SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
Changdeokgung Palace
The Joseon dynasty lives through its five royal palaces today, but the Changdeokgung Palace is still the most striking and well-preserved of them – despite having burned down twice. Thanks to its good feng shui, or pungsu, it remained in use until the 20th century, and now stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its signatory ornamental design, Biwon (secret garden), and surrounding royal structures, such as the Donhwamun Gate, Geumcheongyo Bridge, Huijeongdang, Seongjeongjeon and Injeongjeon Halls, Juhamnu Pavilion, and Yeongyeongdang Residence, some of which have been around for over 600 years.
AGRA, INDIA
Taj Mahal
Some lovers receive flowers, some receive chocolates. But only a select few get palaces built for them. This magnificent marble landmark was built at the beckoning of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor, between 1632 and 1653, for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, with construction starting immediately after she died in childbirth. Some 20,000 professional artists were employed for the project and they travelled to Agra from across India, Turkey, and Iraq. A little more than two decades of work resulted in not only the iconic marble domes made with imported precious stones and the breathtaking carvings in the mausoleum, but also its lavish surrounding gardens, reflecting pool, and outlying buildings. The palace houses Mumtaz Mahal’s remains alongside those of her loving husband, where they reside in eternal love. Legend has it that Shah Jahan cut off the hands of the workers and architects that built the Taj Mahal so that they could never construct something so beautiful again.
SINGAPORE
National Museum of Singapore
Denne historien er fra AG 05/2019 - 138-utgaven av ASIAN Geographic.
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Denne historien er fra AG 05/2019 - 138-utgaven av ASIAN Geographic.
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Revealed Doctor Yellow
Japan Railways' special lemony Shinkansen is a rare sight to behold
The Mighty Yellow
Over 5,000 kilometres long and flowing through nine provinces and autonomous regions, the Yellow River is China's second largest, after the Yangtze, while its basin is deemed the cradle of Chinese civilisation
Wildlife Big Yellow Beauty
The popular "amelanistic" form of the Burmese python is considered among the most beautiful snakes - if that's your sort of thing
All That Glitters Is Gold
From Turkey to China, the yellow metal plays a central role in cultural practices and is coveted as a symbol of affluence and status
Chengdu Hotel Spotlight TRIKA TSANG INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
For an authentic taste of Tibet in the heart of Chengdu, the most luxurious option is the majestic Trika Tsang International Hotel.
Conservation Yellow in Peril
While the demand for use in traditional Chinese medicine is putting seahorses under pressure, it is damaging non-selective fishing that is driving depletion
History Spiritual Rebirth
During the Spanish Golden Age, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan achieved the first European navigation to Asia via the Pacific, arriving in the Philippines in 1521 and claiming the islands for Spain. But by converting the first Filipinos to Catholicism, Magellan also instigated the Christianisation of the entire archipelago, a spiritual rebirth celebrated through the two most important festivals in the Philippines - Fiesta Señor and Sinulog.
Green Dreams
With its tea plantations and rice paddies, dense jungles and expansive forests, the region is well known as a green paradise. But many of the most impressive Asian landscapes have names you may never have heard of. Journey with us as we reveal just some of the incredible locations that make the rest of the world green with envy!
Life On The Edge
In the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, in the remote northern Russian Far East, indigenous ethnic groups like the Chukchi and the Yupik live in the most extreme conditions, hunting seals in their traditional kayaks as they have for millennia
The Karakoram Anomaly Decoded
For decades, scientists have believed that glaciers in the Karakoram Range are defying the trend of those across the globe-resisting glacial melt due to human-induced global warming. But as we trek up the Karakoram's second-longest glacier in July, as the United Nations announces the world's hottest ever month on record, does the melting ice beneath our feet suggest the so-called Karakoram Anomaly is slowing? Or is there a ray of hope it will continue to delay the inevitable?
