SihanoukVille-Cambodia: History and Legend

History

As you may notice in your travels, Sihanoukville has a different look and feel than most Cambodian towns. There is no Colonial architecture or ancient pagodas. Constructed as a port city in the late 1950s, the town is much newer, more urban and cosmopolitan than most Cambodian provincial cities. The history of Sihanoukville goes back only as far as 1955 when the area was known as Kampong Som. In August of that year, a French/Cambodian construction team cut a base camp into the unoccupied jungle in the area that is now known as ‘Hawaii Beach.’ They laid the groundwork for the construction of the new Port of Kampong Som. 

Prior to 1954, Indochina (Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam) was a single political unit under French jurisdiction. During this period, Cambodia maintained international sea trade via the Mekong River. But the dissolution of French Indochina in 1954 meant the Mekong delta reverted to the control of Vietnam. Seeking unfettered access to the ocean, plans were made to construct a new ocean port. Kampong Som was selected for water depth and ease of access.
Construction of the port and Route 4 (the road to Phnom Penh) was carried out from 1955-1960. Most of the funds for construction of the port came from France, and the road was financed primarily by the USA. The town began as housing for construction workers in the area just southeast of the current port. Upon completion, the town was renamed Sihanoukville in honor of the King.

Sihanoukville’s heyday came in the 1960s. Although Kep was more popular as a holiday destination, the commercial success of the port led to a flurry of construction and expansion including the construction of the Independence Hotel, the original Angkor Brewery (closed in 1975 and reopened in 1991), a Truck & Tractor Plant, Wat Chotynieng (aka Wat Leu), St Michael's Catholic Church (constructed in 1960, closed in 1975 and reopened in 1993), dozens of villas on Ochheuteal Beach (destroyed in the 1980s) and other structures. There was also a second phase of port construction, which began in 1965 and halted with the Lon Nol coup d'etat of 1970.Sihanoukville entered the history of the American/ Vietnamese conflict when, during the late 1960’s and early 70’s, it served as a transit point for weapons bound for both sides in Vietnam. The town’s most direct involvement came on May 13, 1975 when the Khmer Rouge captured the S.S. Mayaguez, a U.S. container ship. Attempting to release the ship and its crew, the U.S. engaged KR forces at Koh Tang, an island near Sihanoukville. They met fierce resistance and suffered heavy losses. American bombers struck the naval base at Ream (north of Sihanoukville), warehouses at the Port, the airfield, the train yard and the oil refinery north of town. The ship and its crew were released May 15, during the battle. This engagement is considered to be, from the American perspective, the last battle of the Vietnam War.

During the UN sponsored elections in 1992 and 1993, Sihanoukville played host to the Australian, Belgian and French contingents of UNTAC (United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia). After the elections, American aid paid to repair National Route 4 between Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh (1994-95) and foreign tourists began trickling into Sihanoukville for the first time in two decades. But tourism came to an abrupt halt with the tragic 1994 Khmer Rouge murders of 3 backpackers taken from a train on the way to Sihanoukville, and of 3 expatriates taken from a taxi on Route 4. The road was finally secured and regularly scheduled buses started to ply the route between Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh in 1996. Tourism to Sihanoukville increased steadily but slowly until the early 2000s, when the increase became significantly more rapid.

History Picture #1 - Kampong Som base camp, 1955

History Picture #2 - Kampong Som during port construction, August 1957

History Picture #3 - US Defense Department map of oil refinery bombed in Mayaguez incident. May, 1975

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Legend

At the crest of the Pich Nil Pass on Route 4 dozens of spirit houses line the road. Many of the houses are maintained for Ya-Mao, the deity who oversees the southern coastal region of Cambodia. When traveling Rte 4 people often display bananas on their dashboard and offer the the bananas, incense and a little money to Ya-Mao at Pich Nil. The offerings are usually made with the prayer for safe travels. There seem to be no two identical tellings of the legend. In one telling, Ya-Mao was the wife of a village chief in the area of Ream.  

