Latest news with #Confucius
National Geographic
15 hours ago
- National Geographic
Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City—find out which one's right for you
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Hanoi may be Vietnam's capital, but Ho Chi Minh City isn't your ordinary 'second city'. Its appeal for travellers is on a par with Hanoi's, but the two cities have a very different atmosphere. Since Ho Chi Minh City's name was changed from 'Saigon' following the country's reunification after the Vietnam War, it's evolved and grown exponentially. While Hanoi, in the north, is on the doorstep of popular attractions like the Sapa hill tribes and Ha Long Bay, southerly Ho Chi Minh City is a gateway to the mighty Mekong Delta. Which one suits you best? Hanoi Population: 8.6 million Key experience: Catching a mua roi nuoc (water puppetry) show Climate: Subtropical, with cool winters (17C in Jan) & hot summers (29C in Jul) The city vibe is… cultural, historical and traditional. Hanoi is Vietnam's capital, a sophisticated, thousand-year-old city whose heartbeat emanates from the Old Quarter. Here, 19th-century teak-beamed Chinese shophouses shelter cafes with French names and traditional music mingles with the sound of millions of motorbikes. Amid the bustle, a source of calm is Hoan Kiem Lake, a serene body of water on the edge of the Old Quarter. If you like… museums, Hanoi is home to many of Vietnam's finest. Highlights include the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, which showcases the country's 54 ethnic groups, and the Vietnamese Women's Museum, which explores folk religion and features exhibits about wartime heroines. There are always long lines at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Ba Dinh district, where the embalmed body of Vietnam's greatest national hero, communist leader Ho Chi Minh, is on display. One legendary spot for pho is the no-frills Pho Gia Truyen restaurant. If you want to explore… architecture, you'll find many elegant examples here. Perhaps the city's most iconic structure is Thap Rua, a weather-worn, moss-strewn tower on a tiny island in Hoan Kiem Lake. Also, don't miss the Temple of Literature, built in the 11th century to honour the Chinese philosopher Confucius. If you're hungry for… pho, Hanoi is the home of this national noodle broth dish. It's said to have originated here in the 19th-century French colonial period and is served everywhere from street stalls to high-end restaurants. One legendary spot is no-frills Pho Gia Truyen restaurant, near Hoan Kiem. Go now because… the city is easier to navigate on foot thanks to new hefty traffic fines, which are making the roads safer. The Hanoi Metro Line 3 opened in 2024, too, connecting the centre with the west of Hanoi. Ho Chi Minh City is a place of superlatives. Vietnam's largest urban hub, it's brasher, louder and more restless than Hanoi — and it's growing at breakneck speed. Ho Chi Minh City Population: 10 million Key experience: Discovering its street food and bars after dark Climate: Tropical, with highs of around 32C all year; the dry season is Dec-Apr The city vibe is… cosmopolitan, vibrant and cool. Ho Chi Minh City is a place of superlatives. Vietnam's largest urban hub, it's brasher, louder and more restless than Hanoi — and it's growing at breakneck speed. If you like… bars, Ho Chi Minh City is second only to Bangkok when it comes to Southeast Asian nightlife — and there are countless voguish bars and cocktail clubs. Head for the rooftop bar of the five-star Hôtel des Arts in District 3 for some of the best views of the city or book a cocktail tour with Secret Experiences to find hidden speakeasies. In Ho Chi Minh City, there are countless voguish bars and cocktail clubs. If you want to explore… art galleries, Galerie Quynh, in District 1, showcases cutting-edge sculpture and installations, while the Lotus Gallery in District 7 scours the country for the finest modern painters. Traditional Vietnamese lacquer and silk painting can be found at District 1's Museum of Fine Arts, housed in a 1930s French villa. If you're hungry for… street food, Ho Chi Minh City brings the country's best dishes together in one place, with some great markets and a number of stall-lined 'food streets' famed for particular specialities. Feast on crab and sea snails, washed down with local beer, on raucous Nguyen Thuong Hien Street in District 3, or head to Cô Giang Street in District 1 for delicious com tam (broken rice with grilled pork and spring onions). Highlight markets include Ben Thanh Market and Ben Nghe Market, both in District 1. Go now because… Ho Chi Minh City is at the heart of Vietnam's economic boom, but still retains the traditional spirit and bustle of its street food markets, Chinese temples and stately French squares. December 2024 also saw the opening of Ho Chi Minh's first Metro line, making it easier to get around. This story was created with the support of InsideAsia and Vietnam Airlines. Published in the July/August 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
Borneo Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Borneo Post
Confucian wisdom joins AI debate
