[ YANGGE PARTY PRINTS ] Píngyáo International Photography Festival

More raving about that little (in Chinese terms) town west of Beijing? Yes, more raving. Sorry but it really was quite the town. Last post, I promise. This time I want to share with you some of my favorite ethnic inspired shots from the 2011 Píngyáo international Photography Festival, which just happened to be taking place during my visit.  

Held at various locations around the town with prints strung up everywhere from disused factories to 300 year old temple walls and parking lot gates, this festival definitely took the town by storm, swamping the streets with super keen amateur photographers brandishing an unwarranted amount of camera equipment. Let's just say unofficial sponsors Canon and Nikon certainly peaked in inadvertent exposure ratings.

Photographs by Kang Fuqi

Naturally on the look out for traditional culture inspired shots, I came across two photographers who had both captured traditional villages in full swing Yangge mode. Taking place annually in lunar January each year around northern China's Shaanxi province, Yangge Party celebrates the joy of life and happiness stemming from the past years good harvest with drum and gong bearing dancers, often on stilts, paying visits to all dwellings in the area. So whilst we're welcoming in the new year with a hangover, these guys are prancing around on stilts in the most amazing, intricately embroidered costumes, faces plastered with traditional make up and crowned with fabulously decorative headpieces. I think I might try China next New Year. 

Photographs by Kang Fuqi

Traditional culture aside, the PIP festival has a plethora of awesome work from every level of photographer, mostly Chinese (naturally) with a few foreigners slotted in here and there. A great atmosphere and an even better location, its definitely worth a visit if you just happen to be hanging around Shaanxi province but if you're a westerner watch out for those telephoto lenses! True to form, being one of the only non-Asians around, I was unrelentingly swarmed by super lenses and tiny children wielding note books and pleading for autographs. I think my 'type' may be somewhat of a rarity in small town China... 

The Píngyáo international Photography Festival 2012: my no.1 recommendation for any non-Asian that wants to feel like a famous person for the day. 

To read more about the UNESCO heritage town of Píngyáo check out my earlier post here and and another on paper cutting in Píngyáo here

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[ POSTCARDS FROM PINGYAO ] Shaanxi, China

Ahh, Píngyáo, that time-honored town in the heart of China's Shaanxi province, one of the few remaining, truly authentic locations you'll find left in modern day China. Píngyáo's grey-brick streets give way to meticulously carved wooden doors, behind which lay a hide a network of symmetrical dwellings, centered around impeccably landscaped courtyards, each bathed in light and exuding a sense of Taoist harmony. Film set worthy streets, once the tourist hoards have left, of course. In the five days I spent wandering its alleyways I began to develop somewhat of a love affair with this town so, naturally, I think it only right that I should share some of my snaps of this majestic place with you too. 

If you too find yourself falling in love with this wonderful town, take a look at my previous post on Píngyáo's paper cutting crafts and later post on the Pingyao International Photography Festival 2011

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[ CEREMONIAL SPARKLE ] Angkor Wat, Cambodia

 

I came across these elaborately adorned Khmer dancers a couple of weeks ago when I was lucky enough to visit the often labeled 'Eighth Wonder of the World': Cambodia's Ankor Wat. Rather than dancing, they stood around for about 5 minutes looking bored out of their minds before heading off out of the complex but, nevertheless, I thought their magnificent costumes worthy of a few snaps. 

The two female dancers in the middle are wearing variations of the Sampot, the primary garment of Cambodia's national dress (pretty much a glorified sarong) which originated in the Funan era when the Kymer King ordered his people to wear the Sampot at the behest of the Chinese envoys. Made from the finest quality Cambodian silk and traditionally embellished with woven or dyed floral, animal or geometrical motifs sewn with gold and silver thread, the Sampot, as worn by the two female characters in the centre, is wrapped around the waist, pleated at the front and then secured with a gold or brass belt.  

Check out the ornate headdresses, apparently you can depict each character by just looking at their headwear and the colour of their costumes (usually red, yellow, blue, green and black). For example, the two central characters are female due to the fresh flower tassels adorning their headdresses. The character in red is evidently playing an animal character as depicted by the design of her masked headwear and the girl in yellow is likely a royal character as the silk comes from a worm indigenous to Cambodia whose 'fuzzy' silk gives the finished product a shimmering quality.

If you're interested in traditional dress around the world, check out some of my other posts on Kathakali, Wayang Golek, Indra Jantra, Dhaka Topi, Turbans, and Rajasthani Gypsies.

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[ AN ORIENTAL RETREAT ] Summer Palace, Beijing

Cast your minds back to China again for installment no.2 from Beijing. This time, a little dose of traditional Qing dynasty Chinese architecture (who said style was just about fashion anyway?) in the shape of another of the capital's famous landmarks, The Summer Palace.

