Stock Photos and Images
(34,492)Stock Photos and Images
RM2B0270E–Turkey: View from the British battleship HMS Cornwallis of the burning of British stores during the Allied withdrawal from Gallipoli, 1916. The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli or the Battle of Çanakkale, took place on the Gallipoli peninsula in the Ottoman Empire (now Gelibolu in modern day Turkey) between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War. A joint British and French operation was mounted to capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (Istanbul) and secure a sea route to Russia. The attempt failed.
RM2B02FM6–Japan: 'Lake at Hakone'. Image 21 from the series '36 Views of Mount Fuji'. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), 1858. Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fuji Sanjū-Rokkei) is the title of two series of woodblock prints by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Andō Hiroshige, depicting Mount Fuji in differing seasons and weather conditions from a variety of different places and distances. The 1852 series are in landscape orientation; the 1858 series are in portrait orientation. Utagawa Hiroshige was a famous Japanese ukiyo-e artist.
RM2B02FH8–Japan: 'The Seven Ri Beach in Sagami Province'. Image 19 from the series '36 Views of Mount Fuji'. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), 1858. Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fuji Sanjū-Rokkei) is the title of two series of woodblock prints by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Andō Hiroshige, depicting Mount Fuji in differing seasons and weather conditions from a variety of different places and distances. The 1852 series are in landscape orientation; the 1858 series are in portrait orientation. Utagawa Hiroshige was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, and one of the last great artists.
RM2B02FDX–Japan: Traditional crafts and trades of the 18th century from a hand-painted album by an anonymous artist. Folio 10 (verso): Itinerant salesman. Hand-coloured illustration from a Japanese miscellany on traditional trades, crafts and customs in mid-18th century Japan, dated Meiwa Era (1764-1772) Year 6 (c. 1770).
RM2B02FD2–Japan: Traditional crafts and trades of the 18th century from a hand-painted album by an anonymous artist. Folio 3: Dyers (left), Sword sharpener (right). Hand-coloured illustration from a Japanese miscellany on traditional trades, crafts and customs in mid-18th century Japan, dated Meiwa Era (1764-1772) Year 6 (c. 1770).
RM2B027BH–China: A Sogdian Silk Road trader on a Bactrian camel, Tang Dynasty (618-907) sancai ceramic, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai. Sancai (literally 'three colours') is a type of ceramics using three intermingled colours for decoration. The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire. The dynasty was interrupted briefly by the Second Zhou Dynasty (690-705) when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne.
RM2B02FE0–Thailand: Page from an illustrated manuscript of a 'prommachat' or divination manual, late 18th - mid-19th century. Pages from a Siamese fortune telling manual based on a 12 animal zodiac. Thai Zodiac Signs are closely related to the Chinese Zodiac as both follow the same 12 year lunar cycle. In Thai zodiac signs the dragon is replaced by a naga snake and in Northern Thailand an elephant may be used in place of the Chinese sign for the pig.
RM2B02FTN–Taiwan: Buddhist Nun, Lotus Lake, Kaohsiung. Lotus Pond or Lotus Lake (pinyin: Liánchí Tán; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Liân-tî-thâm) opened in 1951, and is famous for the lotus plants on the lake and the numerous temples around the lake, including the Spring and Autumn Pavilions, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas, and the Confucian Temple.
RM3CNWR3M–Thailand: A spirit screen or spirit wall (yingbi, or zhaobi) at the Phra Thinang Wehart Chamrun (Heavenly Light Palace), Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, Bang Pa-In, Ayutthaya Province. Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, also known as the Summer Palace, is a palace complex formerly used by the Thai kings. It lies beside the Chao Phraya River in Bang Pa-In district, Ayutthaya Province. King Prasat Thong constructed the original complex in 1632, but it fell into disuse and became overgrown in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, until King Mongkut began to restore the site in the mid-19th century. Most of th
RM2B02C8C–China: Head of a female shadow puppet, Gansu Province, late Qing Dynasty period. Shadow play (Chinese: pí yĭng xì) or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment using opaque, often articulated figures in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images. It is popular in various cultures. At present, more than 20 countries are known to have shadow show troupes. Shadow puppetry originated during the Han Dynasty when one of the concubines of Emperor Wu of Han died from an illness.
RM2B03ARY–Tamzhing / Tamshing Lhundrup Monastery was built in 1501 by Bhutanese saint Pema Lingpa (1450-1521) and is a temple complex in Bumthang District, central Bhutan. Tamzhing Monastery is the most important Nyingma gompa in Bhutan, a Tibetan Buddhist ecclesiastical place of learning that is a mix of a fortification, a vihara (monastery) and a university.
RM2B037KT–Francois-Marie Arouet (21 November 1694 - 30 May 1778), more commonly known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment historian, philosopher and writer. He was famous for his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of speech and separation of church and state, often attacking the Catholic Church through his wit and writings. Voltaire was a prolific and versatile writer, with more than 20,000 letters and over 2,000 books and pamphlets to his name, as well as plays, poems, essays and historical and scientific works. Despite the strict censorship laws of the time, Voltaire often
RM2B02W0M–Pratt-Read was founded in Ivoryton, Connecticut, in 1798 as Pratt, Read & Company, originally producing beads, buttons, and billiard balls from elephant tusks imported from Africa. The company began to specialize in manufacturing ivory piano keys in 1839.
RM2B035WD–The Ainu or in historical Japanese texts Ezo, are an indigenous people of Japan (Hokkaido, and formerly northeastern Honshu) and Russia (Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands). Historically, they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. Most of those who identify themselves as Ainu still live in this same region, though the exact number of living Ainu is unknown. This is due to confusion over mixed heritages and to ethnic issues in Japan resulting in those with Ainu backgrounds hiding their identities. In Japan, because of interma
RM2B02D85–Cambodia: Spean Thma, a stone Khmer bridge between the Victory gate of Angkor Thom and the temple of Ta Keo, Angkor. Spean Thma is known as the bridge of stone and it is located west of Ta Keo. It is one of the few Khmer Empire era bridges to have survived to the modern day. It was built on the former path of the Siem Reap River between Angkor Thom and the Eastern Baray and it was probably rebuilt after the Khmer period (around the 15th century), as it includes many reused sandstone blocks.
