Getting Foundational in China’s Xia and Early Shang Dynasties
March 15, 2024
Chinese have traditionally seen themselves as rooted in the Shang Dynasty. So you can’t get more foundational than the Shang and its roots. We’ll get
Having a Buffalo Moment in a Laotian Creation Myth
March 15, 2024
The relationship between people and buffaloes is hallowed in much of rural Southeast Asia, and a man in a village near Yangshuo, China wanted to
A Perspective Is More than You Probably Think It Is; Thai Ways of Perceiving
March 13, 2024
I’ve invoked Thai, Indian, Chinese, Laotian, African, Middle Eastern and Western perspectives on this site, but perspective is a controversial term. What is a perspective?
Perspective in Northern Thai Temples; Heavenly Grace Meets Planet Earth
March 13, 2024
“All Lan Na wats are beautiful.” I agreed with the gentleman in Nan who told me this (Nan is a historic city that thrived within
Ancient Roots of Thai Culture
March 10, 2024
Most archeologists and linguists believe that Thais originated in southern China. As their populations rose and as the Qin and Han Dynasties expanded into the
The Universe’s Abundance in the Sanskrit Language
March 2, 2024
Reading Sanskrit can feel like swimming in an ocean. Indians and Greeks were asking questions about the most basic reality by 500 BCE. The
Baksei Chamkrong; Another Little-known Architectural Jewel at Angkor
March 1, 2024
Baksei Chamkrong is another easily overlooked Khmer temple that’s well worth savoring. Harhavarman, the king when Prasat Kravan was built, probably started its construction. The great king Rajendravarman,
Prasat Kravan; A Little Known Khmer Jewel at Angkor
March 1, 2024
The Khmer king Yasovarman had set the pace for the next 500 years by building some of the most stunning monuments Cambodians had seen so
Chartres Cathedral; Taking Gothic Style to New Heights, Part Two
March 1, 2024
Above is only a minute part of what the builders of Chartres Cathedral achieved. Come inside and we’ll explore one of the world’s finest artistic
Chartres Cathedral; Taking Gothic Style to New Heights, Part One
February 28, 2024
It was the worst disaster imaginable. In 1194 a fire ravaged the city of Chartres, and all of its cathedral except the west facade burned to the