History and Facts

I post some culture sides about the Super Wings show: Traditionnal food, facts about the history of differents country culture, and more

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Traditions and Events: The Dragon Dance - China

The Dragon Dance (local name being 舞龍, or wǔ lóng) is a traditionnal and ancient performal dance practiced in Chinese culture, as the same way as the Lion Dance (more infos about it there), it is more often see during festivities, like the Lunar New Year. This dance is performed by a team of expert dancers, manipulating a giant dragon figure, the dance team simulates the imagined movements of this river spirit in a sinuous, undulating manner.

The dragon dance is, as said earlier, often performed during Chinese New Year. Chinese dragon is an important symbol of China's culture, and they are believed to bring good luck to people, therefore the longer the dragon is in the dance, the more luck it will bring to the community. The dragons are believed to possess qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness. The appearance of a dragon is both fearsome and bold but it has a benevolent disposition, and it was an emblem to represent imperial authority. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolize the power and dignity of the dragon.

The origin of the Dragon Dance was most set during the Han Dynasty, were multiples texts described different form of dances, mostly associated with rain. According to a Han dynasty texts, these rituals was made to call two dragon deities: Yinglong and Shenlong, who each one bring rain and wind for the people.

There is also others form of dances involving these creatures, more as a popular and entertainment form. One of theses examples is the Baixi (百戲), when there are dancers called "mime people" dressed up as various creatures, including the dragon, and also a fish-dragon creature, mentionned in those dances. However, theses Ancient dances does not reflect the modern dragon Dance, stated in the illustration stones from the Han period.

Objects like dragon lanterns (龍燈) and figures are also disposed for the dance preparations, the lanterns are carried long the path the dance is mostly held.

The dragon is a long serpentine body formed of a number of sections on poles, with a dragon head and a tail. It is assembled by joining the series of hoops on each section and attaching the ornamental head and tail pieces at the ends. Traditionally, dragons were constructed of wood, with bamboo hoops on the inside and covered with a rich fabric, however in the modern era lighter materials such as aluminium and plastics have replaced the wood and heavy material.

The normal length and size of the body recommended for the dragon is 34 metres (110 ft) and is divided into nine major sections. The distance of each minor (rib-like) section is 35 cm (14 in) apart; therefore, the body has 81 rings. Many may also be up to 15 sections long, and some dragons are as long as 46 sections. Occasionally, dragons with far more sections may be constructed in Chinese communities around the world to produce the longest dragon possible, since part of the myth of the dragon is that the longer the creature, the more luck it will bring.

Historically the dragon dance may be performed in a variety of ways with different types and colours of dragon. Green is sometimes selected as a main colour of the dragon, which symbolizes a great harvest. Other colours include: yellow, symbolizing the solemn empire; gold or silver, symbolizing prosperity; red, representing excitement. The dragon's scales and tail are mostly beautiful silvery and glittery to create a joyous atmosphere.

The dragon dance is performed by a skilled team whose job is to bring the motionless puppet body to life. The correct combination and proper timing of the different parts of the dragon are very important to make a successful dance.

The patterns of the dragon dance are choreographed according to the skills and experiences acquired by the performers. Some of the patterns of the dragon dance are "Cloud Cave", "Whirlpool", tai chi pattern, "threading the money", "looking for pearl", and "dragon encircling the pillar". The movement "dragon chasing the pearl" shows that the dragon is continually in the pursuit of wisdom.

The Dragon Dance is one of the most popular practice in the world that competion performances have been organized, those events have stricts rules involving the dragon movements and the routine performance. It is also performed in others countries, mostly in Asia like Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia.

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Nature and Animals: Elephant Sanctuaries - Thailand

Thailand is the main home of multiple Elephant Sanctuaries, in this contry, the elephant is in general important in their mainly culture and also considered as sacred animal for their symbolism in the buddhism, the white elephant is one of the most common specie in Thailand, among three.

In the way to held the elephant safe and in good healthcare, multiples sanctuares were build all over Thailand, as they are not only tourists attractions, but they also play a crucial role and provide a haven for elephants, promote ethical practices and the physical and psychological wellbeing of these creatures.

The presence of theses sanctuaries afford many benefits, both for the elephants and the humans. For the people and tourists, they provide self-awareness and uniqueness meaningful experiences for them. The guests can observe elephants in their natural habitat, gaining a deeper understanding of their behavior and ecological importance. This firsthand interaction fosters empathy and appreciation for these magnificent creatures and promotes a sense of environmental responsibility.

For the elephant, it's mainly usefull for them due to their many years held in captivity, abuse and exploitation due of the industry, like overwork and many others things, but alse were in massive danger due to human activity and deforestation. The Elephant sanctuaries play a crucial role in the rehabilitation and rescuing system for these mistreated animals, so they can return in the wild after their stay in these locations.

There are several elephant sanctuaries in Thailand, and some of them are the most renowned for the care and natural environment they provide for the different species of elephant that reside there. At least nine of them are located near the Thai city of Chiang Mai, including the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, Into the Wild Camp and the Happy Elephant Home.

The aim of all these sanctuaries is to help these animals, considered as a great treasure for the Thai people.

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Natural and Geography: Mud Volcanoes - Azerbaijan

There are multiples mud volcanoes than can be found in any countries in the world, but Azerbaijan is the one who counts the most than any others: 350 of the 700 mud volcanoes are located in the Azerbaijani Republic. Local people call them “yanardagh” (burning mountain), “pilpila” (terrace), “gaynacha” (boiling water) and “bozdag” (grey mountain) alongside its geographical name – mud volcanoes.