RM2B02BCN–Japan: A geisha blackening her teeth at 1:00 pm. Ukiyo-e wooblock print from the series '24 Hours in Shinbashi and Yanagibashi' by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (30 April 1839 - 9 June 1892), 1880. Ohaguro is a custom of dyeing one's teeth black. It was most popular in Japan until the Meiji era. Tooth painting was also known and practised in the southeastern parts of China and Southeast Asia. Dyeing was mainly done by married women, though occasionally men did it as well. It was also beneficial, as it prevented tooth decay, in a similar fashion to modern dental sealants.
RM2B0306F–Mindon Min (8 July 1808 – 1 October 1878) was the penultimate king of Burma (Myanmar) from 1853 to 1878. He was one of the most popular and revered kings of Burma. Under his half brother King Pagan, the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852 ended with the annexation of Lower Burma by the British Empire. Mindon and his younger brother Kanaung overthrew their half brother King Pagan. He spent most of his reign trying to defend the upper portion of his country from British encroachments, and to modernize his kingdom. King Mindon founded the last royal capital of Burma, Mandalay, in 1857. His young br
RM2B01TRT–Italy: 'The Pronotary Giovanni Giuliano (Zuan Zulian)'. Oil on canvas painting by an anonymous artist, c. 1528-1542. Oriental carpets more than two centuries old have rarely survived and are rarely represented in Islamic Art since Sunni Islam (and to a lesser extent Shia) eschews representational art in favour of precisely the repetitive geometric symbols and arabesques found, for example, in oriental carpets. This means that most examples of 17th century and earlier oriental carpets, mainly produced in Muslim lands, are only to be found in paintings from Christian lands.
RM2B02A71–China: The flag of Macau flies over the Guia Fortress (Fortaleza de Guia), Guia Hill, Macau. The flag of Macau is light green with a lotus flower above the stylised Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and water in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars. Guia Fortress is a historical military fort, chapel, and lighthouse complex. The fort and chapel were constructed between 1622 and 1638, after an unsuccessful attempt by the Netherlands to capture Macau from Portugal. The lighthouse was constructed between 1864 and 1865, the first western style lighthouse in east Asia.
RM2B037YB–Japan: Traditional crafts and trades of the 18th century from a hand-painted album by an anonymous artist. Folio 27. Hand-coloured illustration from a Japanese miscellany on traditional trades, crafts and customs in mid-18th century Japan, dated Meiwa Era (1764-1772) Year 6 (c. 1770 CE).
RM2B02JYY–The Armenian Genocide refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was implemented through wholesale massacres and deportations, with the deportations consisting of forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees. The total number of resulting Armenian deaths is generally held to have been between one and one and a half million. Other ethnic groups were similarly attacked by the Ottoman Empire during this period, including Assyrians and Greeks, and some scholars conside
RM2B02JWH–Soghomon Tehlirian (Armenian: Սողոմոն Թեհլերեան (classical), Սողոմոն Թեհլերյան (reformed); April 2, 1896 – May 23, 1960) was an Armenian Genocide survivor who assassinated the former Ottoman Interior Minister Talaat Pasha in Berlin in the presence of many witnesses on March 15, 1921 as an act of vengeance for Talaat's role in orchestrating the Armenian Genocide during World War I. It was a part of the Operation Nemesis by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. Even before his assassination, Talaat Pasha had been convicted and sentenced to death in absentia by his own Ottoman Empire in the Tur
![This picture scroll is a copy of selected sections of the Ezo Shima Kikan (Unusual Views of the Island of Ezo [Hokkaido]) by Hata Awagimaro, completed in Kansei 11 (1799) and considered the most notable work depicting the contemporaneous lives of the Ainu. The Ainu or in historical Japanese texts Ezo, are an indigenous people of Japan (Hokkaido, and formerly northeastern Honshu) and Russia (Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands). Stock Photo](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2B033TF/this-picture-scroll-is-a-copy-of-selected-sections-of-the-ezo-shima-kikan-unusual-views-of-the-island-of-ezo-hokkaido-by-hata-awagimaro-completed-in-kansei-11-1799-and-considered-the-most-notable-work-depicting-the-contemporaneous-lives-of-the-ainu-the-ainu-or-in-historical-japanese-texts-ezo-are-an-indigenous-people-of-japan-hokkaido-and-formerly-northeastern-honshu-and-russia-sakhalin-and-the-kuril-islands-2B033TF.jpg "This picture scroll is a copy of selected sections of the Ezo Shima Kikan (Unusual Views of the Island of Ezo [Hokkaido]) by Hata Awagimaro, completed in Kansei 11 (1799) and considered the most notable work depicting the contemporaneous lives of the Ainu. The Ainu or in historical Japanese texts Ezo, are an indigenous people of Japan (Hokkaido, and formerly northeastern Honshu) and Russia (Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands). Stock Photo")
RM2B033TF–This picture scroll is a copy of selected sections of the Ezo Shima Kikan (Unusual Views of the Island of Ezo [Hokkaido]) by Hata Awagimaro, completed in Kansei 11 (1799) and considered the most notable work depicting the contemporaneous lives of the Ainu. The Ainu or in historical Japanese texts Ezo, are an indigenous people of Japan (Hokkaido, and formerly northeastern Honshu) and Russia (Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands).
RM2B034PT–Soryu ('Blue Dragon') was an aircraft carrier built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during the mid-1930s. Soryu's aircraft were employed in operations during the Second Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930s and supported the Japanese invasion of French Indochina in mid-1940. During the first months of the Pacific War, she took part in the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Battle of Wake Island, and supported the conquest of the Dutch East Indies. In February 1942, her aircraft bombed Darwin, Australia, and she continued on to assist in the Dutch East Indies campaign. In April, Soryu's aircraft he
RM2B02XPR–Rani Pokhari (Queen’s Pond), located off the northern end of the Tundikhel, is one of Kathmandu’s more attractive landmarks. The pond was dug between 1665 and 1670 by King Pratapa Malla to comfort his wife Bhavan Lakshmi over the death of their son Chakrabatindra Malla who had been trampled to death by an elephant. In later years, the pond was used for trial by ordeal, in which the representatives of two conflicting parties had to submerge themselves in the water, the one with the greater lung capacity winning the case. With the beginning of Rana rule the ordeals were discontinued.
