WHS new “Tentative List”: Places to Love–Poverty Point National Monument

by Grant Martin on

For the Gadling series “World Heritage Site new “Tentative List”: Places to Love” we are covering the 14 sites that have been submitted for possible inclusion as an official World Heritage Site in the United States. The sites will not be posted in order of importance or in the order they appear on the list.

Number 6

Name of Site: Poverty Point National Monument and State Historic Site

Location: Near Epps, Louisiana

Reason for importance in a nutshell: Constructed 1700 – 1100 years ago, this may be the “remains of the largest hunter-­gatherer settlement that has ever existed.” And it’s in America’s back door!

Grant’s Take: Many people don’t think that North America is rich in archaeological history. As Poverty Point shows, however, many parts of the country are rich with anthropological, indigenous depth. This 400 acre site features a series of concentric earthen circles on which an ancient culture based their society. It’s an excellent example of historic organization and cultural stratification, and may well be America’s real first city. Sounds like reason enough to take a look.

WHS new “Tentative List”: Places to Love–Thomas Jefferson Buildings

by Grant Martin on

For the Gadling series “World Heritage Site new “Tentative List”: Places to Love” we are covering the 14 sites that have been submitted for possible inclusion as an official World Heritage Site in the United States. The sites will not be posted in order of importance or in the order they appear on the list.

Number 4

Name of Site: Thomas Jefferson Buildings

Location: Poplar Forest and Richmond, Virginia

Reason for importance in a nutshell: Though he had no formal training in architecture, Thomas Jefferson had a genius for drawing and constructing buildings. His home estate Monticello and the University of Virginia by his design are already on the World Heritage list. Poplar Forest and the State Capitol building (pictured) would be additions to this.

Grant’s Take: I’m always baffled by Jefferson’s areas of expertise. In addition to being the third President of the United States, he was obviously an acclaimed architect as well as an archaeologist, university founder, scholar, wine lover, writer and philosopher. I’ll be lucky if I get to one of those in my life.

No better example of Thomas Jefferson’s architectural talent exists than in Virginia. The UVA campus is a beautiful example of his work and I see more of this excellence in his Poplar Forest estate and Richmond Capitol building. All three of these sites are definitely worth a visit if you’re in the Richmond or even Washington DC area.

WHS new “Tentative List”: Places to Love–Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Hawaii

by Jamie Rhein on

For the Gadling series “World Heritage Site new “Tentative List”: Places to Love” we are covering the 14 sites that have been submitted for possible inclusion as an official World Heritage Site in the United States. The sites will not be posted in order of importance or in the order they appear on the list.

Number 10

Name of Site: Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Hawaii

Location: Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and the surrounding waters. Go 140 miles northwest of Hawaii’s main islands and you are there. The span of this monument continues for 1,200 miles as you keep heading northwest. To see a selection of maps of the area, click here.

Reason for importance in a nutshell: This “string of islands and adjacent waters represents the longest, clearest, and oldest example of island formation and atoll evolution in the world.” The islands are also culturally important because 1,000 years ago people lived here and their artifacts can be seen today.

Jamie’s Take: Where does one begin when talking about a site that covers 137,797 square miles? First of all, this is the best coral reef system in United States’ waters and the “largest marine conservation area in the world.” It’s the least disturbed and the healthiest, probably because it so far enough away from Hawaii’s main islands that people don’t just hop on over on a moment’s notice.

Secondly, along with the green sea turtle and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, 14 million seabirds and other land birds call this home. Add in the diversity of the plant and marine animals found in the area (1/4 of them are only found here) and we’re talking a mega treasure trove of natural wonders.

The area includes: NWII Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Kure Atoll State Wildlife Sanctuary, and the NWHI State Marine Refuge.

As a note, the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge was designated in 1909 by President Theodore Roosevelt making it one of the oldest National Wildlife Refuges in the United States.

Also of significance, these islands are a bridge between cultures–the Hawaiian and Polynesian. 1,000 years ago people settled on two of the islands leaving behind their traces. Artifacts have been found that possibly connect the islands’ once inhabitants to Marquesas and Tahiti. Along with those artifacts are ones that connect the islands to more recent happenings. Pearl oyster harvesting, fishing and guano mining once happened here, as well as, the World War II Battle of Midway.

Within the atolls, there are more than 60 vessels and 67 aircrafts that have created a rich history below the ocean’s surface.

Whether or not the World Heritage Site folks name the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Hawaii one of the official sites, this is definitely a place to be treasured. I’m happy that there are so many sanctuaries and preserves involved in its protection. What a wonderous place past the boundaries of the Hawaii most people think of when they travel there.

How the Chinese celebrate the New Year

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Chinese New Year parades are taking place in many North American cities this month, but like the fortune cookie and the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, the parades are US inventions that reveal little about their ostensible home countries. So if there are no outlandish parades in China to celebrate the New Year, what really goes on?

“For most urban families, celebrating is limited to eating dumplings, setting off fireworks, and watching the national TV program (this year’s theme, “Thriving China, Harmonious Society“),” says a new Slate article.

Throughout the 20th Century, according to the article, the Chinese government has been attempting to eradicate the traditions associated with celebrating the New Year, like burning the Kitchen God and kowtowing (prostrating oneself) to one’s elders. In the past, they’ve even gone so far as to ban fireworks, re-name the holiday the “Spring Festival,” and to try to change its date. Some of the government’s efforts have been successful– few burn the Kitchen God anymore– but others, like the fireworks ban, have been ignored or overturned.

Read Slate’s article for an interesting history of the Chinese New Year (which I assume is, in China, called just “the New Year,” in the same way they call “Chinese food” simply “food.”)

Here’s more from Gadling about Chinese travelers trying to make it home for the New Year amidst the country’s largest snow storm in 50 years.

Gullah Celebration–Black History Month

by Jamie Rhein on

February is Black History month. In Hilton Head, South Carolina, a facinating part of African American history (thus American history) is celebrated throughout this month. Similar to Native Americans who have continued to celebrate and live according to the traditions of their ancestors, the Gullahs in South Carolina and Georgia have continued to embrace the cultures and beliefs of their ancestors who were brought as slaves to Georgia and South Carolina from West Africa.

Each February, at the annual Gullah Celebration, Hilton Head Island, where many Gullahs still live, is a showcase of Gullah art, food, music, language and history. Visitors can head to art shows, concerts, and other performances to enjoy the rich variety of the traditions that have been kept alive for centuries–including the language. Prayers, story-telling and sermons are told in Gullah, a mix of English and African languages, that was developed by slaves as a means to communicate with each other. Today, the language functions as a way to embrace the past, as well as, influence the future.

If you head here, check out the schedule to see what’s going on each day. No matter which day or days you come, take in a variety of historical landmarks. Of note is Mitchelville, the first freed Negro township. The store De Gullah Creations, open year round, is a place to purchase Gullah art and crafts and learn more about the culture.