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Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters).
The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. The surrounding area is contained within the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of the preservation of the Grand Canyon area and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.
Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While some aspects about the history of incision of the canyon are debated by geologists, several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon.
For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native Americans, who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon a holy site, and made pilgrimages to it. The first European known to have viewed the Grand Canyon was García López de Cárdenas from Spain, who arrived in 1540.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon_National_Park
Grand Canyon National Park is a national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Wonders of the World. The park, which covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties, received more than 4.7 million recreational visitors in 2023. The Grand Canyon was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. The park celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 26, 2019.
Source: www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
Entirely within the state of Arizona, the park encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homelands of 11 present day Tribal Communities, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—a mile deep canyon unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors from both north and south rims.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "米国" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis" "ארצות הברית" "संयुक्त राज्य" "США"
(Arizona) "أريزونا" "亚利桑那州" "אריזונה" "एरिजोना" "アリゾナ州" "애리조나" "Аризона"
(Grand Canyon) "جراند كانيون" "大峡谷" "גרנד קניון" "ग्रांड कैन्यन" "グランドキャニオン" "그랜드 캐니언" "Гранд-Каньон" "Gran Cañón"
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongdaemun_Design_Plaza:
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) is a major urban development landmark in Seoul, South Korea, designed by Zaha Hadid and Samoo, with a distinctively neo-futuristic design characterized by the "powerful, curving forms of elongated structures." The landmark is the centerpiece of South Korea's fashion hub and popular tourist destination, Dongdaemun, featuring a walkable park on its roofs, large global exhibition spaces, futuristic retail stores, and restored parts of the Seoul fortress.
The DDP has been one of the main reasons for Seoul's designation as the World Design Capital in 2010. Construction started in 2009, and it was officially inaugurated on March 21, 2014. It is physically connected to Seoul Subway via Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on Line 2, 4, and 5.
The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) was designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, winner of the 2004 Pritzker Prize, with the concept of "Metonymic Landscape". Metonymy refers to a method of describing a specific object indirectly, and Hadid integrated historical, cultural, urban, social, and economic aspects of Seoul deduced from this method in order to create a scene of the landscape. Designed as a cultural hub in the historical district of Seoul, South Korea's largest fashion district, the DDP is composed of undulating surfaces that resemble the flow of liquid and allow flexibility in space. The state-of-the-art BIM (Building Information Modeling), mega-truss (extra-large roof truss) system, and space frame system are the key features in terms of creating grand-scale spaces. According to Hadid, the fundamental features of her design were "transparency, porousness, and durability." Many ecological features, including a double-skin facade, solar panels, and a water recycling system, are included in the building.
The construction project for replacing Dongdaemun Stadium with a public park has been discussed in the media since 2000, and the city of Seoul established a basic master plan for alternating the function of Dongdaemun Stadium in 2005. Upon the advice of architects, and in order to secure a high-quality design for the new landmark of Seoul, the city invited architects in February 2007 to participate in a design competition. The city requested that the architects include a design plaza, underground spaces, a history park, and a culture park in the project, according to the guidelines. Zaha Hadid's Metonymic Landscape won the competition.
The exterior envelope of the DDP, a smooth and giant mushroom-like structure floating above ground level, is made of concrete, aluminum, steel, and stone. The interior of the building is finished with plaster reinforced with synthetic fiber, acoustic tiles, acrylic resin, stainless steel, and polished stone in the interior.
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysia
die groesste EXPO-GRUPPE bei flickr
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the biggest EXPO GROUP on flickr
www.flickr.com/groups/1253656@N25/
expo2010-----SHANGHAI-----expo2010------SHANGHAI
expo2010-----SHANGHAI-----expo2010------SHANGHAI
expo2010-----SHANGHAI-----expo2010------SHANGHAI
expo2010-----SHANGHAI-----expo2010------SHANGHAI
expo2010-----SHANGHAI-----expo2010------SHANGHAI
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我爱中国 / Ich liebe China / I love China
加油中国 /China gebe niemals auf , geh voran /Go go China
EXPO 2010年 Weltausstellung 上海世界博览会 Shànghǎi shìjiè bólǎnhuì
information to logo---information zum logo
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the three symbolised a family-----die 3 menschen sollen eine familie darstellen
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die weltausstellung findet im jahre 2010 in der aufstrebenen metropole shanghai statt .
shanghai hat mittlerweile ueber 18 millionen registrierte einwohner.
Die bedeutung der grossen veranstaltung ist sehr wichtig und alles laeuft auf vollen touren.
Das motto der weltausstellung heisst “bessere stadt, besseres leben” . ein schoeneres leben fuer die in shanghai in einer sauberen umwelt.
Die umgebung von ca. 5,28 quadratkilometern, werden die veranstaltung abdecken
Dauer
01.mai bis zum 31.oktober 2010
erwartete besucherzahl
70.000.000 aus dem aus-und inland
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the world fair takes place in the year 2010 in the ongoing metropolis shanghai. shanghai meanwhile registered inhabitants have over 18 million. The meaning of the large meeting is very important and everything runs on full routes. The slogan of the world fair is called “better city, better lives”. a more beautiful live for in shanghai in a clean environment. The environment of approx. 5.28 square kilometers, the meeting will cover Duration 01. May up to the 31.oktober 2010 expected number of visitors 70.000.000 from foreign coutries and domestics
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expo2010-----SHANGHAI-----expo2010------SHANGHAI
expo2010-----SHANGHAI-----expo2010------SHANGHAI
Tagged by Gaia, George, Guy who love blythe and Jane. Thank you guys, and sorry for super delay!
1. I was born in 1973, Showa Era, in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka. I was born at 3:31AM, my weight was 3150g, primiparity for my mom though she had an easy birth.
2. I remember I have played with 2nd and 3rd gen Licca when I was a child. But unfortunately, I don't have them. Maybe my mom did throw them away.
3. I loved Toshi-chan, Seiko-chan when I was an early elementary school child.
4. I met Western music when I was 10 or 11 years old. I loved G.I. Orange and Culture Club!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!! G.I. Orange was a big hit ONLY in Japan, they were clutch player, British idol band though.
