Shakhti 360 Leti: Luxury Hotel in Himalayas
Shakti was founded by Jamshyd Sethna, whose love of the mountains began during his schooldays in Darjeeling and thereafter as a young tea planter in Upper Assam. A Parsi from Bombay, Jamshyd is one of India’s leading travel professionals and his travel experiences, love of food and art, combined with a passion for the Himalaya is the creative force behind the foundation and evolution of Shakti.
Early morning casts a pink glow over the snow-covered peaks; very soon the sun burns off the cool of the night. Energised by the crystalline air, you may already be out walking with your guide, through the ancient rhododendron forests. Or you may choose to linger over a long, slow breakfast. Continue reading »
Supercars of Rich Chinese Youth Impounded After Illegal Highway Race in Canada
More than $2 million worth of high-powered sports cars were impounded in Surrey and White Rock after a convoy of youths were apprehended after racing along Highway 99. (Gary Hanney, Special to the Vancouver Sun) Continue reading »
Celebrating the Harvest in London
Pearly Kings and Queens gather to celebrate their annual Costermonger’s Harvest Festival at the Guildhall in London on September 25. (Ben Stansall / AFP-Getty Images) Continue reading »
Photo of the Day: Diver Swims with Whale Shark in Yantai, China
An aquarium employee swims with a whale shark in an aquarium tank in the city of Yantai, northeastern Shandong province, China. Yantai is expecting a surge in tourist arrivals for the upcoming national day celebrations. (AFP / Getty Images)
Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking
A revolution is underway in the art of cooking. Just as French Impressionists upended centuries of tradition, Modernist cuisine has in recent years blown through the boundaries of the culinary arts. Borrowing techniques from the laboratory, pioneering chefs at world-renowned restaurants such as elBulli, The Fat Duck, Alinea, and wd~50 have incorporated a deeper understanding of science and advances in cooking technology into their culinary art.
(Click photos to view in HD – depends on your screen resolution).
Piaget: Official Timekeeper of Beijing International Polo Open Tournament
For the third Beijing International Polo Open Tournament, luxury watch-maker Piaget has been announced the official timekeeper of the event. Beijing Polo Open Tournament has officially cooperated with World Polo Tour for the very first time, thus becoming the one and only top tier polo tournament in China which can register the international ranking points.
The event is organized at the foot of the twisted and splendid Great Wall Badaling Section, along with an assembly of famous polo players across the world. The Piaget polo wristwatch collection comes in cases and bands delicately crafted together, interlaced with gloss and matte.
Models in Piaget watches and jewelery on the Great Wall. (Piaget/handout) Continue reading »
Apple Store Opening In Bologna, Italy
Atmosphere during the Apple store opening in Bologna at Via Rizzoli on September 17, 2011 in Bologna, Italy. The Bologna store is the eighth Apple store to open in Italy, as Apple continues to expand its retail operations, and is only about 60 miles from the sixth Italian store which opened in Florence last month. (Claudio Villa/Getty Images Europe) Continue reading »
Traenenpalast Museum Opens To The Public in Berlin
A visitor looks at a display of video monitors once used by East German border police at the Traenenpalast museum on its first day open to the public on September 15, 2011 in Berlin, Germany. The museum documents the history of the Friedrichstrasse crossing between East and West Berlin. Located at the end of an East Berlin subway line, it was the final point of departure for West Germans returning west after visiting relatives in the East, which earned the building the popular name Traenenpalast, or Palace of Tears. Border gaurds often subjected travelers to inordinately long waits and meticulous searches. The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 separated families and friends overnight as the East German government mostly forbid its citizens from travelling west. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images Europe) Continue reading »
Photo of the Day: Nevermind
Water Babies has recreated the classic Nirvana Nevermind album cover to celebrate its 20th anniversary and release of the Deluxe Edition later this month (26 September). Water Babies is the world’s largest baby swimming company, specialising in teaching parents how to teach their children to swim from birth. Water Babies offer an underwater baby photography service at the end of each course, allowing parents to capture their little ones floating under water, just like Finlay Davies Muir, photographed here. (Jez Dixon for Water Babies)
Stiff as a Board
Hundreds of students execute “planking” by lying prone on the pavement during a rally near the Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines, to protest budget cuts in education for state universities and colleges in the country. (AP) Continue reading »
Sotheby to Hold Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Sale
A model presents the jadeite cabochon necklace and jadeite plaque ring during a media preview of Sotheby’s in Hong Kong, south China, Sept 22, 2011. Sotheby’s Hong Kong will hold its Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Autumn Sale on Oct 5 with a total of 359 lots with an estimated value of 660 million HK$ ($85 million). (Xinhua) Continue reading »
