Tag Archives: #museum

Forbidden II

Posted on January 19, 2017 by d4vid

This is the Taiwan’s National Palace Museum or, as Xioahan called it, “The real museum.  The real Forbidden City.” I’m always fascinated by timelines comparing Eastern and Western history.  The Greeks overlapped with the Spring and Autumn Period and the … Continue reading →

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Opulento

Posted on December 23, 2016 by d4vid

St. Peter’s Basilisk is one of the largest and most sacred churches in the two thousand year history of Christianity.  And it is ornate as fuck. This is Michelangelo‘s famous Pietà.  Its clunky, trapezoidal shape doesn’t have the stately contrapposto … Continue reading →

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Revisionism

Posted on November 30, 2016 by d4vid

After returning to Lhasa, we visited the Tibet Museum. The calligraphy and masks were particularly entrancing.  This two-dimensional mask reminded me of something out of Mirrormask. The propaganda in some of the exhibits was pretty heavy-handed, emphasizing the historical legitimacy of … Continue reading →

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Shanshui IV

Posted on November 18, 2016 by d4vid

Visited the Shanghai Himalayas Museum (which, as it turns out, has nothing to do with the Himalayas.) I found the building itself quite Gaudiesque.  If not downright Gigeresque.   There was a multifaceted exhibit entitles “Humanistic Nature and Society: An Insight … Continue reading →

Posted in 上海 | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Peninsula

Posted on October 3, 2016 by d4vid

One of the major tourist spots in Qinghai is 鸟岛 (Niǎo dǎo meaning “Bird Island.”)  In fact, the Hanzi character for “island” comes from the character for “bird” atop the character for “mountain.” However — much like Monster Island — … Continue reading →

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Intangible

Posted on October 2, 2016 by d4vid

I was very proud of myself for being able to read that title of this exhibit:  青海是一个多民族地区 (Qīnghǎi shì yīgè duō mínzú dìqū meaning “Qinghai is a Multi-Ethnic Area”)  And it’s true.  Unlike many provinces which are so overwhelmingly Han, … Continue reading →

Posted in 西宁 | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Regional

Posted on October 2, 2016 by d4vid

This is the impressive entrance to the Qinghai Regional Museum (with typical Chinese scale.) Weirdly, the main exhibit hall just brags about commerce.  The dairy industry…  The “this one robot” industry… And the “alcohol not famous enough for you to … Continue reading →

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Cloud

Posted on September 17, 2016 by d4vid

At the Gardens by the Bay, I lingered for a long, long time in the domed Cloud Forest which contains the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.  The interior environment mimics the moist, cool climate of the mountains between 3300′ and 9800′.  … Continue reading →

Posted in 新加坡 | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Cleopatra

Posted on September 15, 2016 by d4vid

Visited the excellent National Museum of Singapore. Like so much of the British influence in this part of the world, it bears the mark of Queen Victoria.  Rotunda?  More like So-so-tunda.  Okay, not my best.  Let me workshop that one. … Continue reading →

Posted in 新加坡 | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Rust

Posted on July 27, 2016 by d4vid

In Oamaru, heading down the east coast of the South Island, I visited a strange place called the Steampunk HQ.  It was sort of a bastard hybrid of the old pre-gentrification Travel Town (when you could get tetanus or searing … Continue reading →

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Aotearoa

Posted on July 23, 2016 by d4vid

Visited the excellent Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.  Appreciated this map inlaid on the floor as it matched my perspective:  looking from New Zealand back up toward China to the left and California to the right. New Zealand … Continue reading →

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Peace

Posted on June 9, 2016 by d4vid

This is the Jinghai Temple, seen here nestled in magnolia trees with the the Yuejiang Tower atop Lion Mountain looking down upon it. The temple, whose name means “Ocean Peace,” was ordered built by the Ming emperor to honor the … Continue reading →

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Massacre

Posted on June 8, 2016 by d4vid

Harrowing.  Absolutely harrowing.  Starting with this giant statue of a woman holding the body of her dead son out front, every single thing at Nanjing’s memorial museum commemorating the Japanese atrocities in World War II (sometimes referred to as “the … Continue reading →

Posted in 南京 | Tagged | 2 Comments

Science

Posted on February 13, 2016 by d4vid

Robyn & I also had the chance to visit Shanghai’s gargantuan science museum. Here’s an exhibit on cloned goats that caught our attention. We were disappointed that the bat cave was an exhibit on bats.

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Maquettes

Posted on December 5, 2015 by d4vid

Visiting the Xi’an Museum, Debbie pointed out that tons of ancient sculptures look like maquettes from some Disney animated feature.  Evil villain, rotund sidekicks, kindhearted old ladies. This one is a caravan driver with his sassy camel sidekick.

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