5. I met the Beatles when I was 13 years old. My friend Dan-chan was a big fan of them. She told me about everything of them. (She had a many rare records, also videos too)
6. The first concert was the Street Sliders for me. I was sooooo excited, I will never forget the moment when I got a firsthand look at them. They had acted in US bases named Fussa/Tokyo before they debuted.
7. I had an after-school job when I was a high school student. I did a lot of jobs, waitress of beer garden, staff of mover, cash register of pharmacy etc.... I wanted to get a money to go to concert, to buy dresses! Hahaha. I never studied anything(omg!), just go to concert, chat with friends. ;-P If I can return in those days, I want to study English!!!!!! LOL!
8. By way of the high school, I moved to Fukuoka City to go to the fashion school with my friend Masako, she's a childhood friend. We had wanted to break away from our parents. Our parents gave willing agree to it because our parents were friends, too. They were relieved I and Masako being together.
9. I met my hubby when I was 19 years old in 1993(it was before my birthday). I have a crush on him ever since the day we met. Hehehe. However, we're ALWAYS fighting! Our first fight was when we had not passed as much as one month. LOL.
10. By way of the fashion school, I got a job in the fashion company. I did a many things, salesgirl, planning to sales etc... in this company. I worked for 6 years half.
11. My dad killed himself by hanging when I was 25 years old. My families were really broken heart, especially my mom was filled with hurt feelings because she found him. Fortunately, I had my hubby and many many good friends. They picked up the pieces of my broken heart.
12. I moved to Tokyo in 2000 because my hubby had lived in there for work. It was painful choice to me. Because my hubby has already kept waiting for me for even 3 and a half years. But one thing I'm always worried about is my mom. However fortunately, I have sister and brother. So I moved to Tokyo, anyway.
Also my most favorite band named Blankey Jet City has dissolved in 2000. I've never loved any band like them before, and I guess I will never love any bands like them in the future. I still miss them so much.
13. As you can see, I've been crazy about music since I was a child. The music changed my life. The music of Japanese idol, Pops, Rock'n Roll, etc... And I met a lot of good friends, especially when I was in my late teens to my early twenties, and they still keep friends with me.
14. I got some jobs in Tokyo. The desk work in music office, waitress in cafe etc. Sometimes, I had tried to make both ends meet by working two jobs. Yes, Tokyo is too hard to live. And then, I got a desk work in software company. I worked for 6 years and half. Now, I'm looking for a job. Suitable job? Stimulating work? Job suitable to my ability? I still don't know what I can do though, what I want to do.....
15. I met with Blythe in 2006. I had known Blythe since before though it was the first time to know they were able to custom. I saw "Hedwig Blythe" on TIB, and then I thought "Ohhhh!!! We can custom them??? I want to try it!!!". My first Blythe were Samedi Marche Encore and Excellent Hollywood. Of course, my first custom was Hedwig.
16. I joined to MySpace in 2007. Because I wanted to find some doll friends in overseas, Japanese doll circles were looks oversaturated, segmentalized, too much mature. So I wanted to find some overseas friends. Unfortunately, I can't login to MySpace now because I forgot password and which email address I added it..... LOL.
Happily, I have flickr account, so my circle of doll friends are getting bigger and bigger! You're my treasures!!!
Thank you for reading til the end!
I tag anyone and everyone who wants to do this!
Last but not least(it's 17 things, lol), I got married after dating for 13 years in 2006!!
Excerpt from en.namu.wiki/w/%EB%8D%95%EC%88%98%EA%B6%81%20%EA%B4%91%EB...:
Gwangmyeongmun 光明門
After putting a round pillar on top of the circular foundation stone, a one- story building was built on top of it. It is 3 kan in front and 2 kan on the side. Also, after the ridge, narimmaru, and chunyeomaru were nurtured, 2 stupas, 4 crowns , and 5 jabsangs were placed on the ridges on both sides of the east and west sides, as well as at the end of each eaves. In the form of placing the horror directly on the window without a square , the horror is a winged style. Also, 3 flower pots were placed for each pot, and the gap between the pot and pot was not filled with a wall. door leaf tree Plates were attached to the three columns in the middle, and the space for the king in the middle was made slightly wider and higher. Insert a medium press in each compartment on both sides and tree the top and bottom finished with a plate. The ceiling was made of a lotus lantern ceiling with a clear view of the rafters and structures, and a wind-shaped hongsal was decorated above the door. Dancheong was coated with Moro Dancheong.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibuya_Crossing:
Shibuya Scramble Crossing (渋谷スクランブル交差点, Shibuya sukuranburu kōsaten), commonly known as Shibuya Crossing, is a popular pedestrian scramble crossing in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. It is located in front of the Shibuya Station Hachikō exit and stops vehicles in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection. The statue of Hachikō, between the station and the intersection, is a common meeting place, which is almost always crowded.
Three large video screens mounted on nearby buildings overlook the crossing such as the landmark QFRONT, as well as many static advertising signs. Given its heavy traffic and amount of advertising, it is compared to Times Square in New York City.
Shibuya Crossing is the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, with as many as 3,000 people crossing at a time. Tokyo-based architecture professor Shane Flynn has said Shibuya Crossing is "a great example of what Tokyo does best when it's not trying."
This intersection is frequently recognized as "the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world" with almost no loss of foot traffic at midnight or early morning.
Road traffic jams rarely occur here even during rush hours.
According to the Shibuya Center Street in 2016, the number of pedestrians crossing the intersection was as much as 3,000 per green light (every 2 minutes). A 2014 flow measurement survey by the Shibuya Redevelopment Association estimated 260,000 pedestrians per day on week days, and 390,000 pedestrians on non-working days. Others estimate as much as 500,000 people on the busiest days. The 2012 SOTO Outdoor Media Survey estimated 1.5 million pedestrians per week.
IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE
De l'església de Sant'Andrea, a Torí, només en queda campanar romanic. Fins i tot l'advocació del temple s'ha cambiat, ja que ara, en el seu lloc hi ha el santuari barroc de La Consolata, patrona de la ciutat, per cert.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santuario_della_Consolata
=================================
This the romanesque bell tower of Sant'Andrea church, rebuilt several times and now the Sanctuary of La Consolata, the saint-patron of the city of Turin.
Excerpt from en.namu.wiki/w/%EA%B2%BD%EB%B3%B5%EA%B6%81%20%EC%9C%A0%ED...:
This is the gate on the west side of Heungnyemun Gate in Gyeongbokgung Palace . It is to the south of the Signal Office .
It was the main gate to Gwolnaegaksa Temple located southwest of Gyeongbokgung Palace . The corner of Heungnyemun Gate is the main hall Since it was right next to the Geunjeongjeon area , it was the place where many important events such as assembly and dissemination of Korean texts and edicts were held. Therefore, a door was needed for the officials working in the palace office to move smoothly, and Yuhwamun played that role.
... (story is hidden for now) ...
Macro Mondays theme: Pareidolia
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1940s (?) Keuffel & Esser (K&E) 4080-3 Log Log Duplex Trig slide rule. Before small, affordable electronic scientific calculators became popular in the 1970s, the slide rule was the workhorse of engineers and scientists everywhere.
For this picture, I set the cursor to the 2.25 mark on the A scale. The cursor position corresponds to 1.5 on the D scale, which equals the square root of 2.25. 1.5 is also the cube root of 3.375, the location of the cursor on the K scale.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagellation_Standard
Luca Signorelli (pseudonym of Luca d'Egidio di Ventura
- Cortona, c. 1441-1445 - Cortona, October 16, 1523) Flagellation (1482-1485) tempera on panel 84 x 60 cm. - Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan
Si tratta di una delle due facce dello stendardo processionale eseguito per la Confraternita dei Raccomandati di Santa Maria del Mercato a Fabriano, che giunsero a Brera, già separate, a seguito delle soppressioni napoleoniche nel 1811. Le scelte iconografiche riflettono precise indicazioni dei committenti, che si dedicavano ad attività assistenziali nei confronti dell’infanzia abbandonata – da qui la raffigurazione della Madonna del latte – e che praticavano forme di penitenza quali l’autofustigazione pubblica.
Allievo di Piero della Francesca, Signorelli ambienta la Flagellazione entro uno spazio costruito secondo i canoni della prospettiva e organizzato attorno al fulcro di simmetria della colonna, chiuso sullo sfondo da uno splendido brano di architettura all’antica; tuttavia, perfettamente aggiornato sulle novità della pittura fiorentina del secondo Quattrocento e sulle soluzioni di Pollaiolo e Botticelli, egli dà forma a figure e dettagli decorativi grazie a una linea vibrante e nervosa, che imprime alla composizione un senso di animato dinamismo del tutto estraneo al linguaggio di Piero. L’opera viene datata a un’epoca anteriore al viaggio a Roma dell’artista, avvenuto nel 1482, probabilmente attorno al 1475.
This is one of the two sides of the processional banner made for the Confraternita dei Raccomandati di Santa Maria del Mercato in Fabriano, which came to Brera, already separated, following the Napoleonic suppressions in 1811. The iconographic choices reflect precise indications from the patrons, who were dedicated to welfare activities toward abandoned childhoods - hence the depiction of the Madonna of Milk - and who practiced forms of penance such as public self-fustigation.
A pupil of Piero della Francesca, Signorelli sets the Flagellation within a space built according to the canons of perspective and organized around the fulcrum of symmetry of the column, closed in the background by a splendid piece of old-fashioned architecture; nevertheless, perfectly up-to-date with the innovations of Florentine painting in the second half of the 15th century and with the solutions of Pollaiolo and Botticelli, he gives shape to figures and decorative details thanks to a vibrant and nervous line, which gives the composition a sense of animated dynamism that is completely foreign to Piero's language. The work is dated to a time before the artist's trip to Rome in 1482, probably around 1475.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Mere
Martin Mere is a mere near Burscough, Lancashire, England on the West Lancashire Coastal Plain. The mere is a vast marsh, around grid reference SD4115 that, until it was drained, was the largest body of fresh water in England.
Martin Mere was originally formed at the end of the last Ice Age, when water filled a depression in the glacial drift. Since then its size has varied as water levels have risen and fallen. Active management of the mere began in 1694 when Thomas Fleetwood cut a channel to drain the mere to the sea. Further attempts were made to drain the mere in the 1780s, but effective drainage was achieved in the mid-19th century with the introduction of steam pumping. Farms and market gardens were established on the rich soils of the reclaimed land.
The mere is now the site of Martin Mere Wetland Centre, a wetland nature reserve managed by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. There is a large visitor centre with educational facilities, a well-stocked shop and a popular cafe. The Centre is home to over 100 captive species of rare and endangered ducks, geese, swans and flamingoes, which form part of important research and breeding programmes. There are many activities for children focused on the wildlife exhibits, as well as an adventure playground.
There are also 10 comfortable hides where visitors can watch wild birds. Over the autumn and winter months, visitors come from miles around to experience the spectacle of up to 15,000 Pink-Footed Geese flying in at dusk as well as thousands of Whooper Swans being fed from the Swan Link Hide (under floodlights when days are at their shortest).
The 2006 and 2007 series of the BBC's Autumnwatch were broadcast from Martin Mere
Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, PA
Lynnewood Hall is an amazing old Neoclassical Revival Mansion with about 110 rooms located in the Philadelphia suburb of Elkins Park.
It is currently undergoing renovations after sitting nearly vacant for years, it was designed by architect Horace Trumbauer for industrialist Peter A. B. Widener and built between 1897 and 1900. Considered the largest surviving Gilded Age mansion in the Philadelphia area,
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_shrimp:
Mantis shrimp are carnivorous marine crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda. Stomatopods branched off from other members of the class Malacostraca around 340 million years ago. Mantis shrimp typically grow to around 10 cm (3.9 in) in length, while a few can reach up to 38 cm (15 in). A mantis shrimp's carapace covers only the rear part of the head and the first four segments of the thorax. Varieties range in colour from shades of brown to vivid colours, with more than 520 species of mantis shrimp known. They are among the most important predators in many shallow, tropical and subtropical marine habitats. However, despite being common, they are poorly understood, as many species spend most of their lives sheltering in burrows and holes.
