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Photo of the Day Nov 2024
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 Deserted Film School Founded in 2004, the international film and television school offered diploma and certificate programs in for acting, film making, and 3D animation. It has a sound stage, a theatre and top of the line equipment. It has been deserted for about 6 years. Philippines | 2024 30 Nov 2024  Unfinished Seafront Resort & Casino The Emerald Bay Resort & Casino is probably the most notorious unfinished building in Mactan, Cebu, Philippines. The resort complex is built on 12.4 hactare of seafeont land. Phase I includes 2 buildings of 17-storeys in symmetric design with a connecting circular atrium. Only a bare concrete structure has been completed. Work has stopped due to a lack of funds by the developer. The resort is intended to rival the casino resorts of Macau and Manila. Tiger Resorts Leisure and Entertainment Inc, a Japanese group, has just backed out as the third potential investor after making a non-refundable initial payment of US$5.2 million. The future of the resort is still in limbo. Philippines | 2024 29 Nov 2024  Last Throes of Century-old Cebu Chinese Cemetery The Cebu Chinese Cemetery was established in 1909 by the Associacion Benevola de Cebu. The influence of the Chinese and the Chinese culture in Cebu is made very apparent with some of the lavish graves in this cemetery. Some 215 families or 853 individuals currently residing illegally in the 3.6-hectare cemetery, which the Cebu City Government plans to transform into a heritage park. Demolition is currently in progress with excavators on site. Philippines | 2024 28 Nov 2024  Deserted Haunted Elegant Mansion The mansion is located on a hill, with exquisite wooden furniture, owned by one of the city's most prominent families. According to legend, the mansion used to host lavish parties and accepted a bevy of visitors inside its halls during the 50’s and 60’s. Somewhere in the 90’s however, the family relocated abroad. Since then, the mansion has become deserted and is now off-limits to outsiders. Residents near the mansion report sightings of a lady in white looking out from one of the windows staring at the streets, or singing an old-fashioned melody, especially during a full moon. Philippines | 2024 27 Nov 2024  Deserted Theatre from 1930s Built in the 1930s, the theatre has bas relief of naked Greek nymph by a prominent Italian artist Dante Guidettei, on its facade. It hosted a variety of events, from theatrical productions to musical performances, and was a hub for local artists and performers. It was a prominent cultural landmark in the city. It was one of the earliest cinemas which were air-conditioned and brought more guests to the movie house. It survived WWII bombings. However, it shut down after decades. Philippines | 2024 26 Nov 2024  Enchanted Jiufen With its cliffside teahouses, steep streets crowded with vendors selling street food, and the glow of red lanterns, Jiufen, Taiwan, is one of those enchanted charming places. It’s a 90-minute bus ride from Taipei. Countless snack stalls and souvenir shops line the narrow 'old street' threading through Jiufen, a mining town so prosperous it became known as 'Little Shanghai' in the 1930s. Steep steps and Japanese-era theatre welcome hoards of tourists. Many think that it is the inspiration for Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyakazi's award-winning 2001 film Spirited Away. Jiufen . Taiwan | 2024 25 Nov 2024  Deserted Temple from 1850s Constructed originally in 1853 for the worship of the military advisor of a warlord, with the idol statue from Fujian, China. It was an important religious centre in the area. The temple was burned down and rebuilt after the fire in 1990. The reconstruction process brought together the traditional skills of famous masters such as calligraphy, wood carving, painting, clay sculpture, shearing and cutting. These are valuable traditional craft skills that are difficult to find in the contemporary era. In 2022, the temple was forced to relocate due to city planning issues, and thus became deserted. Taiwan | 2024 24 Nov 2024  Deserted PaperMills from 1930s Built in 1935, the paper mill produced papers using silvergrass and sugarcane waste pulping technology. In 1959, the