Bulgaria Celebrates Origin of Cyrillic Alphabet | World | Epoch Times

For 156 years, Bulgaria has celebrated May 24 as a tribute to the Greek brothers, Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, the creators of the Cyrillic alphabet.

The day is also the official day of the Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavic Script.

The Holy Brothers Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, born in the ninth century, were Byzantine scholars, theologians, and linguists who wrote the first Cyrillic alphabet in A.D. 855.

The Bulgarian holiday, which is not celebrated anywhere else in the world, is a celebration of spiritual enlightenment and self-cultivation through science and culture.

In the early ninth century in Europe, Christian texts were written in only two official alphabets: Greek and Latin.

The two brothers filled in the gap by creating new letters, based on the Greek alphabet, which were later used to translate the Bible and other Christian religious books, into the Slav language.

The Cyrillic alphabet is currently used in Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, other former Soviet republics, as well as Mongolia.

The "Marco Polo" Bridge, 15 km southwest of the Beijing

The Lugou Bridge, also known as the Marco Polo Bridge, is a famous stone bridge located 15 km southwest of the Beijing city center across the Yongding River. Situated at the eastern end of the bridge is the Wanping Fortress, a historic 17th century fortress. The Lugou Bridge is well-known because it was highly praised by the Venetian traveler Marco Polo during his visit to China in the 13th century, and for the Marco Polo Bridge incident, which marked the beginning of the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). (Photo: China.org.cn)

Sergila ..A Distinguished Ancient Syrian Village Sample - SANA, Syria

IDLEB, North Syria, (SANA)- Sergila archeological village lies next to al-Bara village on al-Zawia Mountain in Idleb Province, about 330 km from Damascus. It is one of a group of archaeological nearby villages that are preserved in a good state. These villages give a true image of the countryside in the Northern part of Syria between the Byzantine and the Roman periods. Sergila has got various buildings, houses, churches, bathrooms and olive squeezers. Secretary of Idleb Museum Fajer Haj Mohammd said the building style in the village consists of three main parts: the inhabitance part, the work part and the yard which is surrounded by a fence, adding that all the houses in the village consist of two stories. Haj Mohammed pointed out that the houses have a functional role as the ground floor is used as storehouses, stables and olive squeezers, while the upper floor is dedicated for inhabitance. He indicated that the oldest house in the village dates back to the end of the 2nd century A.D. as the poor farmers cultivated the lands surrounding the village and adopted the 'self-sufficient economy' through mixing farming with breeding livestock, in addition to oil industry. Head of the Archeological Studies and Excavation Section at Idleb Antiquities Department Anas Haj Zeidan said Churches are one of the most important characteristics of Sergila as each the complex of churches consists of two Basilica churches with a yard. He pointed out that the Northern Church dates back to the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century, while the Southern Church is a small basilica Church which was turned into a mosque after the Islamic conquest. For his part, Head of Idleb Antiquities Department Nicola Kabbad said the only bathroom in the village was built in 473 A.D. and consists of a big hall in the north and small halls in the south in addition to a big store engraved in the stone. Historian Fayez Qweasrah said the importance of studying Sergila village is that it highlights the status of the Syrian countryside during the Roman and Byzantine periods, as the studies showed that the Syrian countryside was inhabited by active farmers who speak Syriac language and know Greek language. Statistics of Tourism Department at Idleb Province show that Sergila is considered as one of the most important tourist and archeological sites in Idleb because it attracts the largest number of the Arab and foreign tourists as well as local visitors. The statistics showed that more than 14,000 Arab and Foreign tourist visit Sergila each year. H. Zain/ Al-Ibrahim

Treasure trove of artefacts - Dr Harikishore Kejriwal’s home in Bangalore

Aruna Chandaraju, May 21

A sombre-looking earthen Grecian face stared down at us as we waited in the foyer of art-patron Dr Harikishore Kejriwal’s home in Bangalore. The door alongside opened into a room where framed letters covered an entire wall.

