. The relaxed, yet composed posture of this sleeping giant – it spans more than 4000m in length – is so realistic that it is as if nature herself had deliberately chosen to honor the Buddha.
Wuyou Temple
Built on top of Wuyou Mountain in CE 742, circa, at the height of the Tang (CE 618-907) Dynasty, originally as a peaceful monastery that would undergo further renovation and enlargement during the Ming (CE 1368-1644) and Qing (CE 1644-1911) Dynasties, Wuyou Temple’s original name was Zhengjue Temple. The name was changed to its present form during the Northern Song (CE 960-1127) Dynasty. Wuyou is a Zen Buddhist (Soto Zen) temple, which perhaps explains the very pleasing layout of the temple’s various buildings, where high and low structures blend in serenely and harmoniously with the alternatingly high and low features of the surrounding terrain with its stony outcroppings and wooded areas.
On either side of the mountain gate leading to Wuyou Temple is a plaque containing a couplet, one based on a verse from a poem by the famous Tang Dynasty Chinese poet Du Fu and the other based on a verse from a poem by the almost-as-famous Song (CE 960-1279) Dynasty Chinese multi-artist, Su Shi.** Wuyou Temple houses seven palaces such as Tianwang Palace, Mituo Palace, Daxiong Palace, Guanyin Palace and Luohan Palace, which palaces also include Tianwang Hall, Amitabha Buddha Hall, Buddha Miatreya Hall, Guanyin Hall, Great Hero Hall and Arhat Hall. The three famous Buddhist statues of Neishi, Wenshu and Puxian, carved from camphor wood, then gold-plated, can be seen in the Great Hero Hall. The statues are larger than life, being about 3m high. They were temporarily removed to the city of Hangzhou in 1930, when the Great Hero Hall was being renovated.
Wuyou Temple’s Arhat Hall has five hundred arhats (an arhat is a figure depicting an arahant, or one who has attained the ultimate goal of enlightenment, or nirvana, by following in the footsteps of the first such arahant, the Buddha himself, who rediscovered the path to enlightenment and taught it to his followers), which were remolded after the Cultural Revolution. They all have a height of about 1.3m but vary in form and in spirit. In the corners of the rooms of Wuyou Temple one will find calligraphic inscriptions by famous Chinese celebrities, including names from the past. The most famous of these inscriptions is written by Zhao Xi, a famous calligrapher from modern times. The “Chuanruo Heart Channel” on the monument embedded in the wall of the Bell Drum Pavilion is perfect both in calligraphy and in inscription, itself the pinnacle of calligraphy.
Lingyun Temple
Lingyun Temple is famous throughout Sichuan, and, indeed, throughout the world. It was originally named Bao’en Temple, but was also referred to as the Great Buddha Temple because of the Leshan Great Buddha figure that is carved into Lingyun Mountain. Legend has it that the temple was built during the Tianbao (“Green Waves”) period of the Tang Dynasty, which is earlier than the construction of the Great Buddha itself. On both sides of the entrance gate to the temple are four memorial monuments that record the temple’s different periods of renovation during past dynasties. The principal building is composed of the Tianwang, or Heavenly King, Hall (“Tianwang” is a common name for palaces and halls), the Precious Hall of the Great Hero and the Scripture Collection Hall, which neatly form a multi-tiered courtyard house. In the Precious Hall of the Great Hero are three statues of Buddha in the image of three bodily forms, namely those of Dharma Body, Reward Body and Accommodative Body.
Since the concept of transmigration of the soul, or spirit, is central to Buddhist thought, the three statues are also called the three lives of a Buddha: the Previous Life, This Life and the Next Life. The abbot room on the left of the hall has been transformed into the Nanlou Hotel. Tourists who stay at the Nanlou Hotel have the opportunity to appreciate at close quarters the magnificent landscapes from the hotel’s windows. Surrounding Tianwang Hall is a small wood with towering camphor trees. In midsummer, the impressionistic green hues of the camphor trees are a delight to study.
Lingbao Pagoda
Lingbao Ta, or the Pagoda of the Souls, is built on one of Lingyun Mountain’s nine peaks, Lingbao Peak. According to historical records, Lingbao Pagoda was built during the Song Dynasty and is quite similar in form and style to Xiaoyan Pagoda in the city of Xi’an in Shaanxi Province, which dates from the earlier Tang Dynasty. Lingbao Pagoda is a hollow, four-sided, thirteen-story brick structure of 38m height with thick eaves that predate the upturned eaves era of Chinese architecture. Inside, the pagoda consits of only five stories. Tourists are of course allowed inside, and may climb the staircase to the fifth floor, a climb of ninety five steps on red sandstone slabs. On each floor are niches housing statues of Buddha. The ascent up the pagoda offers some unique landscape views of the area, as the windows are left opened, partly in order to provide lighting and partly to permit the visitor a panoramic view of the surrounding mountain peaks and meandering rivers.