RM2B033TW–The Ainu or in historical Japanese texts Ezo, are an indigenous people of Japan (Hokkaido, and formerly northeastern Honshu) and Russia (Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands). Historically, they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin. Most of those who identify themselves as Ainu still live in this same region, though the exact number of living Ainu is unknown. This is due to confusion over mixed heritages and to ethnic issues in Japan resulting in those with Ainu backgrounds hiding their identities. In Japan, because of interma
RM2B02NAJ–At Pashupatinath the cremation ghat (steps) are divided into two sections, Arya Ghat (Steps of the Nobles) and Surya Ghat (Steps of the Sun). The former is reserved for members of the higher castes, including members of the royal family, the latter for the common people. The most revered Hindu site in Nepal is the extensive Pashupatinath Temple complex, five kilometres east of central Kathmandu. The focus of devotion here is a large silver Shivalingam with four faces of Shiva carved on its sides, making it a 'Chaturmukhi-Linga', or four-faced Shivalingam. Pashupati is one of Shiva’s 1,008 n
RM2B036TK–China: Carving of Ju Liusun (Krakucchanda), depicting his role in the 16th Century Ming Dynasty novel Fengshen Yanyi ('Investiture of the Gods'). From Ping Sien Si Temple, Pasir Panjang Laut. Photo by Anandajoti (CC BY 2.0). Ju Liusun was a character from the classic Ming Dynasty novel 'Fengshen Yanyi'. Ju Liusun was an immortal, and one of the Twelve Golden Xian, twelve of the Taoist Grand Master Yuanshi Tianzun's greatest students. He worked alongside the other twelve Xians and fellow disciple Jiang Ziya to support King Wu of Zhou against the tyrannical King Zhou of Shang.
RM2B032EE–Baron Roman Nikolai Maximilian von Ungern-Sternberg (December 29, 1885 – September 15, 1921) was a Baltic Swedish-Russian Yesaul (Cossack Captain), a Russian hero of World War I and Lieutenant-general at the time of civil war in Russia and Mongolia, who 'liberated' Mongolia from Chinese rule in February - March 1921. In June he invaded Southern Siberia trying to raise an anti-communist rebellion, but was defeated by the Red Army in August 1921. An independent and brutal warlord in pursuit of pan-monarchist goals in Mongolia and territories east of Lake Baikal during the Russian Civil War that
RM2WH5B7R–Greece: Marble bust of Alexander the Great (356 - 323 BCE) at the Maritime Museum of Crete, Chania, Crete. The original artist is believed to be Leochares (active 4th century BCE). Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of Macedon, a state in the north eastern region of Greece, and by the age of thirty was the creator of one of the largest empires in ancient history, stretching from the Ionian Sea to the Himalaya. He was undefeated in battle and is considered one of the most successful commanders of all time.
RM2GA5CM2–China: Coal and other goods being transported on the Huangpu Jiang (Huangpu River) from the Yangzi (Yangtze) River, Shanghai. Shanghai began life as a fishing village, and later as a port receiving goods carried down the Yangzi River. From 1842 onwards, in the aftermath of the first Opium War, the British opened a ‘concession’ in Shanghai where traders could operate undisturbed. French, Italians, Germans, Americans and Japanese all followed. By the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai was a boom town. When the Communists won power in 1949, they transformed Shanghai into a model of the Revolution.
RM2B0239G–Japan: The one-eyed general Yamamoto Kansuke (1501 - 18 October 1561) badly wounded, leaning on spear with one foot on the severed head of an enemy. Ukiyo-e woodblock print from the series 'Stories of Courageous Generals of the Provinces of Echigo and Kai' by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861), c. 1848-1849. Yamamoto Kansuke was a samurai of the 16th century who was one of Takeda Shingen's most trusted Twenty-Four Generals. Also known by his formal name, Haruyuki, he was a brilliant strategist and is particularly known for his plan which led to victory in the fourth battle of Kawanakajima.
RM2B02F87–India: 'A woman by a lake'. Miniature painting from an album or 'muraqqa' compiled in the Deccan, 18th-19th century. A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music. It uses a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is constructed. However, the way the notes are approached and rendered in musical phrases and the mood they convey are more important in defining a raga than the notes themselves. In Indian musical tradition, rāgas are associated with different times of the day, or with seasons. Rāginī is a term for the 'feminine' counterpart or 'wife' to a rāga
RM2B02FA2–Japan: 'The Hour of the Dragon' ('Tatsu no Koku') - c. 7-9 AM. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utamaro Kitagawa (1753-1806), c. 1794-1795. During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Japanese clock was divided into twelve units of time, or ‘hours’, with each one named after one of the zodiacal symbols of the lunar calendar, and with the day being divided up into six daytime hours and six night-time hours. This woodblock print is taken from Kitagawa Utamaro's 1794-1795 ukiyo-e series 'Twelve Hours of the Green Rooms', sometimes styled 'Twelve Hours in the Yoshiwara'.
RM2B02FA5–Japan: 'The Hour of the Sheep' ('Hitsuji no Koku') - c. 1-3 PM. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utamaro Kitagawa (1753-1806), c. 1794-1795. During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Japanese clock was divided into twelve units of time, or ‘hours’, with each one named after one of the zodiacal symbols of the lunar calendar, and with the day being divided up into six daytime hours and six night-time hours. This woodblock print is taken from Kitagawa Utamaro's 1794-1795 ukiyo-e series 'Twelve Hours of the Green Rooms', sometimes styled 'Twelve Hours in the Yoshiwara'.