Her husband was forced by work to spend months away from her in Koh Kong. One rainy season she grew lonely for him and took a Koh Kong bound boat to meet him. On the way the boat was swept away in a storm, drowning everybody, including Ya-Mao. But her spirit was powerful and through dreams and spirit possessions she made it known that she was overseeing the southern coast and protecting the fishermen and villagers. She required only their good behavior and occasionalofferings of phallic symbols.

The main spirit house at Pich Nil is adorned with phallic symbols but why Ya-Mao makes this demand is a matter of debate. Some people say that she was seeking this in her ill-fated trip and so still desires it. Others say that she is angry at men because she died trying to get to her husband and wants a symbol of a severed phallus. Sidestepping the debate some more conservative members of the community think that Ya-Mao is now too old for phallic symbols and requires only bananas.

 

Phallic symbol offerings can still be seen on the beaches near fishing villages, usually in the form of a stick and incense stuck in the sand under a tree. Wat Khrom in Sihanoukville maintains a small but significant temple for Ya-Mao.

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Marrakesh or Marrakech, Morocco

Marrakesh or Marrakech (/məˈrækɛʃ/ or /ˌmærəˈkɛʃ/‎) is a major city in the northwest African nation of Morocco. It is the fourth largest city in the country after Casablanca, Rabat and Fes, and is the capital of the mid-southwestern region of Marrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz. Located to the north of the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, by road Marrakesh is located 580 km (360 mi) southwest of Tangier, 327 km (203 mi) southwest of the Moroccan capital of Rabat, 239 km (149 mi) south of Casablanca, and 246 km (153 mi) northeast of Agadir.

Marrakesh is possibly the most important of Morocco's four former imperial cities (cities that were built by Moroccan Berber empires). The region was inhabited by Berber farmers from Neolithic times, but the actual city was founded in 1062 AD by Abu Bakr ibn Umar, chieftain and cousin of Almoravid king Yusuf ibn Tashfin. In the 12th century, the Almoravids built many madrasas (Koranic schools) and mosques in Marrakesh that bear Andalusian influences. The red walls of the city, built by Ali ibn Yusuf in 1122-1123, and various buildings constructed in red sandstone during this period, have given the city the nickname of the "Red City" or "Ochre City". Marrakesh grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural, religious, and trading centre for the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa; Jemaa el-Fnaa is the busiest square in Africa.

After a period of decline, the city was surpassed by Fes, but in the early 16th century, Marrakesh again became the capital of the kingdom. The city regained its preeminence under wealthy Saadian sultans Abu Abdallah al-Qaim and Ahmad al-Mansur, who embellished the city with sumptuous palaces such as the El Badi Palace (1578) and restored many ruined monuments. Beginning in the 17th century, the city became popular among Sufi pilgrims for Morocco's seven patron saints, who are entombed here. In 1912 the French Protectorate in Morocco was established and T'hami El Glaoui became Pasha of Marrakesh and held this position nearly throughout the duration of the protectorate until the role was dissolved upon independence of Morocco and the reestablishment of the monarchy in 1956. In 2009, Marrakesh mayor Fatima Zahra Mansouri became the second woman to be elected mayor in Morocco.

Like many Moroccan cities, Marrakesh comprises an old fortified city packed with vendors and their stalls (the medina), bordered by modern neighborhoods, the most prominent of which is Gueliz. Today it is one of the busiest cities in Africa and serves as a major economic centre and tourist destination. Tourism is strongly advocated by the reigning Moroccan monarch, Mohammed VI, with the goal of doubling the number of tourists visiting Morocco to 20 million by 2020. Despite the economic recession, real estate and hotel development in Marrakesh has grown dramatically in the 21st century. Marrakesh is particularly popular with the French, and numerous French celebrities own property in the city. Marrakesh has the largest traditional Berber market (souk) in Morocco, with some 18 souks selling wares ranging from traditional Berber carpets to modern consumer electronics. Crafts employ a significant percentage of the population, who primarily sell their products to tourists.