Kejriwal entered. A sprightly octogenarian with a childlike smile and infectious enthusiasm, he ushered us inside. And walked us, very energetically, through his awesome home. Sculptures, paintings, coins, porcelainware, manuscripts, scrolls, carpets, metalware and also stuccos dating back to the 3rd century BC, and very rare specimens… the house was a stunning private museum. Many of the exquisite objets d’art took our breath away. Three hours into our visit and we had barely managed brief glimpses of this amazing private art collection — such was the vast quantity and variety on display. The collection was built by him from 1948 onwards — the love for art instilled by his father Ramkishore Kejriwal, a well-known art promoter of then Calcutta. Visitors to their home included some best known artists of that time — Jamini Roy, Nandalal Bose, etc. And Kejriwal’s education at Hindu School — the hotbed of culture — and association with the Tagore family, and other cultural stalwarts and art patrons further reinforced this passion. Right beside the front door were earthen stuccos excavated in Bengal dating back to 3rd century BC when Alexander invaded India. The adjacent room had walls filled with framed letters from stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore (including his last letter), Subhash Chandra Bose, etc. Walking further into the home, we encountered more gems. Every shelf, wall and tabletop held treasures. A metal knife from the Harappan civilisation, a handwritten Quran from 13th century AD; European candelabras from the time of Louis the 15th; a sixth century AD Shiva Linga and bust; a Buddha from the Mauryan period; 12th century Jain Kalpasutras; a richly detailed 15th century wooden panel from Tamil Nadu depicting Girija Kalyanam (Shiva-Parvathi’s marriage); figures in bricks from the 18th century Bishnupur terracotta temples; and gorgeous Tibetan tankhas, and rare Persian jamavars and carpets... “Some carpets have 3,500 knots per square inch. The one with the Jahangir figure in wool and silk is from 1612 AD,” he revealed. The corners of the drawing rooms in all his flats and their entrances had large statues mounted on pedestals. In the rooms, magnificent statues of Vishnu, Chola bronzes, and seated and standing Buddhas (from Burma and Indonesia) jostled for space beside Kangra and Mughal era paintings and the more modern ones by Jamini Roy, Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Svetoslav Roerich, etc. Every object evoked a memory — either associated with its acquisition or about the artist himself. Kejriwal regaled us with those stories. And some recalled poetry — a stunning Mughal era carpet had him breaking into Mirza Ghalib’s poetry; European sculptures had him quoting John Keats and Robert Browning; Jamini Roy paintings made him recall Tagore’s poems... And all objects were aesthetically displayed. But then, Kejriwal has visited some of the world’s best art galleries and in India, he is vice-president of Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat; trustee, Birla Academy of Art and Culture, etc. He has donated a substantial part of his collection of art and artefacts to Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat where they are displayed in several galleries. He gave away about 350 paintings and drawings, and 250 sculptures from India as well as artworks by the great masters of Europe. It was a magnificent gesture. Very few Indian collectors have done this. In the West, however, many art collectors donate their collections readily to museums. We paused for a drink of water at the dining table. Above, there was another eye-catcher — a 12th-century dancing Ganesha flanked by 17th century Rajasthani paintings depicting Krishna Leela. Alongside was a shelf dotted with more priceless objects — mostly busts — found in excavations in Andhra Pradesh, including a metal Saraswati from the 19th century. And, on either side of this (and other dining tables) were shelves lined with exquisite porcelain-ware — crockery, flower vases, lamps, figurines, etc. They were made in factories in Germany, France, and England; sport famous brand names; and many date back to 17th and 18th centuries. The collection grew over decades and from many sources. Many items were bought from dealers and brokers who brought the items to him or were purchased directly from shops. “As an art collector I instantly recognised a precious piece,” he revealed. With this unerring eye for the perfect antique, he picked up invaluable objects including fabulous stone statues of Shiva and Parvathi from Tamil Nadu (12th century) and a magnificent 9th century Vishnu statue from Mysore. “Some objects were bought from families who wanted to sell off their artefacts. A few items were bought from old palaces.” He pointed to ornate gilded mirrors made in France. “These, for example, were bought from Cooch Behar Palace. The Tagore letters were gifted to me by his daughter-in-law Pratima Thakur.” But Kejriwal was wise enough to insist that Pratima also hand over a letter saying they were gifted to him by her. “Above all, the collection grew because I felt a love and respect for our heritage and a great desire to preserve it for posterity,” he says. From young art students to Nobel laureates, the director of the British Museum, London, and of Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, business barons, legendary Indian artistes and famous art connoisseurs, they have all visited this art-rich home and left with glowing praise, much of it recorded in the visitors’ books. Our visit had us requesting, at the end, another walk-through at another time. Actually, several more, we corrected ourselves. It is a home whose treasures need weeks to explore and understand, we said. Kejriwal, who is as modest about his collection as he is fond of it, smiled: “I understand. Even as someone living with this collection, I am discovering new facets about it everyday!”

Asia’s New Landless Peasants?

Landless people have long sparked instability in Asia. From the days of the Qin dynasty (3rd century B.C.), through the huge Taiping rebellion in the mid-19th century, to the successful Communist revolutions in China and Vietnam and a nearly successful insurrection in Malaysia during the mid-20th, the property-less have historically risen against those in power.

Today as East Asia grows more affluent, landlessness is again on the rise. Although peasants in many places remain both poor and restive, the real threat is in the region’s dynamic cities, where rapid increase in housing prices threatens to push hundreds of millions outside the property-buying market.

This boost in prices is due to the rapid economic and population growth in many Asian cities. Across China the price of housing per square meter more than doubled over the past decade, according to the National Statistical Bureau. Prices-compared-to-incomes in the diaspora hot beds of Singapore and Hong Kong are now, according to research from the consultancy group Demographia, the highest in the advanced world — at least 50% higher than New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Sydney or London.