Underground and submarine mud volcanoes are also famed in Azerbaijan. There are more than 140 submarine volcanoes in the Caspian Sea. Eight islands in the Baku Archipelago are mud volcanoes by origination. The other kind of mud volcanoes are wells. Their activity can be observed among strata of various ages. According to the information, mud volcanoes initially began their activity in the territory of Azerbaijan 25 million years ago. In this area, Most mud volcanoes are still in activity; some are protected by the Azerbaijan Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, and the admission of people, for security reasons, is prohibited. Precisely , in 2001, one mud volcano 15 kilometres (9 mi) from Baku, made world headlines when it started ejecting flames 15 metres (49 ft) high. Some of theses are located in the Gobustan State Historical and Cultural Reserve.

About 200 eruptions have occurred in 50 volcanoes in the territory of Azerbaijani Republic since 1810. Eruption of mud volcanoes is accompanied by strong explosions and underground rumbling. Gasses come out from the deepest layers of the earth and immediately ignite. A height of a flame over volcano reaches 1000 meters (Garasu volcano). Toragay volcano erupted 6 times from 1841 to 1950.

Grounds of Mud Volcanoes can be also source of rich oil and some gas fields, a reason of the presence of oil platforms nearby and associated with the oilfields: (Lokbatan, Garadagh, Neft Dashlari, Mishovdagh and others). In addition, lava, mud and liquid erupted by mud volcanoes are used as raw materials in chemical and construction industries and also in pharmacology.

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Architecture and Monuments: Great Sphinx of Giza - Egypt

The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestonestatue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. Facing directly from west to east, it stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt.

The Sphinx is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt and one of the most recognizable statues in the world. The archaeological evidence suggests that it was created by ancient Egyptians of the Old Kingdom during the reign of Khafre (c. 2558–2532 BC).

A special feature of the Sphinx is its actual lack of a nose. The circumstances surrounding it about being broken off are uncertain, but close inspection suggests a deliberate act using rods or chisels. Contrary to a popular myth, it was not broken off by cannonfire from Napoleon's troops during his 1798 Egyptian campaign. Its absence is in fact depicted in artwork predating Napoleon and referred to in descriptions by the 15th-century historian al-Maqrīzī.

It is unknown how the name of the Sphinx came to be, due to propably multiples origins, for example of its creator of the Old Kingdom, as the Sphinx temple, enclosure, and possibly the Sphinx itself was not completed at the time, and thus cultural material was limited. In the New Kingdom, the Sphinx was revered as the solar deity Hor-em-akhet (English: "Horus of the Horizon"; Hellenized: Harmachis)

The commonly used name "Sphinx" was given to it in classical antiquity, about 2,000 years after the commonly accepted date of its construction by reference to a Greek mythological beast with the head of a woman, a falcon, a cat, or a sheep and the body of a lion with the wings of an eagle (although, like most Egyptian sphinxes, the Great Sphinx has a man's head and no wings). The English word sphinx comes from the ancient Greek "Σφίγξ" (transliterated: sphinx) apparently from the verb σφίγγω (transliterated: sphingo / English: to squeeze), after the Greek sphinx who strangled anyone who failed to answer her riddle.

Over the centuries, writers and scholars have recorded their impressions and reactions upon seeing the Sphinx. The vast majority were concerned with a general description, often including a mixture of science, romance and mystique.

From the 16th to the 19th centuries, European observers described the Sphinx having the face, neck and breast of a woman. Examples included Johannes Helferich (1579), George Sandys (1615), Johann Michael Vansleb (1677), and some others following it. Most early Western images were book illustrations in print form, elaborated by a professional engraver from either previous images available or some original drawing or sketch supplied by an author, and usually now lost. Seven years after visiting Giza, André Thévet (Cosmographie de Levant, 1556) described the Sphinx as "the head of a colossus, caused to be made by Isis, daughter of Inachus, then so beloved of Jupiter". He, or his artist and engraver, pictured it as a curly-haired monster with a grassy dog collar. Athanasius Kircher, however, depicted the Sphinx as a Roman statue

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Been inactive for more than a full year. Now I will be back and get ready for more and new detailed cultural facts that was showed in the show in the future months.

I'm also open to requests if you want for about specific cultural facts.

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Natural and Geography: Rafflesia arnoldii - Malaysia:

Rafflesia arnoldii, the corpse flower or giant padma, is a species of flowering plant in the parasitic genus Rafflesia. It is noted for producing the largest individual flower on Earth. It has a strong and unpleasant odor of decaying flesh. It is native to the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo. Although there are some plants with larger flowering organs like the titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) and talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera), those are technically clusters of many flowers. Rafflesia arnoldii is one of the three national flowers in Indonesia, the other two being the white jasmine (Jasminum sambac) and moon orchid (Phalaenopsis amabilis). It was officially recognized as a national "rare flower" (Indonesian: puspa langka) in Presidential Decree No. 4 in 1993.

The only host plant species of R. arnoldii is Tetrastigma leucostaphylum in West Sumatra. Tetrastigma are themselves parasites of a sort, using the strength and upright growth of other surrounding plants to reach the light. The host plants of the host plants – the trees that Tetrastigma uses to climb up to light, are relatively limited in number of species, although they are generally the closest tree to the vine.

