10-language tour guide in Lijiang ancient town |
( chinadaily.com.cn ) 2011-09-30 |
In September 2011, Lijiang ancient town introduced a wireless voice tour guide. The guide is domestically advanced. The protection administration of Lijiang will lease 1,000 wireless guides at the tourist service center at the entrance to the ancient town. "It is hard to find the way to the scenic spots in the ancient town, because of the unique layout. Now, tourists may rent wireless voice tour guides, which will provide tourists with barrier-free sightseeing," said a staff of the ancient town administration. The guide is a little larger than a mobile phone, and resembles a mini-tablet PC. It contains information on 280 scenic spots and folk customs of Lijiang. The guide adopts Aigo digital navigator, with 8G internal memory, 4-inch TFT high definition liquid crystal touch screen. It is able to automatically identify scenic spot sites, and play videos. The guide has a built-in loudspeaker, and can be connected to stereo headphone. It is powered by a lithium battery to continually operate for eight hours. The navigation is supported with 10 languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Arabian and Portuguese), spoken by native speakers. The wireless communication technology is applied for accurate positioning, within 100 meters. At the hot spots, the software will be stimulated to play audio narrations automatically. Tourists may also choose to manually play video programs. So far, the ancient town has set up 282 hot spots. The audio services cover all the scenic zones. In addition to multi-language automatic tour guide, the facility is functioned to direct tourists to the service center, toilets, hospital and post office. What is more, the noises and interference can be jammed to ensure the guidance. Edited by Fu Bo and Tania Lee |
Friday, September 30, 2011
10-language tour guide in Lijiang ancient town
Master Painters of India, Now in New York - NYTimes.com
” ‘Wonder of the Age’: Master Painters of India, 1100-1900,” newly opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is “in effect an epic and immersive progress report” on historians’ attempt to track and name Indian artists who worked hundreds of years ago, writes Roberta Smith in The New York Times.
“The show is a somewhat wild ride down one of the three longest and greatest rivers of world painting (the other two being Chinese and European). Sometimes, as in the opening gallery, you might almost be shooting rapids, so quickly do the elements of the Rajput vocabulary accrue from one Buddhist, Hindu or Jainist manuscript to the next.” Read the full article here.Master Painters of India, Now in New York - NYTimes.com
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Exhibit reveals secret of portraits
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relationships” of Confucianism are incorporated.
“Self-portrait of Yun Du-seo (1688-1715)” is regarded as one of the masterpieces in Korean art history, marked by the delicate depiction of the scholar’s outside and the expression of the inner world.
Hwang’s photograph taken in 1909. In the painting, Hwang’s expression is solid and confident as a high-spirited literati and a patriot. Chae captures the inner state of the model in his portrait, which photography couldn’t express.
INDIA Archdiocese of Mumbai launches first historical museum - Asia News
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Mumbai (AsiaNews) - The first historical museum of the Archdiocese of Mumbai is a "celebration of our history" and an "instrument of evangelization for the young generation," according to Card. Oswald Gracias, archbishop of the diocese. Inaugurated yesterday and set in the St. Pius seminary in Goregaon, the museum contains a collection of artefacts - the oldest dating back to the 16th century - belonging to the spiritual tradition of India. The museum also celebrates the 125th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Mumbai, which occured on 1st September 1886 under the papal bull Humanae Salutis by Pope Leo XIII."The museum - explains, Card. Gracias to AsiaNews - shows our historical, artistic, cultural and religious patrimony, the authentic roots of our faith". According to the archbishop, the museum will be a real "instrument of evangelization, especially for younger people. Each of these works of art has a profound message for all of us, they reveal how artists of the time saw and lived their faith. "
A timeline was painted on the wall of the museum, showing the stages of Christianity in the region from 6 AD onwards. Many of the scenes represented are imbued with elements of the rich Indian spiritual tradition, "which are part - Card. Gracias explains - of our family culture, our ethos. In this sense, the museum celebrates religious freedom and witnesses the search for God in India. "
"What we want - the Archbishop concludes - is to show our brothers and sisters of other religions and help them understand that Christianity is no stranger. Indian Christianity has existed for thousands of years. We must continue that journey of faith which for thousands of years was lived with joy, freedom, peace and harmony
The many aspects of Devi - Times Of India
Uma Nair reports on an exhibition on the Mother Goddess at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A small exhibition that is a cornucopia of artistic endeavour, gorgeous goddesses and soul stirring antiquity – New York City's Metropolitan Museum's jewel-like little display shows off 'Mother India: The Goddess in Indian Painting'.
