YeinJee's Asian Journal » Buildings and Architecture

Thean Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Yein Jee — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:07:04 +0000

Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur is one of the largest Chinese temples in Malaysia. Dedicated to Goddess Tian Hou (Heavenly Empress), the temple was opened in late 80s and has became a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful architecture as well as numerous cultural and festivity events.

Sharing a few photos during my visit last week; was attending a friend’s marriage registration ceremony, a popular sub-service provided by the temple…

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Thean Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Habitat 67, Montreal, Canada

Yein Jee — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:55:08 +0000

Habitat 67 is a famous housing complex in Montreal, Canada. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie and built in 1967 as part of the Universal Expo, the project is still hailed for its futuristic design after 40+ years…

Habitat 67 (Image by Paul Lowry)

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Habitat 67, Montreal, Canada from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Yein Jee — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:44:35 +0000

Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; formerly the world’s tallest buildings.

Didn’t like the towers when it was completed in the 90s; used to think that it was a complete waste of money. Only started to appreciate the project after some global travelling over the past few years… as I began to realise the significance of having some iconic buildings or landmark in a metropolis.

Took these pics in April 2008; was testing with my new DSLR camera which was bought a few days before this…

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Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Drive thru office in Osaka

Yein Jee — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:14:17 +0000

The Gate Tower Building, commonly known as Bee Hive, is an office building in Osaka, Japan, famous for having a highway passing through the 5th-7th floor of the building.

The Gate Tower Building (Image from Aeiosaka, via Tokyomango)

According to the Japanese wiki… the story could date back to 1983 when the old structure at the location had to be reconstructed due to its old age, but the city planner had decided to acquire the land to build a highway instead.

Not sure who initiated the idea, but after five years of negotiation, the land owner and involved parties reached an agreement that the highway would be constructed through the new 16-storey office building as it is now.

The construction started in 1989 and was completed in 1992.

Drive thru office in Osaka from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi – outdoor exhibits

Yein Jee — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 07:21:21 +0000

Photos of some outdoor exhibits of various Vietnam’s ethnic tribes at the Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi, taken during my Hanoi visit in July 2008…

Tomb for the rich and high ranking people in the Cotu society

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Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi – outdoor exhibits from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Amazing Race Asia 3 – Ep 3 – Hue

Yein Jee — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:05:16 +0000

Interesting culture and places in Hue, Vietnam; as featured in the 3rd episode of The Amazing Race Asia (TARA) season 3.

Hue City

Huế is a historic city in central Vietnam and was the imperial capital of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). Hue is located about 1100km from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s capital city. It took about 25 hours of bus ride to travel from HCMC to Hue.

Complex of Hue Monuments

The Complex of Hue Monuments is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites; the complex comprises of 16 historic monuments from the Nguyen Dynasty. Among the monuments that featured in The Amazing Race Asia were the Khai Dinh Tomb, Minh Mang Tomb and Hue Citadel (the pitstop).

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Amazing Race Asia 3 – Ep 3 – Hue from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi – Bahnar Rong

Yein Jee — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 11:51:10 +0000

Bahnar Rong (Ba Na Rông) are communal houses of the Bahnar tribe from Central Highlands (Tây Nguyên) region in Vietnam.

The distinctive features of traditional Bahnar Rong are its tall and steep roof, and also its lifted platform which are built to adapt to the (often rainy) tropical weather. The houses are traditionally used for cultural, religion and gathering purposes for men.

These traditional Bahnar Rong are almost obsolete nowadays, as the people are replacing their communal houses with iron and cement instead.

Photos below were taken at Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi where the Bahnar Rong, along with other traditional houses of various ethnic minorities, were built as an effort to preserve the fading Vietnamese traditions and heritage.

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Museum of Ethnology, Hanoi – Bahnar Rong from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Amazing Race Asia 3 – Ep 2 – Chiangmai to HCMC

Yein Jee — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:21:52 +0000

Interesting culture and places in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; as featured in the 2nd episode of The Amazing Race Asia (TARA) season 3.

Mae Kompong

Mae Kompong is a village in Chiang Mai Province. Once a poppy growing area, but now home to a small community of forest dwellers who cultivate tea and coffee plantations.