Called "sea locusts" by ancient Assyrians, "prawn killers" in Australia, and now sometimes referred to as "thumb splitters"—because of the animal's ability to inflict painful wounds if handled incautiously—mantis shrimp have powerful raptorial appendages that are used to attack and kill prey either by spearing, stunning, or dismembering. Some mantis shrimp species have specialised calcified 'clubs' that can strike with great power, while others have sharp forelimbs used to seize the prey (hence the term "mantis" in their common name).
SUNSET - Boca Raton, Florida U.S.A.
Autumn 2021 - Florida Everglades
South County Regional Community Park
*[left-double-click for a closer-look - stormy sky - sky-wave]
*[Sometimes it's all about the light. It was beautiful on this night]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boca_Raton,_Florida
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades
"Catch A Wave" - The Beach Boys
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Tung_Street:
Lee Tung Street (利東街), known as the Wedding Card Street (喜帖街; 囍帖街) by locals, is a street in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. The street was famed in Hong Kong and abroad as a centre for publishing and for the manufacturing of wedding cards and other similar items.
As part of an Urban Renewal Authority (URA) project, all interests of Lee Tung Street were resumed by and reverted to the Government of Hong Kong since 1 November 2005, and subsequently demolished in December 2007. The demolition was seen by many as causing irreparable harm to the cultural heritage of Hong Kong.
The site was redeveloped as a luxury shopping and housing development. As with all other URA projects, no original tenants have been resettled on site.
After the development, only small part of next to QRE Plaza is official there. The rest of street, rebuilt and rebranded as Lee Tung Avenue, is a pedestrian street open for public in the high-rise housing estate The Avenue.
The street was known for its printing industry, and Wan Chai was a longtime host of the headquarters of the Hong Kong Times, Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po. In the 1950s, print shops began to gather in Lee Tung Street between Johnston Road and Queen's Road East. Rumours had it that the government of Hong Kong mandated this in order to easily monitor illegal publication.
The poet and translator Dai Wangshu also established a short-lived bookstore in Lee Tung Street in the early 1950s.
In the 1970s, the print shops also began producing wedding invitations, lai see, fai chun, and other items, for which they became famous in the 1980s. Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong people visited the shops there to order their wedding cards, name cards, and traditional Chinese calendars.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotte_World_Tower:
Lotte World Tower, is a 123-story, 555 m (1,821 ft) supertall skyscraper, located in Sincheon-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is the sixth-tallest building in the world, the tallest in OECD countries, and also the first in South Korea to be over 100 stories tall.
It was the fourth-tallest in the world when completed in 2016. The tower opened to the public on April 3, 2017. Haeundae LCT The Sharp in Busan is the second-tallest building in the country.
A "Sky Bridge Tour" is located on the roof of Lotte World Tower at 541 m (1,775 ft), which is the total height of One World Trade Center in New York City, the tallest building in the United States.
On March 17, 2016, before the final phase of external construction, the Diagrid lantern-shaped roof structure was completed. The roof structure was constructed with steel counterparts that are each 12 m (39 ft) and weigh 20 tons. The counterparts were made up of bent metal panels that are 6 cm (2.4 in) thick. The roof structure itself is 120 m (390 ft) high and covers floors 107–123.
Approximately 3,000 tons of steel parts, a high-precision 64t tower crane and GPS alignment systems, as well as welding technicians, were used in the construction of the roof.
The roof structure is engineered to withstand its weight without reinforcing pillars, endure earthquakes up to a magnitude of 9 under the Richter magnitude scale, and winds up to 80 m/s (260 ft/s).
The exterior of pale-coloured glass draws inspiration from Korean ceramics and features accents of metal filigree.
Seoul Sky occupies the top seven levels. Floors 117–118 are the entrance and view floor, including a glass floor and sky show on 118. Sky Friends Cafe and the sky terrace are located on floors 119–120. Seoul Sky Cafe and a souvenir shop are on floors 121–122, and the premium lounge bar, 123 lounge, is on the top floor at 499 m (1,637 ft).
Wiki: Das Holstentor („Holstein-Tor“) ist ein Stadttor, das die Altstadt der Hansestadt Lübeck nach Westen begrenzt. Es ist das Wahrzeichen der Stadt und wurde 1478 fertiggestellt.
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia
Après les Magnolias, voici les Camélias qui sont en fleurs, j'ai la chance de trouver dans la réserve des Barails à Bordeaux pas loin de chez moi, toute une partie dédiée à cette plante comme pour les Magnolias où se côtoient plusieurs variétés rouges, blanches, roses...etc
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia
After the Magnolias, here are the Camellias that are in bloom, I have the chance to find in the reserve of Barails in Bordeaux not far from my home, a whole part dedicated to this plant as for the Magnolias where mixes several varieties red, white, roses... etc
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Stephen%27s_Church,_Nijmegen:
The Great Church or St. Stephen's Church colloquially called Steven's Church, is the oldest and largest church in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The church is built on a small hill, the Hundisburg.
The history of St. Stephen's dates back to the seventh century. The foundation of the church may be connected with the Christianization campaign of bishop Kunibert of Cologne in the seventh century. In 1247 Nijmegen came under the control of Count Otto II of Gelredome. For strategic reasons, St. Stephen's was moved from the Kelfkensbos to its current location on the Hundisburg. The present church was consecrated in 1273 by Albertus Magnus. Administratively, St. Stephen's fell under the authority of the chapter of the Basilica of the Holy Apostles, Cologne. The church has long been the only parish in the city. The building was expanded several times in the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries, including an impressive ambulatory. Pope Pius IV authorized the establishment of its own chapter, in 1475, making St. Stephen's independent of Cologne. In 1591 Saint Stephen's was converted to a Protestant church after the city was captured from the Spanish (during which the steeple was severely damaged), which it has remained since except for a Catholic interlude around 1670.
