South Asia

Today we are started off in Ayutthaya Kingdom, Thailand

Site one: The Kingdom of Ayutthaya was once the ancient capital of Thailand and was previously considered one of the most powerful cities in all of Southeast Asia. The ruins of the ancient city are a series of Buddhist and Hindu inspired temples as well as various other religious shrines. The kingdom of Ayutthaya existed between 1350 and 1767 A.D. and was founded by its first ruler King Ramathibodi I. The prior and short-lasting kingdom of Sukhothai to the North was absorbed into Ayutthaya. Theravada Buddhism became the official religion early on and King Ramathibodi I also compiled a legal code.
When we got here there were, what looked like thousands of people. When we walked up we walked past a huge sculpture that was made all by hand. It was very ancient looking, but it was still very interesting to see. Then we walked up some steps and into the actual building. It was kind of falling apart, but it was fun to explore and see how people lived and did things back in the day. This was a good experience.

Site two: Next we are off to visit Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang, Laos. The glittering Xieng Thong, built in 1560, sits grandly on a peninsula jutting into the Mekong River. The facades of two of its buildings are covered by glittering glass mosaics; another building contains an ornate chariot with the heads of seven dragons and the remains of a king. About a dozen English-speaking monks roam the premises.
We first got there we could not believe our eyes. The outside of the building had so many little details and add ons that it was just amazing. When we finally got inside, after looking around at the outside for awhile, we were almost as amazed as we were with the outside. The inside was filled with many carvings, paintings, and a variety of different art styles. We took many hours at this place and enjoyed every minute of our experience.

East Asia

Today we are off to East Asia. Our first stop will be in China, China.

Site one: The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian Steppe. Though the beginning of the Great Wall of China can be traced to the third century B.C., many of the fortifications included in the wall date from hundreds of years earlier, when China was divided into a number of individual kingdoms during the so-called Warring States Period. Around 220 B.C., Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China, ordered that earlier fortifications between states be removed and a number of existing walls along the northern border be joined into a single system that would extend for more than 10,000 li (a li is about one-third of a mile) and protect China against attacks from the north.
When we go there we were amazed at how big this actually was. We started to walk through it and it was very quiet in there. The carvings and architecture was a site to see. It was so detailed and so little that you can't believe that someone carved that by hand. We had a great time and it was a great to see and walk through.

Site Two: The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the center piece of a 17-hectare complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall. One of the Taj Mahal’s most recognizable features is a large white dome that is often called an ‘onion dome’ due to its shape. It has a height of around 35 meters (115 feet) and is surrounded by 4 smaller domes.
We were speechless when we first got there because it was so beautiful and huge! We were amazed by the globes on the top. When we got inside we were amazed at the artifacts and the art in the inside. We were in there for at least four hours because everything was so interesting. It was a great experience and I work highly suggest to go there to others.