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"Now the long-feared Asiatic colossus takes its turn as world leader, and we -- the white race -- have become the yellow man’s burden. Let us hope that he will treat us more kindly than we treated him." --Gore Vidal, Armageddon? Essays 1983–1987, “The Day the American Empire Ran Out of Gas” (1987) YOUR text notes that in recent times, while many of the 24 independent states of the region have relied on aggressive government policies promoting export-led industrialization as a development strategy, they exhibit widely varying levels of personal and collective well-being. The unity and diversity found among the peoples of Asia, East by South,make it an ideal region to begin our examination of the developing world.
ASIA, East by South, is the birthplace of two of the great world religions, Hinduism, the primary religion of India, and Buddhism. Your text reminds us that each colony experienced a loss of political freedom and economic independence to a distant European, American, or Japanese power, thus transforming the indigenous economic systems to suit the needs of the home economies.
AS Japan enters the twenty-first century, it sits on the brink of what some observers call the biggest transformation in its history. An overhaul of this magnitude will affect the very fabric of Japan's society, not just its economic recovery. Our virtual field trip to Japan will attempt to capture, in images and dialog, a country in transition. WITH a little understanding of Japan's history, we are invited to tour Japan through the personal images and sounds compiled by Roger & Marilyn's award-winning Japanese tour. Here you will experience the culture, food, and sights of modern Japan. We learn about current art exhibitions and concerts going on in Tokyo now. We also listen to a Japanese radio program, learn about the life of children in Japan, as well as experiencing Japan's popular music. We visit the Ginza, enjoy a Kabuki, watch senior citizens playing ikebukuro, and view samples of Japanese TV programs, and read The Japan Times. Our guides take us to a typical small Japanese apartment, and we learn more about Japanese family life. Our next virtual field trip in Japan is to the regions and cities of the country, from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the south, all using a clickable map. Within each of these regions we are taken (by another clickable map) to all of the prefectures within each region, thus visiting all of the important cities of Japan. For example, when we visit Kyoto, we have the opportunity to visit her suburbs as well as the urban centers. This is an exceptionally informative site, highly recommended. Finally, we leave you at the Japanese resources site, where you can find general information about Japan, its culture, touring the country, and the Japan Information Network, one of the most comprehensive sites on Japan.
OUR virtual tour of China begins in the Province of Anhui with the spectacular Yellow Mountains, and a particular look at Jiuhua Mountain. Our next tour is of Guilin, primarily known for its enticing and unique scenery. Chinese frequently refer to it as the world's most beautiful scenery, and you will acknowledge its beauty once you've taken a relatively tranquil trip down the Lijiang River. Our next virtual tour is of The Forbidden City, ancient home of the Chinese emperors. Each year the Chinese emperor came to The Temple of Heaven at the time of the winter solstice in his capacity as the Son of Heaven to pray for a good harvest and to render homage to the heavens. In Beijing, we also visit Yuan Ming Yuan, the ruins of "Garden of Gardens." We tour the Summer Palace, which also substitutes for the Museum of Chinese Gardening. Leaving Beijing, we visit the Province of Fujian, go on to Guangzhou City in the Province of Guangdong, take a tour down the Yellow River. While here we explore such places Guizhou Province and listen to the Chabai songfest of the Bouyei ethnic group, visit Hainan Island, Yangzhou in Jiangsu Province, and examine the potted landscape produced by the Yellow River.
We also visit the Provinces of Sichuan, Shanxi Shandong, and take a quick trip to Tibet to familiarize ourselves with the unique Tibetan food. This site will also take you on a four-day Urumqi tour and so much more. We end our virtual field trip with CNN's well-done Visions of China, which explore all aspects of China's culture and society. Before leaving this part of the world we visit Taiwan, for a tour of the President's office, of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and take a virtual tour of the country. We also stop off in South Korea, where we learn something of the life and landscapes of the country. KNOWN as a city-state, Singapore is the smallest and most urbanized of all Southeast Asian countries. As our map shows, Malaysia is a spatially fragmented country that offers beautiful landscapes, such as their wide variety of beaches, mountains, and unique slices of her people and the tropical climate. The archipelagic state of Indonesia is by far the largest in Southeast Asia, consisting of six main islands and 30 smaller archipelagos, totaling more than 17,000 islands. A virtual field trip to the many islands of Indonesia reveals a diverse culture as well as its flora and fauna.
OUR virtual field trip of the Philippines is complete with visits to the islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as gaining information about Filipino agriculture, education, environment, geography, food and culture. Our virtual field trip of Thailand begins with details of the Thai people and the landscapes they inhabit. We begin in the dynamic city of Bangkok and continue to tropical Phuket and the beautiful Andaman coast, to Ko Samui, and then to North Thailand and Chiang Mai, a region of forested hills and valleys in contrast to Bangkok. Our tour of Vietnam takes us to Ho Chi Minh City, as well as to the villages of Dalat, Hoi An, Hue, and Nha Trang. It's also important that we learn something of Vietnam's ethnic minorities, such as the Montagnards. Our travel to Cambodia starts with a briefing on Cambodian history and Khmer culture. We take a virtual tour of an exhibition of the sculpture of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia. We briefly visit Myanmar and Laos before leaving for South Asia. THIRTY percent of the world's poorest people live in India. Child labor, societal attitudes toward women, coal-generated electricity causing global warming concerns and fears about the AIDS pandemic also figure prominently in the list of problems. By contrast, the information technology world have gushed over info-tech entrepreneurs in India. A 6 percent growth performance since 1997 has shamed the East Asian "miracle economies." As might be expected then, our virtual field trip begins in India with an interactive map that will take you anywhere in the nation. For a more geographical tour India has a lot to offer.
OUR introduction to Pakistan is an informative look at her landscapes. History of the country is available, as well as country facts and more. In Nepal we view spectacular landscapes accompanied by brief, optional audio comments from the photographer. About Nepal is a wonderful and personal look at Nepal and her people and culture. Our next stop is Bangladesh, where our virtual field trip is described by Encyclopeadia Britannica as "A lively and panoramic view of Bangladesh." Here you will find basic facts about the socioeconomic and cultural aspects of the country. The final stop on our virtual field trip is Sri Lanka, where you will be guided through the beauty of this country, from Kandy to Columbo, and much more. This is an extremely well-done Web site with good navigation. Have fun in Asia, East by South and please come back often.
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