Author: jezzabellemente

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Two artworks at teamLab Planets TOKYO, a museum in Toyosu, Tokyo will be transformed by cherry blossoms for a limited time from March 1 to April 30.

The museum allows visitors to walk through water and immerse themselves in massive artworks barefoot. In the first year since its opening in July 2018, there have been more than 1.25 million visitors from 106 countries and regions.

In the work, ‘Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers’, flowers bloom and change with every passing minute, creating a universe of life that spreads across the space. Cherry blossoms fall in the art space for a limited time.

Meanwhile, in the ‘Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People – Infinity’ artwork, visitors walk barefoot through real water, as koi swim across the infinite water’s surface. When the koi collide with people, they bloom into cherry blossoms.

Admission fees for adult (18 years and older) is JPY 3,200; university students/specialised students (JPY 2,500); junior high school students/high school students (JPY 2,000); children aged four-12 (JPY 800); seniors aged 65 and older (JPY 2,400); and, disability discount at JPY 1,600. (JPY 100 = RM3.78)

In addition, the opening of the Toyosu Fish Market and Edomae Jokamachi nearby also enables visitors to enjoy food made using fresh ingredients, collect Japanese culture souvenirs and enjoy local shopping.

More details at https://www.teamlab.art.

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — This year’s highly coveted Vibram® Hong Kong 100 Ultra Trail Race (HK100), supported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has concluded with an impressive global 2,300 runners enthusiastically taking part.

From France and the UK to the USA and Canada; and from Singapore and Malaysia to Thailand and Japan; many overseas runners were present in the stunningly scenic challenge.

A total of 1,800 racers ran the full 103-kilometre course, which blazed along the Maclehose Trail from Pak Tam Chung to Sai Kung; while 500 participants joined The Half, the aptly named, newly designated 56-kilometre trail that encompassed the first half of the full course.

The successful conclusion of this prestigious race once again put Hong Kong on the trail-running map as an essential international destination for professional racers wanting to make their mark.

In the men’s races, You Peiquan (China) and Gediminas Grinius (Lithuania) took home the top prizes, finishing the rigorous HK100 and The Half in an impressive 10 hours, 17 seconds, and four hours, 54 minutes, respectively.

Meanwhile, the women’s HK100 was won by Xiang Fuzhao (China) in 11 hours, 28 minutes, and the winner of The Half was Rie Sugaya (Japan) in six hours, five minutes.

The HK100 trail offered spectacular views as it wound through the breathtaking Maclehose Trail, giving the runners access to otherworldly forests, sprawling beaches, tranquil reservoirs and more.

Steep inclines and concrete steps along the way added an even more interesting dimension. The race ended with a heart-thumping descent from Hong Kong’s highest mountain, Tai Mo Shan.

— BERNAMA

TONGLIAO, China, Jan. 21, 2020 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/– 

As Chinese New Year draws near, drum beats are sounding louder at a village in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Bai Haiquan, a local villager, is one of the performers. As a new member to the village yangko performing group, he plays the drum hard and would go practicing after herding the cattle. Bai even practiced drumming in his mind at work. “When one is happy, he feels like playing the drum, and is good at it,” Bai said. 

Bai didn’t feel like drumming three years ago, when he was almost desperate about life. His wife was diagnosed with lupus nephritis, costing about 4,000 yuan (about 584 U.S. dollars) to 5,000 yuan each month. His family was left in debt, forcing his son dropping out from high school to take care of the cattle. The family was near ruins when the local government lent a helping hand by qualifying the family as one poverty relief target. With the local government’s help, Bai got subsidized loans worth 30,000 yuan to breed cattle, and got another 15,000 yuan in subsidy. The whole family was included in the medical care insurance system, which covered most of the medical spending of Bai’s wife.

Bai is good at raising cattle. Now he owns 16 cattle, with 8 pregnant. They are Bai’s hope. “Soon there will be calves. The bull can sell 10,000 yuan after five months’ breeding,” according to him. Bai also has 32 mu (about 2.13 hectares) of corn, with each capable of producing 750 kg of corn thanks to enhanced irrigation by means of a new well drilled by the local government. He raked in 47,000 yuan in 2019, and expects more income this year. The family were lifted out from poverty in end-2019, and his wife’s illness is now kept in check. “My wife is getting better, and the income is getting better. We are happier each day.”