Mae Kompong is also home to the Treetop eco-tourism village where visitors can take an exhilarating flight (with zip line and slide) through a 1500 year-old rainforest in the “Flight of the Gibbon” adventure…

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Amazing Race Asia 3 – Ep 2 – Chiangmai to HCMC from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Chand Baori stepwell in India

Yein Jee — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:36:19 +0000

Chand Baori is a famous stepwell in the village Abhaneri near Jaipur in Indian state of Rajasthan. This step well is located opposite Harshat Mata Temple and is one of the deepest and largest step wells in India. It was built in ninth century and has 3500 narrow steps and 13 stories and is 100 feet deep.

The Chand Baori (Image from Doron, via Neatorama)

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Chand Baori stepwell in India from YeinJee's Asian Journal

St Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi, Vietnam

Yein Jee — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:47:45 +0000

The St Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi was opened in 1886, a year after the French colonial officially occupied the country of Vietnam. The cathedral still holds mass twice daily and is probably the most famous church in Hanoi.

St Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi, Vietnam from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Beijing Olympics 2008 – the Water Cube

Yein Jee — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 06:57:10 +0000

The Beijing National Aquatics Centre, popularly known as the Water Cube, will host the swimming, diving and synchronised swimming events during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The Beijing National Aquatics Centre at night (Image by Tzutzu)

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Beijing Olympics 2008 – the Water Cube from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Hanoi, Vietnam – random photos (1)

Yein Jee — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 05:56:31 +0000

First day in Hanoi, intended to visit Hoan Kiem Lake after checking in at my hotel… the journey was supposed to take 15 minutes of walking, but somehow took me more than an hour to reach there due to some poor map reading lol.

The time was not completely wasted though; passed by some of these landmarks in Hoan Kiem District that I probably won’t discover if I hadn’t lost my direction…

Busy roundabout… with cars, motorbikes, tricycles and pedestrians on the road

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Hanoi, Vietnam – random photos (1) from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Beijing Olympics 2008 – the Bird’s Nest

Yein Jee — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:13:24 +0000

The Beijing National Stadium, popularly known as the Bird’s Nest, is the main venue for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. It will host the track & field events, football matches, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the game.

The Beijing National Stadium aka the Bird’s Nest (Image by Noel)

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Beijing Olympics 2008 – the Bird’s Nest from YeinJee's Asian Journal

New Tokyo Tower

Yein Jee — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:14:02 +0000

Japan’s NHK and other broadcasters have proposed a new tower in Sumida, Tokyo… which if completed, would be the world’s tallest free-standing tower (611m) and the tallest man-made structure in Japan.

The new tower is officially named Tokyo Sky Tree (東京スカイツリー, Tōkyō Sukai Tsurii) following a public voting by Tokyo residents. The tower is currently scheduled for completion in 2011.

Artist’s impression of Tokyo Sky Tree (Image from Tobu Railway Co & Tobu Sky Tree Co)

The current tallest man-made structure in Japan is the original Tokyo Tower, a popular tourist attraction, which stands at 333m tall.

New Tokyo Tower from YeinJee's Asian Journal

The Singapore Flyer

Yein Jee — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:59:47 +0000

The Singapore Flyer, the world’s largest observation wheel, was officially opened on yesterday (April 15) by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long.

The Singapore Flyer (Image from Flyer’s official website)

Located at Marina Bay, the Singapore Flyer comprises a 150-metre-diameter wheel and a total height of 165 metres (equivalent to ~ 42 stories high), which is about 30m taller than the famous London Eye and 5m taller than the previous record holder, The Star of Nanchang in Jiangxi, China.

The Singapore Flyer from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Burj Dubai the tallest structure in the world

Yein Jee — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 03:53:59 +0000

The Burj Dubai has become the tallest man-made structure in the world.

Burj Dubai as of early March 2008 (Image from Wiki)

According to developer Emaar Properties PJSC, the Burj Dubai has surpassed the height of KVLY-TV mast, a 628.8 metres television transmitting mast in North Dakota, USA.

The Burj Dubai is expected to be over 700m in height upon completion. The developer is still keeping the final height as classified to avoid competition from other tallest-buildings-wannabe currently in construction.

Burj Dubai the tallest structure in the world from YeinJee's Asian Journal