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VPG-DVD-116 - SINGAPORE Singapore is a city of gardens and the heart of South East Asia. Its history began in 1819 with Stamford Raffles, a young official who worked for the British East India Company. Raffles estimated that the natural harbour was perfect for trading ships and so he bought the land from the Sultan of Johor and founded a trading settlement. As a free port, Singapore attracted trading ships from all over the world and today four million people live here on an area that covers 640 square kilometres. In June each year there is an exciting boat race in Marina Bay known as the Dragon Boat Race that features magnificently painted dragon boats with hand-carved heads and tails accompanied by the sound of frenetic drumbeats. Dating back to colonial times, British influence is omnipresent, whether the Cricket Club or the Parliament, traditional English spirit rules despite Singapore's Independence. The World Famous Raffles Hotel is situated in the Colonial District near to the Singapore River. In the hotel's Ashanti Bar it was customary to throw expired peanut shells directly onto the floor and at the same time to reverently sip a Singapore Sling, the national drink. The Singapore Zoo is one of the finest in the world in which the animals can roam freely, their territory being surrounded by a landscaped ditch. Approximately 2800 animals live in the spacious enclosures and even those from the world's coldest regions can be observed both below and above water, thanks to cleverly designed viewing areas. A complete mix of ethnic cultures, there's Chinatown, Little India and the Arab Street Quarter in which there are mosques, women wear burqas and there is all the hustle and bustle of a bazaar. Singapore is an exotic city of skyscrapers, a cultural melting pot and the exciting gateway to South East Asia!
Vista Point SINGAPORE
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m42s
Views: 20  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-109 - BALI Bali - island of the gods and gateway to Paradise -- a relatively small island, east of Java across the Bali Strait. In recent years, luxurious hotel complexes have appeared, tastefully re-creating the island's ethnic traditions. The capital of Bali, Denpasar, is the commercial centre of the island with good shopping facilities and a fascinating variety of entertainment. Colourful dance and drama play an important part in the lives of the Bali people and almost every village has its own dance group, the favourite dance being the Barong. In the north of the island, the 1800 metre high Gunung Batur volcano is still active, its slopes covered in lava fields that extend deep into its crater. Hindu temples abound, the Kehen being one of the most beautiful terraced temples in Bali and the Pura Besakih, the most revered. As in ancient times, rice is still cultivated in the traditional way and ox and plough traverse the fields. Sun drenched beaches, cloud-kissed volcanoes, exquisite ethnic architecture and dreamy temples - it's no wonder that Bali is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in East Asia.
Vista Point BALI Indonesia
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m48s
Views: 30  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-231 - VIENTIANE Since the sixteenth century Vientiane has been the capital of Laos and is situated in the heart of Indochina. The city originated at the point at which the first navigable section of the Mekong River joins with the Gulf Of Thailand. Vientiane was once a group of rural settlements and even today contains several village-like districts each with its own temple and traditional marketplace. At the end of the nineteenth century the French began to renovate the city's most important buildings and made Vientiane the administrative capital of their new colony and gave it a French look. There are some fascinating places to visit outside the city such as the Cultural Park Of The Laotian People, a large area on the banks of the Mekong River. Historic Vientiane also has some fine reconstructed buildings such as the Wat Impeng on the western bank of Pagoda Street. Artistic wooden carvings on the windows and doors, along with the paintings and stucco work on the walls, feature various legends from the life of Buddha. Some signs of affluence are beginning to appear and in future years Vientiane may become yet another Asian metropolis with skyscrapers, smog and manic rush hours. It is now poised to leap into contemporary times as it gradually emerges from its atmospheric curtain of bamboo.