Marrakesh is served by Ménara International Airport and the Marrakesh railway station, which connects the city to Casablanca and northern Morocco. Marrakesh has several universities and schools, including Cadi Ayyad University. A number of Moroccan football clubs are located here, including Najm de Marrakech, KAC Marrakech, Mouloudia de Marrakech and Chez Ali Club de Marrakech. The Marrakesh Street Circuit hosts the World Touring Car Championship, Auto GP World Series and FIA Formula Two Championship races.

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Old Cathedral, Salamanca, Spain

The Old Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral Vieja de Santa María) is one of two cathedrals in Salamanca, Spain, the other being the New Cathedral of Salamanca.

It was founded by Bishop Jerome of Périgord, in the 12th century and completed in Romanesque/Gothic style in the 14th century. It is dedicated to Santa Maria de la Sede (Saint Mary of the See).

 The apse houses a large cycle of 53 tables, 12 of which by the 15th-century Italian artist Dello Delli, depicting the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. A fresco of the Final Judgement is over them.

 Juan Francés de Iribarren was organist at the Old Cathedral in 1717–1733.

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Notre-Dame de Paris, France

Notre-Dame de Paris (IPA: [nɔtʁə dam də paʁi]; French for "Our Lady of Paris"), also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame, is a historic Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. The naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture.

As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame is the parish that contains the cathedra, or official chair, of the archbishop of Paris, currently Cardinal André Vingt-Trois. The cathedral treasury is notable for its reliquary which houses some of Catholicism's most important first-class relics including the purported Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the True Cross, and one of the Holy Nails.

In the 1790s, Notre-Dame suffered desecration during the radical phase of the French Revolution when much of its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed. An extensive restoration supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc began in 1845. A project of further restoration and maintenance began in 1991.

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Niagara Falls, United States

Niagara Falls (/naɪˈæɡrə/, Cayuga: Gahnawehtaˀ or Tgahnawęhtaˀ) is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the United States; more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New York. They form the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.

From largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe Falls lie mostly on the Canadian side and the American Falls entirely on the American side, separated by Goat Island. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also located on the American side, separated from the other waterfalls by Luna Island. The international boundary line was originally drawn through Horseshoe Falls in 1819, but the boundary has long been in dispute due to natural erosion and construction.

Located on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world, with a vertical drop of more than 165 feet (50 m). Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by vertical height and also by flow rate. The falls are located 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles (121 km) south-southeast of Toronto, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six million cubic feet (168,000 m3) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow, and almost four million cubic feet (110,000 m3) on average.

The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.

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Disneyland Park, Paris, France

Disneyland Park (French: Parc Disneyland), originally Euro Disneyland, is the first of two theme parks built at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France, opened on 12 April 1992. Designed and built by Walt Disney Imagineering, its layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida. Spanning 56.656 ha (140 acres) (the largest Disney park based on the original), it is dedicated to fairy tales and Disney characters. In 2013, the park hosted approximately 10.43 million visitors, making it the most-visited theme park in Europe, and the sixth-most visited theme park in the world.

The park is represented by Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant, a replica of the fairy tale castle seen in Sleeping Beauty.

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Trafalgar Square, England

Trafalgar Square (/ˌtrəˈfælɡər/ trə-fal-gər) is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. It is situated in the City of Westminster. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of commemorative statues and sculptures in the square, while one plinth, left empty since it was built in 1840, The Fourth Plinth, has been host to contemporary art since 1999. The square is also used for political demonstrations and community gatherings, such as the celebration of New Year's Eve.

The name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory of the Napoleonic Wars over France and Spain which took place on 21 October 1805 off the coast of Cape Trafalgar in Los Canos de Meca, a town in the municipality of Vejer de la Frontera(in the municipality of Barbate since 1940), Cadiz, Spain. The original name was to have been "King William the Fourth's Square", but George Ledwell Taylor suggested the name "Trafalgar Square".