The goddess has held the interest of artists since long; exhibitions of such artworks have been an important part of the circuit across countries. One such show was held at the Smithsonian, Washington, in 1999. Curated by Vidya Dehejia, the show dealt with the evolution of Devi through the ages. Each segment revealed that as Hinduism evolved and changed through the centuries, the roles and functions of Hindu goddesses also went through dramatic changes. This show speaks in the mood of a little oyster of recall.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Hanoi Art
The traditional Kate festival of the Cham people in the southern province of Binh Thuan is attracting thousands of local people and tourists.
A procession of the Po Sah Inu Goddess’ costume was held in early morning Sept. 25 (the 30th day of the 6th month on the Cham people’s calendar) in Phan Thiet city, followed by folk dances and games, and demonstration of brocade weaving and pottery.
The Cham people celebrate Kate festival in the first 10 days of the 7th month of the Cham Calendar to express their respect to their Gods.
This year’s Kate festival is to introduce and promote the traditional culture and arts of the Cham people.
VN participates in foreign cultures week in France
The 10th Foreign Cultural Week officially opened in Paris on Sept. 23, beginning with an exhibition themed “ Cultural Heritage Route ” of Vietnam.
This is the first time the Vietnamese Cultural Centre in France (VCCF) has jointed the event as both organiser and participant.
Attending the event were representatives from the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, the Vietnam-France Friendship Association, the Vietnamese Embassy in French and overseas Vietnamese in the country.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Le Hong Chuong, Director of VCCF highlighted the significance of the event. He said through the event, the centre wanted to promote the special features of Vietnam ’s culture to the French people as well as foreign friends.
Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Chi Dung spoke highly VCCF’s contributions to the event, saying that this is the best opportunity for spectators to enjoy a multicolour and multinational cultural event.
VCCF is the newest member of the Forum of the Foreign Cultural Institutes in Paris (FICEP), which gathers foreign institutes or cultural centres in Paris to introduce culture to the world.
In the framework of the event, a range of activities including music performance, Vietnamese films screening, and courses on Vietnamese language, traditional musical instrument and martial art will be also held.
The event will run until October 1.
Independent filmmakers pass torch to students
“First, get a good team” is the advice of Phan Dang Di, the director of award-wining “Bi, Don’t be afraid” to students about independent film making.
“A perfect team is the basic element of making a successful independent film”, Di told Ho Chi Minh City students at a meeting held on Friday at Hoa Sen University.
Di, and two other members of his “perfect team” that made “Bi, Don’t Be Afraid,” scriptwriter and director Nguyen Hoang Diep and cameraman Pham Quang Minh, told local youths that it was not impossible to make an independent film.
According to the rising filmmakers whose “Bi, Don’t Be Afraid” has won two of the International Critics Week’s prizes at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in 2010, and Best First Feature and Best Cinematography at the 21st Stockholm International Film Festival this year, besides teamwork, passion is also important.
Di said foreign investors in particular would prefer filmmakers who really believe in the success of their projects.
At the meeting, the trio also talked about their upcoming project, a movie titled “Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung (Wings in the Air)” about a 17-year-old girl whose boyfriend leaves her when she is pregnant with his child.
In 2010, Phan Dang Di was nominated for Best Writer at the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong for the movie “Choi Voi” directed by Bui Thac Chuyen.
Nguyen Hoang Diep started her filmmaking career in 2004 with the movie “Mua Thu 5” which won the third prize at the 2005 National Short Film Festival. She’s recently directed the TV series “Chit and Pi” and “The 10A8 Class’ Quartet”.
Pham Quang Minh won Best Cameraman at the National TV Awards in 2006.
Southeast Asian youth ship to take place next month
The 38 th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme (SSEAYP) will take place from October 25 to December 16, According to the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.
The programme is scheduled to start in Japan and go through five Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines , Brunei , Indonesia , Malaysia and Vietnam .
The event is part of friendly activities to strengthen mutual understanding between young people from Japan and Southeast Asian countries and to provide a chance for participates to get to know about various cultures in the region, expand their view and improve knowledge in many fields.
