Explore. Dream. Discover.

Believe it or not, I was raised by my parents according to Mark Twain’s famous quote,“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”  Therefore, we travelled a lot since I was very young, never got any perfect attendance award from any school, and even tried "My Journey" as my English homework resource.   At first, I guessed all the handy travel experiences could save me trouble and time, but the more I dig in, the more I learn; hence, "The heritages in the world" became my final blog title.

I have gone to Japan and the United States for so many times that I found heritage travelling most fascinating and unforgettable.  Take my last post, Itsukushima Shinto Shrine, for example, I simply couldn't imagine the tide effects in just a few hours until I literally witnessed and touched the once-floating gate!  And for the Nikko Toshogu Shrine’s three cute monkeys, “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” will certainly be my motto; and after picking some amazing Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Bryce memory, I found next quote 100% right, “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”  As for Thailand, the best memory came from friends, just like the old saying, “A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” -- The picture below is a solid proof.   

And the last but not the least, Himeiji castle 姬路城, the so-called "White Heron Castle"白鷺城, which was re-opened on Mar 27, 2015 after 5-year major restoration, amazed me most when I saw her flying just like a white egret.  When I cheerfully danced with her, I also learned, “Look before you leap”.   Guess what's popping out...

Fortunately, no SONY Xperia Z4 smart phone was sacrificed due to the pictures above.  

In summary, I''ve tried my best to recall and present the heritages, and found what I learn still keep increasing!  Thank you again for reading and hope you all also benefit from my heritage blog.  Let’s live to learn, and maybe we’ll meet abroad next time.  

PS : Since everybody knows both cultural and natural heritages are scarce and unduplicatable, let's all appreciate, protect and preserve them for the next generation.  

A temple on an isolated island—Itsukushima Shinto Shrine

When it comes to a temple, most people have an image that it is supposed 100% artificial, but Itsukushima Shinto Shrine(嚴島神社) in Japan will definitely break this concept!

Itsukushima Shrine was registered as a cultural heritage in 1996 for its location and the famous "floating" torii gate(鳥居). Firstly, the shrine was built on an isolated island, so you need to go there by ferry.

Secondly, because the ancient Japanese believed that the whole island is a shrine itself "naturally", they located the torii gate far from the island, and maybe due to global warming, the torii gate starts to slightly sink in the sea sometimes, so the authorities concerned "nicely" forecast a “tide table” for tourists to plan ahead for their visits.

For better experience the effect of the ebb tide(退潮) and flow tide(漲潮) in the same day, we visited the shrine on 19^th of November for convenience, ie arriving around 8:00 (Taiwan time) and leaving after 15:00. The effects of low tide and high tide are so obvious that no one will get confused whether or not to touch the torii gate, which make the two different scenes more unique.

While waiting for the high tide, let's make use of time to look around the island and communicate with "locals".  And certainly don't forget to wash hands before entering the pretty shrine.

So if you want to witness the two different scenarios in a single day, be sure to check the “tide table” in this website, and for those who eager to learn more, I prepare a video below and hope you enjoy it.

8th post

Post for this week, November 15-21.

Forests with Hoodoos—Bryce National Park

Have you ever seen Terracotta Army in China? It's definitely amazing, but after all, it's artificial, so let's focus on the natural miracle created in America—Bryce National Park!
Bryce National Park features the countless hoodoos, which are the stones standing like a forest. The density of hoodoos here is second to none, even Terracotta Army can't compared to it.
It's like Grand canyon, but more exquisite.

    I deemed this place a lifeless desert, just like a grave when I took the first glance, but after I stayed there for a while, I found camping is available there and if you can afford it, you can even rent a horse and enjoy a ride in this unique “forest”, which makes this tourists attraction more friendly.  So, if you visit Bryce National Park in the future, be sure to spend some time relaxing in the special atmosphere there.

Here's a film about some secret spots in Bryce. Click it if you want to learn more!

Nikko Toshogu Shrine —A combination of the cultural and natural heritage

Looking for an ancient shrine with exquisite decorations on the walls to relax?  Nikko Toshogu Shrine(日光東照宮) in Japan would be a perfect place.  As a final resting place for Tokugawa Ieyasu(德川家康), it features luxurious pagodas, meaningful statues and a solemn gate.

It was said that after Tokugawa Ieyasu won a critical war, he built lots of gorgeous architectures here to highlight his power.  He also mixed some eastern philosophic signs in the ornament in order to keep him from indulging in the victory too much.

The most famous example for the signs are these three hilarious monkeys.

They're so cute, aren't they? They represent a well-known principle,  “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”.  Although I have known them, I still laughed out loud when I actually saw them in person, because their facial expressions are too funny to make people relate to  the deep meaning of their gestures.
After understanding the cultural meaning of it, let's enjoy the beautiful scenery around the shrine!  Explore it by clicking the following film!

Japanese's glory—Fuji mountain

What's the most exciting news that overwhelm Japanese in 2013?
Yes!!!  Mountain Fuji has officially been registered as UNESCO World Heritage Site on June 22nd, 2013!!!

For a long long time, lots of Japanese have been eager to witness Fuji mountain become a world heritage, for it serves as not only a cultural representation but also a spiritual symbol for Japan.

Although its height may not compare with the Mt. Everest, Mountain Fuji is still the most popular attraction worldwide.  Why? Please take a glimpse at the followings for the best answer.

Yes, it's the breathtaking landscape and the tranquil atmosphere that make Fuji mountain stand out.

                     

You may wonder since Fuji mountain is not as dangerous as Grand Canyon, can one easily take pictures with it clearly?

On the contrary, it's very possible to drive around the mountain and never see it, because the fog there is heavy all the year round. Even we succeeded to take a photo as posted above, Fuji mountain was like floating among clouds in the sunny winter day!  Therefore, if you plan to visit Fuji mountain in the future, try the winter time, when the air is dry and clear. Hope you can get a wonderful picture!

If you enjoy mountain climbing and want to conquer this world heritage, click the following film and learn more guide about it!  Have fun!

The Temple of Dawn with a special guest

As everybody knows, the power of religion is so huge that lots of great artworks and buildings around the world were created to pay respect toward God. For my memory, the Wat Arun, commonly known as “the Temple of Dawn” in Thailand, serves as the best example for the following reasons:

1.It is the biggest temple with the most exquisite decoration in Thailand
2.The stair toward the top of the temple is known for its unbelievably steep slope, which make every tourist exhausted.
3.The story about the buddha is hidden in the ornament made by colorful china and seashell.

After all those mentioned above, I have to admit that I felt a little bit bored , for I was only ten years old during my travel. Instead, what really impressed me was those Bangkok “extracurricular activities”, such as riding on an elephant, flying high in the air, and playing sand with my friends. Check them below…

Now, here's a little challenge for you.
You may find familiar with the handsome boy sitting next to me, because he is one of our classmates in this English class.
Still get confused? Let's change another angle of view. I personally feel so honorable and lucky to have known him long time ago.

Haha, someone must have found himself in the picture, and maybe somebody feels like to take a guess?