When it is young, at least at the locations studied in West Sumatra, areas of primary forest, the vine climbs on sapling trees and bushes of Laportea stimulans and Coffea canephora in the undergrowth, in the subcanopy a Campnosperma species is the most important, whereas the only large tree the vine grows in is also Laportea stimulans. Tetrastigma often can completely envelop its host at the subcanopy level, choking out the light to such degree that the forest floor below the canopy is completely dark -this is apparently preferred by Rafflesia arnoldii, the most knops are found at the darkest locations in the forest. The most common plant associated with Rafflesia arnoldii is the smallish tree Coffea canephora (the well-known robusta coffee), which is actually not native to the area, but was introduced from Africa. It covers most of the undergrowth, with a Importance Value Index (IVI) of over 100%, and is also the main component of the subcanopy with an IVI of 52.74%. The dominant tall tree in these areas is Toona sureni, which has a canopy IVI of 4.97%.

The buds take many months to develop and the flower lasts for just a few days. The flowers are gonochorous – either male or female, thus both flowers are needed for successful pollination.

When Rafflesia is ready to reproduce, a tiny bud forms outside the root or stem of its host and develops over a period of a year. The cabbage-like head that develops eventually opens to reveal the flower. The stigmas or stamens are attached to a spiked disk inside the flower. A foul smell of rotting meat attracts flies and beetles. To pollinate successfully, the flies and/or beetles must visit both the male and female plants, in that order. The fruit produced are round berries filled with numerous minute seeds.

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Natural and Geography: Mount Vesuvius - Italy:

Vesuvius or Mount Vesuvius (also known as Monte Vesuvio in Italian, ) is an Italian Somma-stratovolcano with an altitude of 1,281 meters, bordering the Bay of Naples, east of the city. It is the only volcano in continental Europe to have erupted in the last hundred years, its last eruption in 1944. Vesuvius consists of a large cone partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera, caused by the collapse of an earlier and originally much higher structure.

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 destroyed the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae, as well as several other settlements. The eruption ejected a cloud of stones, ashes and volcanic gases to a height of 33 km (21 mi), erupting molten rock and pulverized pumice at the rate of 6×10 cubic meters (7.8×10 cu yd) per second. More than 1,000 people are thought to have died in the eruption, though the exact toll is unknown. The only surviving eyewitness account of the event consists of two letters by Pliny the Younger to the historian Tacitus.

Vesuvius was a name of the volcano in frequent use by the authors of the late Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. Its collateral forms were Vesaevus, Vesevus, Vesbius and Vesvius. Writers in ancient Greek used Οὐεσούιον or Οὐεσούιος. Many scholars since then have offered an etymology. As peoples of varying ethnicity and language occupied Campania in the Roman Iron Age, the etymology depends to a large degree on the presumption of what language was spoken there at the time. Naples was settled by Greeks, as the name Nea-polis, "New City", testifies. The Oscans, an Italic people, lived in the countryside. The Latins also competed for the occupation of Campania. Etruscan settlements were in the vicinity. Other peoples of unknown provenance are said to have been there at some time by various ancient authors.

Mount Vesuvius has erupted many times. The eruption in AD 79 was preceded by numerous others in prehistory, including at least three significantly larger ones, including the Avellino eruption around 1800 BC which engulfed several Bronze Age settlements. Since AD 79, the volcano has also erupted repeatedly, in 172, 203, 222, possibly in 303, 379, 472, 512, 536, 685, 787, around 860, around 900, 968, 991, 999, 1006, 1037, 1049, around 1073, 1139, 1150, and there may have been eruptions since then.  The volcano erupted again in 1631, six times in the 18th century , eight times in the 19th century, and in 1906, 1929 and 1944. There have been no eruptions since 1944, and none of the eruptions after AD 79 were as large or destructive as the Pompeian one.

Vesuvius has a long historic and literary tradition. It was considered a divinity of the Genius type at the time of the eruption of AD 79: it appears under the inscribed name Vesuvius as a serpent in the decorative frescos of many lararia, or household shrines, surviving from Pompeii. An inscription from Capua to IOVI VESVVIO indicates that he was worshipped as a power of Jupiter; that is, Jupiter Vesuvius.

The Romans regarded Mount Vesuvius to be devoted to Hercules. The historian Diodorus Siculus relates a tradition that Hercules, in the performance of his labors, passed through the country of nearby Cumae on his way to Sicily and found there a place called "the Phlegraean Plain" (Φλεγραῖον πεδίον, "plain of fire"), "from a hill which anciently vomited out fire ... now called Vesuvius." It was inhabited by bandits, "the sons of the Earth," who were giants. With the assistance of the gods, he pacified the region and went on. The facts behind the tradition, if any, remain unknown, as does whether Herculaneum was named after it. An epigram by the poet Martial in 88 AD suggests that both Venus, patroness of Pompeii, and Hercules were worshipped in the region devastated by the eruption of 79.

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Architecture and Monuments: The City of Petra - Jordan

Petra , originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu or Raqēmō  is a historic and archaeological city in southern Jordan. It is adjacent to the mountain of Jabal Al-Madbah, in a basin surrounded by mountains forming the eastern flank of the Arabah valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. The area around Petra has been inhabited from as early as 7000 BC, and the Nabataeans might have settled in what would become the capital city of their kingdom as early as the 4th century BC.

