Sights in Asia
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Qingping Market
Just north of Shamian Island, what is bizarrely translated as 'Peaceful Market' has vast displays of medicinal herbs, dried mushrooms and other plants, live birds, and tubs of squirming turtles, fish and frogs. Much harder to stomach, though, are its cages of live animals, including kittens and puppies, and more exotic creatures such as bats, owls and monkeys - all put out for human consumption, and some in the most pitiful distress. It is one of the most notorious markets in China, and though it has cleaned up its act in the past several years it remains a disturbing place and is not recommended.
reviewed
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Ganesha Temple
Can’t make it to Goa? Well, at least you can visit Ganpatipule, on the coast 375km south of Mumbai – and you won’t be crying sour grapes. A sleepy but picturesque seaside village, it boasts several kilometres of almost perfect beaches and clean waters. Life generally plods along very slowly here, but heaven help anyone coming for a bit of peace and quiet during holidays such as Diwali or Ganesh Chaturthi. These are times when hordes of raucous ‘tourists’ turn up to visit the seaside Ganesha Temple housing a monolithic Ganesha (painted a lurid orange), supposedly discovered 1600 years ago.
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B
Or Tor Kor Market
Or Tor Kor is Bangkok’s highest-quality fruit and agricultural market, and sights such as toddler-sized mangoes and dozens of pots full of curries amount to culinary trainspotting. The vast majority of vendors’ goods are takeaway only, but a small food court and a few informal restaurants exist, including Rot Det, which does tasty stir-fries and curries, and Sut Jai Kai Yaang, just south of the market, which does spicy northeastern-style Thai.
To get here, take the MRT to Kampheng Phet station and exit on the side opposite Chatuchak (the exit says ‘Marketing Organization for Farmers’).
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Jain Temples
Within the Jaisalmer fort walls is a mazelike, interconnecting complex of seven beautiful yellow sandstone Jain temples, dating from the 12th to the 16th centuries. Opening times have a habit of changing, so check with the caretakers. The intricate carving rivals that in Ranakpur or Mt Abu, and has an extraordinary quality because of the soft, mellow stone. Chandraprabhu is the first temple you come to and is dedicated to the eighth tirthankar, whose symbol is the moon. Around the upper gallery are 108 marble images of Parasnath, the 22nd tirthankar.
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Vongburi House
The two-storey teak house of the last prince of Phrae has been converted into a private museum. It was constructed between 1897 and 1907 for Luang Phongphibun and his wife Chao Sunantha, who once held a profitable teak concession in the city. Elaborate carvings on gables, eaves, balconies and above doors and windows are in good condition. Inside, many of the house's 20 rooms display late-19th-century teak antiques, documents (including early-20th-century slave concessions), photos and other artefacts from the bygone teak-dynasty era. Most are labelled in English as well as Thai.
reviewed
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Qibao
Well within reach of the centre of town (8km southwest of Xujiahui), the ancient canal town of Qibao dates back to the Northern Song dynasty (AD 960–1127), reaching its apogee during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Qibao is littered with traditional historic architecture, threaded by small, busy alleyways and cut by a picturesque canal. Vestiges of village handicrafts survive, including traditional wooden-bucket makers, a traditional distillery and a remarkable miniature carving museum. If you can blot out the crowds, Qibao will bring you some of the flavours of old China.
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The Maidan
After the 'Black Hole' fiasco, a moated 'second' Fort William (closed to public) was constructed in octagonal, Vaubanesque form (1758). The whole village of Gobindapur was flattened to give the new fort's cannons a clear line of fire. Though sad for then-residents, this created the Maidan pronounced 'moi-dan') a vast 3km-long park that is today as fundamental to Kolkata as Central Park is to New York City.
Fort William remains hidden within a walled military zone but for an amusingly far-fetched tale of someone who managed to get in, read Simon Winchester's Calcutta.
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Mehtab Bagh
This park, originally built by Emperor Babur as the last in a series of 11 parks on the Yamuna’s east bank, long before the Taj was conceived, fell into disrepair until it was little more than a huge mound of sand. To protect the Taj from the erosive effects of the sand blown across the river, the park was reconstructed in recent years and is now one the best places from which to view the great mausoleum. The gardens in the Taj are perfectly aligned with the ones here, and the view of the Taj from the fountain directly in front of the entrance gate is a special one.
