Looking down on the confluence of the Minjiang, Dadu, and Qingyi rivers in the Sichuan Province of China, the “Leshan Giant Buddha” is the largest cliff rock carving Maitreya Buddha statue in the world. “Da Fo,” as this stone behemoth is also known, measures over 233 feet (71 meters) tall.
Chicago is not the first city to turn historic buildings into trendy apartments, but its dwellings may be among some of the most unique. The Cedar Street Companies’ FLATS® development line has been steadily transforming notable Chicago properties into modern apartment complexes while retaining the character of the historic buildings.
![Christ pectoral after a mosaic at Daphni [Monastery] - Pendant, 2019, Loukia Richards for The Sacred & The Profane Jewelry Show.](https://i1.wp.com/thevalemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/the-sacred-and-the-profane-jewelry-show-loukia-richards.jpg?fit=640%2C847&ssl=1)
Curated by ZLR Betriebsimperium and supported by the City of Munich, “The Sacred & The Profane” group exhibition, running from March 14 through March 17, 2019, at Galerie Weltraum, Munich, will examine the ambiguity of objects and rituals.
In most Western cultures, death is considered a sad occasion and discussions on the topic are often avoided. However, Mexicans have a different view. Once a year, from October 31 to November 2, people throughout Mexico honor the memory of family members and friends who have died, during the “Day of the Dead” (Dia de Los Muertos) celebration.
While most visitors to China are eager to see sights such as the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Xian Terracotta Army Site, and Shanghai’s skyline, those who venture further afield will be greatly rewarded. In China’s Hebei province, just an hour from Beijing, travelers will find the “Tianzi Hotel,” an unusual structure called the “Biggest Image Building” by the Guinness World Records.
Every year on the last full moon in the lunar month of Phalguna, between the end of February and the middle of March, villages across India become awash in color. During this time, men and women, rich and poor, old and young, and locals and visitors come together for the joyous Hindu celebration of “Holi.”
Travelers looking to make their way to Thailand would do well to stop by the Wat Samphran Dragon Temple. Sitting only 30 miles (48 km) outside of Bangkok, the 17-story cylindrical tower is a well-hidden Easter egg for visitors as it is rarely mentioned in guidebooks, tourist maps, and travel websites.
Larung Gar in China’s Sichuan province is a spiritual oasis for Buddhist practitioners from all over the world and an exciting tourist destination for travelers keen on exploring Tibetan culture.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Meteora near the town of Kalambaka in Central Greece takes thousands of tourists every year a little closer to heaven. The fabled monasteries were built on the edge of sandstone peaks in the 14th century by monks wanting to escape invading Turks.
For a group that enjoys living a life of seclusion and doesn’t believe in watching television, dramatizations of their mysterious lifestyle and some Amish people themselves have been featured in many programs bringing a somewhat unwelcome focus on America’s “Plain People.”