Tourists visit Nishan Sacredland scenic spot in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, May 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo) JINAN (July 14): In the birthplace of Confucius, who has been revered as a symbol of China's traditional culture, visitors are now greeted not by ancient scrolls or silent statues, but by an AI-powered guide. Under the glow of digital light and amid the echo of classical music, tourists from around the world follow this soft-spoken robot through Luyuan Village in Shandong Province, and set off on a 2,500-year journey into Confucian philosophy. Here, holograms flicker across temple walls, real-life actors blend with virtual scenes, and centuries-old teachings unfold through immersive garden trails. It's a jarring yet mesmerizing collision of past and future, where ritual meets algorithm, and ancient wisdom is reimagined through the lens of artificial intelligence. Just a 10-minute drive away, at another tourist site known as Nishan Sacredland, a different kind of gathering is underway. More than 560 guests from over 70 countries have convened at an ambitious forum on world civilizations, exploring questions from whether Confucius would embrace AI if he lived today, to how humanity can preserve creativity in an era of globalized artificial intelligence. Among those weighing in was Wang Junlin, a professor and director of the Confucius Institute of Culture at Qufu Normal University. 'I believe Confucius would embrace and make use of AI, but only under the guidance of the Dao,' Wang said, referring to the ancient Chinese concept of moral order and cosmic principle. Technology, in his view, should serve humanity, not the other way around. Guests attend the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, July 9, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng) Some at the forum voiced concerns that as AI moves deeper into the fabric of daily life and work, it risks giving rise to a new form of technological hegemony. 'If AI focuses solely on rapid iteration without proper ethical direction, it could easily stray from our original intentions,' said Wen Haiming, a professor of philosophy at Renmin University of China. In search of answers, scholars pointed to Chinese philosophy, and Confucianism in particular, as a possible guide. Kanaev Ilya, a visiting scholar from Russia at the Advanced Institute for Confucius Studies at Shandong University, argued that the Confucian idea of 'harmony without uniformity' provides a crucial framework for the development of AI. He called for the creation of collective synchronization mechanisms that preserve cultural diversity while helping to establish clear ethical guidelines for AI. 'As emerging technologies evolve, establishing prudent assessment systems and robust regulatory frameworks is essential,' said Kanaev Ilya. His views were shared by others at the forum, who urged lawmakers to define clear boundaries for AI use and to draw ethical red lines through thoughtful institutional design. Participants also explored one of the most closely watched questions surrounding AI: whether its rapid rise could ultimately stifle human creativity. Steve Fuller, a professor of sociology at the University of Warwick, offered a more nuanced perspective. 'AI does not rob humanity of its creativity but teaches us the nature of human creativity,' he said. According to Fuller, AI is recombining the products of human intelligence in previously unimagined ways, generating novel forms of expression that surprise people because they tap into creative patterns that humans have yet to fully explore. – Xinhua artificial intelligence China Confucius digital technology
Malaysiakini
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Is Dr M really a statesman?
'Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?' - Confucius COMMENT | I waited a day to pen these thoughts. Dr Mahathir Mohamad turned 100 on July 10, and I'm not the type to spoil a birthday bash. Call it decency. The type mentioned in Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' as 'a sense of the fundamental decencies… parcelled out unequally at birth'. And like all decent Malaysians, I often reflect on what we could have achieved as people and a country if our politics had taken a different turn. Mahathir's tenure from 1981 to 2003 turned a multi-racial country into a Malay-supremacist state. It hasn't worked out well. How else can we explain his...
Malaysiakini
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Is Dr M really a statesman?
'Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?' - Confucius COMMENT | I waited a day to pen these thoughts. Dr Mahathir Mohamad turned 100 on July 10, and I'm not the type to spoil a birthday bash. Call it decency. The type mentioned in Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' as 'a sense of the fundamental decencies… parcelled out unequally at birth'. And like all decent Malaysians, I often reflect on what we could have achieved as people and a country if our politics had taken a different turn. Mahathir's tenure from 1981 to 2003 turned a multi-racial country into a Malay-supremacist state. It hasn't worked out well. How else can we explain his...
The Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
CGTN: Beauty in diversity: How wisdom at Nishan Forum inspires global modernization
BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 10 July 2025 - As the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations takes place in east China's Qufu City, CGTN published an article highlighting the importance of dialogue and mutual learning among civilizations to promote harmonious coexistence, shared prosperity, and the safeguarding of traditional values in the face of modern challenges. 'Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?' This opening question and well-known saying from the Analects of Confucius has been transformed into a vivid reality as experts and scholars from across the world gathered at the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in east China's Qufu City. The forum is named after Nishan Mountain, formerly known as the Ni Qiu Hill, about 30 kilometers southeast of Qufu – the birthplace of the great Chinese thinker and educator Confucius (551-479 BC). Since its first edition in 2010, the forum has become a platform for understanding China and fostering international cultural and civilizational exchanges. Taking place from Wednesday to Thursday, the 11th Nishan Forum attracted more than 500 global leaders, scholars and cultural figures to explore the role of ancient wisdom in shaping the modern world with the theme of 'Beauty in Diversity: Nurturing Understanding Among Civilizations for Global Modernization.' Understanding among civilizations highlighted Scholars at the forum underscored the essential role that cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations play in advancing human progress. Noting armed conflicts have resurfaced in today's turbulent world, Madagascar's Ambassador to China Jean Louis Robinson spoke highly of the forum, saying that its role in promoting harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity among diverse cultures and civilizations has become all the more significant. China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) won praise from foreign participants. In March 2023, China introduced the GCI, which calls for respect for global civilizational diversity, the promotion of shared human values, the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and the strengthening of international cultural exchanges. Hussain Mohamed Latheef, vice president of the Republic of Maldives, described the GCI as a timely reminder of the need to respect and understand diverse cultures worldwide. 'The initiative promotes shared human values, aims to balance tradition with innovation, and supports cultural exchange and development,' Latheef added. Some of the experts spoke highly of the influence of Confucianism, which is known for its five key concepts, namely benevolence, or 'ren' in Chinese, righteousness, or 'yi,' propriety, 'li,' wisdom, 'zhi,' and trustworthiness, 'xin.' Dr Salome Nyambura, director of the Confucius Institute at Kenyatta University, told CGTN that close people-to-people exchanges between China and Kenya have made more Kenyans interested in Confucianism. Echoing Nyambura, Riccardo Pozzo, professor of History of Philosophy at Tor Vergata University of Rome, said that Confucianism can provide valuable solutions to bridge traditional and modern issues and solve modern problems, citing the saying from the Analects that 'If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge and continually acquires new knowledge, he may become a teacher to others.' Global modernization deeply rooted in fertile soil of civilizations As well as fueling academic dialogue and people-to-people connections, exchanges among civilizations are also expected to generate valuable insights to tackle global challenges and open up diverse pathways for modernization. China is committed to offering new opportunities to the world through the achievements of its unique path to modernization, and providing new momentum to global partners through its vast domestic market, Sun Chunlan, president of the International Confucian Association, said when addressing the opening of the forum. China's poverty alleviation efforts and global cooperation on poverty reduction have provided relevant examples, demonstrating that the development of civilization should be 'people-oriented' and that the fruits of development can benefit more groups. Wang Xuedian, vice president of the International Confucian Association, said that civilizations must engage in dialogue and mutual learning to explore development paths that align with their own cultural contexts. By drawing on advanced productive forces and promoting traditional values, different civilizations can bridge developmental gaps and realize the common prosperity and harmonious coexistence of multiple civilizations, Wang added. As for Latheef, humanity must work together to safeguard cultural traditions and values while embracing new ideas and changes to adapt to global modernization. Roger T. Ames, professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Hawaii and Humanities Chair Professor at Peking University, said that the urgent task is to transform individualism into a conscious awareness of a united global community, adding that the Confucian values of fairness, inclusiveness and harmony offer valuable guidance for addressing the pressing challenges of the modern world.
