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Portal:Asia/Featured article/1
Angkor Wat is a temple complex at
Angkor,
Cambodia, built for the king
Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first
Hindu, dedicated to the god
Vishnu, then
Buddhist. It is the world's largest religious building. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of
Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its
national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the
temple mountain and the later
galleried temple, based on early
South Indian Hindu architecture, with key features such as the
Jagati. It is designed to represent
Mount Meru, home of the
devas in
Hindu mythology: within a
moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a
quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive
bas-reliefs, and for the numerous
devatas (guardian spirits) adorning its walls.The modern name, Angkor Wat, means "City Temple";
Angkor is a vernacular form of the word
nokor (
នគរ), which comes from the Sanskrit word
nagar (
नगर), Thai,
Nakon, meaning capital or city.
Wat is the
Khmer word which comes from Sanskrit word "Vastu". Prior to this time the temple was known as
Preah Pisnulok (Vara Vishnuloka in Sanskrit), after the posthumous title of its founder,
Suryavarman II.
Portal:Asia/Featured article/2
The
Flag of Hong Kong features a white, stylised, five-petal
Hong Kong orchid tree (Bauhinia blakeana) flower in the centre of a red field. Its design was adopted on 4 April 1990 at the Third Session of the Seventh
National People's Congress. The precise use of the flag is regulated by laws passed by the 58th executive meeting of the
State Council held in
Beijing. The design of the flag is enshrined in Hong Kong's
Basic Law, the city's constitutional document, and regulations regarding the use, prohibition of use,
desecration, and manufacture of the flag are stated in the Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance. The flag of Hong Kong was first officially hoisted on 1 July 1997, in the
handover ceremony marking the transfer of sovereignty.The design of the flag carries cultural, political, and regional meanings. The colour itself is significant; red is a festive colour for the
Chinese people, used to convey a sense of celebration and nationalism. Moreover, the red colour is identical to that used in the
national PRC flag, chosen to signify the link re-established between post-colonial Hong Kong and
China. The position of red and white on the flag symbolizes the "
one country two systems" political principle applied to the region. The stylized rendering of the
Bauhinia blakeana flower, a flower discovered in Hong Kong, is meant to serve as a harmonizing symbol for this dichotomy.
Portal:Asia/Featured article/3
The
durian is the
fruit of several
tree species belonging to the
genus Durio and the
Malvaceae family. Widely known and revered in
southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique
odour, and formidable
thorn-covered
husk. The fruit can grow as large as 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and it typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species.The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as
almonds, rotten onions,
turpentine and gym socks. The odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia.The durian, native to southern philippines,
Brunei,
Indonesia and
Malaysia, has been known to the Western world for about 600 years. The 19th-century British
naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace famously described its flesh as "a rich custard highly flavoured with almonds". The flesh can be consumed at various stages of ripeness, and it is used to flavour a wide variety of savoury and sweet edibles in Southeast Asian cuisines. The seeds can also be eaten when cooked.There are 30 recognised
Durio species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit.
Durio zibethinus is the only species available in the international market: other species are sold in their local regions. There are hundreds of durian
cultivars; many consumers express preferences for specific cultivars, which fetch higher prices in the market.
Portal:Asia/Featured article/4
Western Chalukya architecture is the distinctive style of ornamented architecture that evolved during the rule of the
Western Chalukya Empire in the
Tungabhadra region of central
Karnataka,
India, during the 11th and 12th centuries. Western Chalukyan political influence was at its peak in the
Deccan Plateau during this period. The centre of cultural and temple-building activity lay in the Tungabhadra region, where large medieval workshops built numerous monuments. These monuments, regional variants of pre-existing
dravida (South Indian) temples, defined the
Karnata dravida tradition. Temples of all sizes built by the Chalukyan architects during this era remain today as examples of the architectural style.Most notable of the many buildings dating from this period are the
Mahadeva Temple at Itagi in the
Koppal district, the
Kasivisvesvara Temple at
Lakkundi in the
Gadag district, and the Mallikarjuna Temple at Kuruvatti and the Kallesvara Temple at Bagali, both in the
Davangere district.Other monuments notable for their craftsmanship include the
Siddhesvara Temple at
Haveri in the
Haveri district, the Amrtesvara Temple at
Annigeri in the
Dharwad district, the Sarasvati Temple in
Gadag, and the
Dodda Basappa Temple at
Dambal, both in the
Gadag district.The surviving Western Chalukya monuments are temples built in the
Shaiva,
Vaishnava, and
Jain religious traditions. None of the military, civil, or courtly architecture has survived; being built of mud, brick and wood, such structures may not have withstood repeated invasions.
