Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Our first stop is at the Nine Dragon Pillar in Shanghai, China.
The Nine Dragon Pillar is located
At the Chengdu Bei Lu and Yan’an Lu intersection,
In the middle of a downtown intersection
Located below a tangle of roadways and overpasses.
The Nine Dragon Pillar is a strong representation
Of Chinese culture and holds a very mystical tale
It began with ongoing construction of the city’s
Yan’an elevated highway during the 1990s,
Prior to the existence of the pillar.
The workers were attempting to build a pillar;
However, without explanation, the ground beneath the area
Of the planned pillar wouldn’t move or allow for digging by any means.
Several engineers couldn’t solve the problem,
And subsequently a priest was summoned to the site to solve the problem.
The priest performed many prayers and then determined that
A dragon was sleeping beneath their work site.
The priest further indicated that the ongoing construction had awoken it,
And as such the dragon was stopping the pillar from being installed.
The priest indicated that a gesture in the dragon’s honor
Would allow the dragon to continue it’s rest and for construction to continue.
The construction workers complied and the pillar was erected;
According to the tale, the nine dragons live on the pillar and protect the construction.
It is interesting to note how the priest’s advice was taken into such consideration
And reflects how rooted the Chinese are in a religious and also mythological sense
Which correlates with real world issues.
Zhao Zhirong, the pillar’s designer, chose the number nine
In the “Nine Dragon Pillar” because ancient Chinese folklore
Holds several tales of dragon’s that have nine children.
Additionally, the Chinese number nine (jiu)
Is a pun for the words “long lasting.”
The dragon is a major symbol of historical Chinese culture,
Which represents power, good fortune, protection, and magic.
Other symbols on the pillar include the phoenix, the sun, and the moon
Which are all representations of happiness and good fortune in the Chinese culture.
Our second stop is a Buddhist temple named “Borobudur”
Which is in the Province of Central Java, Indonesia.
Of note, the Javanese represents the largest ethnic group
In Indonesia who make up 45 percent of Indonesia.
The temple was built between AD 750 and 842 to honor the Buddha
And a king of the Saliendra dynasty.
The word Borobudur is derived from the Sanskrit words
Vihara Buddha uhr which means “The Buddhist monastery on the hill.”
Sanskrit is an ancient Indic language of India.
The temple is built in three tiers around a hill
And consists of a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces
As well as a trunk of a cone with three circular platforms.
A stupa which is a dome-shape structure built as a Buddhist shrine
Is located at the top of the temple.
Seventy two additional stupas are located around the platforms
Of the temple each containing a statue of the Buddha.
The form of the Borobudur Temple is architecturally represented
By the conception of the Universe according to Buddhist cosmology.
This belief illustrates that the universe is divided into three spheres:
Kamadhatu, rupadhatu, and arupadhatu which represent respectively
The sphere of desires, the sphere of forms, and the sphere of formlessness
in which there is no longer name and form.
The artistic style of Borobudur is a representation of Indian cultural styles,
Gupta and post-Gupta styles.
The Borobudur features sculptured bas-reliefs which extend over a total length of 6 kilometers.
And depict teachings and stories related to the Buddha.
Our third stop is The Colosseum.
The Colosseum is also called the Roman Colosseum,
Is originally the Flavian Amphitheatre!
It is an oval shaped amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy.
The Colosseum is probably the most impressive building of the Roman Empire:
Including that it’s both one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.
The Colosseum is the largest amphiteathre in the world!
It took between seven and eight years in total, to finish building the colosseum.
It was built by an estimated 100,000 slaves,
that's why it took such a short time to finish.
The Colosseum seats a total of 50,000 – 80,000 spectators,
And back then was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles.
The Colosseum held an array of events such as:
Mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions,
Re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology.
The Colosseum was no longer used for entertainment by the early medieval era
But faced radical changes and even had a church built in it,
Was used as a place for workshops, and its arena was converted to a cemetery.
The Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and captures its culture.
It is known for its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering
Is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions
And still till this very day has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church.
Each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross"
Procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.
Our final stop is the great pyramid of Giza.
Built during a time when Egypt was one of the richest and most powerful civilizations
in the world,
The pyramids, especially the Great Pyramids of Giza,
Are some of the most magnificent man-made structures in history.
The Great Pyramid of Giza was ordered to be built by Pharaoh Khufu
Circa 2550 B.C. in Giza, Egypt.
The Great Pyramid stood 481 feet tall in height
Which makes it the largest pyramid ever built.
The massive scale reflects the unique role that played
In ancient Egyptian society of how the pharaohs of the time
Were considered divine and god-like,
And the pyramids were used as burial for the pharaohs
Because Egyptians believed that there was an afterlife
So they would have all their belongings buried with them
In order to take it with them in the afterlife.
The pyramid's smooth, angled sides symbolized the rays of the sun
And were designed to help the pharoah’s soul ascend to heaven and join the gods,
Particularly the sun god Ra.
More than 4,000 years later, the Egyptian pyramids still retain much of their majesty,
Providing a glimpse into the country’s rich and glorious past.
The oldest and largest of the three pyramids at Giza,
Known as the Great Pyramid, is the only surviving structure
Out of the famed seven wonders of the ancient world.