Staying Tough: The Metal Element
ASIAN Geographic|AG 05/2020 144
Valued for their strength, durability, versatility and electrical conductivity, metals make up an important part of our society. The material of protective shields and the sharpest of swords, metal represents solidity, strength, persistence but also rigidity. Yet unbeknown to many, metals are intricately entwined within our bodies and more than just being the material of products, metal is the element of life.
Elizabeth Lim
Staying Tough: The Metal Element
As the fourth phase of the Chinese philosophy of wu xing, metal represents the force of gravity, the minerals found within the Earth, patterns of heavenly bodies and the power of electrical conductivity and magnetism. It is known to have structure, but it allows for the moulding and changing of form when worked with.

Autumn is the season of metal, and it is the period of harvesting and collecting, representing a moving away from the outward yang just like the elements of wood and fire. Known as being a nurturing and organising element, this is the time where the containing warmth of earth fades and a slightly colder, sharper and crisper energy comes through.

In Chinese Taoist belief, the metal element denotes the attributes firm, rigid, persistent, strong and determined. Like the edge of a masterfully crafted sword, metal is able to cut through the clutter and mess of one’s life, separating what is worth retaining and refining from what is spent and impure, though sometimes, may be brutally sharp when doing so.

Denne historien er fra AG 05/2020 144-utgaven av ASIAN Geographic.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra AG 05/2020 144-utgaven av ASIAN Geographic.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA ASIAN GEOGRAPHICSe alt
Revealed Doctor Yellow
ASIAN Geographic

Revealed Doctor Yellow

Japan Railways' special lemony Shinkansen is a rare sight to behold

time-read
3 mins  |
AG 164
The Mighty Yellow
ASIAN Geographic

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

time-read
3 mins  |
AG 164
Wildlife Big Yellow Beauty
ASIAN Geographic

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

time-read
4 mins  |
AG 164
All That Glitters Is Gold
ASIAN Geographic

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

time-read
10+ mins  |
AG 164
Chengdu Hotel Spotlight TRIKA TSANG INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
ASIAN Geographic

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.

time-read
1 min  |
AG 164
Conservation Yellow in Peril
ASIAN Geographic

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

time-read
5 mins  |
AG 164
History Spiritual Rebirth
ASIAN Geographic

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.

time-read
5 mins  |
AG 164
Green Dreams
ASIAN Geographic

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!

time-read
4 mins  |
AG 162
Life On The Edge
ASIAN Geographic

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

time-read
10+ mins  |
AG 162
The Karakoram Anomaly Decoded
ASIAN Geographic

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?

time-read
10+ mins  |
AG 162