company became a state-owned enterprise. They modernized their manufacturing process by using chemical processes. Their main products were newsprint, banknotes, lottery paper, toilet paper and wood-free paper. In 2001, the factory ceased operations and was taken over by local government in 2014. Taiwan | 2024 23 Nov 2024  Deserted Theatre from 1960 The theatre was built on the ground of the ancestral home of the owners, with a rectangular frame in modernist architecture. It opened on New Year's Day in 1960. With the decline of development in the central district, and changes in people's daily entertainment habits - from going to movie theatres to televisions at home, the rise of TV programs, and the booming development of the Internet, the theatre closed around 2003. Seats have been mostly removed from the main hall. Taiwan | 2024 22 Nov 2024  Deserted Sanitarium from 1950s Built in 1956 as a seminary, it was donated to a religious group as a sanitarium in 1959. When tuberculosis (TB) was prevalent, it was converted into a dedicated TB hospital. Patients came from all over Taiwan. It was the first private TB hospital in Taiwan and was once the largest in the country. It has become deserted and guarded by a security firm with alarm triggered upon entry. Furniture and fixtures have been mostly cleared. Taiwan | 2024 21 Nov 2024  Deserted Wedding Hall The wedding hall was founded in 2005 to disrupt the local market with a larger, more extravagant space for weddings and other events. It became widely known after it was featured in television series, music videos, and the news. In 2007, the space was leased to a Japanese wedding company. It stopped operations in 2013 and became derelict since. Most of the buildings has been demolished except for the main hall. It became a stage for graffiti artists and bizarre art installations. A female manikin in a blood-stained wedding dress was seen hung on the neck, plus other blood-stained naked manikins. Taiwan | 2024 20 Nov 2024  Semi-Deserted Building from 1970s Built in 1979, this is a landmark building in front of the city's train Station. It once had a theatre and a revolving restaurant at the rooftop that were very popular. However, due to the decline of the business district and fires, there are only 2 online games parlours, 2 restaurants and 4 guesthouses left in the building. The second to the fifth floors are deserted. There are 384 owners of the building, and the property rights are complex. Only the shell of the revolving restaurant remains. Taiwan | 2024 19 Nov 2024  Deserted Special Education School Founded in 1965 by an Italian priest from a deserted seminary, the school targeted children with multiple disabilities as well as severe and profound developmental disabilities. As of 2018, it has 134 students, 121 of whom have severe multiple disabilities. On average, each student requires 4 caregivers, funded by government subsidies and social donations. In 2005, the school moved to a new campus and this site became deserted. It is currently in a sad state of disrepair. Taiwan | 2024 18 Nov 2024  Deserted Century-old Paper Mills Completed in 1919, the paper mill was built by the Japanese as the first paper factory in Taiwan. After the retreat of the Republic of China to Taiwan in 1949, the government took over the paper mill a d merged with the other 4 mills as a state-owned enterprise. In 1954, the corporation was privatised. In 1998, the production centre of the mill was moved to Taoyuan County due to urban renewal. It has been deserted since. Taiwan | 2024 17 Nov 2024  The Queen's Head One of the best known geological formation in Taiwan is the "Queen's Head", an iconic image of the Yehliu Geopark, a cape of about 1,700 metres long formed by Dantun Mountain reaching into the sea. Since the rock layer of seashore consists of sandstone with limestone texture and it is subject to sea erosion, weathering and earth movements, resulting in sea trenches/holes, candle shaped rocks, and pot shaped rocks. Yehliu . Taiwan | 2024 146 Nov 2024  Abandoned Smelters from 1930s The Remains of the 13 Levels in Shuinandong, Northern Taiwan, was a enormous gold and copper smelter facility to process the ores in the area. It was built in 1933 during the Japanese occupation. In 1945, it was taken over by the state-run company after WWII. In 1973, the