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Pagodas
A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, and were often located in or near viharas. The pagoda traces its origins to the stupa of ancient India. Chinese pagodas () are a traditional part of Chinese architecture. In addition to religious use, since ancient times Chinese pagodas have been praised for the spectacular views they offer, and many classical poems attest to the joy of scaling pagodas. Chinese sources credit the Nepalese architect Araniko with introducing the pagoda to China. The oldest and tallest pagodas were built of wood, but most that survived were built of brick or stone. Some pagodas are solid with no interior. Hollow pagodas have no higher floors or rooms, but the interior often contains an altar or a smaller pagoda, as well as a series of staircases for the vis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pazhou Pagoda
The Pazhou Pagoda, also known as the Whampoa Pagoda or Pa Chow Pogoda, is an early modern Chinese pagoda on Pazhou Island in Haizhu District, Guangzhou, the capital of China's Guangdong Province. History The Whampoa Pagoda initiated work in 1597 and it was completely built in 1600. The pagoda is situated on a knoll at the south bank of Pearl River. Although it was built as a Buddhist landmark, it was also a useful navigation point for merchant ships traveling to Guangzhou. Architecture It is an octagonal tower with 9 main sections and 17 sub sections. The tower stands at about , and has a diameter at the base of . It covers a total area of 111 square metres. Functioning in a similar fashion to Chigang Pagoda, it was built for Fengshui and allow safe navigation of merchant ships traveling along the Pearl River towards Guangzhou. Gallery File:Pazhou Pagoda.jpg, The Pazhou Pagoda in 2010 File:Pa Chao Pagoda1880.jpg, The Pagoda in 1880 File:Whampoa from Dane's Island.jpg, D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, bordering the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north, and India in the south, east, and west, while it is narrowly separated from Bangladesh by the Siliguri Corridor, and from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim. Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural state, with Nepali as the official language. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the largest city. The name "Nepal" is first recorded in texts from the Vedic period of the India ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liuhe Pagoda
Liuhe Pagoda (), literally Six Harmonies Pagoda, is a multi-story Chinese pagoda in southern Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. It is located at the foot of Yuelun Hill, facing the Qiantang River. It was originally constructed in 970 by the Wuyue Kingdom, destroyed in 1121, and reconstructed fully by 1165, during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). History and background The pagoda was originally constructed by the ruler of the Wuyue Kingdom, whose capital was Hangzhou. The name ''Liuhe'' comes from the six Buddhist ordinances and it is said that the reason for building the pagoda was to calm the tidal bore of the Qiantang River and as a navigational aid. However, the pagoda was completely destroyed during warfare in the year 1121. After the current pagoda was constructed of wood and brick during the Southern Song dynasty, additional exterior eaves were added during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing Dynasties (1644–1911). The pagoda is octagonal in shape and some in height ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda or Big Wild Goose Pagoda (, literally "big swan goose pagoda"), is a monumental Buddhist pagoda located in southern Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. It was built in 648/649(?) during the Tang dynasty and originally had five stories. It was rebuilt in 704 during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian and its exterior brick facade was renovated during the Ming dynasty. One of the pagoda's many functions was to hold sutras and figurines of Gautama Buddha that were brought to China from India by the seventh-century Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator Xuanzang. Today, the interior walls of the pagoda feature engraved statues of Buddha by the renowned 7th-century artist Yan Liben. This pagoda was added to the World Heritage List, along with many other sites along the Silk Road, as part of the " Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor" site in 2014. Surroundings and history The original pagoda was built during the reign of Emperor Gaozong o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Architecture
Chinese architecture (Chinese:中國建築) is the embodiment of an architectural style that has developed over millennia in China and it has influenced architecture throughout Eastern Asia. Since its emergence during the early ancient era, the structural principles of its architecture have remained largely unchanged. The main changes involved diverse decorative details. Starting with the Tang dynasty, Chinese architecture has had a major influence on the architectural styles of Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and Vietnam, and minor influences on the architecture of Southeast and South Asia including the countries of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines. Chinese architecture is characterized by bilateral symmetry, use of enclosed open spaces, feng shui (e.g. directional hierarchies), a horizontal emphasis, and an allusion to various cosmological, mythological or in general symbolic elements. Chinese architecture traditionally classifies ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seokgatap Pagoda (Bulguksa)
