Travel Bug

Sacrificial remains of humans and animals, believed to be at least 2,700 years old, have been found in central China’s Luoyang city (map), Chinese archaeologists say.

The bones are part of a recently discovered burial complex covering nearly a quarter acre (945 square meters) and containing 14 tombs, a water channel, and 59 pits from the Western Zhou dynasty. (Related: “Ancient Mass Sacrifice, Riches Discovered in China Tomb.”)

During the Western Zhou period (1100 B.C. to 771 B.C.), the sacrifices of animals—and sometimes humans—to ancestors or deities were a routine part of Chinese culture. The sacrifices were often made to bless houses, said David Sena, a China historian at the University of Texas at Austin.

“In general, there’s been a tendency to describe Western Zhou as a more humanistic period, when the practice of human sacrifices”—which were commonplace during the preceding Shang Dynasty—”were waning,” Sena said.

“But I think the archaeological evidence shows quite clearly that human sacrifices persisted throughout the Zhou period as well.” Read the rest of this entry »

Japanese graffiti has come a long way since its early incarnations sprung up in the late 1980s. From the days of messy and sporadic tagging, graffiti in Japan is now migrating into the PR and advertising realms, and one of the instigators of this process, Remo Camerota, author of “Graffiti Japan”, is opening the door on the often secretive crews being commissioned to brighten up the grey corners of Tokyo.

Artists that began life painting illegally wherever they could, keeping their identity hidden, are now actively sought, and paid, to work on shop fronts, in tunnels, on freeway passes and more. From building owners to city councils, Tokyo’s leading graffiti experts are today being commissioned to create huge murals on the side of landmark buildings.

The Tower Records wall in Kichijoji, one of Tokyo’s most cosmopolitan and popular districts, is now host to the largest single piece of graffiti art in the city, by the Nanashi Crew and Sca Crew. Taking seven artists six weeks to complete, it took over 1,000 spray cans to complete the task.

Creating such dynamic advertisements for the building, shop or location has led to various businesses seeking out artists that usually closely guard their identity, a la UK artist Banksy.

For the casual observer, seeing the often grey world of Tokyo brightened up is a sight for sore eyes. As a winner for businesses and artists alike, long may this trend continue. Read the rest of this entry »

“Welcome to Donsol, the home of the gentle giants,” Alan Amanse says smiling broadly at us as we awkwardly scramble onto the traditional fishing boat.

“We have something must be followed; the rules about whale shark interaction.”

He’s delivered this speech countless times, but says he never tires of seeing newcomers eager faces. Donsol in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines, was once a sleepy fishing village, now it buzzes with excited tourists who flock here for what many later describe as a life changing experience — swimming with the largest fish in the ocean, the whale shark.

I have to admit, I was filled with childish excitement I hadn’t experienced in years.

“If I say ‘Ok, let’s rock and roll’, its time to get in the water; that’s my magic word, ‘rock and roll’,” Alan tells us, perched on the edge of the boat, a devilish twinkle in his eyes.

He and the crew are experts at whale shark spotting, able to scan what to us looks like a blank horizon for signs of the sharks below the surface. Small boats filled with tourists dot the tricolor waters, the shoreline rolling hills of emerald green.

“Look, look right there,” Alan points at what to me initially looks like nothing.

“Wow! Its huge, 3-meters-long, about 20 meters in front of us,” I shrieked as I began to make out the dark shape moving along side our boat. Read the rest of this entry »

The 2010 Shanghai Expo has begun, and is on till October 31. The host country, China, hopes this World Expo will show everyone evidence that China is becoming powerful. With a sustainable-development-theme, at least 250 countries and international organizations are demonstrating their unique cultures.
In fact, the Expo is the most luxurious one in history till date, and will display the recent green technology from all the 191 participating countries. The slogan of the Expo is, “Better city, better life in music and dance”.

China is incidentally the first developing country that is holding an Expo – and is making efforts to promote this event as environmentally-friendly. Thus, the country’s largest solar plant has been created, and zero emission vehicles are being used for transportation. Read the rest of this entry »