Mahao Cliffside Tomb
The Mahao Cliffside Tomb is located above the east bank of the spillway (Yihong River) between Lingyun and Wuyou Mountains, near the village of Mahao. The tomb’s coffin chambers were constructed by chiseling caves into the cliffside. The Leshan Han Cliffside Tomb Museum incorporates the Mahao Cliffside Tomb, supplementing it with North and South Exhibition Halls that display cultural relics excavated from the Leshan Han Cliffside Tomb, and thus reveals the general situation of cliffside tombs in the Leshan area during the Han Chinese period.
On both sides of the Mahao Cliffside Tomb gate are carved figures depicting “Triumphant Wind” (Kaifeng), “Welcoming with Solemnity”, and “Bidding Farewell”, while on both the side and back walls of the front room are carved figures depicting “Jing Ke Stabbing Emperor Qin”, “Zhu Que (Red Bird)”, “Banquet Conviviality”, “Dobbin”, “Statue of Buddha”, “Head of Beast”, “Fishing”, “Gate Soldier” and “Pulling Cart”. Above these there are forty eight ancient eave tiles with varied decorations and ornamental patterns.
Show rooms at the entrance to the tomb gate display cultural relics, one room concentrting on the general situation of the Leshan Han Cliffside Tomb and the other demonstrating how everyday life was lived during this period of Han Chinese cultural influence. The show rooms exhibit essential stone, bronze, and iron implements of the period as well as pottery and other artistic works, including carved stones, figures and inscriptions that were excavated from the Leshan Han Cliffside Tomb, and which therefore reflect various aspects of the lives of the people of the area during the Han Chinese cultural period, aspects such as the economic and cultural conditions they lived under as well as the artistic, architectural and ideological ideas they aspired to.
Wuyou Mountain
Wuyou Mountain is located to the east of Leshan City near the confluence of the Dadu, Min and Qingyi Rivers. The three mountains – Lingyun, Wuyou and Ma’an – stand in close proximity one to another beside the river and are called by the joint name of Qingyi Mountain. Lingyun Mountain stands erect on the right while Ma’an Mountain stands on the left. Wuyou Mountain, which is also referred to as Middle Qingyi Peak, lies between them.
It is said that in remote antiquity, Qingyi God grew mulberries and reared silkworms. In appreciation of Qingyi God’s kindness in teaching the people the art of sericulture (i.e., the raising of silkworks, which requires mulberry leaves), the people offered a sacrifice to the Qingyi God on the mountain. In more recent times, Ban Gu, during the Han Dynasty, believed that the stone “room” at the foot of the mountain, dubbed by local people as the “Pure Girl Room”, was the abode of the Qingyi God. The couplet at the gatepost to Wuyou Temple therefore reads ‘tide finds its way to “Pure Girl Room” through sea cave’, which means that the temple is communicable with Dongting and Baoshan.*** Wuyou Mountain is also called “Lidui”, after Li Bing, the magistrate of Shu (a state at the time in what is present-day Sichuan Province) and an accomplished engineer who is credited with having developed the Dujiangyan Irrigation System along the Yangtze River in present-day Sichuan Province.
Ancient Cliffside Inscriptions of Lingyun Mountain
Lingyun Mountain, also called Jiufeng Shan (meaning “Nine Peaks Mountain”) has been a tourist resort since antiquity. It is said that ‘people may make a pilgrimage to E’mei Shan above and to Jiufeng Shan below’. A large number of poems and cliffside inscriptions are preserved here. Under the grey pines and exotic cypresses of Jiufeng Shan, and between its ancient Buddhist temples and newer pavilions, abound infinitely interesting works of calligraphic inscription everywhere.
The four large characters, or inscriptions, of “Lingyun Voluntary Ferry” inside the Great Buddha Scenic Area record the history of the voluntary nature of this ancient ferry service of former times. Nearby the large inscriptions are smaller ones that give a clear indication that this service was indeed “free of charge”. We see in this the altruism and sense of social solidarity shared by Chinese people of ancient times, which example of selflessness continues to evoke the respect of Chinese people today. The dragon character above the “dragon pool” is about 3m long and is rendered in a continuous brush movement, which has earned it the moniker “dragon at one stroke”. In addition, alongside the Lingyun Plank Path are a dozen or so calligraphic inscriptions made by modern contributors against the red sandstone background of Lingyun Mountain. These inscriptions exude a grace and beauty that only calligraphy can produce.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