There are some good market-based reasons for these high prices. Most major Asian cities are thriving economically and growing far more rapidly than their Western counterparts. Over the past decade, the population of Shanghai, China’s largest city, rose 35%, or by nearly 6 million, which is more than the population of any Western European city besides London, Paris and Essen-Dusseldorf. Beijing’s population rose by 6 million in the past 10 years to nearly 20 million. And Singapore’s far more affluent population jumped 20%, a rate exceeded in the advanced world only by Atlanta, Ga., among urban areas of more than 4 million.

The recent spike in prices, particularly in the more affluent cities, also stems from high liquidity, low interest rates and rising inflation, notes Cheong Koon Hean, CEO of Singapore’s Housing and Development Board. To these factors she adds what she calls “a herd mentality” as people rush to invest in property as a hedge against inflation.

The traditional Chinese obsession with property ownership exacerbates these factors. As Nanjing-based blogger and social critic Lisa Gu writes, “Owning a property is the greatest life-goal for most Chinese citizens.”

In mainland China the rush to own is bolstered by the lack of a strong social safety net or popular trust in other investment vehicles, such as stock and bonds. ”China lacks good investment channels besides housing,” says Han Hui, senior partner in prominent Beijing real estate law firm. “People put money into real estate because they still don’t trust anything else.”

The appeal of home-ownership in China is particularly marked since it’s more of a land-use right, which in the case of residential property, expires after 70 years (40 years for commercial property). The lease begins to run out on the date that the real estate developer signs for the land, and not on the homeowner’s date of purchase.

Whatever its cause, this Asian form of irrational exuberance is clearly boosting inequality across the region’s cities.

This is becoming a key issue, particularly for the younger generation. ”House price” ranked third on the list of the top 10 most popular phrases used by Chinese netizens, says Lisa Gu. Many young Chinese, she notes, are giving up on the ideal of owning a house before marriage and starting their lives together as renters. This is widely called “getting married naked.”

For young professionals this now might just prove a temporary annoyance, but it could evolve into something more bothersome as they age. Some might opt to avoid very expensive cities, such as Beijing or Shanghai, for up-and-coming smaller urban centers such as Chengdu, the provincial capital of agriculturally fecund Sichuan province. This city has a growing tech center but offers housing prices as much as one third those in China’s existing megacities. Although salaries are also lower, overall affordability remains much higher than in the established urban regions.

For the many millions of poorer Chinese, including the many migrants from the countryside, the housing crunch presents a more serious issue. Most have moved to the big cities, particularly in eastern China, for better opportunities and quality of life. Virtually all the net growth in Beijing and Shanghai, according to the most recent Chinese census, came not from registered residents but among migrants — those lacking hokoustatus. They constitute now over one third of the population in these megacities.

Such migrants include people of various incomes, but also a large impoverished population. Some live in sub-standard conditions not often associated with the gleaming epicenters of Asian capitalism. Like residents of the slums of third-world cities, many are landless peasants, a group now estimated at 70 million or 80 million.

This problem of landless peasants is likely to grow as more land is set aside for urban and industrial development. Many will face difficulty finding a decent place to live even as more affluent Chinese snatch up multiple apartments for speculative investment. This has accelerated a worsening gap between rich and poor that is of major concern to the country’s Communist rulers.

Of course, no one suggests anything like a new peasant rebellion is in the offing. It is critical to recognize that, for all its imperfections, China’s astounding rise has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of the grip of unceasing poverty.

But unaddressed, the property crisis could well slow east Asian capitalism’s rapid ascent. High housing prices may already be contributing to depressed birthrates — even in places where the “one child” policy does not apply, such as Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.

Such long-term problems are overshadowed by more immediate concerns. Fallout about cascading house prices led the Chinese central government earlier this year imposed new restrictions aimed at slowing rampant speculation — such as requiring 60% payments for second homes and restricting the purchases of additional homes.

The interior city of Chongqing has taken even more drastic steps. The hardline government there has embraced a distinctly uncapitalist response to the housing crisis: a massive program to increase the supply of rental as well as state-owned apartments that would be available to poorer residents, including those from the countryside. This contrasts with programs in Singapore, where 80% of the population live in the public housing, but some 95% own flats purchased from current owners or the Housing Development Board.

In China, the failure of the housing market to find places for the poor and working class could provide a rationale for expanding the state’s role in managing the economy. It certainly provides fuel for Chongqing’s active affirmation of what is seen as a revival of “red culture.”

Beyond such ideological implications, the housing crisis could threaten both the long-term social stability and economic growth of East Asia. Unless addressed, growing dissatisfaction among a large bloc of property-less citizens has the potential to become a politically destabilizing force and a brake against market-friendly liberalization. As East Asia remains the primary driver of the world’s economic engine, this could prove bad news not only for upwardly mobile Chinese but everyone else as well.