Catherine of Bourbon was buried in the St. Stephen's Church, in 1469. Her son, Charles of Gelre, paid to have a monument to her placed in the church, which remains to this day.
In 1810 is by royal decree the church property was transferred to the Reformed Church; the civil community retained the ownership of the tower, as part of the city defenses.
The church was severely damaged by the bombing of the city in 1944, including loss of the main spire, but was rebuilt after the war with the restored spire being completed in 1969.
In 2001 the church received two stained-glass windows of Marc Mulders entitled Pelican and Stigmata.
An early azalea native wildflower blooms in the...
Trailhead Community Park, of East Decatur Greenway
Decatur (Winnona Park), Georgia, USA.
5 April 2024.
▶ See another early azalea, budding before opening: here.
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▶ Photographer's note:
On 7 May 2024, the administrator for the Flickr group "Flickr Best compositions" rejected this image, writing: "your floral shot just isn't a real good composition, there are no dynamics, nice shot but kinda blase." [their misspelling]. I left the group, but I carry the memory of that nonsense as a badge of honor.
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▶ Photo and story by: YFGF.beer.
▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).
— Follow on Facebook: YoursForGoodFermentables.
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▶ Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 II.
— Lens: Olympus M.40-150mm F4.0-5.6 R.
— Edit: Photoshop Elements 15, Nik Collection (2016).
▶ Commercial use requires explicit permission, as per Creative Commons.
Wiki - The Carioca Aqueduct (Portuguese: Aqueduto da Carioca) is an aqueduct in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The aqueduct was built in the middle of the 18th century to bring fresh water from the Carioca river to the population of the city. It is an impressive example of colonial architecture and engineering.
All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce, copy, edit, publish, transmit or upload material in my gallery without my permission.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dongdaemun_Design_Plaza:
Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) is a major urban development landmark in Seoul, South Korea, designed by Zaha Hadid and Samoo, with a distinctively neo-futuristic design characterized by the "powerful, curving forms of elongated structures." The landmark is the centerpiece of South Korea's fashion hub and popular tourist destination, Dongdaemun, featuring a walkable park on its roofs, large global exhibition spaces, futuristic retail stores, and restored parts of the Seoul fortress.
The DDP has been one of the main reasons for Seoul's designation as the World Design Capital in 2010. Construction started in 2009, and it was officially inaugurated on March 21, 2014. It is physically connected to Seoul Subway via Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station on Line 2, 4, and 5.
The Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) was designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, winner of the 2004 Pritzker Prize, with the concept of "Metonymic Landscape". Metonymy refers to a method of describing a specific object indirectly, and Hadid integrated historical, cultural, urban, social, and economic aspects of Seoul deduced from this method in order to create a scene of the landscape. Designed as a cultural hub in the historical district of Seoul, South Korea's largest fashion district, the DDP is composed of undulating surfaces that resemble the flow of liquid and allow flexibility in space. The state-of-the-art BIM (Building Information Modeling), mega-truss (extra-large roof truss) system, and space frame system are the key features in terms of creating grand-scale spaces. According to Hadid, the fundamental features of her design were "transparency, porousness, and durability." Many ecological features, including a double-skin facade, solar panels, and a water recycling system, are included in the building.
The construction project for replacing Dongdaemun Stadium with a public park has been discussed in the media since 2000, and the city of Seoul established a basic master plan for alternating the function of Dongdaemun Stadium in 2005. Upon the advice of architects, and in order to secure a high-quality design for the new landmark of Seoul, the city invited architects in February 2007 to participate in a design competition. The city requested that the architects include a design plaza, underground spaces, a history park, and a culture park in the project, according to the guidelines. Zaha Hadid's Metonymic Landscape won the competition.
The exterior envelope of the DDP, a smooth and giant mushroom-like structure floating above ground level, is made of concrete, aluminum, steel, and stone. The interior of the building is finished with plaster reinforced with synthetic fiber, acoustic tiles, acrylic resin, stainless steel, and polished stone in the interior.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plover_Cove_Reservoir:
Plover Cove Reservoir, located within Plover Cove Country Park, in the northeastern New Territories, is the largest reservoir in Hong Kong in terms of area, and the second-largest in terms of volume. It is the world's first freshwater coastal lake constructed from an arm of the ocean. Its main dam, which disconnected Plover Cove from the sea, was one of the largest in the world at the time of its construction.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Mun_Tsai:
Sam Mun Tsai (三門仔) is an area and a village in Yim Tin Tsai, Tai Po District, Hong Kong.
Sam Mun Tsai is one of the villages represented within the Tai Po Rural Committee. For electoral purposes, Sam Mun Tsai is part of the Shuen Wan constituency, which was formerly represented by So Tat-leung until October 2021. Sam Mun Tsai New Village or Sam Mun Tsai San Tsuen (三門仔新村) is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy.
The fishermen now residing in Sam Mun Tsai New Village used to live on boats at the original Sam Mun Tsai, close to Tai Kau of Luk Heung, now at the northeastern shore of Plover Cove Reservoir. They were relocated to their current residence in 1966, as a result of the construction of the Plover Cove Reservoir. At the time, 36 families were moved to housing on land. Extensive renovation work was conducted at the Sam Mun Tsai Fishermen's Village in 2006-2007.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma_Shi_Chau:
Ma Shi Chau (馬屎洲 literally "Horse Dung Island") is an island of Hong Kong, under the administration of Tai Po District. It is located in Tolo Harbour in the northeast New Territories (near Sam Mun Tsai). It is connected with another island, Yim Tin Tsai, by a tombolo traversable at low tide.
It was previously known as No Kot Chai and No Kot Choi (螺角洲).