Commissioned in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong as a birthday gift for his mother, the Summer Palace is apparently the largest Imperial garden in the world, and it really is a beautiful place to while away a summers day. I was lucky enough to visit in the month of September, the period of tiāngāo qìshuǎng which literally translates as when 'the sky is high and the air is fresh'. In the images above you can see the main complex of the Palace of the Parting Clouds (Pai Yun Dian) and the faux marble Qing Yan Fǎng or Boat of Purity and Ease. You've probably noticed by now that the Chinese will never 'call a spade a spade', as my mother would say. Buildings and structures all follow the philosophies of Taoism which promotes the concepts of symmetry and harmony. Each structure is built and named with symbolic accordance, meaning you get a lot of, well, identical buildings. Not so much fun after your fifteenth temple complex...

These Chinese characters look like paint, right? Wrong. Walking around the outskirts of Kunming Lake, I stumbled upon a man writing these rows of characters simultaneously, giant calligraphy brushes on long sticks, one in each hand. Now that's talent.

One of my favorite spots within the complex, the Garden of Harmonious Interests (Xie Qu Yuan, above) is evidently a place of peace and tranquility (go Taoism! It appears to be working). Thanks to the amazing climate and clear blue skies this time of year, China is a photographers dream. Look at how perfectly the pavilions are reflected in the clear, untouched lotus pond. Below you can see some of the intricate detailing painted across the ceilings and arches of the Xing Qiao Bridge , as well as some of the small boats ferrying visitors across Kunming lake, bathed in late afternoon sunlight. 

 

The Tower of Buddhist Incense, the tallest building atop of Longevity Hill (below) is probably one of the best viewpoint's i found in Beijing. From it you can see the entire landscape of the Summer Palace and the contrasting tower blocks and skyscrapers of modern Beijing beyond. Perfect!

 

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[ FORBIDDEN INTERIORS ] Beijing

Though I am currently in Vietnam, as promised, here's a little token of my very first day in China. Starting, naturally, with the capital city of Beijing, I thought it only right to make my first visit a trip to Beijing's legendary  Forbidden City, home to 24 emperers during the Ming and Qing dynasties . I could show you the exteriors of the somewhat repetitively symmetrical Taoist buildings within the 74 hectare complex, but you've probably seen images of them a thousand and one times (if you haven't you should watch Yimou Zhang's epic Curse of the Golden Flower). So here are some of examples of the opulent intricacies and  grandeur interiors of Beijing's Imperial Palace.

 

Notice the recurrence of the two principal colours: yellow and red. Each carries symbolic significance: yellow, an auspicious colour associated with the earth was used extensively and exclusively by the Ming and Qing emperors who were regarded as the Sons of Heaven and supreme rulers of humanity. Red, on the other hand was symbolic of solemnity, happiness, wealth and honour, another auspicious colour that is to this day traditionally associated with China. 

 
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[ INDRA JATRA ] Bhaktapur, Nepal

 

Whilst meandering around the beautiful red brick streets of Bhaktapur the other day, I came across masses of these costume clad girls. Adorned head to toe in brightly coloured fabrics: red and gold patterned metallic silks, luminous pink veils, marigold-yellow headbands and sashes, and copious amounts of dangling silver jewellery, it must be time for the Indra Jatra Festival. 

One of the most important festivals in the Newar calender, the eight day Indra Jatra takes place in and around the Kathmandu Valley in early to mid September, marking the end of the rainy season. Giving thanks to Lord Indra, the God of Rain and the King of Heaven processions and dances are performed, one of the most important being that of the procession of the Royal Kumari Devi, a preadolescent 'living goddess' who is taken around Kathmandu's Durbar square to give thanks to the rain god and to bless the President of Nepal.

So, with the plethora of pomp and traditional dress on display, obviously I couldn't help but take some snaps. If you like what you see and fancy a look at some more traditional Nepalese dress, take a look at my earlier post on Dhaka Topi hats!

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[ HEMP PIXIES ] Patan, Nepal

Aren't these the cutest little shoes?! I found a bunch of these traditional, handmade Nepali hemp slip-on's being sold around the craft laden streets of Patan on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Like little pixie shoes, they'd be great for wandering around these dusty old UNESCO heritage streets, not so great in the rainy season though! If you're a fan of hemp or want to know more about its sustainable properties you should check out my earlier post from Pokhara (hint hint!).

