Introducing...
the Geisha
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The image of the geisha strolling through the cobbled streets of Kyoto is synonymous with Japan, and their mysterious lifestyle has fascinated for a long time.
Although a relatively recent phenomenon, the roots of the geisha go back to the 6th Century. During this time of social upheaval many young women and girls were forced to a wandering lifestyle, selling sexual favours to survive. Some of them with education and talented in singing and dancing became known as Saburuku ('ones who serve') and became paid entertainers, and concubines, for the nobility. The geisha as we know today arose in the the early 1700s, when the first pleasure-quarters, or brothel districts, were established. This coincided with a period of peace, in which there was a rise in the middle class and the arts flourished. Daughters of the Samurai, whose services were no longer needed in a peaceful Japan, became courtesans, and with their fine breeding and education brought an air of refinement to the pleasure-quarters.
The first true geisha were actually men, with women providing dance and musical entertainment. However, the female geisha soon became popular, and a registration system was established to control their behaviour and dress, and also as a way of making them pay taxes.
Geisha translates as "performing artist", and they undergo rigorous training in singing, dancing, poetry, music, and so on.They are adept at pouring tea and witty conversation. Training typically starts between the ages of 16 to 18, when an apprentice geisha, or maiko, enters a geisha house to learn the tricks of the trade. Today their numbers are declining, but they are considered to be a repository for Japanese arts and culture.
This May we are offering a photography workshop to Japan with our Guest Artist Clyde Heppner. To be part of the adventure, see us here.
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The Inner and Outer Hebrides of Scotland have a human history of over 6 thousand of years, and a geological history of over 3 billion years, and this history has shaped the landscape and culture of the isles.
The Isle of Harris and Lewis is one island, although the two parts offer a distinctive contrast in landscapes - the northern part of Lewis is composed of relatively flat peat moorlands, while the southern Harris offers vistas of imposing peaks and mountains. The beaches of Harris offer an array of interesting photographic compositions - carpets of green meadow lead you to broad expanses of white sand and small rocky coves, pure water that reflects the light and stark mountainous backdrops.
The Standing Stones of Callanish are an intriguing puzzle left by the early inhabitants of Lewis. At about five thousand years old this ancient stone circle is older than Stonehenge, and some suggest that as well as having a religious function it may also have served as an astronomical observatory. After 1500 years the site was abandoned and the stones were partly covered by peat until 1857 when the peat was cut, revealing the true magnificence of the circle.
The Isle of Skye is perhaps the most famous of the Scottish Isles, and the iconic image of Skye would have to be Eilean Donan castle. You may not know the name, but you will certainly recognise the castle sitting at the confluence of three sea-lochs, surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenery, its proud reflection dancing in the waters. First constructed in the 13th Century to defend against Viking attacks, it is now a bit of a movie star, having appeared in such films as Highlander, Elizabeth - the Golden Age, and the James Bond film The World is Not Enough.
Our Guest Photographer Ian Cameron can take you skipping through the heather next October, where he will help you capture the beauty of Scotland for yourself. Visit us here for more details.
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Next month we will celebrate Chinese Spring Festival, and in order to make the year of the horse as prosperous as possible, people will be preparing to hang their new Door Gods. The door of the family house has great symbolic value, it is the divider between safety and danger, coldness and warmth, and the home and the outside world.However, the door itself offeres no protection from malevolent ghosts and spirits, and so the practice of hanging door gods became a way to deter them from entering.
There are many stories associated with the door gods; one of the earliest comes from the Han dynasty of 200BC. It tells of Shen Tu and Yu Lei, who managed to capture a gang of evil ghosts and put them on trial. Finding them guilty of bringing harm to humans they had the ghosts fed to a tiger. Hearing of their bravery, the emperor ordered that portraits of the two men should be hung at entrances to safeguard the inhabitants.
Another popular story comes from the Tang dynsty. In this one, the emperor was plagued with bad dreams and ghostly visions, possibly as a result of the people he had murdered on his rise to power. His two loyal generals offered to stand watch outside his chamber, bringing an end to the supernatural visits. However, being a general by day and a night watchman by night is tiring work, so the emperor hit on the idea of hanging the portraits of the generals on his door instead, which had the same effect.
If you'd like to know more about the fascinating history and traditions of China, why not check out the great range of photography workshops and tours we have planned for 2014, you can visit us here.
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Happy New Year! Thankyou to everyone for their support over the last year, and we wish you and your loved ones a safe and prosperous 2014.
Thankyou - The Photo Tours Abroad Team
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