The trading business gained the Nabataeans considerable revenue and Petra became the focus of their wealth. The Nabataeans were accustomed to living in the barren deserts, unlike their enemies, and were able to repel attacks by taking advantage of the area's mountainous terrain. They were particularly skillful in harvesting rainwater, agriculture and stone carving. Petra flourished in the 1st century AD, when its famous Al-Khazneh structure – believed to be the mausoleum of Nabataean king Aretas IV – was constructed, and its population peaked at an estimated 20,000 inhabitants. Although the Nabataean kingdom became a client state of the Roman Empire in the first century BC, it was only in 106 AD that it lost its independence. Petra fell to the Romans, who annexed Nabataea and renamed it as Arabia Petraea. Petra's importance declined as sea trade routes emerged, and after an earthquake in 363 destroyed many structures. In the Byzantine era several Christian churches were built, but the city continued to decline, and by the early Islamic era it was abandoned except for a handful of nomads. It remained unknown until it was rediscovered in 1812 by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

Petra is a site located in a rocky cirque structured by several faults dug by wadis, which constitute the main communication routes. The main axis is the wadi Mousa, which crosses the site from east to west, first in the Sîq gorge ("the ditch") located to the east, whose entrance, preceded by the "Djinn tombs", was surmounted by a large arch, now collapsed. This gorge, crossing the Khubtha massif, was the main access route to Petra, and was paved in antiquity.

From its exit, where the Khazneh is located, the space widens. At this point there are many tombs as well as the theater. The course of Wadi Mousa changes its orientation to head north for a few hundred meters, before resuming its course on an east-west axis, where the center of Petra is located, with its main monumental complexes. This area is defended by walls on its more exposed northern and southern flanks, while the defense of the eastern and western sides does not pose any difficulties due to the narrowness of the access routes.

Since springs are scarce in this semi-desert region, rainwater, about 150 mm per year (today 50 to 250 mm), provided most of the needs. The local springs alone could only provide water for a few families. The Nabataeans built a system of water collection and redistribution, with rules for distribution to the inhabitants.

Petra, located in a basin, could collect rainwater from a 92 km basin thanks to the relative impermeability of the rocks. This low permeability of the soil nevertheless posed many problems, such as the triggering of seasonal floods of the wadis (winter and spring) that were very powerful and therefore destructive (especially the Wadi Moussa). Indeed, until it was diverted in the twentieth century, the watercourse of Wadi Moussa ("stream of Moses"), which flows from the source of Ain Moussa ("source of Moses") in the Sîq to the village of Gaia, was the source of deadly floods, as in 1963 when 24 French tourists drowned, surprised by the arrival of a monstrous wave. However, the danger of floods is not entirely removed: in November 2018 twelve people died in bad weather around Petra and 4,000 tourists had to be evacuated from the tourist site. There is also a "small Sîq" that joins the main Sîq near the royal tombs.

When the city was booming, water was used mainly for the consumption of the inhabitants and their livestock and, in a later phase, for watering the gardens. Cereals, such as barley and wheat, fruit trees and vines were probably cultivated in Petra. Presses carved into the rock have been found, probably dating from the period of Roman rule, which gave wine great importance.

Petra has a long history and its valley is particularly prized for its ease of defense. The first inhabitants were prehistoric. There are some material traces of dwellings used by them not far from Petra. It is from around 1200 BC that the place begins to be inhabited. Then, a few centuries before our era, during the Nabatean period, a city was developed, mostly dug in the rock. The Nabatean civilization settled there for several centuries, until the Roman period. After the Byzantine period, the site was practically abandoned. The scarcity of sources for this last period makes it difficult to reconstruct the history of the city. There are still a few written traces dating from the Middle Ages, after which the city is forgotten.

Originally, the Nabataeans being a nomadic people, their buildings were simple goatskin tents established along the Wadi Musa around the 4th century BC.

These temporary camps were replaced over the next two centuries by very simple dwellings carved out of the rock: with smooth facades, they had a doorway excavated in the lower part with one or two staircase-shaped cut-outs. This Nabataean sedentarization is expressed in buildings that are an adaptation of the Syrian tombs; being in constant contact with the surrounding civilizations, they were inspired by the style of several of them, in particular Alexandria.

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Architecture and Monuments: Pha That Luang - Laos

Pha That Luang (Lao: That Luang, meaning "supreme stupa" or "that royal") is a Buddhist stupa located in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. It is the most sacred monument in the country. Since 1991, it has been the official emblem of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It is also commemorated during an important That Luang Festival, the Boun That Luang, during the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (November).

Located three kilometres north of the city centre, atop a hillock that gives it a commanding position over the other monuments of Vientiane, Pha That Luang is a 35 metre high quadrangular stupa with three levels of walkways, entirely gilded. It is surrounded by a square cloister with two entrances and two pavilions (of the original four). In the immediate vicinity, four modern Buddhist temples have been built (two to the west and two to the east).

That Luang houses a Khmer statue of Jayavarman VII, the last great king of Angkor, testifying to Vientiane's historical links with the Khmer Empire.

The history of the monument is not well known. All that is known is that it is linked to the history of King Setthathirat after he settled in Vientiane between about 1550 and 1570. As for its function, again there is no certainty: it is thought to be a reliquary rather than a funerary monument, but it is not clear what it contains. It is thought to be a reliquary rather than a funerary monument, but it is unclear what it contains. According to legend, however, the origin of the site dates back to the 3rd century BC: envoys of the Indian emperor Azoka brought the sternum of Buddha and a stupa was built to receive this relic. However, research has not brought to light any remains dating from this period. The oldest elements found on the site date from the Khmer period, around the 12th and 13th centuries AD.