RM2B02FA0–Japan: 'The Hour of the Dragon' ('Tatsu no Koku') - c. 7-9 AM. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utamaro Kitagawa (1753-1806), c. 1794-1795. During the Edo period (1603-1868), the Japanese clock was divided into twelve units of time, or ‘hours’, with each one named after one of the zodiacal symbols of the lunar calendar, and with the day being divided up into six daytime hours and six night-time hours. This woodblock print is taken from Kitagawa Utamaro's 1794-1795 ukiyo-e series 'Twelve Hours of the Green Rooms', sometimes styled 'Twelve Hours in the Yoshiwara'.
RM2B00REF–Sri Lanka: A waterfall near Kandy, Central Highlands. Photograph by Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919), early 20th century. Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (February 16, 1834 – August 9, 1919), also written von Haeckel, was an eminent German biologist, naturalist, philosopher, physician, professor and artist who discovered, described and named thousands of new species, mapped a genealogical tree relating all life forms, and coined many terms in biology, including anthropogeny, ecology, phylum, phylogeny, and the kingdom Protista. Haeckel promoted and popularized Charles Darwin's work in Germany.
RM2B0339A–Jinn, also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies, are supernatural creatures in early Arabian and later Islamic mythology and theology. An individual member of the jinn is known as a jinni, djinni, or genie. They are mentioned frequently in the Quran (the 72nd sura is titled Sūrat al-Jinn) and other Islamic texts and inhabit an unseen world, another universe beyond the known universe. The Quran says that the jinn are made of a smokeless and 'scorching fire', but are also physical in nature, being able to interact in a tactile manner with people and objects and likewise be acted upon. The
RM2B02FAX–China: Coal boat, early morning in the Qutang Gorge, smallest of the Three Gorges, Yangtze (Yangzi) River. The Three Gorges or Yangtze Gorges span from the western - upriver cities of Fengjie and Yichang in Chongqing Municipality eastward - downstream to Hubei province. The Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) - Three Gorges region has a total length of approximately 200 kilometres (120 mi). The Three Gorges occupy approximately 120 kilometres (75 mi) within this region. The Chang Jiang (Yangzi River) is the longest river in China and third longest in the world.
RM2XTBAHB–Spain: The bell tower, Mezquita or the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba (Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption), Cordoba. Construction of the Great Mosque began in 785–786 and finished a year later in 786–787. In 1236 Córdoba was conquered by King Ferdinand III of Castile as part of the Reconquista. Upon the city's conquest the mosque was converted into a Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary (Santa Maria).
RM2B0380F–The Anwar-i Suhayli or 'The Lights of Canopus', commonly known as the Fables of Bidpai in the West, is a Persian version of the ancient Indian collection of animal fables, the Panchatantra. It tells a tale of a Persian physician, Burzuyah, and his mission to India, where he stumbles upon a book of stories collected from the animals who reside there. In a similar vein to the Arabian Nights, the fables in the manuscript are inter-woven as the characters of one story recount the next, leading up to three or four degrees of narrative embedding. Many usually have morals or offer philosophical glim
RM3CHEMD3–Turkey: A variety of spices used in cooking for sale in the Spice Bazaar (Misir Carsisi or Egyptian Bazaar), Eminonu quarter, Fateh district, Istanbul. The Egyptian Bazaar was designed by Koca Kasim Aga and built in 1664. It is a part of the Yeni Camii or New Mosque complex.
RM2B02FD1–Japan: Traditional crafts and trades of the 18th century from a hand-painted album by an anonymous artist. Folio 2 (recto): House painter. Hand-coloured illustration from a Japanese miscellany on traditional trades, crafts and customs in mid-18th century Japan, dated Meiwa Era (1764-1772) Year 6 (c. 1770).
RM2B02HT6–India: The Naqqar Khana (Naubat Khana) or Drum House, Red Fort, Old Delhi. Delhi is said to be the site of Indraprashta, capital of the Pandavas of the Indian epic Mahabharata. Excavations have unearthed shards of painted pottery dating from around 1000 BCE, though the earliest known architectural relics date from the Mauryan Period, about 2,300 years ago. Since that time the site has been continuously settled. The city was ruled by the Hindu Rajputs between about 900 and 1206 CE, when it became the capital of the Delhi Sultanate.
RM2B02J0C–Japan: 'Imasu-juku'. Ukiyo-e woodblock print No. 60 from the series 'The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido' by Keisai Eisen (1790-1848), c. 1835-1838. The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō (Kiso Kaidō Rokujūkyū-tsugi) or Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Road, is a series of ukiyo-e works created by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) and Keisai Eisen. There are 71 total prints in the series (one for each of the 69 post stations and Nihonbashi; Nakatsugawa-juku has two prints). The common name for the Kiso Kaidō is 'Nakasendō' or 'Central Mountain Highway'.
RM3EGCDBN–Vietnam: A Co Tu (Katu) tomb in the garden of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi. The Katuic people (also Co Tu, Ca Tang) are a small ethnic group who live in eastern Laos and central Vietnam. Numbered among the Katuic peoples, they speak a Mon-Khmer language.
RM2B02J3B–Japan: The bronze 'Kilometre Zero' marker in the middle of Japan's Nihonbashi Bridge from which all road distances in Japan are measured. Nihonbashi (literally 'Japan Bridge'), or Nihombashi, is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan which grew up around the bridge of the same name which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603, and the current bridge made of stone dates from 1911. The district covers a large area to the north and east of the bridge, reaching Akihabara to the north.
RM2B02J8M–Russia: Russian Imperial infantry from the White Volunteer Army armed with Mosin-Nagant rifles, 1920. World War One was to have a devastating impact on Russia. When World War One started in August 1914, Russia responded by patriotically rallying around Nicholas II. Military disasters at the Masurian Lakes and Tannenburg greatly weakened the Russian Army in the initial phases of the war. The growing influence of Gregory Rasputin over the Romanovs did a great deal to damage the royal family and by the end of the spring of 1917, the ruling Romanovs were overthrown.
