Chapter 1, Part 6 In the late seventh century AD the Sailendras, a prominent patron of Shaivism (a sect in Hinduism), continued to grow as an important dynasty with a Sailendran queen, Shima, as the ruler of the kingdom of Kalingga in the northern coast […]
All posts tagged: history
Dieng: Dawn of Javanese Hindu Temples
Chapter 1, Part 5 One cold Sunday, Badai, Bart, James and I were hiking in darkness, relying only on our head torches to follow the path and not get lost. We were told earlier by a man at the base camp not to stray into the […]
Mahabalipuram: Rise of the Pallavas
Chapter 1, Part 4 In the time when the Buddhist Mauryan Dynasty dominated much of South Asia, the southern part of India experienced a period of time when Tamil literature and art flourished, known as the Sangam period. At the time, the main powers of […]
Shwedagon: Buddhism in the Land of Gold
Chapter 1, Part 3 One morning in Yangon James and I walked from our hotel on 33rd Street to Shwedagon Pagoda, some three kilometers away. The sun was shining brightly, but to the east layers upon layers of clouds rolled on the horizon. I raised […]
Sigiriya: A Lethal Ambition
Chapter 1, Part 2 In ancient Sri Lanka, the kingdom of Anuradhapura continued to flourish, Buddhism developed further, and colossal dagabas were commissioned. However in the mid-fifth century AD Anuradhapura was attacked by the Pandyan Dynasty from southern India who would control the kingdom for […]
Anuradhapura: The Advent of Buddhism in Sri Lanka
Chapter 1, Part 1 Some people say what comes to you in life depends on what you choose to do with your life. Today you may choose to stay at home and end up feeling inspired to write, or you may choose to go out […]
The Burgeoning Pearl of the Musi
September 2004. First time in almost five decades that the Indonesian National Games (PON) were hosted by a city outside the island of Java. A 40,000-seater stadium was built in Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra province, quite possibly the second biggest in the country […]
Bogor at A Glance
Spread over a basin fringed by Mount Gede and Mount Salak, Bogor lies 54 km south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, which together with the nearby cities of Tangerang, Bekasi and Depok form one of the world’s biggest urban agglomeration with a combined population of […]
Maritime Asia, Past and Present
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana, American-Spanish philosopher and novelist Since the invention of raft which eventually led to the creation of ship, humans have wandered not only across rivers and lakes, but also seas and oceans to […]
Jakarta’s Focal Points: A Historical Perspective
“The atmosphere and interior of this cafe fit perfectly my imagination of Nanyang.” Dong Mei could not hide her excitement upon learning how well Cafe Batavia met her expectation: the imagination of an exotic restaurant in the South Ocean, or Nanyang – a term loosely […]
Western Hong Kong Island: A Walk Back in Time
History is a subject many people scrutinize with frown on their faces, one that triggers discussions and evoke memories, both good and bad. It also is a terrific means to raise a optimism and bring purpose, particularly in a world where tragedy is what sells […]
Paris of Java, Past and Present
Asia, late 19th century. The long-contending British and Dutch colonial forces have by now settled on their respective colonies. The British realm in this part of the world was unrivaled, straddling vast swathes of land from the entire Indian subcontinent (modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and […]
What an Amazing World! 