* Anyone familiar with Christianity is tempted to draw a parallel between the Maitreya-Gautama Buddha relationship and the relationship between Jesus Christ and John the Baptist, or perhaps the relationship between the returning, triumphant Christ of the future and the Church would be the more appropriate parallel.

** Du Fu (alternatively, Tu Fu, CE 712–770) is considered as one of China’s greatest poets, if not the country’s greatest. Because of his broad range of styles, he has been called a Chinese Virgil, Horace, Ovid, Shakespeare, Milton, Burns, Wordsworth, Béranger, Hugo and Baudelaire, all rolled into one. Su Shi (alternatively, Su Dongpo, CE 1037–1101) was a writer, painter, calligrapher, pharmacologist and a statesman, as well as one of the major poets of the Song Dynasty.

*** This is surely a folkloric mix-up with – but perhaps not! – the likeness of “Lingbao” of Lingbao Peak/ Lingbao Pagoda of nearby Lingyun Mountain, one of the three mountains that make up Qingyi Mountain, to that of Lingbao, the religious school that synthesized Taoism and Buddhism shortly after Buddhism’s introduction into Taoist China in the 6th century CE (Lingbao Peak may well have gotten its name from the religious school). In Taoism, the labyrinth theme is common, labyrinths typically being present in holy places called “cave heavens”, a particularly celebrated example being that of Linwu dong tian, a cave in an island of Lake Taihu, once situated between the kingdoms of Wu and Yue (of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, non-Han Chinese interregnum between the Tang (CE 618-907) and Song (CE 960-1279) Dynasties). The island is called Dong ting (“salt cave”), and the sacred cave is nestled in a hill named Baeshan (alternatively, Baoshan), which can be interpreted as “mountain of the sorcerer”, or “mountain of the sorceress”.

The cave is related to a legend about some famous talismen that involves Yu the Great, to whom was revealed information concerning the “five talismen of the Lingbao” by a “holy man”, and which talismen enabled Yu to conquer the great flood (note that flooding, or turbulent waters in general, was a common problem necessitating “divine intervention”). Having used the talismen, Yu was required to hide them in a sacred mountain. Yu therefore hid the talismen in the cave of Baeshan. Later, King Helu of Wu, a contemporary of Confucius, ordered a hermit to enter the cave to learn more about it. Since the cave turned out to be a real labyrinth, the hermit traversed thousands of li (1 li = ½ km, though the distance has not been consistent through time) before he finally found a city from which a lunar light emerged, and there he found the sacred writings (the talismen) and brought them back to King Helu.
top
We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Leshan Giant Buddha china’]

Dongguan Giant Mosque Xining Attraction

WorldTravelDB.com — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:59:57 +0000

Shanghai China travel destination Dongguan Giant Mosque Xining Attraction. View more details including related videos clips reviews comments and rating.