Seokgatap (Sakyamuni Pagoda) is a stone pagoda in South Korea designated as the 21st National Treasure on December 12, 1962. Its full name is ''Sakyamuni Yeoraesangjuseolbeop Tap'', and is sometimes referred to as the Shadowless Pagoda or the ''Bulguksa Samcheung Seoktap'' ("three-storied stone pagoda of Bulguksa"). The pagoda stands 10.75 meters high, directly across from Dabotap within the Bulguksa Temple complex in Gyeongju, South Korea. It probably dates to around 751, when Bulguksa was completed. Description The Seokgatap pagoda is in distinct contrast with its more elaborate brother the Dabotap. The pagoda is of a very simple and basic design and the three stories have a pleasing 4:3:2 ratio which gives the pagoda a sense of balance, stability, and symmetry. The contrast between the simplicity of the Seokgatap and the complexity of the Dabotap is designed to represent the dual nature of the Buddha's contemplation and detachment from the world or perhaps it symbolizes the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhenhai Tower (Guangzhou)
The Zhenhai Tower, also known as the Five-Story Pagoda, is a tower in Guangzhou, Guangdong. It is located in Yuexiu Park, in central Guangzhou. It now houses the Guangzhou Museum. History It was first built in 1380, at the beginning of the Ming dynasty, by the Yongjia Marquis Zhu Liangzu (). The tower is 92 feet (25 meters) in height, 102 feet (31 meters) in width and 52 feet (16 meters) in depth. Popular culture By the time it was the highest building of Guangzhou when it was constructed. For a long period of time, it was the symbol of Guangzhou before the Wuyang Statue was built. Gallery See also * Yuexiu Hill Yuexiu Hill, also known as Yut Sau Shan , Yut Sau Hill or Mount Yuexiu, is located in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. It once formed the northern end of the old walled city, though most of the walls have been dismantled and the city has now expanded f ... References External links Guangzhou Museum Buildings and structures completed in 1380 Towers completed in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stupa
A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumambulation or ''pradakhshina'' has been an important ritual and devotional practice since the earliest times, and stupas always have a ''pradakhshina'' path around them. The original South Asian form is a large solid dome above a tholobate or drum with vertical sides, which usually sits on a square base. There is no access to the inside of the structure. In large stupas there may be walkways for circumambulation on top of the base as well as on the ground below it. Large stupas have or had ''vedikā'' railings outside the path around the base, often highly decorated with sculpture, especially at the torana gateways, of which there are usually four. At the top of the dome is a thin vertical element, with one of more horizontal discs spreadin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Araniko
Aniko, Anige or Araniko ( ne, अरनिको, zh, 阿尼哥; 1245–1306) was one of the key figures in the arts of Nepal and Yuan dynasty of China, and the artistic exchanges in these areas. He was born in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, during the reign of Abhaya Malla. He is known for building the White Stupa at the Miaoying Temple in Beijing. During the reign of Jaya Bhim Dev Malla, he was sent on a project to build a golden stupa in Tibet, where he also initiated into monkhood. From Tibet he was sent further to North China to work in the court of the emperor Kublai Khan, the founder of Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), where he brought the trans-Himalayan artistic tradition to China. Araniko led a team of 80 artists to China and Tibet to make a number of pagoda style buildings. In his later life, he renounced monkhood and started a family. To some confusion in translation, his name is variously written as Arniko or Araniko in old texts. A mistake made by Baburam Acharya ascribed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Place Of Worship
A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is sometimes called a house of worship. Temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues are examples of structures created for worship. A monastery may serve both to house those belonging to religious orders and as a place of worship for visitors. Natural or topographical features may also serve as places of worship, and are considered holy or sacrosanct in some religions; the rituals associated with the Ganges river are an example in Hinduism. Under International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions, religious buildings are offered special protection, similar to the protection guaranteed hospitals displaying the Red Cross or Red Crescent. These international laws of war bar firing upon or from a religious building. Religious architecture exp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not native speakers of Standard Chinese. Cantonese is the most common language in the region while the Guangxi region contains the largest concentration of China's ethnic minorities, each with their own language. Administrative divisions Cities with urban area over one million in population Provincial capitals in bold. Namesake * South China tiger (southern China) * ''South China Morning Post'' (Hong Kong, South China) * Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market (Wuhan, Central China) See also * Lingnan * List of regions of China ** Southern China *** South Central China South Central China, South-Central China or Central-South China ( zh, c = 中南, p = Zhōngnán, l = Central-South), is a region of the People's Republic of China def ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spaniards
Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance peoples, Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of National and regional identity in Spain, national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex History of Spain, history, including a number of different languages, both indigenous and local linguistic descendants of the Roman Empire, Roman-imposed Latin language, of which Spanish language, Spanish is the largest and the only one that is official throughout the whole country. Commonly spoken regional languages include, most notably, the sole surviving indigenous language of Iberia, Basque language, Basque, as well as other Latin-descended Romance languages like Spanish itself, Catalan language, Catalan and Galician language, Galician. Many populations outside Spain have ancestors who Spanish diaspora, emigrated from Spain and share elements of a Hispanic culture. The most notable of these comprise Hispanic America in the Western Hemisp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