The first documented state of the stupa dates from 1566: King Setthathirat - whose statue was erected in front of the cloister - built or rebuilt the monument. Destroyed by the Siamese in the 18th century and again during the sack of the city in 1827, the stupa was rebuilt by King Anu. But over the years, the monument deteriorated again. It was restored around 1901 by the École française d'Extrême-Orient, but the architectural options chosen displeased the majority of Laotians who wanted to return to a form closer to the origins. In 1866, France modified the monument between 1931 and 1935 in an attempt to give it back its original Lao style in the shape of a lotus bud.

Every year, on the first full moon in November, the stupa festival is held throughout the country. This festival is particularly important in That Luang. It takes place over three days and is known as the Boun Namatsakane Pha That Luang ("Tribute and devotion to the great stupa"). Tens of thousands of worshippers1 and monks from all over the country gather, and numerous processions, offerings and torchlight parades take place. Ritual games of tikki, a form of hockey played with bamboo sticks, are also held on this occasion.

The festival starts with a colourful candlelight ‘wax castle’ (phasat ) procession which starts in the evening before at Wat Simeuang, where groups gather and walk three times around the main hall of worship in honour of the Vientiane city pillar, which is located at this temple. As the home of the city’s founding pillar, the Wat is considered one of the most important in Vientiane. According to legend, when the pillar was laid, a pregnant woman, Nang Si inspired by supernatural forces, threw herself to death under the pillar as it was being dropped into position. Nang Si is now seen as the guardian of the city and every year homage is paid to her and Lord Buddha during the festival. As well as the castles, they carry candles, incense and flowers, beat drums and cymbals and sing as they walk around the wat.

The procession continues the next afternoon when thousands of people gather to bring their glittering creations to pay homage at That Luang. People wear their best clothes for this procession and there is also a parade of men and women dressed in various Lao ethnic costumes who dance and play traditional music and songs as they approach the stupa.On reaching the stupa, the worshippers slowly walk around it three times in a clockwise direction, led by monks from Wat That Luang chanting the ancient words of Buddha. The whole country looks forward to this most important of Lao festivals, and people come from far and near to revere and celebrate That Luang.

The following morning a huge crowd assembles at dawn That Luang to give alms to hundreds of monks who come here from around the country, and to pay homage to the stupa. The celebrations known as taak baat begin at 7am in the grounds of the That Luang, to pray and prepare their offerings. Both inside and outside the cloister, That Luang’s esplanade is full of monks who assemble to receive their offerings. During the taak baat ritual inside the cloister and on the esplanade outside, everyone sits quietly and listens to the prayers. Some people pour water on the ground to ask Ngamae Thorani (a female earth goddess) to tell the spirits of their relatives to come and receive their offerings, while others release birds from cages to make merit. Everyone tries to go inside the stupa when the formal part of the ceremony has ended to give alms to the monks, to light candles and incense and pray for good luck.

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Special Event: Kazanlak’s Rose Festival - Bulgaria

The first Rose Festival was held in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria in 1903 because this was the main rose growing area for the extraction of rose oil. It is said that its cultivation was brought from ancient Persia in the Middle Ages and soon became a product exported to the rest of the world. The species that is cultivated is the "Rosa Damascena". As the story tells, rose growers, they dressed the most beautiful women with roses to show the quality of the roses to potential buyers and hence the tradition of choosing a "Queen of the Rose" during the Festival.

The Bulgarian Rose Festival in Kazanlak is held at the beginning of each June, specific, being the main day of the festival the first Sunday of the month of June. The festival is therefore short-lived, 3 oh 4 days and in them many possibilities are concentrated for visitors. Some of these activities are the following: pick your own roses in the huge rose fields near Kazanlak, visit factories for the distillation of rose oil from its flower petals, go to jam tastings, rose-flavored cakes and liqueurs, visit the Museum of the Rose and of course enjoy the parade, performances and festivities that take place during the Kazanlak festival.

The Rose Festival is held in Kazanlak every year and marks the famous picking of rose petals in the valleys of the region. The town of Kazanlak takes advantage of this tradition to promote itself, as the picking attracts curious people and tourists from all over the world (especially from Japan).

The rituals take place in various villages (numbered above) around the town of Kazanlak. The most visited rose picking rituals are in the first weekend of June – Saturday and Sunday taking place near the village of Enina or the village of Kran. It would be good to get there not later than 9 am when the roses are still fresh and the dew has not evaporated yet. You will enjoy picking the petals of the roses, taking photos and watching Bulgarian folklore dances.

But if you cannot visit Bulgaria on the dates of these festivals, then you have the option of knowing the Valley of the Roses at any time of the year because even if there are no special events you can always visit the Museum of the Kazanlak Rose, the house-museums where the ancient process is shown and even the rose oil distillation factories, that although they are inoperative outside the rose season

The culmination of the rose festival events is the parade on the main square when the visitors enjoy a one and a half hour parade. The participants are members of organizations, clubs, schools, kinder gardens. They parade dressed in colorful costumes presenting their activity. Very attractive is the Queen Rose elected previously in a glamorous ceremony and her runner ups. I will purchase in advance tickets for the rose parade. The ticket will assure you a seat, so that you can enjoy the parade in comfort. If you do not have tickets, still you can watch the parade standing. Very often it is very hot and people hardly manage to stand for one and a half hour under the burning sun.

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Architecture and Monuments: Stonehenge - England

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, two miles west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around 13 feet high, seven feet wide, and weighing around 25 tons. The whole monument, now ruinous, is orientated towards the sunrise on the summer solstice. The stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred tumuli (burial mounds).