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Bank_Tower_(Montreal):
The Royal Bank Tower is a skyscraper at 360 Saint-Jacques Street in Montreal, Quebec. The 22-storey 121 m (397 ft) neo-classical tower was designed by the firm of York and Sawyer with the bank's chief architect Sumner Godfrey Davenport of Montreal. Upon completion in 1928, it was the tallest building in the entire British Empire, the tallest structure in all of Canada and the first building in the city that was taller than Montréal's Notre-Dame Basilica built nearly a century before.
The bank's first official head office was at Hollis and George in Halifax in 1879. In 1907 the Royal Bank of Canada moved its head office from Halifax to Montreal. As its original building on Saint-Jacques Street turned out to be too small, in 1926 the board of directors of the biggest bank in Canada hired New York architects York and Sawyer to build a prestigious new building a short distance westward. Between 1920 and 1926 the bank had bought up all the property between Saint-Jacques, Saint-Pierre, Notre-Dame and Dollard Streets to demolish all the buildings there including the old Mechanics' Institute and the ten-storey Bank of Ottawa building in order to make space for the new 22-storey building.
In 1962, the Royal Bank moved its main office to another famous Montreal building, Place Ville-Marie, however kept a branch in the impressive main hall of the old building, situated in Old Montreal. That branch relocated to the nearby Tour de la Bourse in July 2012.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsukushima_Shrine:
Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社, Itsukushima-jinja) is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima), best known for its "floating" torii. It is in the city of Hatsukaichi, in Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan, accessible from the mainland by ferry at Miyajimaguchi Station. The shrine complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Japanese government has designated several buildings and possessions as National Treasures.
The Itsukushima shrine is one of Japan's most popular tourist attractions. It is most famous for its dramatic gate, or torii on the outskirts of the shrine, the sacred peaks of Mount Misen, extensive forests, and its ocean view. The shrine complex itself consists of two main buildings: the Honsha shrine and the Sessha Marodo-jinja, as well as 17 other different buildings and structures that help to distinguish it.
Excerpt from itsukushimajinja.jp/en/route.html:
East Corridor: The corridors are 3.9 meters wide and about 270 meteres long. The distance between the pillars is about 2.4 meters. There are eight floorboards between the pillars and small spaces between the floorboards.
View large- hit "L" then "Z" twice or gesture.
From Wiki: The green-headed tanager (Tangara seledon) is a brightly colored bird found in the Atlantic forest in south-eastern Brazil, far eastern Paraguay, and far north-eastern Argentina (Misiones only).
As other members of the genus Tangara, it is a small colorful bird, measuring an average of 13.5 centimeters (5.3 in) and a mass of 18g (0.6 oz). The green-headed Tanager has a greenish or bluish head, black on the back, and a contrastingly colored, orange or red rump. Females and juvenile birds have similar, though duller coloration. While essentially a bird of humid forests, it is also common in orchards and parks,[2] where it moves through the canopy, making itself inconspicuous, as its apparently flashy blue-green coloration camouflages it well amongst the foliage.
Información en WIKIPEDIA:
🇪🇸 Orduña
Tomada a 288 m.s.n.m.
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Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8D-ji:
Tō-ji Temple (東寺, Tō-ji, "East Temple"), also known as Kyō-ō-gokoku-ji (教王護国寺, The Temple for the Defense of the Nation by Means of the King of Doctrines) is a Shingon Buddhist temple in the Minami-ku ward of Kyoto, Japan.
Founded in 796, it was one of the only three Buddhist temples allowed in the city at the time it became the capital of Japan. As such it has a long history, housing treasures and documents from the early Heian period and the Tang dynasty, and with buildings in its complex covering the Kamakura, Muromachi, Momoyama, and Edo periods. Five of these buildings have been designated National Treasures in two different categories: the Lotus Flower Gate (rengemon), the Miei Hall (mieidō), the Golden Hall (kondō) and the five-storied Pagoda (gojūnotō) (temple buildings) and the Kanchiin Guest Hall (kanchiin kyakuden) (residences).
Tō-ji was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
The five-storied Pagoda (五重塔, gojūnotō) of Tō-ji dates from 1643 (Edo period), when it was rebuilt by order of the third Tokugawa Shōgun, Iemitsu. The original pagoda was built in the 9th century, but it was destroyed and rebuilt four times before reaching its current state. It was designated a National Treasure in 1952.
The pagoda stands 54.8 meters (180 feet) high, and is the tallest wooden tower in Japan. Entrance into the pagoda itself is permitted only on special occasions, but it is usually open and the interior can be seen from the outside. It houses relics, sculptures, and paintings. At ground level, there are statues of four Buddhas facing different directions.
The Kondo or Golden Hall is the main hall of the temple and contains a statue of Yakushi from 1603.
The Miedo is dedicated to Kobo Daishi, also called Kukai, the temple's founder. It stands on the location of his original residence. The hall is opened on the 21st of each month when a memorial service is held for Kukai.
The grounds feature a garden and pond, in which turtles and koi swim. The grounds also house an academically rigorous private school, Rakunan, from which many students are sent to elite universities.
Información en WIKIPEDIA:
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We were visiting Spello, a medieval walled town of pre-Roman origins preserving three Roman gates and many other remains from the Roman age. Stone upon stone, in such ancient towns every inch is colonized and civilized. Houses, churches, palaces and towers are huddled together like male Emperor penguins in a colony during incubation. As you are strolling around, breathing with the breath of history, you should expect some suprise at every bending - a flight of steps running up towards the bright colours of a walled garden, an enticing alley carved out of the crowded buildings, a small curiosity shop or a brewery where you can eat some local food while tasting their (usually quite good) handmade beer...
Here I have captured a typical view of Spello (Fonte del Mastro street, looking downwards). The small church at the dead center of the framing, suppressed after the unification of Italy in the 19th century, is now home to the European Studies Center of Medieval Music "Adolfo Broegg" (sorry, in spite of the international vocation of the Center, the site is almost entirely in Italian).