View 1 of these 7 photos, or you can help us upload shares your photos in the comments area, please share your experience with others.
Dongguan (alternatively, Dong Guan, or East Gate) Grand Mosque was built during the reign (CE 1368-1398) of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming (CE 1368-1644) Dynasty. It thus has a history of more than 600 years. The mosque, which faces east, covers a total area of 13,602 square meters, its eclectic construction style blending features of traditional Chinese architecture and medieval Islamic architecture with other international architectural influences. The mosque, destroyed in the ravages of war, was re-created in the late 19th cenury, renovated in 1914, enlarged in 1946, and finally revamped in 1998.

The best way to describe Dongguan Grand Mosque complex is to say that it is a large open square, or courtyard, with four large buildings, one on each side – north, south, east, and west – that more or less wall off the center square. This is not a typical Islamic mosque construction as seen, for example, in the Middle East, but there can be no doubt that there are enough Islamic elements of this mosque complex to identify it as a place of Islamic worship. It has the typical large center dome and the two towering minarets on either side, and it’s prayer hall faces east, the symbolic orientation of Mecca. Dongguan Grand Mosque also serves as an Islamic teaching center. There is a large, underground parking facility under the mosque complex.

To return to the physical layout of the mosque complex, the main entrance has an added, facade-like, multi-storeyed, three-sided structure which, besides serving as the new main entrance, also houses the many administrative facilities of this large mosque. The mosque complex also serves as a Koran school. The new main entrance is situated on the eastern side of the mosque complex, with the prayer hall opposite the new main entrance, i.e., on the western side of the large, open center square. On either side of this east-west axis, corresponding to a north-south axis, are located the educational facilities – classrooms, libraries, etc. – that make up the mosque complex’s Koran school, as well as other structures that are used for commercial as well as administrative purposes, as will be described in more detail below.

The old main entrance still stands, albeit rebuilt and renovated over the years, on the eastern side of the complex. It is a low structure with round portals, or gates, more in the Roman/ Christian architectural style than the traditional pointed-domed style of Islamic architecture. On either side of this old main entrance stand two small, aqua-green towers, built in distinctly Chinese style, which served as the mosque’s original minarets. This old main entrance structure consists in fact of two sets of gates, since on the one side, or face, of the structure – it’s old main street-entrance face – it has three gates (called the “First Three Gates”), with a second set of gates, consisting of five gates (called the “Middle Five Gates”), about 30 meters beyond the first set of gates (i.e., in the direction of the center square).

This latter set of gates is constructed atop a set of marble staircases, making this old main entrance a two-level structure, whereby one entered the structure from the street – a sort of facade in fact – at one level, and emerged onto the center square at a different, higher level. Thus the center square of the mosque complex is built on a higher plane than the surrounding terrain, i.e., the surrounding city streets. Approaching the marble staircase leading up to the second gate, or the “Middle Five Gates”, the visitor will see a network of word-like patterns, in iron, embedded into the steles of the second gate as well as into the steles of the older, smaller, aqua-green minarets, enhancing the artistic appeal of this section of the mosque. Passing through the “Middle Five Gates” – through which only Muslims may pass – one enters the center square with its characteristic black tiles. Arriving at this square, or courtyard, which covers an area of some 5000 square meters, the Muslim visitor senses the somber dignity of this building complex as a place of Islamic worship.

At the opposite, or western, end of this center square is the main, or prayer, hall, constructed primarily of black-lacquered wood that has weathered the climate remarkably well, with a series of steps leading up to its entrance. The name of the prayer hall, in English, is “Phoenix Spreading One Wing”. This hall, which spans an area greater than 1000 square meters, exhibits an ancient Chinese architectural style, yet it is wedded to the ideals of Islam in ways that make a strong and lasting impression. The entire outer wall is made solely of black-lacquered wood, which, in spite of its somewhat weather-beaten appearance, given its exposure as an outer wall, remains solid and in excellent structural condition.