Vista Point VIENTIANE Laos
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m29s
Views: 15  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-212 - TAIPEI Taipei is a pulsating metropolis in the north of the South Asian island state of Taiwan, a land of gods, spirits and temples. With around three million inhabitants it is the largest city in Ilha Formosa, a beautiful island that is located a hundred and thirty kilometres from the Chinese mainland. The famous Grand Hotel is the most impressive building in Taipei and is in the typical Chinese palace design of the Ming Dynasty. The large interior hall of the fine building is supported by massive red pillars and it features a magnificent open staircase with marble banisters. The south western edge of the city was where wealthy trader, Lin An Tai, once had a huge residence. It is one of the most well preserved examples of a building in the style of a classical southern Chinese residence and designed according to the strict rules of Feng Shui and Chinese Geomancy. The Confucius Temple is a place of contemplation and a replica of the Temple Of Qu Fu, Qu Fu having been the home town of Confucius. A large wall surrounds both the temple and its inner courtyard. This silent place is one of five temples in Taiwan dedicated to the great Chinese philosopher who founded a religion that even today has many followers. Taipei is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, a modern Asian metropolis that is full of ancient traditions as well as futuristic flair.
Vista Point TAIPEI Taiwan
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m22s
Views: 16  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-209 - SIEM REAP Siem Reap is a relatively small town three hundred and fifteen kilometres north of Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. Here, growing tourism has created a boomtown because Siem Reap is close to Angkor, the ancient capital of a huge and mysterious jungle realm. The Temples Of Angkor are the remains of various religious buildings that were built by more then ten kings of the Khmer realm between the 7th and 16th centuries A.D. The gigantic roots of kapok trees cling to the moss-covered walls of the temple complex and everything is dominated by the encroachment of nature. The monastery was once home to five thousand including more than two thousand monks and over six hundred female dancers who played an important part in the sacred rituals and ceremonies of that time. The fishermen on the tributaries of the Tonle Sap live peacefully together in large families. They are not particularly interested in commerce or trade as their lives are dominated by Buddhism. In the Middle Ages Angkor was the largest city in the world. The majestic silence amid the temples and dense jungle vegetation seems to highlight Angkor's immortal splendour and its magnificent contribution to Asian history and culture.
Vista Point SIEM REAP...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m27s
Views: 19  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-147 - SHANGHAI Shanghai is a gigantic city that is a meeting point of both east and west. The shoreline is without a doubt the city's main focal point. The city is a combination of the past, present and future and contains the historic monuments and eye-catching buildings of a great metropolis. It was once referred to as 'the whore of Asia': capital of crime, the Paris of the east and the centre of Maoism. But today the city is ruled by modern-thinkin communists and the Yangzi Delta is not only China's largest port but also its new shining star of capitalism. The Oriental Pearl Tower is a mighty four hundred and sixty-eight metre high television tower that contains an entertainment centre, futuristic luxury hotel, fine restaurant and offers the most superb views across the city. In the centre of the city's labyrinth-like shopping alleys a zigzag bridge extends across a small pond to a famous tea house. The bridge was designed thus in order to fend off evil spirits who, it was believed, could walk only in a straight line! Located in the countryside, Suzhou is above all famous for its gardens. The 'Garden Of The Policy Of The Common People' is one of China's four most famous gardens. The complex was built between 1522 and 1566 at the command of an important mandarin and designed according to his wishes. South of Suzhou is Zhou Zhuang that is said to have been the first water village in China. A journey on its canals is certainly worthwhile as the surrounding area is covered with thousands of canals and rivers and many villages in the area are only accessible by boat. Shanghai and its surrounding area has now freed itself from its early growing pains and from the restrictions imposed by Chairman Mao and today enjoys the rich rewards of capitalism.
Vista Point SHANGHAI China
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m34s
Views: 21  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-197 - SHAN STATE North of Burma's central plains is the exotic and fascinating Shan State, a beautiful landscape in South East Asia located on the eastern side of Myanmar. Once forty Shan monarchs ruled there but they lived in hostile times as Burmese kings and Chinese warlords fought against them to gain control of their fertile land. We begin our journey at Inlay Lake. The magical beauty of this body of water has attracted and fascinated people since time immemorial and this unique lake is home to the Intha people. The next leg of the journey leads to a far more tranquil section of the lake that features floating gardens that are around a hundred metres long and two metres wide and consist of a densely interwoven carpet of water hyancinths. Mandalay, 'The City Of Art', is located in the centre of Shan State. It was founded in 1857 and up until the British conquered it in 1885 it was the capital of the kingdom of Burma. The Mahamuni Pagoda is the centre of worship and is also where the Mahamuni Buddha is kept, the country's most highly worshipped Buddha statue. Around twelve kilometres beyond Hsipaw is the legendary Bagyo Pagoda. Surrounded by a magnificent wall it is thought that the sanctuary is more than seven hundred years old. An important festival takes place each year around Tabaung, the time of the full moon in February and March, and is the highlight of the town's cultural calendar. The Shan people in the north of Myanmar have most certainly retained their cultural heritage and Shan State is an exotic combination of both nature and culture and a land of beauty and joie de vivre!