Portal:Asia/Featured article/5
The
Xá Lợi Pagoda raids were a series of synchronized attacks on various Buddhist
pagodas in the major cities of
South Vietnam shortly after midnight on 21 August 1963. The raids were executed by the
Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces under Colonel
Lê Quang Tung, and combat police, both of which took their orders directly from
Ngô Đình Nhu, younger brother of the
Roman Catholic President
Ngô Đình Diệm.
Xá Lợi, the largest in the South Vietnamese capital,
Saigon, was the most prominent of the raided temples. Over 1,400 Buddhists were arrested, and estimates of the death toll and
missing ranged up to the hundreds. In response to the
Huế Phật Đản shootings and a ban on the
Buddhist flag in early May, South Vietnam's Buddhist majority rose in widespread civil disobedience and protest against the religious bias and discrimination of the Catholic-dominated Diệm government. Buddhist temples in major cities, most prominently the Xá Lợi pagoda, became focal points for protesters and assembly points for
Buddhist monks from rural areas.In August, several
Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) generals proposed the imposition of martial law, ostensibly to break up the demonstrations, but in reality to prepare for a military coup. However, Nhu, already looking to arrest Buddhist leaders and crush the protest movement, used the opportunity to preempt the generals and embarrass them. He disguised Tung's Special Forces in army uniforms and used them to attack the Buddhists, thereby causing the general public and South Vietnam's U.S. allies to blame the army, diminishing the generals' reputations and ability to act as future national leaders.
Portal:Asia/Featured article/6
{{Portal:Asia/Selected article/Layout
View of Mount Samalas along with Mount Rinjani
In 1257, a catastrophic eruption occurred at Samalas, a volcano on the Indonesian island of Lombok. The event had a probable Volcanic Explosivity Index of 7, making it one of the largest volcanic eruptions during the Holocene epoch. It left behind a large caldera that contains Lake Segara Anak. Later volcanic activity created more volcanic centres in the caldera, including the Barujari cone, which remains active.
The event created eruption columns reaching tens of kilometres into the atmosphere and pyroclastic flows that buried much of Lombok and crossed the sea to reach the neighbouring island of Sumbawa. The flows destroyed human habitations, including the city of Pamatan, which was the capital of a kingdom on Lombok. Ash from the eruption fell as far as 340 kilometres (210 mi) away in Java; the volcano deposited more than 10 cubic kilometres (2.4 cu mi) of rocks and ash. (Full article...)
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Portal:Asia/Featured article/7
The
Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) was the second
imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the
Qin dynasty (221–207 BCE) and succeeded by the
Three Kingdoms (220–280 CE). It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang,
known posthumously as
Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the
Xin dynasty (9–23 CE) of the former regent
Wang Mang. This interregnum separates the Han into two periods: the Western Han (206 BCE – 9 CE) and Eastern Han (25–220 CE). Spanning over four centuries, the period of the Han dynasty is considered a
golden age in Chinese history. To this day, China's
majority ethnic group refers to itself as the "Han people" and Chinese characters are referred to as "
Han characters". The Han Empire was divided into areas directly controlled by the central government, known as
commanderies, and a number of
semi-autonomous kingdoms. These kingdoms gradually lost all vestiges of their independence, particularly following the
Rebellion of the Seven States. The
Xiongnu, a nomadic confederation which dominated the eastern
Eurasian Steppe, defeated the Han army in battle in 200 BCE. Following the defeat, a
political marriage alliance was negotiated in which the Han became the
de facto inferior partner. When, despite the treaty, the Xiongnu continued to raid Han borders,
Emperor Wu of Han (r. 141–87 BCE) launched
several military campaigns against them. The ultimate Han victory in these wars eventually forced the Xiongnu to accept vassal status as
Han tributaries. These campaigns expanded Han sovereignty into the
Tarim Basin of Central Asia and helped establish the vast trade network known as the
Silk Road, which reached as far as the
Mediterranean world. Han forces managed to divide the Xiongnu into two competing nations, the Southern and Northern Xiongnu, and forced the Northern Xiongnu across the
Ili River.