In the 1820s George IV engaged the architect John Nash to redevelop the area. Nash cleared the square as part of his Charing Cross Improvement Scheme. The present architecture of the square is due to Sir Charles Barry and was completed in 1845.

Trafalgar Square is owned by the Queen in Right of the Crown and managed by the Greater London Authority, while Westminster City Council owns the roads around the square, including the pedestrianized area of the North Terrace. It forms part of the Northbank business improvement district.

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National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington DC, United States

National Mall and Memorial Parks (also known as National Capital Parks-Central) is an administrative unit of the National Park Service encompassing many national memorials and other areas in Washington, D.C. Federally owned and administered parks in the capital area date back to 1790, some of the oldest in the United States. In 1933, they were transferred to the control of the National Park Service. These parks were known as the National Capital Parks from their inception until 1965. The NPS now operates multiple park groupings in the D.C. area, including: National Capital Parks-East, Rock Creek Park, President's Park, and George Washington Memorial Parkway. National Mall and Memorial Parks also provides technical assistance for the United States Navy Memorial.

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Times Square, New York, United States

Times Square is a major commercial intersection and a neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, at the junction of Broadway (now converted into a pedestrian plaza) and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. Brightly adorned with billboards and advertisements, Times Square – iconified as "The Crossroads of the World", "The Center of the Universe", and "The Great White Way" – is the hub of the Broadway Theater District, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Times Square is one of the world's most visited tourist attractions, hosting over 39 million visitors annually. Approximately 330,000 people pass through Times Square daily, many of whom are either tourists or people working in the area.

Formerly Longacre Square, Times Square was renamed in April 1904 after The New York Times moved its headquarters to the newly erected Times Building – now called One Times Square – site of the annual ball drop on New Year's Eve, a tradition which began on December 31, 1907 and continues today, attracting thousands to the Square every New Year's.

The northern triangle of Times Square is technically Duffy Square, dedicated in 1937 to Chaplain Francis P. Duffy of New York City's "Fighting 69th" Infantry Regiment; a memorial to Duffy is located there, along with a statue of George M. Cohan, and the TKTS discount theatre tickets booth. The stepped red roof of the TKTS booth also provides seating for various events. The Duffy Statue and the square were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

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Louvre Museum, Paris, France

The history of the Louvre Museum dates back to the late 12th century. The royal collection in the museum today began when King Francois I invited Leonardo da Vinci in regards to a work opportunity a few years before his death. As a result, subsequent royals continued this tradition and began to make room for antiquities inside the palace. It was King Louis XVI, who planned on opening a museum in the palace after acquiring several important paintings of the Spanish and Dutch schools.
 

 

The collections of the Louvre Museum first opened to the public on August 10, 1793. It is not possible to view all collections in the museum in just a single day. Hence, visitors are advised to spread their visit over several days. The layout of the museum can make navigating confusing, but it is otherwise an extremely visitor-friendly attraction. Moreover, the color-coded maps that are provided for by the museum make it easier for the visitors to plan and locate the departments, making it simple for them to know where the most famous exhibits are kept.

The galleries inside the Louvre Museum are quite spacious, but there are exceptions when it comes to extremely famous paintings such as the Mona Lisa, which attracts packed crowds.

The collections of the museum are divided into eight departments such as Paintings, Prints and Drawings, Greek, Etruscan, Roman Antiquities, etc. They are strategically distributed over four floors and three wings (Denon, Sully, and Richelieu).

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Mont Saint-Michel, France

The timeless treasure of Mont Saint-Michel rises from the sea like a fantasy castle. This small island, located off the coast in northern France, is attacked by the highest tides in Europe. Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, built the small church at the request of the Archangel Michael, chief of the ethereal militia. A small church was dedicated on October 16, 709.