Some archaeologists believe that Stonehenge was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the first bluestones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC, although they may have been at the site as early as 3000 BC. One of the most famous landmarks in the United Kingdom, Stonehenge is regarded as a British cultural icon. It has been a legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument since 1882, when legislation to protect historic monuments was first successfully introduced in Britain.

Stonehenge was produced by a culture that left no written records. Many aspects of Stonehenge, such as how it was built and for what purposes it was used, remain subject to debate. A number of myths surround the stones. The site, specifically the great trilithon, the encompassing horseshoe arrangement of the five central trilithons, the heel stone, and the embanked avenue, are aligned to the sunset of the winter solstice and the opposing sunrise of the summer solstice. A natural landform at the monument's location followed this line, and may have inspired its construction. The excavated remains of culled animal bones suggest that people may have gathered at the site for the winter rather than the summer. Further astronomical associations, and the precise astronomical significance of the site for its people, are a matter of speculation and debate.

There is little or no direct evidence revealing the construction techniques used by the Stonehenge builders. Over the years, various authors have suggested that supernatural or anachronistic methods were used, usually asserting that the stones were impossible to move otherwise due to their massive size. However, conventional techniques, using Neolithic technology as basic as shear legs, have been demonstrably effective at moving and placing stones of a similar size. The most common theory of how prehistoric people moved megaliths has them creating a track of logs which the large stones were rolled along.

[superwings-cultural]

Architecture and Monuments: Tower of Pisa - Italy

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: torre pendente di Pisa), or simply, the Tower of Pisa, is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of Pisa Cathedral. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. The tower is one of three structures in the Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo), which includes the cathedral and Pisa Baptistry.

The height of the tower is 55.86 metres from the ground on the low side and 56.67 m on the high side. The width of the walls at the base is 2.44 m. Its weight is estimated at 14,500 tonnes . The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase.

The tower began to lean during construction in the 12th century, due to soft ground which could not properly support the structure's weight. It worsened through the completion of construction in the 14th century. By 1990, the tilt had reached 5.5 degrees. The structure was stabilized by remedial work between 1993 and 2001, which reduced the tilt to 3.97 degrees.

Construction of the tower occurred in three stages over 199 years. On 5 January 1172, Donna Berta di Bernardo, a widow and resident of the house of dell'Opera di Santa Maria, bequeathed sixty soldi to the Opera Campanilis petrarum Sancte Marie. The sum was then used toward the purchase of a few stones which still form the base of the bell tower. On 9 August 1173, the foundations of the tower were laid. Work on the ground floor of the white marble campanile began on 14 August of the same year during a period of military success and prosperity.

The tower began to sink after construction had progressed to the second floor in 1178. This was due to a mere three-metre foundation, set in weak, unstable subsoil, a design that was flawed from the beginning. Construction was subsequently halted for almost a century, as the Republic of Pisa was almost continually engaged in battles with Genoa, Lucca, and Florence. This allowed time for the underlying soil to settle. Otherwise, the tower would almost certainly have toppled.

On 23 February 1260, Guido Speziale, son of Giovanni Pisano, was elected to oversee the building of the tower. On 12 April 1264, the master builder Giovanni di Simone, architect of the Camposanto, and 23 workers went to the mountains close to Pisa to cut marble. The cut stones were given to Rainaldo Speziale, worker of St. Francesco. In 1272, construction resumed under Di Simone. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, the engineers built upper floors with one side taller than the other. Because of this, the tower is curved. Construction was halted again in 1284 when the Pisans were defeated by the Genoese in the Battle of Meloria.

The seventh floor was completed in 1319. The bell-chamber was finally added in 1372. It was built by Tommaso di Andrea Pisano, who succeeded in harmonizing the Gothic elements of the belfry with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical major scale. The largest one was installed in 1655.

There's 7 bells who was tuned to musical scale, clockwise, their names are in order: L'Assunta, Crocifisso, Ranieri, La Terza, La Pasquereccia or La Giustizia, Vespruccio and Dal Pozzo.

About the 5th bell: The name Pasquareccia comes from Easter, because it used to ring on Easter day. However, this bell is older than the bell-chamber itself, and comes from the tower Vergata in Palazzo Pretorio in Pisa, where it was called La Giustizia (The Justice). The bell was tolled to announce executions of criminals and traitors, including Count Ugolino in 1289. A new bell was installed in the bell tower at the end of the 18th century to replace the broken Pasquareccia.

The circular shape and great height of the campanile were unusual for their time, and the crowning belfry is stylistically distinct from the rest of the construction. This belfry incorporates a 14 cm correction for the inclined axis below. The siting of the campanile within the Piazza del Duomo diverges from the axial alignment of the cathedral and baptistery of the Piazza del Duomo.

[superwings-cultural]

Art: Origami - Japan

Origami is the art of paper folding, which is often associated with Japanese culture. In modern usage, the word "origami" is used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. The small number of basic origami folds can be combined in a variety of ways to make intricate designs. The best-known origami model is the Japanese paper crane. In general, these designs begin with a square sheet of paper whose sides may be of different colors, prints, or patterns. Traditional Japanese origami, which has been practiced since the Edo period (1603–1867), has often been less strict about these conventions.

Japanese origami began sometime after Buddhist monks from China carried paper to Japan during the 6th century. The monks recorded their use of Zhezhi as early as 200 AD. The first Japanese origami was used for religious ceremonial purposes only, due to the high price of paper.