Portal:Asia/Featured article/8
Dhaka is the
capital of
Bangladesh and the principal city of
Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a
megacity and one of the major cities of
South Asia. Located on the banks of the
Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its
metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city in Bangladesh. It is the
9th largest city in the world and also 28th among the
most densely populated cities in the world. Dhaka is known as the
City of Mosques and with 400,000
cycle rickshaws running on its streets every day, the city is also described as the
Rickshaw Capital of the World.Under
Mughal rule in the 17th century, the city was known as
Jahangir Nagar. It was a provincial capital and a centre of the worldwide
muslin trade. The modern city, however, was developed chiefly under
British rule in the 19th century, and became the second-largest city in
Bengal after
Calcutta (presently Kolkata). After the
Partition of Bengal in 1905, Dhaka became the capital of the new province of
Eastern Bengal and Assam but lost its status as a provincial capital again after the partition was annulled in 1911. After the
partition of India in 1947, Dhaka became the administrative capital of
East Pakistan, and later, in 1971, the capital of an independent Bangladesh. During the intervening period, the city witnessed widespread turmoil; this included many impositions of
martial law, the declaration of Bangladesh's independence,
military suppression, devastation during war, and natural calamities.
Portal:Asia/Featured article/9
The national
flag of Japan is a white rectangular
flag with a large red disk (representing the sun) in the center. This flag is officially called
Nisshōki in Japanese, but is more commonly known as
Hinomaru.The
Nisshōki flag is designated as the national flag in
Law Regarding the National Flag and National Anthem, which was promulgated and became effective on August 13, 1999. Although no earlier legislation had specified a national flag, the sun-disc flag had already become the
de facto national flag of Japan. Two proclamations issued in 1870 by the
Daijō-kan, the governmental body of the early Meiji Era, each had a provision for a design of the national flag. A sun-disc flag was adopted as the national flag for merchant ships under Proclamation No. 57 of
Meiji 3 (issued on February 27, 1870), and as the national flag used by the Navy under Proclamation No. 651 of Meiji 3 (issued on October 27, 1870). Use of the
Hinomaru was severely restricted during the early years of the
American occupation after
World War II, although restrictions were later relaxed.In early Japanese history, the
Hinomaru motif was used on flags of
daimyōs and
samurai. An old history
Shoku Nihongi says that
Emperor Mommu used a flag representing the sun in his court in 701, and this is the first recorded use of a sun-motif flag in Japan. The oldest existing flag is preserved in Unpō-ji temple,
Kōshū, Yamanashi, which is older than 16th century, and an ancient legend says that the flag was given to the temple by
Emperor Go-Reizei in the 11th century. During the
Meiji Restoration, both the sun disc and the
Rising Sun Ensign of the
Imperial Japanese Navy became major symbols in the emerging
Japanese empire. Propaganda posters, textbooks, and films depicted the flag as a source of pride and patriotism. In Japanese homes, citizens were required to display the flag during national holidays, celebrations and other occasions as decreed by the government. Different tokens of devotion to Japan and its emperor featuring the
Hinomaru motif became popular during the
Second Sino-Japanese War and other conflicts. These tokens ranged from slogans written on the flag to clothing items and dishes that resembled the flag.
Portal:Asia/Featured article/10
Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of
Crocus sativus, commonly known as the
saffron crocus.
Crocus is a genus in the family
Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to 20–30 cm (8–12 in) and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson
stigmas, which are each the distal end of a
carpel. Together with the
styles, or stalks that connect the stigmas to their host plant, the dried stigmas are used mainly in various cuisines as a seasoning and colouring agent. Saffron, long among the world's most costly spices by weight, is native to Southwest Asia and was first cultivated in Greece. As a genetically monomorphic clone, it was slowly propagated throughout much of Eurasia and was later brought to parts of North Africa, North America, and Oceania. The saffron crocus, unknown in the wild, likely descends from
Crocus cartwrightianus, which originated in Crete or Central Asia;
C. thomasii and
C. pallasii are other possible precursors. The saffron crocus is a
triploid that is "self-incompatible" and male sterile; it undergoes aberrant meiosis and is hence incapable of independent sexual reproduction—all propagation is by vegetative multiplication via manual "divide-and-set" of a starter clone or by interspecific hybridisation. If
C. sativus is a mutant form of
C. cartwrightianus, then it may have emerged via
plant breeding, which would have selected for elongated stigmas, in late Bronze-Age Crete.Saffron's bitter taste and
iodoform- or hay-like fragrance result from the chemicals
picrocrocin and
safranal.It also contains a
carotenoid dye,
crocin, which imparts a rich
golden-yellow hue to dishes and textiles.
Its recorded history is attested in a 7th-century BC Assyrian botanical treatise compiled under
Ashurbanipal, and it has been
traded and used for over four millennia. Iran now accounts for the lion's share, or around 90%, of world production. Research into its many possible medicinal benefits, ranging from cancer suppression to mood improvement and appetite reduction, is ongoing.
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