RM2B02J66–China: Buddhist stone relief carved into the rock face, Binglingsi, Yongjing County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu. Binglingsi Shiku (Thousand Buddha Caves) is a collection of caves and grottoes set in an inaccessible canyon by the Yellow River about 80km upstream from Lanzhou. The site's very isolation has protected and preserved Binglingsi, not least from marauding Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). The first Buddhist grottoes at Binglingsi date from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (c. 317-420 CE), and construction continued for well over a thousand years.
RM2B02JB9–Russia: Leon Trotsky (7 November 1879 - 21 August 1940), founder and first leader of the Red Army, defends Russia against European intervention. Revolutionary poster by Dmitrii Moor (1883-1946), Russian Civil War, c. 1921. Leon Trotsky (born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein) was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army. Trotsky was initially a supporter of the Menshevik Internationalists faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. He joined the Bolsheviks immediately prior to the 1917 October Revolution.
RM2B010G6–Thailand: CD vendors, Hmong New Year celebrations, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Hmong New Year generally takes place in either November or December (traditionally at the end of the harvest season). The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China. Hmong groups began a gradual southward migration in the 18th century due to political unrest and to find more arable land.
RM2B010G3–Thailand: Top spinning competition, Hmong New Year celebrations, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Hmong New Year generally takes place in either November or December (traditionally at the end of the harvest season). The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China. Hmong groups began a gradual southward migration in the 18th century due to political unrest and to find more arable land.
RM2B010FJ–Thailand: Elder on his mobile, Hmong New Year celebrations, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Hmong New Year generally takes place in either November or December (traditionally at the end of the harvest season). The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China. Hmong groups began a gradual southward migration in the 18th century due to political unrest and to find more arable land.
RM2B02CJY–Taiwan: Taoist priests and traditional musical ensemble at Dalongdong Baoan Temple, Taipei. Dalongdong Baoan Temple, also known as the Taipei Baoan Temple, is a Taiwanese folk religion temple built in the Datong district of Taipei, Taiwan. The present temple was originally built by clan members in the Tong'an District who immigrated to Taipei in the early 19th century and gave the temple the name Bao'an in order to 'protect those of tong'an'. The temple construction commenced in 1804 and replaced a previously existing wooden shrine from 1742 in Dalongdong.
RM2B02GHA–Vietnam: Thien Mu Pagoda, Hue. Thien Mu Pagoda was built in 1601 CE under Nguyen Hoang, the governor of Thuan Hoa province, now known as Hue. Although he swore loyalty to the Le Dynasty in Hanoi, Nguyen Hoang effectively ruled Thuan Hoa as an independent state in central Vietnam. The pagoda has seven storeys and is the tallest in Vietnam, and is often the subject of folk rhymes and poetry about Hue, which was the imperial capital of Vietnam between 1802 and 1945. Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty between 1802 and 1945. The tombs of several emperors lie in and around the city
RM2B02GHN–India: Hundreds of figures adorn one of the 14 'gopuram' (gateway towers) at Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu. The Meenakshi Amman Temple (also called: Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, Tiru-aalavaai and Meenakshi Amman Kovil) is a Hindu temple dedicated to Parvati, known as Meenakshi, and her consort, Shiva, here named Sundareswarar. The present temple dates from between 1623 and 1655 CE.
RM2B02GMB–Japan: 'Tosei Sangokushi no Uchi'. Sawamura Tanosuke, kabuki actor, with phoenix and angel tattoo. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900), c. 1863. Irezumi is a Japanese word that refers to the insertion of ink under the skin to leave a permanent, usually decorative mark; a form of tattooing. The word can be written in several ways, each with slightly different connotations. The most common way of writing irezumi is with the Chinese characters 入れ墨 or 入墨, literally meaning to 'insert ink'. The characters 紋身 (also pronounced bunshin) suggest 'decorating the body'.
RM2B02GPX–Thailand: Elephants walking in the Ping River from the Chiang Dao Elephant Camp, Chiang Mai Province. The Asian or Asiatic Elephant (Elephas maximus) is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed throughout the Subcontinent and Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Asian elephants are the largest living land animal in Asia. There are around 2,600 elephants living in Thailand, with the majority being domesticated.
RM2B02GW4–Japan: Kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro V depicted in a role as a samurai. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Katsukawa Shun'ei (1762-1819), 1785. Samurai is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi, and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class. The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as Bushidō. While they numbered less than ten percent of Japan's population, samurai teachings can still be found today in everyday life.
RM2B02GX5–Japan: Ninja attack. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861), c. 1851-1853. A ninja, or shinobi, was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan who specialised in unorthodox warfare. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration and assassination, and open combat in certain situations. Their covert methods of waging war contrasted the ninja with the samurai, who observed strict rules about honour and combat. The shinobi proper, a specially trained group of spies and mercenaries, appeared in the Sengoku or 'warring states' period.
RM2B02FYX–China: Bronze goat, Qingyang Gong (Green Goat Temple), Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Qingyang Gong Shi (Green Goat Palace Temple) is the oldest and largest Daoist temple in the Southwest of China. It is situated in the western part of Chengdu City. Originally built in the early Tang Dynasty (618-907), this temple has been rebuilt and repaired many times. The existing buildings were mostly built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). According to legend, Qing Yang Gong is said to be the birth place of the founder of Taoism, Lao Tsu/Laozi, and is where he gave his first sermon.
RM2B02G2B–Italy/China: Scene at the court of the Great Khan. Miniature painting from 'Le Livre des Merveilles', c. 1410-1412. Probably born in Venice around 1254 CE, Marco Polo was raised by his aunt and uncle after his mother died. His father, Niccolo, was a Venetian merchant who left before Marco was born to trade in the Middle East. Niccolo and his brother Maffeo passed through much of Asia and met with Mongol emperor Kublai Khan who reportedly invited them to be ambassadors.