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[ WELCOME TO NEPAL ] Lumbini

Yesterday, after nearly four months in India, I finally crossed the border into Nepal. Yessss!! Don’t get me wrong, I loved India, but it was, err, very hard work. I’m looking forward to a bit of relaxing time before heading off to China in two weeks, so where better to start than Lumbini, birthplace of Lord Buddha and ‘Centre for World Peace’. Ahhh.

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[ JAPANESE FANCY ] Taj Mahal, Agra

Once referred to by Rabindranath Tagore as 'a teardrop on the face of eternity', iconic in its white marble purity, you think of India, you think of the Taj Mahal. You think back to all those stunning images of the pristine white Taj set against a background of sapphire blue sky and you sigh with appreciation for its beauty, longing to set eyes upon this wondrous sight just once in your lifetime. You wake up at 5.30am, ready to see the sunrise behind the Taj, a moment shared with but a few other early risers. You jump eagerly out of bed, look out the window....and yes you guessed it, its raining! 

So that was my experience of the Taj, as you can probably guess I was pretty peeved having bused it all the way out to Agra. Typical. Here's a tip: don't visit India in the monsoon season! However, every down has its ups, and I found mine at the front of the Taj in the shape of two very pretty Japanese girls who had thought it only right to dress for the occasion. Check out their coordinating printed saris! Later I saw one of their male companions walk past in a very regal looking Indian costume. 

Click below to see more images from inside the Taj and around.

[ A MELANGE OF COLOUR ] Golden Temple Amritsar, Punjab

This post is a little late, since I ventured up to Amritsar a few days ago, before my stop up here in McLeod Gangj. Forgive my slow editing/uploading, for I have been once again struck down with the dreaded Indian food poisoning (that's now twice in one month!). I just couldn't bear not to share these images with you as the sight and experience of this place was truly remarkable. These images were all taken at the famous Golden Temple in Amritsar. According to 'The Book', aka Lonely Planet, it is to Sikhs what Mecca is to Muslims. Contrasting colours could be found everywhere, from the orange of the holy men's robes to the mélange of vibrant dastaar's (Sikh turbans) and saris. 

[ SANDCASTLE SHOPPING ] Jaisalmer Fort, India

 

For the past couple of days I've been literally roasting in the Thar Desert in the far and distant city of Jaisalmer. Like a giant sandcastle, Jaisalmer's fort rises above the sandy coloured city like something from an epic. If adventure if what you seek, Jaisalmer is the place, the place to plod through the desert on a camel before camping up for the night on the sand dunes, under the stars with a cup of chai to sooth your weary camel strained legs. But adventures aside, with all these camels plodding about (and cows of course being redundant), there is no better place to pick up some camel leather accessories (sorry vegetarians!). Here's a few I picked up inside the fort, adorned with brightly coloured embroidered patterns, they please my ethnic sense of style greatly. I just hope a few certain people forgot to be supportive followers today, otherwise they'll find out what's coming at them through the post...

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[ I SAW IN MYSORE ] Prints & Patterns at Mysore Palace

 

This weekend I'm taking a break from big, busy, bustling Bangalore and my current work with VIA Design to venture a little southward to the city of Mysore. Famous for it's silk sari's, sandalwood oil and the supremely sweet local confectionery, Mysore Pak. On top of all this, Mysore has a spectacular palace, said to rival those of Rajasthan (the Land of the Kings). Bursting with brightly coloured floor tiles, almighty hand-carved doors, period paintings, crystal chandeliers and domed, stained glass ceilings it's one awe inspiring sight for artists, designers, architects and heritage lovers everywhere. You'll have to excuse the quality of some of the images...in true India style, photography was not permitted inside the palace, yet it seemed iPhone's were...

[ KATHAKALI ] Kerala, India

 

As I've finally (after a long, insomnia-ridden train ride (my first of many no doubt)) reached 'Gods Own Country', aka Kerala, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to witness first hand the magnificent but rather peculiar tradition that is Kathakali. A traditional dance-drama, Kathakali has been performed throughout India for the last 300 years, but its origin lies within the modern day state that is Kerala. What drew me almost straight off the boat and over to the Kathakali Centre on Fort Cochin were the fabulously colourful costumes and exaggerated make-up styles of the characters. I'd seen pictures all over the internet during my research into the states' traditional practices but getting up close (the front row of course!) is really something else. The composition each character's costume are made up of a multitude of layered fabrics, jewellery and accessories -not to mention numerous coats of face paint!

[ WAYANG GOLEK ] Indonesian Shadow Theatre

Back in March last year myself and a team of exotic enthusiast art students decided to play on the idea of the traditional Indonesian performance art of Wayang shadow theatre. The shoot combined the traditional with the contemporary by translating the idea into an editorial and bringing the Golek dolls to life for a feature in my graduate magazine TRIBE,  a snippet of which can be seen here.