A reference in a poem by Ihara Saikaku from 1680 describes the origami butterflies used during Shinto weddings to represent the bride and groom. Samurai warriors are known to have exchanged gifts adorned with noshi, a sort of good luck token made of folded strips of paper, which indicates that origami had become a significant aspect of Japanese ceremony by the Heian period (794–1185).

In 1797 the first known origami book was published in Japan: Senbazuru orikata. There are several origami stories in Japanese culture, such as a story of Abe no Seimei making a paper bird and turning it into a real one.

The earliest evidence of paperfolding in Europe is a picture of a small paper boat in the 1498 French edition of Johannes de Sacrobosco's Tractatus de Sphaera Mundi. There is also evidence of a cut and folded paper box from 1440. It is possible that paperfolding in the west originated with the Moors much earlier; however, it is not known if it was independently discovered or knowledge of origami came along the silk route.

Almost any laminar (flat) material can be used for folding; the only requirement is that it should hold a crease. Origami paper, often referred to as "kami" (Japanese for paper), is sold in prepackaged squares of various sizes ranging from 2.5 cm (1 in) to 25 cm (10 in) or more. It is commonly colored on one side and white on the other; however, dual coloured and patterned versions exist and can be used effectively for color-changed models. Origami paper weighs slightly less than copy paper, making it suitable for a wider range of models.

Normal copy paper with weights of 70–90 g/m (19–24 lb) can be used for simple folds, such as the crane and waterbomb. Heavier weight papers of 100 g/m (approx. 25 lb) or more can be wet-folded. This technique allows for a more rounded sculpting of the model, which becomes rigid and sturdy when it is dry. Foil-backed paper, as its name implies, is a sheet of thin foil glued to a sheet of thin paper. Related to this is tissue foil, which is made by gluing a thin piece of tissue paper to kitchen aluminium foil. A second piece of tissue can be glued onto the reverse side to produce a tissue/foil/tissue sandwich. Foil-backed paper is available commercially, but not tissue foil; it must be handmade. Both types of foil materials are suitable for complex models.

Washi is the traditional origami paper used in Japan. Washi is generally tougher than ordinary paper made from wood pulp, and is used in many traditional arts. Washi is commonly made using fibres from the bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata shrub (Edgeworthia papyrifera), or the paper mulberry but can also be made using bamboo, hemp, rice, and wheat.

[superwings-cultural]

Traditions: Lion Dance - China

The Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good luck and fortune. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Year. The Chinese lion dance is normally operated by two dancers, one of whom manipulates the head while the other forms the rear end of the lion. It is distinguishable from the dragon dance which is performed by many people who hold the long sinuous body of the dragon on poles. Chinese lion dance fundamental movements can be found in Chinese martial arts, and it is commonly performed to a vigorous drum beat.

There are two main forms of the Chinese lion dance, the Northern Lion and the Southern Lion. Both forms are commonly found in China and around the world especially in Southeast Asia, the Southern Lion predominates as it was spread by the Chinese diaspora communities who are historically mostly of Southern Chinese origin. There exist some versions of lion dance related to the Chinese lion can also be found in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Tibet and Vietnam. Besides the Chinese-based lion dance, the other forms of lion dance also exist in Indonesia, for example the Barong and Balinese cultures.

There has been an old tradition in China of dancers wearing masks to resemble animals or mythical beasts since antiquity, and performances described in ancient texts such as Shujing where wild beasts and phoenix danced may have been masked dances. In Qin Dynasty sources, dancers performing exorcism rituals were described as wearing bearskin mask, and it was also mentioned in Han Dynasty texts that "mime people" performed as fish, dragons, and phoenixes. However, lion is not native to China (a species found in Northeast China Panthera youngi had long become extinct), and the Lion Dance therefore has been suggested to have originated outside of China from countries such as India or Persia, and introduced via Central Asia. Detailed descriptions of Lion Dance appeared during the Tang Dynasty and it was already recognized by writers and poets then as a foreign dance, however, Lion dance may have been recorded in China as early as the third century AD where "lion acts" were referred to by a Three Kingdoms scholar Meng Kang in a commentary on Hanshu. In the early periods it had association with Buddhism: it was recorded in a Northern Wei text, Description of Buddhist Temples in Luoyang , that a parade for a statue of Buddha of a temple was led by a lion to drive away evil spirits. An alternative suggestion is therefore that the dance may have developed from a local tradition that appropriated the Buddhist symbolism of lion.

The Chinese lion dance has close relations to kung fu or Wǔshù and the dancers are usually martial art members of the local kung fu club or school. They practice in their club and some train hard to master the skill as one of the disciplines of the martial art. In general, it is seen that if a school has a capable troupe with many 'lions', it demonstrates the success of the school. It is also generally practised together with Dragon dance in some area. The lion dance is believed to bring good luck and fortune to the business. During the Qing Dynasty, there may be additional hidden meanings in the performances, for example the green vegetables (qing) eaten by the lion may represent the Qing Manchus. The lion dance troupes are sometimes accompanied by various characters such as the Big Head Buddha.

A lion pouring Chinese Tea during DimSum service in Toronto, Ontario. Different types of vegetables, fruits, foods or utensils with auspicious and good symbolic meanings; for instance pineapples, pomelos, bananas, oranges, sugar cane shoots, coconuts, beer, clay pots or even crabs can be used to be the "greens" to be "plucked" to give different difficulty and challenge for the lion dance performers. But the difficulties of the challenge should come with the bigger the rewards of the "red envelope" given.