Vietnam will select 28 delegates to participate in this year’s programme.
Red River among most charming sites on earth
The Red River (Song Hong) located in northern Vietnam was listed as one of the eighteen most beautiful sites on earth by Russian magazine Ria Novosti last week, together with American Grand Crayon, Indonesian Komodo national park, and Russian Baikal Lake.
“Our planet is enormous. If you decide to travel around it, you will go about 40,000 kilometers. And if you decide to visit every country, you will go even farther. For those who don’t have the time to travel, here is a series of photos,” wrote the magazine in the introduction.
Ria Novosti describes Red River as the cultural and historical centre of Vietnam on their site.
The Red River, which gets its name from its reddish-brown heavily silt-laden water, flows from southwest China through northern Vietnam to the Gulf of Tonkin.
At 120 kilometers long and 140 kilometers wide, the river is one of the major highways of the coastal strip and thus acts as an important transportation link between China and Vietnam.
Today, Red River is not only an important hub of transportation but also a touristic site in Vietnam.
Vietnam strengthens TV cooperation with Russia, Belarus
Vietnamese Television (VTV) and the Russia Today television channel (RT) on Sept. 22 signed an agreement on exchange of TV programmes, experts, professional skills and other relevant fields.
The agreement was reached during the visit to Russia by a delegation VTV led by its Director General Tran Binh Minh.
Also on Sept. 22, the Vietnamese delegation made fact-finding tours of business facilities of Vietnamese people in Moscow and met with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Russia to explore their demands for information.
The delegation on Sept. 23 held a working session with the Russian State Television (RTR) to discuss prospects for cooperation between the two sides.
The delegation is scheduled to leave Russia for Belarus on Sept. 24 and work with the National State TV and Radio Company of Belarus in Minsk .
Both will compare notes on cooperation in TV programme production, personnel training, exchange of news, reports and documentary films, and share experience in areas of mutual concerns.
Hanoi exhibits Dong Son culture
An exhibition on Dong Son culture belonging to the prehistoric Bronze Age at the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam will take place from September 26 until October 3 at Viet Art center, 42 Yet Kieu, Hanoi.
The exhibition will introduce to visitors Dong Son culture, its origins, development eras and people. Focuses will be on Dong Son applied art. Besides, various lost Dong Son arts such as knitting, wood and Dong Son musical instruments will be introduced.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
The Hindu : News / National : Buddhist stupa discovered in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district
A hemispherical Buddhist stupa belonging to the Vajrayana period of Buddhism dating back to 6th and 7th Century A.D. was by chance unearthed by the Department of Archaeology of Andhra Pradesh last week following sighting of a large brick in the vicinity of a large mound in this village.
The 10-metre (diametre) main stupa is now in a dilapidated state, but is yet another Buddhist site to get added to the four major ones in the district. Due to tilling activity some of the outer structures like aramas and ayakas have vanished. Some of the sculptures, bearing a distinct resemblance to the Amaravathi School of sculpting designs, now adorn some common places of the villages as Hindu deities such as Jambala (Kubera).
Vintage temple
The villagers considered it a vintage temple of Lord Shiva in a barren land of about 1 acre on the village outskirts. The stupa with Ayaka pillars in a hemispherical shape was found adjacent to the Zilla Parishad High School. The village derives its name from Buddhist bikshus, whom the locals used to call ‘Munulu' (sages) and thus the name Munuluru which over the years turned into Munjuluru.
Additional Director of Archaeology and Museums K. Chitti Babu, who visited the site along with The Hindu team, said that the stupa belonged to the last phase of the Buddhism (Vajrayana Buddhism practised in Tibet and Mongolia).
He said the barren area, covering many acres close to the stupa, was littered with Buddhist cultural remains.
Conch shells
The archaeologist also collected a number of red and black pottery, including rims in different shapes and sizes. The black, red and scarlet buffed ware, along with conical shaped bowls with heaps of lime conch shells used for plastering during the construction of the stupa, were collected and recorded by Mr. Babu.
The stupa is built with bricks made of husk measuring 23 cm width, 7 cm height and 28 cm length — a typical Buddhist construction material of that period. One of the ayaka pillars, which is in octagonal shape, was perched on a square base. However, for the locals it is a dilapidated Shiva temple. The government will soon issue a notice seeking objections from the public to declaring the stupa a protected national monument.