Vista Point SHAN STATE...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m24s
Views: 16  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-224 - PHNOM PENH Phnom Penh is the reawakened capital of Cambodia and former Land Of The Khmer, now a wonderful place with all the charm of a bygone age. The Wat Ounalom Monastery is the centre of Cambodian Buddhism and home of the patriarch and around two hundred monks. The monastery once contained more than forty buildings that were either damaged or totally destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. During the second half of the nineteenth century Phnom Penh became a French colonial town with wide streets, shops, government buildings, hotels and villas all in colonial style. The Mekong has its origin in China on the edge of the Tibetan High Plateau and for almost five thousand kilometres it crosses China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. During the rainy season the river is at its highest and not only floods the land but also creates a miracle of nature. The Tonle Sap changes its direction and the surplus water of the Mekong flows into the Tonle Sap Lake that has ample room for the extra water. After the monsoon period the water drains out of the lake back into the Mekong when everyone celebrates the Festival Of The Turning Water. Today, one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in Asia is gradually recovering from the tragic events of the past. It is as though Phnom Penh is now keen to enjoy everything that was forbidden during the Vietnam War and the savage rule of the Khmer Rouge.
Vista Point PHNOM PENH...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m29s
Views: 26  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-215 - NORTH VIETNAM In colonial times the Europeans referred to North Vietnam as Tongking. Today the Vietnamese people call it, Bac Bo. Hanoi is North Vietnam's lively capital city. It was here that in 1882 the French created their administrative headquarters and main capital city. Compared to other southeast Asian cities that have developed into modern metropolis' at breathtaking speed, Hanoi could be described as being a provincial city. The Hoh Chi Minh Museum, a three storey concrete building, was inaugurated in May 1990 to commemorate Hoh's one hundredth birthday. Den Dao Quan is one of the most beautiful Taoist temples in Vietnam and an oasis of tranquillity. It is a place dedicated to the worship of benevolent spirits and for those who believe in divine and spiritual natural powers. Haiphong is the most important industrial harbour town in North Vietnam and has a population of one and a half million. Under French rule thousands of workers built this city at record speed and the harbour was enlarged, making it the largest in Indo China. Hoa Binh is one of the north's less attractive provincial towns but this, the former centre of a prehistoric Bronze Age culture on the Black River, is the gateway to the mountains of the north. Located within a remote and mountainous landscape, the village of Ban Lac Thai is a peaceful place set within an elevated and fertile valley. It is believed that the Viet are related to the Thai people and originally separated from the Muong tribe when they cultivated the Red River Delta. Everywhere the Thai folk offer hand made arts and crafts for sale such as knitted blankets, woven cloth and numerous bags. From the nostalgic capital of Hanoi as far as the mountain tribes of the north, North Vietnam is a country of charm and beauty with natural wonders and ancient cultures full of age-old traditions and new hope for the future!