Bai applied to be a drummer when the village decided to set up a yangko performance group. “It’s energizing to drum,” he said. “He seems to be a different person when he plays the drum,” said a local official. Bai, a more down-to-earth and earnest man than before, even consulted the village’s skilled drummer to improve his performance. The village’s Spring Festival performance was staged on Xiao Nian, or the Preliminary Eve, about one week before the Chinese New Year. Bai, full of vigor, played the drum with confidence for a better life.

Source: The Publicity Department of the CPC Tongliao Municipal Committee

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–BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 — VistaJet, the first and only global private aviation company has unveiled one-of-a-kind Japanese adventure as part of VistaJet World, a comprehensive portfolio of unique multi-stop travel experiences across the world.

Holidaymakers across Asia will take to the skies for the Chinese New Year this month, and Japan is proving to be one of the most popular destinations this year, according to a statement.

“We have seen double-digit year-on-year growth in both the China and Japan markets in the third quarter of 2019, which is one of the reasons VistaJet World is bringing customers this ultimate bespoke Japanese experience for Chinese New Year holidaymakers,” said VistaJet chief commercial officer, Ian Moore.

From discovering the secrets of Sumo in Tokyo, to the serenity of rural Karuizawa, the geisha culture of Kyoto and the country traditions of Oita, VistaJet’s uniquely tailored itinerary of Japan’s most exclusive and authentic experiences promises to restore mind, body and soul.

In Tokyo, customers can learn the ways of the Samurai by taking a sword-fighting lesson with Kill Bill choreographer, Tetsuro Shimaguchi, while food lovers can visit Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market guided by a local master chef to sample some of Japan’s finest delicacies.

Besides Karuizawa’s serenity, VistaJet customers are welcome to Shishi-iwa House, a boutique hotel designed by Pritzker prize-winning architect Shigeru Ban as it prepares specially tailored service at its newly opened restorative sanctuary.

“VistaJet Members are not only guaranteed aircraft availability during the peak travel season, and simply only pay for the hours they fly, but also enjoy unparalleled access to some of the world’s most incredible personalised experiences accompanied by VistaJet’s above-and-beyond service,” said Moore.

More details at https://www.vistajet.com/privateoffice.

— BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — OAG, the world’s leading provider of travel data and insight has released its annual Punctuality League 2020, the industry’s most comprehensive ranking of on-time performance (OTP) for the world’s largest airlines and airports.

Asia-Pacific airlines dominated global rankings with nine out of the top 20 most punctual airlines in the world: Garuda Indonesia (1), Skymark Airlines (3), All Nippon Airways (7), Jetstar Asia (8), Singapore Airlines (9), Thai AirAsia (10), Japan Airlines (15), Qantas Airways (18) and Indonesia AirAsia (20).

Garuda Indonesia takes the top spot globally and regionally, with an impressive OTP of 95.01 per cent. Skymark Airlines (OTP 90.12 per cent) ranks in the top three for both the Global Airline and Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) categories.

“Asia Pacific carriers and airports continued to demonstrate exceptional OTP this year, with many LCCs and legacy carriers improving year-over-year performance. The leading performance of Garuda Indonesia, Skymark Airlines, Osaka Itami and Tokyo Haneda on the global stage is commendable,” said OAG head of JAPAC, Mayur (Mac) Patel.

The region’s LCCs performed exceptionally well, with nine carriers ranking in the top 20 for that respective category, including Skymark Airlines (1), Jetstar Asia (2) and Thai AirAsia (3), according to a statement.

In addition, Japanese airport Osaka Itami (ITM) finished as the most punctual Large Airport for a second consecutive year with an OTP of 88.03 per cent. Singapore Changi (SIN; OTP 84.03 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (KUL; OTP 75.04 per cent) and Seoul Incheon (ICN; OTP 74.95 per cent) all improved their OTP in the Mega Airport category.

More information at http://www.oag.com.

— BERNAMA