copper and gold ores had been exhausted and subsequently it was shut down. It has been engulfed by nature ever since. The roofs of the large white warehouses have now mostly collapsed. Taiwan | 2024 15 Nov 2024  Sunset over Gaomei Wetlands Spanning over 300 hectares and located in Qing-shui near Taichung, Gaomei Wetlands is one of the most well-preserved wetland habitats in Taiwan. It's a protected environment that's home to a diverse array of plants and animals like migrating birds, mud-skippers, and fiddler crabs. Extending for 800 meters out into the wetlands is a curved boardwalk. In the waning light of sunset, it's a dramatic sight with rippling water and a row of slow-spinning wind turbines in the distance. Taichung . Taiwan | 2024 14 Nov 2024  Wenwu Temple at Sun Moon Lake Climb up the Wenwu Temple on the northern shore to drink in commanding views of the Sun Moon Lake, the largest alpine lake in Taiwan, over the gorgeous orange-tiled rooftops. The Lake is about 1.5 hour by bus from Taichung. It is the largest body of water in Taiwan. The area around the lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of Taiwan's aboriginal tribes. Sun Moon Lake . Taiwan | 2024 13 Nov 2024  Sunset over Sun Moon Lake Sunset over Sun Moon Lake, a beautiful alpine lake surrounded by mountains about 1.5 hour by bus from Taichung. It is the largest body of water in Taiwan. The area around the lake is home to the Thao tribe, one of Taiwan's aboriginal tribes. The east side of the lake resembles a sun while the west side resembles a moon, hence the name. Sun Moon Lake . Taiwan | 2024 12 Nov 2024  Ha Tsuen Tai Ping Ching Chiu Held once every 10 years, the Ha Tsuen Tai Ping Ching Chiu (Peaceful Purification Festival) is said to have a history of more than 200 years. Each session lasts for 5 days and 6 nights. In accordance with the tradition of the village, there is a parade for 3 days when villagers plus dragon and lion dance teams, led by elders and Taoist priests, walked to visit participating villages and neighbouring villages. Ha Tsuen is located northwest of Yuen Long and is one of the main settlements of the Tang clan in the New Territories. The Tang Clan Ancestral Hall in Ha Tsuen, aka Yau Kung Hall, is an important place for sacrifices and festivals for the Tang clan. Every year, spring and autumn sacrifices, lantern lighting, etc. are held here. The Ha Tsuen Festival is also one of the largest sacrificial activities in the New Territories, with as many as 30 villages participating. Yuen Long . Hong Kong | 2024 11 Nov 2024  P H Yang Exhibits at Grey Wall Gallery P H Yang, an award-winning photographer, exhibits 4 of his works at Grey Wall Gallery, a transient space at a deserted mansion. This time, it is at a Grade II historic building from the 1920s, featuring works of 13 artists. Yang is an exhibited and published artist in North America and Asia. His work is frequently featured on the front page of international media – CNN; CrowdSpark (formerly Newzulu, Citizenside) and Demotix; San Francisco Chronicle; Hong Kong Free Press; Hong Kong 01; Hong Kong Economic Journal Monthly; Ming Pao; Apple Daily; TVB... His work is licensed by Lonely Planet travel guides and Dragonair's in-flight magazine Silkroad. Yang has held over 20 solo exhibitions in San Francisco, Washington DC, Beijing and Hong Kong including PMQ's opening photo exhibition. Yang won the Hong Kong Human Rights Arts Prize in 2015. Hong Kong | 2024 10 Nov 2024  Qian Hu Frolics at Philae Temple Qian Hu from Zhejiang, China frolics at Philae Temple, a gem in the crown of the river Nile that stands majestically on Agilkia Island, Aswan, Egypt. This legendary site was built in 690 BC to honour Isis, the Egyptian goddess of healing and magic. You must ride a water taxi to the island to get to the ruins. The temple was moved to its current location following the construction of the Aswan Dam, which threatened to submerge it permanently. Aswan . Egypt | 2024 9 Nov 2024  Baron's Palace in Cairo Baron Empain's Palace was built in 1906 to be the residence of the Belgian industrialist Edouard Empain who came to Egypt in 1904. French architect Alexander Marcel designed the palace, being inspired by the Cambodian Angkor Wat and the Hindu temple of Orissa. Marcel incorporated into the external design reproductions of a variety of human