Vista Point NORTH VIETNAM
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m33s
Views: 17  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-226 - KUALA LUMPUR Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's modern capital city, is relatively young. It originated in the middle of the nineteenth century at the junction of the Gombak and Kelang Rivers. The Petronas Twin Towers are one of the city's main landmarks. Each tower is four hundred and fifty two metres tall connected by a breathtaking bridge. The façade of this unique architectural gem is particularly splendid in bright sunlight or when illuminated at night. The old Masjid Jamek Mosque is situated in the centre of the city on the precise spot where the city was founded. Several prayer halls, and an inner courtyard that contains palm trees, make the mosque into a tranquil oasis. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the largest building in Merdeka Square, extends for more than two hundred metres. This splendid Moorish style building with onion-shaped towers and a central clock tower was designed in 1897 by architect A.C. Norman. Malaysians dance at every opportunity. Although traditional clothing and dance styles change from region to region they always convey the same expressions of love, emotion and passion. Traditional festivals also feature dances where the men and women dance together without touching. The Zoo Negara provides a good insight into the animal kingdom of Malaysia and South East Asia. The enclosures are extremely spacious. From the ostrich to the imposing Seladang wild buffalo there are also rare animals such as the orang-utan and tapir. Hardly any other capital city on Earth offers as many contrasting sights and multicultural impressions. Tradition, history, the past, present and future, each is harmonically united in the pulsating metropolis that is Kuala Lumpur.
Vista Point KUALA LUMPUR...
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m28s
Views: 15  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-142 - ISTANBUL Istanbul is the golden gateway to the Orient, a city that was once the centre of the Old World and still reflects two and a half centuries of history. Today this turbulent metropolis on the Bosporus is Europe's connection with Asia Minor. Today this link between Europe and Asia has more than fifteen million inhabitants and is not only Turkey's largest city but is also a melting pot of various cultures. Once a Greek colony, Roman Imperial City and capital of the Osman Empire, Istanbul is full of colourful and dramatic history. The European-style city district on the northern side of the Golden Horn was founded as a trading colony by Genoese traders in 1261. In subsequent centuries the Europeans dominated the appearance and character of this area whose buildings and main street indicate the city's splendid past. The Yerebatan Cistern once provided Constantinople with its water supply. Emperor Justinian had this subterranean reservoir built and it holds eighty thousand cubic metres of water. A forest of more than three hundred decorated stone columns support the ceiling and it once served as a backdrop for a James Bond film. A mighty gate is the entrance to the splendid world of the Turkish sultans, Topkapi, the former centre of power of the Osman Empire. It's like a small town with many exquisite buildings and wonderful parks. Leonardo Da Vinci's vision of a bridge across the Bosporus was for many years only a dream but four hundred and seventy years later the dream became reality. At a height of sixty-four metres two city districts have been united in addition to two continents and the contrasting lifestyles of two completely different worlds. Istanbul is a melting pot of culture and religion with a captivating allure and an irresistible atmosphere of mystique.
Vista Point ISTANBUL Turkey
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m31s
Views: 9  | Comments: 0
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VPG-DVD-120 - HONG KONG Hong Kong is a city of the superlative with glimmering skyscrapers that seem to take root in the sky and one elegant building after another with shining glass and hi-tech facades. Around a hundred and fifty years ago Hong Kong Island was under British Colonial rule and today only a few buildings of this period remain. The white Flagstaff House, former residence of the colony's British military commander, contains the Tea Museum that boasts an exceptional collection of exhibits associated with the famous leaf. Since 1904 the city's nostalgic narrow double-decker trams have travelled through the crowded streets and are the most convenient mode of transport for covering short distances. Most of the sightseeing tours around the harbour embark from Central Station close to the ferry terminal. The journey travels past Kowloon and several huge cruise ships that lie at anchor, the quantity of ships highlighting the importance of this huge natural harbour that has been a regular destination of European shipping and trade since the 16th century. Although not as large as it used to be the city of junks known as Aberdeen has provided the backdrop for many a motion picture and it is still a good place to buy fresh fish, fruit and vegetables. Within the Wong Tai Sin Temple, the city's largest temple, each day thousands of the faithful seek good fortune in romance and betting with prayers and sacrifices. The temple's god is known to have a sympathetic ear for one and all, thus the temple is a popular attraction. Within this city of dreams and Asiatic flair there are eight million people all packed into one of the most exiting cities in the world.
Vista Point HONG KONG China
Categories: Holiday Location and Places 
Added: 153 days ago
By: travel-video
Runtime: 1m16s
Views: 19  | Comments: 0
Rating: Not yet rated
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