Zeus sent two eagles in opposite directions. Where they met would be the center of the world. They met at a rock in a place called Delphi. The rock is called the omphalos or navel. With a legend like this … Continued
Museum Meiji-Mura is an open air architectural museum just outside of Inuyama showcasing buildings from the Meiji period of Japan from 1868-1912. During this time, Emperor Meiji led the nation out of an isolated feudal nation to its more modern … Continued
With their backs up to the mountains and a stream in their front, the Ming Tombs just outside of Beijing offer the quintessential Chinese protection based on geomancy or feng shui. Thirteen of the Ming Dynasty’s emperors were interred in … Continued
My journey back to Beijing in August included another long layover. This time I had several hours, during the day, for a San Francisco layover. I’ve been to this amazing city before, but I was still very excited to go … Continued
DMZ, JSA, MDL, UNC, MAC, USA, ROK, DPRK – these are just some of the acronyms we had to get familiar with when visiting the most militarized border in the world. This border between the Republic of Korea (South Korea) … Continued
Continued from Dazu Grottoes – Beishan and Nanshan Baodingshan Arguably the best grotto in the Dazu area, this one has some of the most spectacular grotto art I’ve seen. It also has a rich collection of story-telling panels as opposed … Continued
In my effort to visit the four major (World Heritage) Buddhist grottoes in China, our first adventure in the Chongqing vicinity, on Christmas Day, was a day trip to Dazu Grottoes in the western part of the municipality. Several sites … Continued
Beijing has two summer palaces. The newer one with its giant pagoda on top of Longevity Hill with the massive manmade lake in front and world’s longest covered walkway is the more visited of the two. It is the UNESCO … Continued
Four hundred and eighty five individually carved stone lions have watched Beijing’s southwest entrance for nearly 900 years. They inspired a legendary explorer to mention them in his writings and provided a backdrop to one of modern China’s most harrowing … Continued