The Duke of Normandy requested a community of Benedictines to live on the rock in 966. It led to the construction of the pre-Romanesque church over the peak of the rock. The very first monastery buildings were established along the north wall of the church. The 12th century saw an extension of the buildings to the west and south. In the 14th century, the abbey was protected behind some military constructions, to escape the effects of the Hundred Years War. However, in the 15th century, the Romanesque church was substituted with the Gothic Flamboyant chancel.

The medieval castle turned church has become one of the important tourist destinations of France. The township consists of several shops, restaurants, and small hotels.

Travel Tips

• Remember that the tides here are very rough.
• Do not try to walk over sand as it is dangerous.
• Get the help of a guide if you wish to take a stroll over the tidal mudflats.
• The Mount has steep steps; climb carefully.
  
     

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London, England

London /ˈlʌndən/ is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. It is the most populous city in the United Kingdom with a metropolitan area of over 13 million inhabitants. Standing on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 1.12-square-mile (2.9 km²) mediaeval boundaries and in 2011 had a resident population of 7,375, making it the smallest city in England. Since at least the 19th century, the term London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core. The bulk of this conurbation forms the Greater London administrative area (coterminous with the London region), governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is one of the world's leading financial centres and has the fifth-or sixth-largest metropolitan area GDP in the world depending on measurement. London is a world cultural capital. It is the world's most-visited city as measured by international arrivals and has the world's largest city airport system measured by passenger traffic. London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe. In 2012, London became the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.

London has a diverse range of peoples and cultures, and more than 300 languages are spoken within Greater London. The region had an official population of 8,416,535 in 2013, making it the most populous municipality in the European Union, and accounting for 12.5% of the UK population. London's urban area is the second-largest in the EU with a population of 9,787,426 according to the 2011 census. London's metropolitan area is the largest in the EU with a total population of 13,614,409, while the Greater London Authority puts the population of London metropolitan region at 21 million. London was the world's most populous city from around 1831 to 1925.

London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret's Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory, Greenwich marks the Prime Meridian, 0° longitude, and GMT). Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and The Shard. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions, including the British Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, British Library and 40 West End theatres. The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world.

Source: Wikipedia.org , http://londonsnap.co.uk

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Amsterdam, Netherlands

What makes Amsterdam so attractive is the 17th century historical atmosphere combined with the mentality of a modern metropolis creating a friendly and relaxed environment. The small scale of the buildings and the intimacy of the streets, canals and squares create an atmosphere that visitors find unique.

The city has the highest museum density in the world and is home to cultural highlights, such as the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, Hermitage Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum with Rembrandt’s world-famous Nightwatch. Other well known places of interest in Amsterdam are the Palace on the Dam, the Artis Zoo, Jewish Historical Museum and the Rembrandt House.
Take a canal tour of Amsterdam and discover the historical canal district which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011. The best way to get around Amsterdam is on a bike. You won’t become any more local than by cycling around Amsterdam.

Source: Wikipedia.org

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Barcelona City, Spain

Barcelona (English /bɑrsɨˈloʊnə/, Catalan: [bərsəˈɫonə], Spanish: [barθeˈlona]) is the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain and the country's 2nd largest city, with a population of 1.6 million within its administrative limits. Its urban area extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.5 million people, being the sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area and Milan. About five million people live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It is the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 512 metres (1,680 ft) high.

Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona continued to be an important city in the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments.

Barcelona is one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair/exhibitions and cultural-sports centres, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. It is a major cultural and economic centre in southwestern Europe, 24th in the world (before Zürich, after Frankfurt) and a financial centre. In 2008 it was the fourth most economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union and 35th in the world with GDP amounting to €177 billion. In 2012 Barcelona had a GDP of $170 billion; it is lagging Spain on both employment and GDP per capita change. In 2009 the city was ranked Europe's third and one of the world's most successful as a city brand. In the same year the city was ranked Europe's fourth best city for business and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17% per year, but it has since been in a full recession with declines in both employment and GDP per capita, with some recent signs of the beginning of an economic recovery. Barcelona is a transport hub with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe's principal seaports and busiest European passenger port, an international airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which handles above 35 million passengers per year, an extensive motorway network and a high-speed rail line with a link to France and the rest of Europe.