A variety of engraved patterns are to be found on either side of the corridor leading to the prayer hall, and on either side of the the hall’s entrance gate are nine brick screens engraved with ingenious flower patterns. These simple yet elegant screens are considered not only as religious artifacts, but also as works of art in themselves. At the center of the hall itself stand three glittering, golden columns. The area immediately in front of the prayer hall is covered in the same wooden flooring as the prayer hall itself, injecting an atmosphere of simple dignity to the mosque.

To complete the picture of the layout of Dongguan Grand Mosque, a new, broader entrance structure has been grafted onto (constructed in front of) the old main entrance structure. This latter structure is also facade-like – it is only 10 meters or so deep – but it is multi-storeyed, and has short extensions, or wings, flanking it on both sides (north and south). Thus the new facade is a three-sided affair, with the center section – the new main entrance, which also faces east – being the longest section.

This latter section is in turn in two vertical planes (think of the sub-sections of this front facade wall as being staggered), where the center sub-section, which spans the space between the two new, extremely tall minarets, is positioned well in front of the end sub-sections of this new entrance/ facade, and where the end sub-sections then make an abrupt, 90-degree turn, becoming the north-side flank, or wing, and the south-side flank, or wing, such that the new entrance/ facade wraps around the entire front portion of the mosque complex in an embrace, as it were.

The new, tall minarets therefore do not stand at the front corners of the mosque complex, but stand slightly offset towards the center, where the center sub-section of the front section of the new entrance/ facade ends. The two flanks of the new entrance/ facade – the north-side and south-side flanks – serve as a commercial building and an administration building, respectively. The latter building, apart from serving as the offices of management, also includes a reception room, classrooms, a dining room, and a dormitory.

Two, old-style (traditional Chinese style) wooden buildings are located on the mosque grounds, one on the north side and one on the south side of the center square – and thus in extension of the two new wings, or flanks that form part of the new entrance/ facade. The old-style wooden building on the north side consists of a reception room, a room for storing religious texts, a meeting room, and other related rooms. The old-style wooden building on the south side consists primarily of classrooms and housing quarters for the aspiring imams who study here, as well as of various ancillary rooms for the teaching staff. The funeral room is located at the back, or street side, of the latter building, as are the men’s and women’s bathrooms.

The overall design of the mosque complex is orderly and purposeful. The front sub-section of the new entrance/ facade of the mosque, each corner topped with its towering new minaret, together with the end sub-sections of this facade with its wrap-around effect on either flank, present an imposing outward impression to the visitor as well as to the Muslim devotee, while the series of successive interior gates, individually and collectively, are laid out in a supremely stately, Chinese-influenced manner that contributes to the sense of religious devotion that permeates Dongguan Grand Mosque.
top
We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Dongguan Giant Mosque china’]

Tianjin Old City Tianjin Old City

WorldTravelDB.com — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:59:57 +0000

Xinjiang China travel destination Tianjin Old City Tianjin Old City. View more details including related videos clips reviews comments and rating.

View 1 of these 1 photos, or you can help us upload shares your photos in the comments area, please share your experience with others.
Guangdong Assembly Hall, built during the 33rd year of the Guangxi Emperor’s ruling period (1907), sits near the south gate of Tianjin Old City. An Islamism Mosque, built in the 42nd year of the Kangxi Emperor’s ruling period (1703), sits in the northwest corner. A Queen of Heaven Palace sits on the northeast corner of the city, built in the Yuantaiding third year (1326) and used for sacrificing navigation eudemon. A Jade Emperor Pavilion was built in the second year of the Xuande Emperor’s ruling period (1427) during the Ming Dynasty. Beside the Lion Forest Bridge is a Zion and a church built during the 30th year of the Guangxu Emperor’s ruling period during the Qing Dynasty (1904). The Laoxi Kai Church at Dushan Road and Binjing Avenue in the Heping District is open to foreigners; however, non-Christians are not allowed to enter.
We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Tianjin Old City china’]