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Climb Mount Fuji to Meet the Land of the Rising Sun
Created on May 03, 2010 by Elaine Wong, WriterWhat better symbol for mountainous and volcanic Japan, than an active volcano climbed by 200,000 people annually? Mount Fuji, which last erupted in 1707-1708 is a holy site for many Japanese people. The first part of an ancient Japanese saying tells one, "A wise man climbs Mount Fuji once in their life," and there is really no excuse to be unwise since Mount Fuji is only two hours from Tokyo by bus. Mount Fuji is visible from a distance, and for postcard perfect pictures, you should take them in the towns around the mountain before the mountain looms over you. Before climbing Mount Fuji, you need to decide if you want to climb from the base, or from the halfway-point (as most Japanese do). The ...
See the Great Masterpieces of the Louvre
Created on May 03, 2010 by Elaine Wong, WriterFor art lovers, there is something magical about the Louvre Museum in Paris. Though it is not the largest museum in the world (that distinction belongs to the Hermitage), it is the most visited. Part of the fascination stems from the unique architecture of the Louvre. Not many museums in the world were once palaces, and even fewer have the long history of the Louvre. Beginning as a fortress in 1190, the French monarchs continued to expand the Louvre, even serving as the royal headquarters until Louis XIV moved his household to the Palace of Versailles. Visitors today can still see the foundations of the original fortress, and the magnificence of the medieval French court can easily be imagined while strolling through its marbled hallways. ...
Watch an Acrobatic Show in Beijing
Created on May 03, 2010 by Elaine Wong, WriterAll those physics lessons in high school might have been wasted in explaining how an acrobat can teeter on a chair, with the bottom edge precariously balanced on the back of another, when you witness a Beijing acrobatic show. And so the chairs continue, forming a staircase that seems in imminent collapse. Meanwhile, the acrobat balanced on top pirouettes on her feet, while another acrobat clambers over the chairs and leaps to the top of the pile. Props such as Chinese plates and bamboo poles might come out at this point. Though the trappings of Chinese acrobatics are different from Western ones, seeing a Beijing acrobatic show when you visit China will inspire the same awe in the human body. Chinese acrobats are part of ...
Hiking Princess Mononoke's Forest on Yakushima
Created on March 21, 2010 by Elaine Wong, WriterYakushima (Yaku Island) is a UNESCO World Heritage site flooded by Japanese hikers every year, and remains relatively unknown to foreigners. Visitors go to Yakushima island, that lies south of Kagoshima, for only one reason—to see the magnificent cedars that are the inspiration behind the forests of the animated film Princess Mononoke. Going all the way to an island to look at trees may seem extreme, until you walk between archways of roots that are as thick as the trunks of your average oak or maple. The twisting curves of the trunks and branches make Yukushima forest take on postmodernist sculpture. Moss carpets everything and glows in the filtered light that shines through the leaves. Hikers and nature lovers should put this on their to-do ...
Dip into Japanese Culture at a Traditional Onsen
Created on October 20, 2009 by Elaine Wong, WriterJapan can be freezing cold during the winter, especially since the older generations believed that braving the climate without insulation or central heating was a matter of cultural pride. Or, perhaps it was just an excuse to visit the local bathhouse (sento) or hot spring (onsen); either way, a soak at one of Japan's onsen is a great way to dip into a warm cultural tradition. Due to their ubiquity and relatively low cost, Japan's onsen are easily accessible to most travellers. Any prudish sensibilities must be left behind, and although Japan has become famous for its modesty in the last hundred years, it was traditionally much more comfortable with nudity than Western nations. This can still be seen in Japanese onsen culture in the ...
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