2013年9月22日星期日

Inle Lake is remarkably different from the three key tourist destinations of Myanmar

Inle Lake is remarkably different from the three key tourist destinations of Myanmar: Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay. It is significantly smaller compared to the aforementioned main cities. It does not have as many attractions, but it is an established tourist centre in the country. This is because Inle Lake presents its visitors a different side of Myanmar; it is an example of a rural countryside town that is calm and peaceful, perfect for a vacation of relaxation. The views are also amazing. Tourists get to see the diverse landscape of Myanmar through the areas that surrounds the lake. Most people like it in Burma tour / Myanmar tour.

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Inle Lake is located in the centre of the greatest depression in Myanmar's Nyaungshwe Valley, situated between two mountain ranges. With a length of 22km, a width of 11km, and an elevation of 875 metres, Inle Lake is considered as the second-largest natural lake in the country. It is interesting to note that the lake does not have an actual shoreline, but its shores and islands are home to 17 villages on stilts.     
Lake Inle is the second largest lake in Myanmar with an estimated surface area of 44.9 sq miles, and one of the highest at an altitude of 2900 feet. Inle Lake is in the heart of Shan State, about 400 km north of capital Yangon.

2013年9月16日星期一

Pre Rup temple was constructed by the Khmer Empire during the Angkorian period in Cambodia

Pre Rup temple was constructed by the Khmer Empire during the Angkorian period in Cambodia. The beautiful rusty-red hue of the laterite and brick used to build Pre Rup is accentuated during sunset and stands in brilliant contrast to the lush green of the jungle in the distance.Most people like it in Cambodia tour.

An impressive work of impeccable proportions, constructed almost entirely of warm coloured materials (laterite and brick) at a time when sandstone was only used sparingly, Pre Rup needs to be visited either early in the morning or at sunset. Its relatively recent clearing required particular attention, the brick monuments needing special care in the removal of the soil, the fallen materials and the entangling roots. Any anastylosis being impossible, the restoration work was limited to some brickwork repairs and consolidation.

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Its architectural style is very similar to that of the earlier East Mebon, the major difference being the stepped pyramid of the Pre Rup that is missing in the East Mebon temple. The laterite and brick structure represents the five mountain peaks of the sacred mountain Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Hindu mythology.
The boldness of the architectural design of Pre Rup is superb and give the temple fine balance, scale and proportion. The temple is almost identical in style to the East Mebon, although it was built several yeas later. It is the last real 'temple-mountain ' Pre Rup was called the 'City of the East ' by Philippe Stern, a Frenchman who worked on the site.
The temple’s terrace can be difficult to scale. Its stairs are steep, so drink plenty of water, wear a good pair of walking shoes, and be prepared for some thigh-burning stair climbing.

In the early 20th century the Pre Rup had been completely overgrown and covered with soil. The temple was excavated during the 1930's by French conservators George Trouvé and Henri Marchal.
Square in shape the site is surrounded by two perimeter walls, the outer enclosure is a platform bounded by a laterite wall, 117 meters long by 127 meters wide with a causeway giving entry from the east. Within the inner enclosure either side of the eastern gate are a group of 6 towers aligned north to south, however one of the towers closest to the entrance appears to have been never built or removed at a later date.

2013年9月9日星期一

Neak Pean is one of the renowned Buddhist temples in Angkor

Neak Pean is one of the renowned Buddhist temples in Angkor, Cambodia. It is located on an artificial island. It was built by Jayavarman VII at the end of 12th century. The term “Neak Pean” means “the entwined serpents”. As the sculptures of snakes run around the base of the temple structure, it derived that name. This temple was originally designed as a hospital and then it was transformed to a Buddhist temple. It is different from other temples in Angkor, as it was located on an island in the middle of the man-made reservoir. Most people like it in Cambodia tour.

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Neak Pean was built on the second half of the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII. It seems that the main pond was attributed curative powers by the Angkor inhabitants and it was possibly used as a pilgrimage place where people would come and bath in order to be healed both physically and symbolically. One of the theories maintains that the pond may be a replica of the Lake Anavatapta in the Himalayas, a mythical lake at the top of the universe that is source to the four great rivers of the earth.
The temple is faced by a statue of the horse, Balaha, saving drawing sailors. Neak Pean may have served an absolution function, and the waters were thought to have healing properties. During the dry season when the water is low, check out the animal and human headwater spouts at the outside center of each pool. Neak Pean is most photogenic in the wet season, when the pools are full.

2013年9月3日星期二

Banteay Srei is a temple in Cambodia built in honor of female deities

Banteay Srei is a temple in Cambodia built in honor of female deities, representing strength, unity, and safety. This pilot is now sustained as an organization that provides social support, healing arts, reproductive health education, life skills-building, leadership development to young Southeast Asian women impacted by sexual exploitation in their communities. Most people like it in Cambodia tour.

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The Banteay Srei is located 20 kilometres from Angkor Thom at the foot of the Kulen Mountains. Submerged in the forest in its earlier days, the Banteay Srei was not included in the first archaeological listing, and was only rediscovered when it was reported by an official in the geography department in 1914.
The Banteay Srei comprises of 4 enclosures containing a moat and several structures. Within the fourth enclosure (the most outer one) is a processional walkway leading to the main Eastern entrance. The walkway was lined by galleries on either side, of which most of the sandstone pillars are still standing.

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Both pediments and lintels on the galleries contain very finely carved ornamentations. Among them are a depiction of Viradha who abducts Sita, a scene from the Indian epic Ramayana. Others show Indra riding the three headed elephant Airavata, Varuna, the God of the oceans, Vishnu, Shiva, Uma and Nandi, the sacred bull.
The third enclosure consists of a wall, about 100 meters long that enclosed a moat, which is now dry. Across the moat is a causeway leading to the Eastern and Western entrance gopuras, that are guarded by lions.