figures, statues of Indian dancers, elephants, snakes, Buddhas, Shivas, and Krishnas. Marcel’s colleague Georges-Louis Claude designed the interior and the decoration. Both architects were well-known, and they had already constructed the Oriental Pavilion attached to the Royal Palace of Laeken in Belgium. The palace consists of 2 floors and a small extension near the roof. Windows studded with small pieces of Belgian glass were specially created so as not tolose sight of the sun during the day. Construction was completed in 1911, and the palace was surrounded by a landscaped garden adorned with ascending green terraces, including marble statues and exotic vegetation. Cairo . Egypt | 2024 8 Nov 2024  Citadel of Saladin at Cairo The Citadel, started by Saladin in 1176 as a fortification against the Crusaders, was home to Egypt’s rulers for 700 years. It is the largest fortification in the Middle East and still dominates Cairo's skyline. Cairo . Egypt | 2024 7 Nov 2024  Muhammad Ali Mosque at Cairo Modelled on classic Ottoman lines, with domes upon domes upon domes, the alabaster-white Muhammad Ali Mosque within the Citadel of Saladin took 18 years to build (1830–48) and its interior is all twinkling chandeliers and luridly striped stone, the main dome a rich emerald green. Mohammed Ali lies in the tomb on the right as you enter. Cairo . Egypt | 2024 6 Nov 2024  Memorial Temple of Hatshepsut at Luxor Hatshepsut's funerary temple is distinctly different from all others in Luxor. Built on three terraces against the rugged limestone hills of the Valley of the Kings, its modern design blends in with the cliffs from which it is partly carved. Luxor . Egypt | 2024 5 Nov 2024  Karnak Temple of Luxor The Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak is a forest of 134 giant sandstone columns in the papyrus stalks. 12 great columns in its central nave surpass 20 m (70 ft) in height and are capped by huge open papyrus blossom capitals. They are several metres taller than the rest of the columns, to support the higher roof of the central nave. Karnak is an extraordinary complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons and obelisks dedicated to the Theban triad but also to the greater glory of pharaohs. The site covers more than 2 sq km . Built, added to, dismantled, restored, enlarged and decorated over nearly 1,500 years. Luxor . Egypt | 2024 4 Nov 2024  Philae Temple The Philae Temple is a gem in the crown of the river Nile that stands majestically on Agilkia Island, Aswan, Egypt. This legendary site was built in 690 BC to honour Isis, the Egyptian goddess of healing and magic. You must ride a water taxi to the island to get to the ruins. The temple was moved to its current location following the construction of the Aswan Dam, which threatened to submerge it permanently. Aswan . Egypt | 2024 3 Nov 2024  Mastaba of Mereruka The mastaba (tomb) of Mereruka is the largest and most elaborate of all the non-royal tombs in Saqqara with 33 rooms or chambers in total. Mereruka was the vizier and son-in-law to King Teti, who was the first pharaoh of the 6th dynasty Old Kingdom period of Egypt. A lifelike statue of Mereruka was found intact within the principal chamber at the far end of his mastaba tomb. The tomb boasts vibrant and well preserved tomb decorations and numerous relief scenes. The tomb was discovered in 1892. Saqqara . Egypt | 2024 2 Nov 2024  Camel at Great Pyramid Khufu A camel sits next to The Great Pyramid of Khufu, the oldest and largest of the 3 pyramids in the Giza Necropolis. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact. Giza . Egypt | 2024 1 Nov 2024 Archive: Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2024 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2023 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2022 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2021 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2020 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2019 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2018 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2017 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2016 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan 2015 Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb 2014 |
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