But there is even more than this to Umbria - more than simply this flavourful cocktail of nature, history, and art. One of the things I love of Umbria is the Umbrian people. The Umbrians are generally friendly, even congenial, and they enjoy taking (or rather tasting) life at an easy pace - which is particularly refreshing for people like us, coming from antipodean places where every day is just a new damn hectic day. This quiet, typical view of Spello shows just a minimal touch of human presence: a man climbing the steep paved street on his Vespa scooter - admittedly only a negligible bit faster than walking. But then, I am sure that it was just a way to save his breath for something more important :-)...
I have obtained this picture by blending a "fake" (i.e. from a single RAW file) exposure bracketing [-1.0/0/+1.0 EV] by luminosity masks in the Gimp (EXIF data, as usual, refer to the "normal exposure" shot).
4884
Visit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perc%C3%A9_Rock
Info from Wikipedia
Percé Rock (French Rocher Percé, "pierced rock") is a huge sheer rock formation in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, Canada, off Percé Bay. Percé Rock appears from a distance like a ship under sail. It is one of the world's largest natural arches located in water and is considered a geologically and historically rich natural icon of Quebec. It is a major attraction in the Gaspesie region.
The massive rocky cliff is called by several names, such as le Rocher Percé, Pierced Rock, Pierced Island, Split Rock or Percé Rock. The name is attributed to the pierced rock that formed an arch 15 metres (49 ft) high on its seaward southern end, as though a needle had cut through the rock.It was named Percé ("pierced rock") by Samuel de Champlain in 1607, in reference to the holes he had seen in the massive block of limestone, which over the years has become a major attraction in the region of Quebec.
The Percé Rock, described as "the monstrous giant; pierced through by an immense eye, now green, now gray, now blue or violet, according to the moods of the sea", is linked in legend to a young man of a noble French family.
Another version of the legend, which is also narrated by the local people of Percé town, is that they see the rock in the shape of a "phantom" during storms and hence call it "Le Génie deľisle Percé". This, however, could be interpreted to mean that the vapoury clouds that engulf the "vast flocks of water fowl" could give such an impression when viewed from a distance.
© Copyright
This photo and all those in my Photostream are protected by copyright. No one may reproduce, copy, transmit or manipulate them without my written permission.
Dogs Cemetery in Asnières
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimeti%C3%A8re_des_Chiens_(Asni%C3%A8res-sur-Seine)
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimeti%C3%A8re_des_Chiens_et_Autres...
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Changdeokgung:
Behind the palace lies the 78-acre (32 ha) Huwon (後苑, Rear garden) which was originally constructed for the use of the royal family and palace women. The garden incorporates a lotus pond, pavilions, and landscaped lawns, trees, and flowers. There are over 26,000 specimens of a hundred different species of trees in the garden and some of the trees behind the palace are over 300 years old. The garden for the private use of the king had been called 'Geumwon' (禁苑, Forbidden garden) because even high officials were not allowed to enter without the king's permission. It had also been called 'Naewon' (內苑, 'Inner garden'). Today Koreans often call it 'Biwon' (秘院, Secret garden) which derived from the office of same name in the late 19th century. Though the garden had many other names, the one most frequently used through Joseon dynasty period was 'Huwon'.
In September 2012, the Buyongjeong pavilion in the garden was re-opened after a year-long restoration project. The pavilion was restored based on the Donggwoldo from 1820, National Treasures of South Korea No. 249.
A variety of ceremonies hosted by the king were held in Huwon. In the early period of the Joseon dynasty, military inspections in which the king participated were often held here. King Sejo had troops parade and array before him or commanded them by himself in the garden. In addition, feasts were given, archery tournaments held, and fireworks enjoyed in Huwon.
The Ongnyucheon (玉流川, "Jade Stream") area is of particular interest. It contains a U-shaped water channel carved in 1636 for floating wine cups, with a small waterfall and an inscribed poem on the boulder above it. The area also contains five small pavilions.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_City,_South_Dakota
Rapid City is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western South Dakota, on the Black Hills' eastern slope. The population was 74,703 as of the 2020 Census.
Known as the "Gateway to the Black Hills" and the "City of Presidents" because of the life-size bronze president statues downtown, Rapid City is split by a low mountain ridge that divides the city's western and eastern parts. Ellsworth Air Force Base is on the city's outskirts. Camp Rapid, part of the South Dakota Army National Guard, is in the city's western part.
Rapid City is home to such attractions as Art Alley, Dinosaur Park, the City of Presidents walking tour, Chapel in the Hills, Storybook Island, and Main Street Square. The historic "Old West" town of Deadwood is nearby. In the neighboring Black Hills are the tourist attractions of Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, and the museum at the Black Hills Institute of Geological Research. To the city's east is Badlands National Park.
Source: www.visittheusa.com/destination/rapid-city
Where a rugged landscape surrounds charm and culture
While Rapid City is best known for its proximity to national parks and enormous mountain carvings, including Mount Rushmore just 40 kilometers away, visitors to the heart of this Black Hills destination will be enthralled by a plethora of outdoor adventures, a charming and historic downtown and a salute to American Indian heritage in southwestern South Dakota.
The Famous Faces
Make Rapid City your headquarters for short jaunts to six national parks – Badlands National Park, Devils Tower National Monument, Jewel Cave National Monument, Wind Cave National Park, Minuteman Missile Silo National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial – as well as Crazy Horse Memorial.
No trip here would be complete without seeing the heads of four U.S. presidents, each about 18 meters tall, carved into granite on the side of Mount Rushmore. Once there, you’ll see why the sculpture, which took 14 years to complete, attracts nearly 3 million people a year. Nearby, work continues in the Black Hills on another mountain carving, this one of the famous Lakota warrior Crazy Horse astride his horse, that will become the world’s largest sculpture upon completion. The memorial serves to preserve the culture of North American Indians.
Find out more about the area at The Journey Museum & Learning Center, which features exhibits tracing some 2.5 billion years of history, from the earliest rock formations to Native American cultures and Western frontier exploration.
Large-Scale Outdoor Adventures
Options are plentiful for people who enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, biking, fishing, kayaking, rock climbing, wildlife viewing and off-the-beaten-path exploration. Traipse through all of those national parks and see a variety of landscapes, including mountains, hills, canyons, valleys, creeks and lakes.