RM2B02G6G–India: Bhima Ratha, one part of the Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots), Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. Pancha Rathas is an example of monolithic Indian rock-cut architecture. Dating from the late 7th century, it is attributed to the reign of King Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I (630-680 CE), also called Mamalla, or 'great warrior', of the Pallava Kingdom. Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram is an ancient historic town and was a bustling seaport from as early as the 1st century CE. By the 7th Century it was the main port city of the South Indian Pallava dynasty.
RM2B01TNR–USA: Two well-to-do ethnic Chinese women in a restaurant, musical instruments hanging on wall to right. San Francisco Chinatown, c. 1900. San Francisco's Chinatown was the port of entry for early Hoisanese and Zhongshanese Chinese immigrants from the Guangdong province of southern China from the 1850s to the 1900s. The area was the one geographical region deeded by the city government and private property owners which allowed Chinese persons to inherit and inhabit dwellings within the city.
RM2HC146J–Thailand: Wat Ban Den, Ban Inthakin, Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai. Wat Ban Den, also known as Wat Bandensali Si Mueang Kaen, is a large Buddhist temple complex north of the city of Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand.
RM2RTAPBJ–Japan: Akechi Mitsuhide (10 March 1528 - 2 July 1582), samurai and betrayer of Oda Nobunaga. Hanging scroll painting, c. 1613. Akechi Mitsuhide, nicknamed Jūbei or called Koretō Hyūga no Kami from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan. Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's seppuku at Honno-ji. He attempted to establish himself as shogun, but was swiftly defeated by Nobunaga's successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi and killed by bandits while fleeing.
RM2B02C18–China: Jade for sale on the street, Khotan, Xinjiang Province. Khotan traces its history back at least as far as the 3rd century BCE, when the eldest son of the Indian emperor Asoka is said to have settled here. It was of great importance on the Silk Road, and is claimed to have been the first place outside China to have cultivated silk. It sits astride the Karakash or ‘Black Jade’ and Yurungkash or ‘White Jade’ Rivers, which here conjoin to form the Khotan Darya, and has been famous for its jade for well over two millennia.
RM2B02CKW–Indonesia: Candi Kalasan viewed from the west. Sailendra Period, c. 8th century. Johannes Muller, 1859. Kalasan (Indonesian: Candi Kalasan), also known as Candi Kalibening, is an 8th-century Buddhist temple in Indonesia. It is located 13 km east of Yogyakarta. Candi are the Hindu and Buddhist temples and sanctuaries of Indonesia, mostly built during the 8th to 15th centuries. However, ancient non-religious structures such as gates, urban ruins, and pools and bathing places are often also called 'candi'. Candi refers to a structure based on the Indian type of single-celled shrine.
RM2B01K1Y–Thailand: Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Bangkok. Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha); full official name Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. It is located within the precincts of the Grand Palace. The Grand Palace served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of King Rama I, when he moved the capital across the river from Thonburi to Bangkok.
RM2B00P49–Thailand: Firecrackers explode over shrine bearers and they are quickly enveloped in thick smoke, street procession, Phuket Vegetarian Festival. The Vegetarian Festival is a religious festival annually held on the island of Phuket in southern Thailand. It attracts crowds of spectators because of many of the unusual religious rituals that are performed. Many religious devotees will slash themselves with swords, pierce their cheeks with sharp objects and commit other painful acts.
RM2B01AM6–Iran: Page from an illuminated copy of Tuḥfat al-ʻIrāqayn by Afzal al-Dīn Shirvānī Khāqānī (1126-1198), 1604. This manuscript of Persian poems is written in nastaliq script. The page-borders represent birds and animals in various colours outlined in gold. This is one of three miniatures from the Isfahan School contained in the collection. The manuscript was produced in 1604 by Shāh Qāsim and is a copy of the original collection of poetry by Khāqānī from the end of the 12th century.
RM2B021WR–Japan: Ōdenma-chō: Street scene with geishas and cotton shops. Image 7 of part 1 (Spring) of '100 Famous Views of Edo'. Ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), c. 1856-1859. Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, actually composed of 118 woodblock landscape and genre scenes of mid-19th century Tokyo, is one of the greatest achievements of Japanese art. The series includes many of Hiroshige's most famous prints. It represents a celebration of the style and world of Japan's finest cultural flowering at the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
RM2B01BA4–Thailand: A depiction of hell, northern wall mural, Wat Buak Khrok Luang, Chiang Mai. Wat Buak Khrok Luang, located in Ban Buak Khrok Luang Moo 1, Chiang Mai – Sankamphaeng Road, Chiang Mai, is a small and typically northern Thai Buddhist temple. It is believed to have been founded in the 15th century during the time of the independent Lan Na Kingdom (1292-1558), and was extensively restored during the reign of Chao Kaew Naowarat (r. 1911-1939), the last King of Chiang Mai. The temple is chiefly noteworthy for its main viharn, which is purely Lan Na in inspiration.
RM2B026D9–Laos: Fruit and vegetable vendor at the Morning market, Luang Prabang. Luang Prabang was formerly the capital of a kingdom of the same name. Until the communist takeover in 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
RM2B01WNN–Yemen: Alabaster figurine of Ma'adil Salhan, King of Awsan. Sabaean, 1st century BCE. South Arabia as a general term refers to several regions as currently recognized, in chief the Republic of Yemen; yet it has historically also included Najran, Jizan, and 'Asir which are presently in Saudi Arabia, and Dhofar presently in Oman. The frontiers of South Arabia as linguistically conceived would include the historic peoples speaking the related South Arabian languages as well as neighboring dialects of Arabic, and their descendants.
RM2B01AN8–Asia: 'Partie Orientale De La Terre Ferme De L' Inde Moderne'. Map of Indochina showing parts of India, China and Central Asia and featuring prominently the mythical 'Lake Chiamay', by Alain Manesson Mallet (1630-1706), Paris, 1683. Copper engraving, hand colored in wash and outline. Decorative engraved map showing the gulf of Bengal with Burma and Thailand and neighbouring countries. With several engraved names of rivers and regions, including the mythical 'Lake Chiamay' or 'Lake Chiang Mai', supposed source for many of the great rivers of Southeast Asia.