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Kesariya Stupa
Rising high out of the earth from where the dying Buddha donated his begging bowl, this stupa is an enthralling example how nature reclaimed a deserted monument. Excavated and half revealed from under a grassy and wooded veil, is what’s likely to be the world’s second-tallest (38m) Buddhist stupa dating from the Pala period. Above the 425m-circumference pedestal are five uniquely shaped terraces that form a gargantuan Buddhist tantric mandala. Each terrace has a number of niches containing mutilated Buddha statues whose heads were lopped off by Muslim invaders.
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Phnom Kulen
From a lofty height of 20m, the Phnom Kulen waterfall cascades off the mountain where King Jayavarman II announced independence from Java and proclaimed himself god-king. The river here also runs over lingas and is an attractive sight for modern-day pilgrims. There is also an 8m-long reclining Buddha and a small temple nearby.
There is also a little explored unnamed set of ruins at the foot of the mountain that is gaining mythical status among locals. Not many know how to get there, though they know of its existence. Would-be explorers are challenged to find it!
reviewed
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Jiankou
For stupefying hikes along perhaps Běijīng’s most incomparable section of wall, head to the rear section of the Jiankou Great Wall, accessible from Huáiróu. It’s a 40-minute walk uphill from the drop off at Xizhazi Village ( 西栅子村; Xīzhàzi Cūn) to a fork in the path among the trees that leads you to either side of a collapsed section of wall, one heading off to the east, the other heading west. Tantalising panoramic views spread out in either direction as the brickwork meanders dramatically along a mountain ridge; the setting is truly sublime.
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Osaka Aquarium
Osaka Aquarium is easily one of the best aquariums in the world and it's well worth a visit, particularly if you've got kids or if you love sharks. The aquarium is built around a vast central tank, which houses the star attractions: one whale shark and one manta. But these are only the beginning: you'll also find a huge variety of other sharks, including leopard sharks, zebra sharks and hammerhead sharks. There are also countless other species of rays and fish.
A walkway winds its way around the main tank and past displays of life found on eight different ocean levels. The giant spider crabs in the Japan Ocean Deeps section look like alien invaders from another planet.…
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Institute for Nature Study (Shizen Kyōiku-en)
Although the 200,000 sq metres of this land was the estate of a daimyō some six centuries ago and was the site of gunpowder warehouses in the early Meiji period, you’d scarcely know it now. Since 1949, this garden has been part of the Tokyo National Museum and aims to preserve the local flora in undisciplined profusion. There are wonderful walks through its forests, marshes and ponds, making this one of Tokyo’s least known and most appealing getaways. And there is a bonus: admission is limited to 300 people at any one time.
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Arjuna's Penance
This relief carving on the face of a huge rock depicts animals, deities and other semidivine creatures as well as fables from the Hindu Panchatantra books. The panel (30m x 12m) is divided by a huge perpendicular fissure that's skilfully encompassed into the sculpture; originally, water, representing the Ganges, flowed down it.
It's one of the most convincing and unpretentious rock carvings in India, with the main relief showing Shiva standing with a wizened Arjuna, balanced on one leg in a state of penance. A guide can be useful to help explain the reliefs.
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Swiss Farm
The Swiss Farm is a development project established by Fritz Maurer, one of the first Swiss to work in Bhutan, and now run by his son. The project introduced brewing, farming machinery and fuel-efficient, smokeless wood stoves to the valley, as well as its first tourist guesthouse. The milk from large Jersey cattle is used in Bhutan's only commercial cheese factory and Bhutan's only native beer, Red Panda, is brewed here.
It's possible to visit the farm but your guide needs to arrange this in advance. Yoser Lham Shop is the main outlet for the Swiss Farm.
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Pura Luhur Ulu Watu
Pura Luhur Ulu Watu is one of several important temples to the spirits of the sea along the south coast of Bali. The temple is perched precipitously on the southwestern tip of the peninsula, atop sheer cliffs that drop straight into the pounding surf. You enter through an unusual arched gateway flanked by statues of Ganesha. At sunset, walk around the cliff top to the left (south) of the temple. Watch out for monkeys, who – when not reproducing – like to snatch sunglasses and anything else within reach. The views far out to sea are mesmerizing.
