Category:
Asia

Orienta



From the Wikipedia page:

The album's liner notes stated that the music "resembles the dreams of an imaginative person who has fallen asleep during a 'Dr. Fu Manchu' movie on television," with vignettes that "combine the sounds of the East with the wit of the West; the charm of the Orient with the humor of the Occident."[1]

Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 16, 2021 - Comments (0)
Category: Music, Space-age Bachelor Pad & Exotic, Stereotypes and Cliches, 1950s, Asia

“Funeral Parade of Roses” by Matsumoto Toshio



Trying to explain the pleasures of such a scrambled impressionistic piece as Funeral Parade of Roses in plot terms is a pretty fruitless exercise, although the disjointed narrative does reach fever pitch in the latter moments, with developments inspired by the ancient legend of Oedipus Rex. The story really remains only a ruse for a work that is best seen as a fascinating reflection of a long-vanished place and time, caught in a cross-current of international pop-cultural styles and influences and not dissimilar to what was going on in similar circles in other far-flung parts of the world.


His Wikipedia page.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Mar 01, 2021 - Comments (0)
Category: Movies, Sexuality, Violence, Avant Garde, 1960s, Asia

Two Strange Asian Ads

I have no idea what any of this means.





Posted By: Paul - Fri Feb 19, 2021 - Comments (4)
Category: Technology, Advertising, Asia

Robo Show and Flower Planet

Two features from the 1990 World's Fair in Japan.

The opening few minutes are a press release for the company that created the exhibit. "Robo Show" begins at the 5:40 mark, and "Flower Planet" at minute 13:00. State-of-the-art stuff for thirty years ago.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Feb 11, 2021 - Comments (0)
Category: Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, Robots, Cartoons, Special Effects, 1990s, Asia

The Sunken City of Shicheng



What many believe to be a mystery isn't actually so mysterious. Lion City, famed for sitting at the bottom of the Qiandao Lake, has a surprising history. The once thriving city, known for its powerful statue throughout all of China, now resides over 100 feet below the lake's surface. This was not due to a natural disaster or any type of destructive force unless you consider human nature to be one. The ancient city met its watery fate due to the hands of humans, specifically those who gave up the land the city once sat on to make way for modern machinery.

While there are many details surrounding the reasoning for this -- much of which we'll get into later on -- there's no denying that the fact that this city is fully preserved is a modern miracle. Although it sits deep under the water, all of its structures, statues, memorials, and archways all sit in perfect stature. Its rediscovery happened almost two decades ago and since then, divers have been repeatedly making trips below the surface to see what new aspects of the city they can explore. Inside these preserved walls lie the tale of several powerful dynasties, an ancient way of life, and some of the most stunning architectural features that are so indicative of China's history.


Full story with more pictures.

Daily Mail coverage.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jan 28, 2021 - Comments (3)
Category: Architecture, History, Archaeology, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1950s, Asia

Solon Bushi

In the old days before "cultural appropriation," a Black R&B group could sing a "Japanese folk song."

Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 19, 2020 - Comments (0)
Category: Music, Foreign Customs, 1960s, Asia

Eontime World Yinchuan Indoor Theme Park



Proposed, but not yet built, so far as I can tell.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 27, 2019 - Comments (1)
Category: Excess, Overkill, Hyperbole and Too Much Is Not Enough, Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, Asia

Nicholas Zoueff, Boy War Hero





News article source.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 19, 2019 - Comments (0)
Category: War, Children, Asia, Russia, Twentieth Century

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