The huge Asian continent has given birth to numerous types of art that predate anything

seen in the West. Ancient pottery,

for example, first appeared in China, as did large
scale bronze sculpture, sericulture, as well as jade carving and lacquerware, and
also calligraphy.
In other fields - such as terracotta sculpture, for instance - Chinese ingenuity and
creativity is unmatched, while in the arts of painting and metalwork the contribution of
Chinese artists has been outstanding. The gigantism of Chinese statues is also well known.
Asian culture is exemplified by Khmer temple architecture, as well as Buddhist sculpture,
batik textiles and certain types of metallurgy, while on the archipelagos of Malaysia,
Indonesia and the Philippines, it shares many characteristics with the Oceanic art of the
South Pacific.

Chinese culture has had a major impact on the arts and crafts of other East Asian

countries like Korea and Japan, although Japanese artists and craftsmen have also
achieved worldwide renown in disciplines as diverse as woodcuts, paper-folding, ceramic
art, origami, ink-and-wash painting and wood-carving.
Art on the Indian subcontinent - distinguished above all by its exceptional longevity - has
developed more independently of China, although it was strongly influenced by Greek
sculpture during the era of Hellenistic art, and latterly by the Islamic art of the Persian
Mughal Empire.
VIETNAMESE ART IS FROM ONE OF THE OLDEST OF SUCH CULTURES IN THE
SOUTHEAST ASIA REGION. A RICH ARTISTIC HERITAGE THAT DATES TO
PREHISTORIC TIMES AND INCLUDES: SILK PAINTING, SCULPTURE, POTTERY,
CERAMICS, WOODBLOCK PRINTS, ARCHITECTURE, MUSIC, DANCE AND THEATRE.

THAILAND

THAILAND
also known as The Big Buddha, The Big Buddha of Thailand, Phra
Buddha Maha Nawamin, and Mahaminh Sakayamunee Visejchaicharn,
is the tallest statue in Thailand, and the ninth-tallest in the
world.

The highest statue in the Kingdom (and ninth in the world) is lo

in the Wat Muang monastery in Ang Thong province, approximately
kilometers north of Bangkok.

Known in Thai as Phra Buddha Maha Nawamin, it stands 92 meters h

and 63 meters wide, and took 18 years to build, opening to the p
in 2008.

THAILAND
Made of cement, the exterior is painted gold. As well as
the Great Buddha, the temple is also home to Hell Park,"
a macabre group of statues that graphically depict the
terrible fate that awaits sinners.

Singapore

Singapore
The Merlion is a well known marketing icon of Singapore
depicted as a mythical creature with a lion's head and the
body of a fish. It is widely used as a mascot and national
personification of Singapore
It was conceptualized by the vice-chancellor of the University
of Singapore (now known as National University of Singapore)
then,
Kwan Sai Kheong. Made from November 1971 to August 1972 by
the late Singapore sculptor,
Lim Nang Seng (Chinese: ; pinyin: Ln Lngxn),it
measures 8.6 metres high and weighs 70 tons.Its body is made
of cement, skin from porcelain plates and eyes from small
red teacups.

CHINA

by Lang Shining in Qing Dynasty

A hundred horses are shown in a variety of activities. Using perspective to suggest
depth and shading for the effect of light, Castiglione has used Chinese materials and
Western techniques to impart a sense of realism to this native theme.

CHINA

AMONG the top 10 masterpieces of traditional Chinese

painting, theres a long handscroll called Baijun Tu or
One Hundred Horses, which was painted not by a Chinese
artist, but by an Italian called Giuseppe Castiglione
(16881766).

Known by his Chinese name Lang Shining in China,

Castiglione served in the Chinese imperial court as a
court painter for as long as 50 years.

CHINA
Castiglione known for his unique painting style that
combined Western and Chinese techniques, hence
introducing a new aesthetic and he was commissioned to
paint One Hundred Horses, an almost eight-meter-long silk
handscroll.

It took Castiglione a total of five years to complete the

painting.
Emperor Qinglong declared the painting a masterpiece and
soon afterwards, Castiglione was named the principal
painter of the Qing court.

JAPAN

JAPAN
The Great Wave off Kanagawa, also known as The Great Wave or
simply The Wave, is a woodblock print by the Japanese ukiyo-e
artist Katsushika Hokusai (17601849).
Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also
known as The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of
Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjrokkei)
The breathtaking composition of this woodblock print, said to
have inspired Debussys La Mer (The Sea) and Rilkes Der Berg
(The Mountain), ensures its reputation as an icon of world
art.

JAPAN
Hokusai cleverly played with perspective to make Japans
grandest mountain appear as a small triangular mound
within the hollow of the cresting wave.

The artist became famous for his landscapes created using

a palette of indigo and imported Prussian blue.
complementing paintings by Katsushika Hokusai are
currently on display as part of the exhibition The
Flowering of Edo Period Painting: Japanese Masterworks
from the Feinberg Collection.

india

india
An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631
and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of
his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in
India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the
world's heritage.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, it remains
one of the worlds most celebrated structures and a stunning
symbol of Indias rich history.
one of the most outstanding examples of Mughal architecture,
which combined Indian, Persian and Islamic influences.

india

Mumtaz Mahal was Shah Jahan's

third wife. Her name was
originally Arjumand Bano Begum but
when she married Shah Jahan she
The Taj Mahal took
was christened as Mumtaz Mahal
approximately 20 years and
which means'Jewel of the Palace',
approximately 20,000 workers
or 'Chosen One of the Palace'.
to complete.
In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor
during the Mughal empire's period At its center is the Taj
Mahal itself, built of
of greatest prosperity, was griefshimmering white marble that
stricken when his favorite of
seems to change color
three wives and beloved
companion, Mumtaz Mahal, a Persian depending on the sunlight or
princess, died during the birth of moonlight hitting its
surface.
their 14th child, Gauhara Begum.
Construction of the Taj Mahal
began in 1632.

Forbidden City

Forbidden City
one of the greatest wonders of the world, was listed as a
World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987.
Just like a gigantic dragon, it winds up and down across
deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching
approximately 13,170 miles (21,196 kilometers) from east
to west of China.
famous because it is an architectural feat of ancient
China that is also the longest man-made wall in the world.
The main purpose for building this structure was as a
defensive fortification against invaders.
the Wall we see today was mostly built during the Ming
Dynasty (1368 - 1644).

Forbidden City
Three groups of people built the wall: soldiers, common people
and criminals, not the emperors of each dynasty including Qin
Shihuang himself.
During the Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 BC), 20% of the countrys
population was forced to build it. Many people died during its
construction, due to the heavy work, a short time deadline and
difficult.
As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Chu
(11th Century BC-223BC) started to build the first wall. The
Qi, Yan, Wei, Zhao and Qin states later joined the effort.
After Emperor Qin Shihuang unified the six states, he ordered
General Meng Tian to connect the existing walls and to extend
them further as a front line defense against possible invasion.
Thus the Great Wall was formed.

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