RM2B0304Y–The Qing dynasty, also called the Empire of the Great Qing, or the Manchu dynasty, was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China. The Qing multi-cultural empire lasted almost three centuries and formed the territorial base for the modern Chinese state.
RM2B01CF2–Vietnam: Former Emperor Bao Dai (22 October 1913 - 31 July 1997), shortly after abdicating in 1945 in favour of the Viet Minh, sitting with Ho Chi Minh as a 'simple citizen' and the supreme advisor of the Democratic Republic Of Vietnam. Photo by T. Do Khac, 1 June 1946. Japan surrendered to the Allies in August 1945, and the Vietminh under the leadership of Hồ Chí Minh attempted to take power in a free Vietnam. Hồ was able to persuade Bao Dai to abdicate on 25 August 1945, handing power over to the Vietminh - an event which greatly enhanced Hồ's legitimacy in the eyes of the Vietnamese people
RM2B0292H–Thailand: Ho trai (library), chedi and viharn, Wat Chiang Man, Chiang Mai. Wat Chiang Man (Chiang Mun) was built in 1297 CE and is thought to be Chiang Mai's oldest temple. It was built on the spot which had been used by King Mangrai as a camp during the construction of his new capital city Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai (meaning 'new city'), sometimes written as 'Chiengmai' or 'Chiangmai', is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai in 1296, and it succeeded Chiang Rai as capital of the Lanna kingdom.
RM2B01BHH–China: Tujia woman selling flower tiaras at the North Gate Tower, Fenghuang, Hunan Province. Fenghuang is Chinese for Phoenix and refers to the mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, and (according to Sanchuniathon) the Phoenicians. Legend suggests that two phoenixes on discovering the town hovered overhead for some considerable time before reluctantly flying away. Fenghuang town is a well-preserved ancient town supposedly dating back to 248 BC. It is home to the Miao and Tujia minorities.
RM2B027FG–Thailand: The Luang Pho Khao Buddha image at the site of Wat Sadeu Muang (aka Wat Inthakin), Chiang Mai. Wat Inthakin also known as Wat Sadeu Muang or ‘Temple of the City Navel’, was once the location of the lak muang or city pillar, known as the Sao Inthakhin or ‘Pillar of Indra’. As such, it was – and is – a locality imbued with the greatest spiritual and ritual significance. It is not recorded when the city pillar was first set up here, but it is likely to have been at the founding of the city by King Mangrai in 1296.
RM2B00TJK–Sri Lanka: 'A Kandyan Chief and a Buddhist Monk'. Painting by John Davy (1790-1868), 1821. In 1592 Kandy became the capital city of the last remaining independent kingdom in Sri Lanka after the coastal regions had been conquered by the Portuguese. Kandy stayed independent until the early 19th century. In the Second Kandyan War, the British met no resistance and reached the city on February 10, 1815. On March 2, 1815, a treaty known as the Kandyan Convention was signed between the British and the Radalas (Kandyan aristocrats). With this treaty, Kandy became a British protectorate.
RM2B02303–Japan: Yurugi Sogen with a head on a go board. Ukiyo-e woodblock print from the series ‘28 Famous Murders with Verse’ by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), c. 1867. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, also named Taiso Yoshitoshi, was a Japanese artist. He is widely recognized as the last great master of Ukiyo-e, a type of Japanese woodblock printing. Eimei nijūhasshūku (‘28 Famous Murders with Verse’), also known as the 'Bloody Prints', is a collection of Japanese ukiyo-e from the 1860s, which depicted gruesome acts of murder or torture based on historical events or scenes in kabuki plays.
RM2B02677–Laos: View from Phousi (Phu Si) Hill towards Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham and the Mekong River, Luang Prabang. Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham dates from the early 19th century. The temple was once the residence of the Sangkhalat, the supreme patriarch of Buddhism in Laos. The sim (ordination hall) is wooden, with a five-tiered roof in classic Luang Prabang style. The main attraction of the sim is the gilded walls of the front veranda, the designs of which recount scenes from the Ramayana and the Buddha’s penultimate incarnation (Vessantara Jataka).
RM2B024ER–Ireland/Scotland: The Opening Words of St. John's Gospel. Fol. 292 R. The Book of Kells, c. 800 CE. The Book of Kells (Irish: Leabhar Cheanannais) (Dublin, Trinity College Library, MS A. I. (58), sometimes known as the Book of Columba) is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created by Celtic monks c. 800 or slightly earlier. The text of the Gospels is largely drawn from the Vulgate, although it also includes several passages drawn from earlier versions of the Bible.
RM2B01C00–India: Notre Dame des Anges, one of the beautifully-preserved churches in Pondicherry. Pondicherry was the capital of the former French territories in India. Besides Pondi itself – acquired from a local ruler in 1674 – these included Chandernagore in Bengal (1690); Mahé in Kerala (1725); Yanam in Andhra Pradesh (1731); and Karaikal in Tamil Nadu (1739). Chandernagore was returned to India three years after independence, in 1951, and was absorbed into West Bengal. Returned to India in 1956, the remaining four territories were constituted as the Union Territory of Pondicherry in 1962.
RM2B0293C–China: The Leifeng Pagoda overlooking Xi Hu (West Lake), Hangzhou. The Leifeng Pagoda was originally built in 975 CE during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It collapsed in 1924, but was rebuilt in 2002. Hangzhou is one of China’s six ancient capitals. The city thrived during the Tang period (618-907), benefiting greatly from its position at the southern end of the Grand Canal. At the beginning of the 12th century, Hangzhou was chosen as the new capital of the Southern Song Dynasty after the Chinese court was defeated in a battle against the Jin in 1123, and fled south.
RM2B0179C–China: 'Luohan, after a set attributed to Guanxio'. Ink rubbing of the stele commissioned by the Qianlong emperor depicting the arhat Asita. The upper right shows the inscriptions of the eulogy given by Qianlong. Stele c. 1757, ink rubbing c. 18th-19th century. The Eighteen Arhats (Shiba Luohan) are individuals depicted in Mahayana Buddhism who have followed the Eightfold Path and attained the Four Stages of Enlightenment, and are also the original followers of the Buddha. They have reached the state of Nirvana and are free of worldly cravings. They are charged to protect the Buddhist faith.