[superwings-cultural]

Tradition: Day of the Death - Mexico

The Day of the Dead, or more known as Día de los Muertos is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, depending on the locality. It largely originated in Mexico, where it is mostly observed, but also in other places, especially by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and to remember friends and family members who have died. These celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed

Traditions connected with the holiday include honoring the deceased using calaveras and aztec marigold flowers known as cempazúchitl, building home altars called ofrendas with the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these items as gifts for the deceased. The celebration is not solely focused on the dead, as it is also common to give gifts to friends such as candy sugar skulls, to share traditional pan de muerto with family and friends, and to write light-hearted and often irreverent verses in the form of mock epitaphs dedicated to living friends and acquaintances, a literary form known as calaveras literarias.

The origins of this festival can be traced back to the rites dedicated to the ancestors in Mesoamerican civilizations, dating back about three thousand years.

Shortly before the arrival of the Spaniards, in the post-classical period, in the center of present-day Mexico, the Aztecs practiced two major festivals of the dead: one for children (Miccaihuitontli), and one for adults (Hueymiccalhuitl). The small festival was celebrated twenty days before the big one, in August, coinciding with the end of the agricultural cycle of corn, squash, peas and beans26. It began with the cutting of the xócotl, a tree from which the bark was removed and decorated with flowers. Everyone participated and made offerings to the tree for twenty days. These festivities were dedicated to the deceased relatives. They were celebrated between the ninth and tenth month of the mexican solar calendar corresponding to the months of July and August, and were presided over by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of Death, wife of the Lord of the land of the dead, Mictlantecuhtli.

During Día de Muertos, the tradition is to build private altars ("ofrendas") containing the favorite foods and beverages, as well as photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so the souls will hear the prayers and the words of the living directed to them. These altars are often placed at home or in public spaces such as schools and libraries, but it is also common for people to go to cemeteries to place these altars next to the tombs of the departed

A common symbol of the holiday is the skull (in Spanish calavera), which celebrants represent in masks, called calacas (colloquial term for skeleton), and foods such as chocolate or sugar skulls, which are inscribed with the name of the recipient on the forehead. Sugar skulls can be given as gifts to both the living and the dead. Other holiday foods include pan de muerto, a sweet egg bread made in various shapes from plain rounds to skulls, often decorated with white frosting to look like twisted bones.

[superwings-cultural]

The Nazca Lines - Peru

The Nazca Lines are a group of geoglyphs made in the soil of the Nazca Desert in southern Peru. Discovered in 1927, these geoglyphs are the work of the Nazca civilization, a pre-Inca culture that developed between 300 BC and 800 AD. They were realized for the most part between -200 and 6001. Most lines run straight across the landscape, but there are also figurative designs of animals and plants. The individual figurative geoglyph designs measure between 400 and 1,100 metres (440–1,200 yd) across. The combined length of all the lines is over 1,300 km (800 mi), and the group covers an area of about 50 km (19 sq mi). The lines are typically 10 to 15 cm (4–6 in) deep.

The figures have been associated with shamanism. Most of them are found near prehistoric rock art sites that show similar images, but on a smaller scale. Shamans took hallucinogens that allowed them to see their power animal, a common practice in South America and particularly in the Amazon. Some of the drugs used during ritual ceremonies give the sensation of flying in the air; this would be the reason why geoglyphs were created to be seen from the sky.

We can find nearly 800 geometric figures: straight lines, spirals, ellipses, trapezoids and triangles; 70 drawings, engraved on the surface of the pampa, are biomorphic, taking the form of stylized plants and animals (zoomorphic drawings): monkey, hummingbird, condor, jaguar, spider, orca, heron, pelican. In total, more than 350 representations have been studied. They cross ravines, climb hills without affecting their shape or the apparent straightness of their lines. Most of the figures are made up of a single line that never intersects.

The geoglyphs of the hummingbird and the spider, for example, are respectively 47 m long and 50 m long by aerial view.

According to some interpretations, there would also be a link between these geoglyphs and a ritual context. According to others, there would be a relationship between the outlines and astronomy. 

For some geologists, the geoglyphs would form an immense astronomical calendar, whose lines point towards remarkable stars or constellations and correspond to important dates in the agrarian calendar (sowing, harvest). The zoomorphic drawings correspond to a zodiacal representation of the cosmos. The entanglement of the lines of sight can be explained by the many changes made over the centuries to adjust to the precession of the equinoxes.

[superwings-cultural]

Food: Dongpo pork - China

Dongpo pork can be also called dōngpōròu, or also known as Dongpo meat, is a famous Hangzhou dish which is made by pan-frying and then red cooking pork belly. The dish is named after the Song Dynasty poet and gastronome Su Dongpo. This dish has the particularity, when it has been well prepared (about three hours of cooking, including an hour and a half of steaming), to melt in the mouth, creating a very special sensation for pork belly. 

The Origins of this special dish come about a Legend, has it that during Su Dongpo's life of poverty during his banishment to Hangzhou, he improved on the traditional process. He first braised the pork, added huangjiu (yellow wine) to make red-braised pork, then slowly stewed it on low heat. In their scholarly work Chinese Gastronomy, Lin Hsiang Ju and Lin Tsuifeng give the recipe "The Fragrance of Pork: Tungpo Pork". 

Dongpo Pork experienced three phases of popularity, from first appearance to mainstream appreciation. The history of the dish is said to parallel the experiences of Su Dongpo: from Xuzhou, where Dongpo pork first appeared under the name of Huizeng pork; to Huangzhou, where Su Dongpo finalized the method and recipe; and, finally, to Hangzhou, where Dongpo pork was officially named and became widely known across China.