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Chinzan-Sō
This lovely, hilly 66,000-sq-metre strolling garden was part of the estate of a Meiji-era politician and statesman, and lining its many pathways are a number of antiquities transported from all over Japan. Most notable is a 16.7m three-storey pagoda, estimated at nearly a millennium old, which was transported from the Hiroshima area, as well as lanterns, monuments and torii. We don’t particularly love the contemporary construction of hotels and wedding halls around it, but all that is forgotten in the garden’s lovely soba shop Mucha-an.
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Rainforest Discovery Centre
The Rainforest Discovery Centre, about 1.5km from Sepilok Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre, offers an engaging graduate-level education in tropical flora and fauna. Outside the exhibit hall, a botanical garden presents varying samples of tropical plant life, with the accompanying descriptions every bit as vibrant as the foliage. There’s a 1km lakeside walking trail as well. A series of eight canopy towers are being built – three have been completed. Paddleboats (RM5) are available to ride around the inviting lake near the centre’s entrance.
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Chinatown Heritage Centre
Set on three floors of an old shophouse, the Chinatown Heritage Centre is an engaging museum focusing on the arduous everyday lives of Singapore’s Chinese settlers. Reconstructed living environments are festooned with artefacts. The cramped quarters of shophouse living are decked out with startling reality (right down to the fake poop inside the bucket toilet – thankfully, scent-emitting technology won’t be invented until 2050). The oral and video histories of local people are genuinely moving…if the projectors and screens decide to work.
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Synagogue
This synagogue, originally built in 1568, was partially destroyed by the Portuguese in 1662, and rebuilt two years later when the Dutch took Kochi. It features an ornate gold pulpit and intricate, hand-painted, willow-pattern floor tiles from Canton, China. It’s magnificently illuminated by chandeliers (from Belgium) and coloured-glass lamps. The graceful clock tower was built in 1760. There is an upstairs balcony for women who worshipped separately according to Orthodox rites. Note that shorts or sleeveless tops are not allowed inside.
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Himalayan Zoological Park
From the gompa, follow the access road north-east around the base of an unmissable tele-communications tower. An initially obvious path scrambles up in around 15 minutes to Ganesh Tok viewpoint. Festooned in colourful prayer flags, Ganesh Tok offers superb city views and its minicafe serves hot teas. Across the road, a lane leads into the Himalayan Zoological Park. Red pandas, Himalayan bears and snow leopards roam around in extensive wooded enclosures so large that you’ll really value a car to shuttle between them.
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Namdaemun
The Great South Gate of Seoul fortress was originally constructed in 1398, rebuilt in 1447 and has often been renovated since then. Designated as National Treasure No 1, the gate was an impressive sight, especially when floodlit at night, and is a reminder of the once-mighty Joseon dynasty. The soldiers in Joseon uniforms that guard the gate ( 10:00 - 16:00 Wed-Mon) march around every 30 minutes, but are there for photographic rather than defence purposes. The famous day-and-night Namdaemun market that starts at the gate is also centuries old.
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Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Founded in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo and a Frenchwoman known as ‘the Mother’ (whose visage, which you’ll either find benevolent or vaguely creepy, is everywhere here), this ashram seeks to synthesise yoga and modern science. After Aurobindo’s death, spiritual authority (and minor religious celebrity) passed to the Mother, who died in 1973 aged 97. A constant flow of visitors files through the main ashram building, which has the flower-festooned samadhi of Aurobindo and the Mother in the central courtyard.
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St Nicholas Cathedral
The pale turquoise Nikolsky Sobor, with its gold onion domes, stands out west of the centre near the corner of Qabanbay Batyr and Baytursynuly. The cathedral was built in 1909 and later used as a stable for Bolshevik cavalry, before reopening about 1980. It's a terrifically atmospheric place, like a corner of old Russia, with icons, candles and restored frescoes inside and black-clad old supplicants outside.
For the best impression visit at festival times such as Orthodox Christmas Day (7 January) or Easter for the midnight services.
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Kumari Amman Temple
The legends say the kanya (virgin) goddess Kumari, a manifestation of the Great Goddess Devi, single-handedly conquered demons and secured freedom for the world. At this temple pilgrims give her thanks in an intimately spaced, beautifully decorated temple, where the nearby crash of waves from three oceans can be heard through the twilight glow of oil fires clutched in vulva-shaped votive candles (a reference to the sacred femininity of the goddess). Men must remove their shirts to enter and cameras are forbidden.
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