Goharshad Mosque, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture - Tehran Times
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| Goharshad Mosque in focus |
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| The interior design of the mosque |
St John’s wall carvings get their golden shine back - timesofmalta.com
Restoration work on the atriums leading to the north and south side doorways of St John’s Co-Cathedral, in Valletta, adorned with beautiful 17th century wall carvings, has been completed.
St John’s Co-Cathedral curator Cynthia de Giorgio said the project consisted of the restoration of the dome and wall carvings that had sustained severe deterioration from the infiltration of rain water, causing the erosion of some of the carvings and the irreparable loss of gilding. The lower strata of the walls also sustained similar damage caused by rising damp. The carvings were found covered by a thick layer of dust and candle soot deposits, which accumulated over the years.
The first stage of the restoration process included the removal of the thick layer of dust and soot while a layer of linseed oil applied during the 20th century was removed using poultices of alkaline solutions, followed by the consolidation of the loose stone carvings and mortar joints. The walls were then prepared for regilding with 24 carat gold leaf, adopting the same gilding process used in the 17th century.
Restoration works began last January and were successfully carried out by the Maltese restoration firm ReCoop on the initiative of The St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation.
The restoration of the two atriums follows that of the chapel of Aragon, Catalunia and Navarre, the chapel of Italy and the chapel of the Virgin of Philermos. Works on the chapel of Castille, Leon and Portugal will begin shortly.
Pakistan claim stops Christie’s auction of Buddha | Entertainment | DAWN.COM
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has claimed a fasting Buddha statue put up for auction by Christie with a starting price of $4.45 million and wants it back.
Dawn has learnt that at UNESCO’s intervention, the world famous fine arts auction house has stopped the planned auction and has asked the Pakistani authorities to prove their claim. Sources in the Capital Administration Development Division (CADD) a sharp-eyed UNESCO official in Paris raised alarm after seeing a Christie advertisement about the auction.
The advertisement described the grey schist figure of the emaciated Siddhartha, or ‘Fasting Buddha’, as the most fascinating 3rd/4th century Gandhara piece in Christie’s entire collection. It came to the auctioneer from a private collector who acquired it in Germany back in 1981.
The UNESCO official’s alertness, made Islamabad’s Department of Archaeology and Museums (DOAM) look deeper for Pakistan-origin artifacts that might have reached the auctioneer surreptitiously for sale.
Indeed search revealed 60 more relics of Gandhara period lying with Christie with price tags from $2,000 to $200,000.
A DOAM official called them Pakistan’s cultural property, excavated illegally from Buddhist sites in Gandhara region and smuggled out in early 1980s.
“We have checked all the sculptures on the (Christie) website. It is difficult to ascertain the authenticity and origin of all the sculptures from the photographs but some definitely look original. They can be certified only after physical and scientific examination.
“Nonetheless, it is quite clear that all artifacts belong to the ancient Gandhara region of Pakistan,” said the official.
Relief works, heads, busts, figures and stupa basis made up the collection. It includes a 3rd century grey schist relief of
Buddha, price tag $182,500; a 7th/8th century bronze figure of seated Buddha from Swat Valley, price tag $122,500; a 4th/5th century Gandhara large stucco head of Buddha, starting auction price of $80,500, and a 2nd/3rd century grey schist figure of a pensive Buddha for going price of $68,500.
Other pricey relics in the collection include a 2nd/3rd century grey schist relief of Buddha and another grey schist head of Buddha from the same period for $30,000. Several more had the price starting from $2,000 upwards.
Pakistan is demanding that these artifacts be returned to the country of origin under UNESCO convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property 1970. It obliges UNESCO to take appropriate steps to recover and return any cultural property to its country of origin at the request of a State Party.
Toby Unsik of the Communications Department of Christie, responding to a Dawn e-mail said: “We take our responsibilities in relation to the sale of cultural property very seriously and abide strictly by the laws in the countries in which we operate.
We have invited the Pakistan authorities to provide us with full details of the grounds for any concerns they may have in relation to the sale of this lot and await hearing from them.”
He declined to comment further until Christie heard from the Pakistan government.
If this collection does return to Pakistan, it will be the second time that the country gets back its cultural property. The first time was when the USA returned a lot of more than 40 relics in 2008-09.