CATEGORIES

Staying Tough: The Metal Element

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.

The Future Of Metals

Today, metals are found in our most sophisticated technological innovations and have become essential elements in maintaining our high-tech way of life

Celebrating Nowruz - Central Asia

Get a glimpse of ancient cities along the Great Silk Road, bask in the nomadic culture and Soviet heritage, and experience the vast mountains and steppes of Central Asia. Each of the five “stans” has much to offer, especially in times of celebration

Question And Answer On The Mountain

Translated from Chinese

Spirits Revisited

Spirit possession rituals have an unsettling link to our cultural past

Battle Of The Hemispheres

The Northern Hemisphere refers to the half of the planet that is north of the equator, while the Southern Hemisphere is everything south of the equator. Some continents run through both hemispheres. All of Europe and North America are in the Northern Hemisphere. Also in the Northern Hemisphere is almost all of Asia, as well as the majority of Africa). The Southern Hemisphere encapsulates all of Antarctica, South Asia, approximately one-third of Africa, all of Australia and approximately 90 percent of South America (below the mouth of the Amazon River). The North Pole, of course, is in the Northern Hemisphere, while the South Pole is at the most southerly part of the Southern Hemisphere.

Stay Grounded: The Earth Element

Earth is the planet we call home. But earth doesn’t necessarily always represent the physical planet, but also that part of us which is stable, solid and dependable. Earth is the realm of abundance, prosperity and wealth. It is a personality trait and a vital element.

Burning With Desire

The status of fire as a component of life can be found in the philosophy of ancient cultures in Asia. Fire has a symbolic function in many of the continent’s – and world’s – religious beliefs, and it is used in celebration as well as mourning. Fire’s dual nature can be associated with purification processes; whilst for others, it is seen as the thing that needs to be extinguished. For some, fire is regarded as life-giving; whilst for others, fire is connected with destruction. It must also be noted that the symbolism of fire extends well beyond the realm of religion and has inspired other areas as well, including the occult, literature, and art. And the results are nothing short of enchanting.

The Message

RABINDRANATH TAGORE (1861–1941) was a Bengali poet, author, composer and painter. Best known for his poetry, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, becoming the first non-European to do so.

Fire Festivals Of East Asia

From daily rituals through religious festivals to cultural celebrations, East Asia is blessed with numerous rich traditions full of colour, drama and exuberance. No more is this true than with the region’s spectacular fire festivals, destined to ignite that spark on your next travel adventure.

Fire Festivals In Asia

“Chaharshanbe Suri is the symbol of good health, cultivation, light, and purity to Iranians.”

Folk Tales of Asia

The stories that make us

Epic Reads

The retelling of Asia’s iconic folk tales

Daggers Forged In Fire

Of the countless weapons bought and sold every day around the world, relatively few can be considered a valued part of a cultural heritage. Fewer still are thought to contain some element of the supernatural.

The Light That Never Goes Out

The mysterious hillside with an inextinguishable natural fire

Army of Angels

Afghanistan’s community midwives

The Blue God

Vishnu is one of the most important gods in the Hindu pantheon and, along with Brahma and Shiva, is considered a member of the holy trinity of Hinduism. As the most important god of Vaishnaism, the largest Hindu sect, he is involved in a number of colourful stories which illustrate his virtues as the protector of cosmic order.

La asesina erudita

Quinta entrega de la serie que Almudena Grandes está edicando a diversas historias ambientadas en torno a la guerra civil y la España posterior.

From The Streets To The Glitz

Asian cuisine is as varied as the continent is vast.

Oodles Of Noodles

The humble noodle is a versatile staple that is enjoyed all over the world in different forms. While its origins have always been a highly debated topic, in 2005, archaeologists unearthed a perfectly preserved 4,000-year-old bowl of noodles in northwestern China.

An Epic Creation

The birth of writing from ancient Sumer has led to prominent and influential literary works, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh, written in the 18th century BC during the Neo-Sumerian Empire – recognised as the earliest surviving great work of literature

The Last Survivors

Steve Humphries has spent the last 25 years talking to people who lived through the first World War. Here, he describes his conversations with six members of an extraordinary generation

Rome – The Layered Metropolis

I first visited Rome as a student more than ten years ago, so I had some fond but faint memories of the city.

Bobby Luo Talks About Alternative Style And What It Truly Means To Be An Individual

Underground, misfit, weird, and 100 per cent wonderful that way. Way before such attributes became Gen Z buzzwords, the DJ/boutique owner/nightlife impresario was steadily living and dressing up by them. Fresh off the launch of his art book Freakdom, he gathers some of his pals to talk alternative style, youth culture and what it truly means to be an individual.

The French Bag Brand With He Big Guns

Founded Over Three Centuries Ago, Faure Le Page is the Latest Heritage Accessories Brand to Open a One-of-a-kind Concept Store Here – Except That Its Roots Lie Not in Bags, but Weaponry. Creative Director Augustin De Buffevent Tells Keng Yang Shuen How That Sets It Apart With Some Good Old-fashioned Charm.

What The Female Team Is Into Now

What The Female Team Is Into Now

La publicidad en los años 20

Hace dos años, Marta Gracia Pons (1988), licenciada en Historia por la UAB, publicaba una novela, Agujas de papel (Maeva), con la que invitaba al lec-tor a conocer la Barcelona y el París de finales del siglo XIX, en una mezcla de personajes ficticios y reales.

Carmilla: el vampiro que era mujer

Antes de que llegara Bram Stoker para darle su forma definitiva en Drácula, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu pulió y estilizó aquel modelo en la que puede considerarse la primera novela moderna de vampiros y seguramente la que con mayor sutileza dibuja el prototipo de vampiro encantador: Carmilla.

Iris Murdoch: Gran persona, mejor escritora

Es lo bueno de los centenarios y demás aniversarios de escritores: se reeditan sus libros, se traducen inéditos y puedes recomendar su obra a tus seres queridos que no los conocen al grito de: ¡qué suerte tienes de no haber leído aún a Iris Murdoch, te va a cambiar la vida!

TVF

You know her last name, and the launch of her first capsule collection for the house her trailblazing grandmother builtmight raise plenty of assumptions. Yes, talita von furstenberg is 100 per cent fashion front row elite. And yes, her pieces– like gran’s – are all about prints and effortless femininity. But she is under no pretence that she’s a designer – yet.Keng yang shuen speaks with the refreshingly down-to-earth 20-year-old and discovers the true charm of tvf for dvf.