Take in the natural beauty of the Black Hills National Forest and all of its hidden gems, including the Stratobowl clearing that was home base for historic balloon flights. Venture into Custer State Park, where the Wildlife Loop takes visitors through 29 kilometers of hills and grasslands, home to more than 1,300 free-roaming bison. Stop in the Wildlife Station Visitor Center to learn what other types of wildlife you might encounter. Sites along the George S. Mickelson Trail – a Black Hills rail trail route that is about 175 kilometers long – include tunnels, bridges and 15 trail heads.
A City of Culture
In addition to the prominent Native American arts and culture, Rapid City has become known for its culinary, winery and brewery scene as well as history tied to the original settlers. The Sculpture Project: Passage of Wind and Water is a five-year public art initiative with sculptor Masayuki Nagase working during the summer months to carve by hand granite sculptures in Main Street Square. As you tour the city, look for the City of Presidents, life-size bronze statues of 43 former U.S. presidents, including the famous four that are also on Mount Rushmore.
Comfort is key in Rapid City, which features smaller boutique hotels, larger hotel chains, vacation rentals, camping and bed-and-breakfast establishments. Perhaps you will find a place with a history that includes some of the nation’s presidents.
Source: motionunlimitedmuseum.com/about-us/
MOTION UNLIMITED MUSEUM is the heart and soul of Bill and Peggy Napoli. From the time Bill was 9 years old and owned his very first 1940 Ford pickup, his goal was to own and operate a fine automobile museum and build cars’ trucks, and motorcycles. Not just a dingy old bunch of buildings full of dirty old cars, but a beautiful place to showcase the antique and classic cars and motorcycles Bill and Peggy have painstakingly restored themselves since they married in 1969.
From the 1933 Dodge Sedan Delivery that took 8 years to rebuild, to the 1925 Studebaker Motor Home, to the Harley Davidson with Side Car equipped with a TV, all the vehicles in the museum show their touch of detail, and love only true enthusiasts have for their collection.
Bill and Peggy have filled 18,000 square feet of buildings with toys, pedal cars, pedal tractors, gas pumps, signs, pictures, and thousands of other pieces of memorabilia along with the antique and classic cars and motorcycles. Stop and read the stories, lots of history!
Bill and Peggy do all their own restoration and custom work, including body and paint, upholstery, mechanical work, and finish detail. They always have at least 3-5 projects in the process of building.
There are over 100 cars for sale at Motion Unlimited Museum and Classic Car Lot at any one time, and Yes, they will sell vehicles from their collection.
The museum is constantly evolving and changing. So, whenever you come to visit, you will see new and exciting things each time. You’re invited to come to spend your vacation in the Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota and visit one of the most unique collections anywhere. Who knows, you might also buy the vehicle of your dreams during your visit!
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis"
(South Dakota) "داكوتا الجنوبية" "南达科他州" "Dakota du Sud" "दक्षिण डकोटा" "サウスダコタ" "사우스다코타" "Южная Дакота" "Dakota del Sur"
(Rapid City) "رابيد سيتي" "拉皮德城" "Ville rapide" "रैपिड सिटी" "ラピッドシティ" "래피드시티" "Рапид Сити" "Ciudad rápida"
SUNSET - Florida Everglades
Palm Beach County, FL U.S.A.
Spring 2020 - May 31st, 2020
*[left-double-click for a closer-look]
Happy Third Day of Autumn! - Fall
*[Autumn-Pumpkin-Orange - thanks for looking]
*[we don't get the intense Autumn colors that you
see 'north' of Florida...but we do get pumpkin-orange!]
*[almost done with this one - lots of 'orange' magic-moments!]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades
Free Fallin' - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (LIVE)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcgEf1kJ3wo
(I miss Tom Petty and Gregg Allman - RIP)
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikk%C5%8D_T%C5%8Dsh%C5%8D-g%C5%AB:
Nikkō Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮) is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the nomination. Five of them are designated as National Treasures of Japan, and three more as Important Cultural Properties.
Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was initially built in 1617, during the Edo period, while Ieyasu's son Hidetada was shōgun. It was enlarged during the time of the third shōgun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu is enshrined there, where his remains are also entombed. This shrine was built by Tokugawa retainer Tōdō Takatora.
During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate carried out stately processions from Edo to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū along the Nikkō Kaidō. The shrine's annual spring and autumn festivals reenact these occasions, and are known as "processions of a thousand warriors". Cedar trees line the roadway, termed the Cedar Avenue of Nikkō.
Five structures at Nikkō Tōshō-gū are categorized as National Treasures of Japan, and three more as Important Cultural Properties. Additionally, two swords in the possession of the shrine are National Treasures, and many other objects are Important Cultural Properties. Famous buildings at the Tōshō-gū include the richly decorated Yōmeimon (陽明門), a gate that is also known as "higurashi-no-mon". The latter name means that one could look at it until sundown, and not tire of seeing it. Carvings in deep relief, painted in rich colors, decorate the surface of the structure. The next gate is the karamon decorated with white ornaments. Located nearby is a woodcarving of a sleepy cat, "Nemuri-neko", attributed to Hidari Jingorō.
The stable of the shrine's sacred horses bears a carving of the three wise monkeys, who hear, speak and see no evil, a traditional symbol in Japanese culture that is derived from a quote in the Analects.
The original five-storey pagoda was donated by a daimyō in 1650, but it was burned down during a fire, and was rebuilt in 1818. Each storey represents an element–earth, water, fire, wind and aether (or void)–in ascending order. Inside the pagoda, a central shinbashira pillar hangs from chains[3] to minimize damage from earthquakes.
Hundreds of stone steps lead through the cryptomeria forest up to the grave of Ieyasu. A torii at the top bears calligraphy attributed to Emperor Go-Mizunoo. A bronze urn contains the remains of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
In 2008, Yuri Kawasaki became the first female Shinto priest ever to serve at Nikkō Tōshō-gū.