Largest Apple Store Opens in Shanghai
A security guard stands in front of an Apple logo during the inauguration of a new Apple store in Nanjing Road, downtown Shanghai, September 23, 2011. The store is Apple’s fifth and largest in Chinese mainland. (Xinhua) Continue reading »
The Mystery Creature that Nobody Can Identify Found in China
If this cute little chap looks a wee bit confused, it’s no wonder. His big wide eyes stare out at the world around him – which in turn is staring back at him. Because nobody has seen a creature quite like this one before. Continue reading »
Chinese Segway
Real Segways made in China comes with an awesome idea: using 4 wheels instead of gyroscope! Hooray to Chinese engeneers! Continue reading »
China’s Richest Village Building Lavish Skyscraper
A construction worker looks at a golden bull weighing one ton with a worth of 300 million yuan ($46.9 million) in the hall of a skyscraper under construction in Huaxi village, the richest village of China, located in East China’s Jiangsu province. The 328-meter-high 74-storey skyscraper cost more than 1.5 billion yuan and is scheduled to go into operation in October, 2011 to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the village. It ranks as the 15th tallest skyscraper in the world and the eighth tallest in China. (CFP) Continue reading »
Feline Paradise in Taiwan
A cat poses for cameras in Houdong township in Taiwan. Famous for its coal mining industry in the past, the town is now a paradise for cats and a hot spot for cat-loving tourists. Kept by coal miners for catching snakes and mice, the cats are now befriended by local residents and live harmoniously with them in the area, which attracts tourists in great numbers. Cat-themed shops and cafes are popular with the tourists and a cat-related creative industry has been incorporated into the local government’s tourism development program. (Xinhua) Continue reading »
Sotheby’s to Hold Porcelain and Handicraft Auction
A staff member of Sotheby’s introduces a Nepalese 13th-century gold-plating copper statue of Tara, a Bodhisattva of salvation, during a media preview in Hong Kong. (Xinhua) Continue reading »
Golden Model of Chinese Aircraft Carrier
A miniature golden replica of China’s first aircraft carrier is on display at the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution in Beijing. The carrier was bought from the Ukraine and is being refitted for scientific research and training purposes. The replica is made of pure gold, at a scale of 1 to 1680. (CFP)
Preying Mantis Eats Goldfish for Dinner
Carefully hanging over the edge, a large mantis climbs over the lip of a fishbowl, waiting to grab a goldfish. The extraordinary moment was captured on camera by wildlife photographer Scott Cromwell in the US. (CFP) Continue reading »
Red-blanketed Beach in Northeast China
Tourists walk on a pile trestle above a beach on the Liaohe River Delta that has been blanketed by a red plant known as ‘seepweed’ in Panjin, Northeast China’s Liaoning province, Sept 12, 2011. The red–carpet-like scene has attracted more than 5, 000 visits during this year’s three-day holiday of Mid-Autumn Festival, starting from the night before the holiday began, on Sept 9, 2011. Each autumn the beach is covered by the seasonal red plant, attracting thousands of visitors. (Xinhua) Continue reading »
Eye-popping China Int’l Optics Fair
A woman presents a pair of “Shutter Shade” sunglasses at the 24th China International Optic Fair held in Beijing, Sept 14, 2011. Over 770 exhibitors from 23 countries took part in the fair. (Xinhua) Continue reading »
The Empty Stools of Rural Village Life in China
Tian Yunxiu, 67, and his 65-year-old wife named Liu Dezhen, sit beside a buckwheat field in Mawan town of Northwest China’s Shaanxi province with six stools for their six children, who left the village to work. In the process of urbanization, more rural people in China leave villages to work in cities with most working as migrant workers. The statistics of National Bureau of Statistics shows that China already had a total of 230 million migrant workers in 2009. As it is not easy to take families to settle down in cities, the migrant workers from rural areas have to leave their kids, wives and parents in their rural home, which makes the population of some rural areas mainly made up of women, kids and elderly people. A survey conducted by China Agriculture University shows that there are about 87 million people left behind in rural area, comprised of 20 million kids, 20 million elderly people and 47 million women. (Xinhua) Continue reading »
Now I Can Literally Taste My Words!
This is a machine that converts words into cocktails. If you want to know, how it works visit http://www.morskoiboy.com
Huge Zhongshan Suit Towers High in China
A 4.3-meter-tall Zhongshan suit is making an appearance at Zhejiang Textile and Fashion College in Ningbo, East China’s Zhejiang province, Sept 14, 2011. The suit, 35 times larger than normal, has been made to commemorate the centenary of the Revolution of 1911. The suit is being submitted for a Guinness World Record award. The Zhongshan suit was popularized by Sun Yat-sen, the pioneer of China’s democratic revolution after the Revolution of 1911. (CFP) Continue reading »