 Source: wikipedia.org

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Jeju City, South Korea

Jeju Province (officially the Jeju Special Autonomous Province) is one of the nine provinces of South Korea. The province is situated on and coterminous with the nation's largest island of Jeju (also Jejudo; see Naming below), formerly transliterated as Cheju, Cheju Do, etc., or known as Quelpart to Europeans. The island lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of South Jeolla Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946. Its capital is Jeju City.
The island contains the natural World Heritage Site Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. Jeju Island has a temperate climate and even in winter, the temperature rarely falls below freezing point.

 

 Source: wikipedia.org

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Shanghai, China

Shanghai is the largest Chinese city by population and the by population in the world. It is one of the four direct-controlled municipalities, with a population of more than 24 million as of 2013. It is a global financial center, and a transport hub with the world's busiest container port. Located in the Yangtze River Delta in East China, Shanghai sits at the mouth of the Yangtze in the middle portion of the Chinese coast. The municipality borders the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the north, south and west, and is bounded to the east by the East China Sea.

For centuries a major administrative, shipping, and trading town, Shanghai grew in importance in the 19th century due to European recognition of its favorable port location and economic potential. The city was one of five opened to foreign trade following the British victory over China in the First Opium War while the subsequent 1842 Treaty of Nanking and 1844 Treaty of Whampoa allowed the establishment of the Shanghai International Settlement and the French Concession. The city then flourished as a center of commerce between east and west, and became the undisputed financial hub of the Asia Pacific in the 1930s. However, with the Communist Party takeover of the mainland in 1949, trade was reoriented to focus on socialist countries, and the city's global influence declined. In the 1990s, the economic reforms introduced by Deng Xiaoping resulted in an intense re-development of the city, aiding the return of finance and foreign investment to the city.

Shanghai is a popular tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as The Bund, City God Temple and Yu Garden as well as the extensive Lujiazui skyline and major museums including the Shanghai Museum and the China Art Museum. It has been described as the "showpiece" of the booming economy of mainland China.

Source: wikipedia.org

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12 Cities for World Cup 2014, Brazil

World Cup 2014 will be held in Brazil. It's celebrated every 4 years. This year start from 12 June 2014 til 13 July 2014 with the best stadiums and cities as follow:
1- Sao Paulo City

Sao Paulo City

2- Salvador City

Salvador City

3- Rio de Janeiro City

Rio de Janeiro City

4- Recife City

Recife City

5- Porto Alegre City

Porto Alegre City

6- Natal City

Natal City

7- Manaus City

Manaus City

8- Fortaleza City

Fortaleza City

9- Curitiba City

Curitiba City

10- Cuiaba City

Curitiba City

11- Brasilla City

Brasilla City

12- Belo Horizonte

Belo Horizonte City

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Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia

Song Saa Private Island sits in Cambodia's Koh Rong Archipelago, which is made up of mostly uninhabited islands - oases of virgin rain forests, coral reefs and pure white beaches.

Song Saa is Cambodia's first private island resort, and aim to set a high standard of luxury, environmental sustainability and community well-being though its conservation and sustainable livelihoods programs.

While the island feels secluded, it is only 35 to 40 minutes away from Sihanoukville on the resort's luxurious speedboat.  

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Top 10 Swimming Pool on the Top

1- Marina Bay Sand Building, Singapore

2- ARTS Hotel, Spain

3- UNIQUE Hotel, Brazil

4- Fasano Hotel, Brazil

5- Intercontinental Hotel, Hong Kong

6- Soho House, New York, United States

7- Thompson Hotel, Canada

8- Grand Hotel, Spain

9- Molino Stucky Hilton Hotel, Italy

10- Athen Ledra Marriott Hotel, Greece

Enjoy !!!

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