RM2B0213Y–Thailand: Elephant, Nong Nooch Village, Pattaya, Chonburi Province. The Asian or Asiatic Elephant (Elephas maximus) is the only living species of the genus Elephas and is distributed throughout the Subcontinent and Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Asian elephants are the largest living land animal in Asia. There are around 2,600 elephants living in Thailand, with the majority being domesticated.
RM2B031P9–Ko Phangan is 15 km (9.5 miles) north of Ko Samui, and, at 168 sq km (65 sq miles) about two-thirds of its size. The island has the same tropical combination of white, sandy beaches, accessible coral reefs and rugged, jungled interior. Once the haunt of budget travelers escaping from more expensive Ko Samui, it is today slowly moving more upmarket. Still, the island remains much less developed for international tourism than Ko Samui, due in part to its isolation and in part to its poor infrastructural system. The roads, in particular, remain poor, with many places along the coast only accessi
RM2B01H41–Thailand: View from Lon Noi Cliff, Phu Ruea National Park, Loei Province. Loei (Thai: เลย) Province is located in Thailand's upper North-East. Neighboring provinces are (from east clockwise) Nong Khai, Udon Thani, Nongbua Lamphu, Khon Kaen, Phetchabun, Phitsanulok. In the north it borders Xaignabouli and Vientiane Provinces of Laos. The province is covered with low mountains, while the capital Loei is located in a fertile basin. The Loei River, which flows through the province, is a tributary of the Mekong.
RM2B01MCW–Thailand: Ao Bang Nang Rom (Bang Nang Rom Bay) seen from Khao Chong Krajok (Mirror Mountain), Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. Bang Nang Rom Bay is located between Prachuap Khiri Khan and its satellite beach at Ao Noi. This prosperous Thai fishing village has a reputation for making excellent wooden fishing vessels by hand. Once finished, the boats are either sold to neighbouring fishing communities, or used by local fishermen to catch a prized local fish called ching chang, which is dried and then sold to South Asian buyers.
RM2B01BJE–China: Early morning on Fenghuang's misty Tuo River, Fenghuang, Hunan Province. Fenghuang is Chinese for Phoenix and refers to the mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, and (according to Sanchuniathon) the Phoenicians. Legend suggests that two phoenixes on discovering the town hovered overhead for some considerable time before reluctantly flying away. Fenghuang town is a well-preserved ancient town supposedly dating back to 248 BC. It is home to the Miao and Tujia minorities.
RM2B01WPH–Egypt: Hieroglyphic inscription from the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Deir el-Bahari, Luxor, c. 1458 BCE. Deir el-Bahari or Deir el-Bahri ( 'The Northern Monastery') is a complex of mortuary temples and tombs located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Luxor, Egypt. The focal point of the Deir el-Bahari complex is the Djeser-Djeseru meaning 'the Holy of Holies', the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut. It is a colonnaded structure, which was designed and implemented by Senemut, royal steward and architect of Hatshepsut (and believed by some to be her lover).
RM2B01FDA–Vietnam: Advertisement for the Hanoi Exposition by Clementine-Hélène Dufau (18 August 1869 - 18 March 1937), November 1902 - January 1903. Hanoi (Vietnamese: Hà Nội), is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. It has an estimated population of nearly 6.5 million (2009), (but only 2.6 million (2009) in urban areas). From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam. It was eclipsed by Huế during the Nguyễn dynasty as the capital of Vietnam, but Hanoi served as the capital of French Indochina from 1902 to 1954.
RM2B022BG–Japan: Tōto Surugachō: The Suruga District in the Eastern Capital. Ukiyo-e woodblock print from the series '36 Views of Mount Fuji' by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), 1858. Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji is the title of two series of woodblock prints by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Andō Hiroshige, depicting Mount Fuji in differing seasons and weather conditions from a variety of different places and distances. The 1852 series are in landscape orientation; the 1858 series are in portrait orientation.
RM2B01JKR–Japan: 'Naniwa Okita Admiring Herself in a Mirror'. Ukiyo-e woodblock print from the series 'Seven Women Applying Make-up Using a Mirror' by Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753 - 31 October 1806), c. 1792-1793. Kitagawa Utamaro was a Japanese printmaker and painter, who is considered one of the greatest artists of woodblock prints (ukiyo-e). He is known especially for his masterfully composed studies of women, known as bijinga. He also produced nature studies, particularly illustrated books of insects.
RM2B01CP2–China: A traveller on the antique Silk Road, widely supposed to represent the itinerant monk Xuanzang. Hanging scroll painting, Dunhuang, 9th century. Xuanzang ( Wade-Giles: Hsüan-tsang, c. 602-664) was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler and translator who described the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period. Born in Henan province of China in 602 or 603, from boyhood he took to reading sacred books, including the Chinese Classics and the writings of the ancient sages.
RM2B01CC5–Vietnam: Drawing of attack by Mahias' marine infantry battalion at the battle of Hoa Moc, 2 March 1885. Engraving by Charles-Lucien Huard (12 February 1837 - 22 January 1899), 1887. The Tonkin Campaign (French: Campagne du Tonkin) was an armed conflict fought between June 1883 and April 1886 by the French against, variously, the Vietnamese, Liu Yongfu's Black Flag Army and the Chinese Guangxi and Yunnan armies to occupy Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and entrench a French protectorate there.
RM2B01MJG–Thailand: Umbrella drying in the garden, Bo Sang Umbrella Village, near Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Bo Sang, near the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, is famous for its hand-made brightly colored umbrellas and parasols. Once a year, in late January, the Bo Sang Umbrella and San Kamphaeng Handicrafts Festival is held in the town. Chiang Mai (meaning 'new city'), sometimes written as 'Chiengmai' or 'Chiangmai', is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai in 1296, and it succeeded Chiang Rai as capital.
