Our new online hub on Google Arts and Culture offers a peek into China’s vast culinary world. Imagine a food culture that has been evolving for thousands of years, with …
As the largest man-made structure in the world, the Great Wall of China is one of the most iconic and popular heritage sites anywhere. Over 10 million people visit each year—but not everyone has the opportunity to see the Great Wall first-hand.
Today, in collaboration with renowned Great Wall expert Dong Yaohui and curators from Gubei Water Town, Google Arts & Culture presents a new theme page enabling people to visit the Great Wall virtually. "Walk the Great Wall of China" includes an exclusive 360-degree virtual tour of one of the best-preserved sections, 370 images of the Great Wall in total, and 35 stories that dive into fascinating architectural details. It’s a chance for people to experience parts of the Great Wall that might otherwise be hard to access, learn more about its rich history, and understand how it’s being preserved for future generations.
The "Heavenly Ladder" leads to the Fairy Tower. Stretching upward along the abrupt mountain ridges, the narrowest part is just half a meter wide. It is not open to the public.
Check out the full exhibit — but as a teaser, here are five things you should know about the Great Wall of China.
1. The complete length is about 20,000 kilometers
The official length of the Great Wall is 21,196.18km, about one and a half times the distance from Los Angeles to Singapore — currently one of the longest flights in the world! Walking the full distance would take you approximately 17 months.
The "Watching-The-Capital Tower".
2. It took over 2,000 years to construct
The Great Wall as we know it today was built over the course of five dynasties. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, took the remnants of ancient fortifications, walls, and earthworks and linked them into a unified wall around 220 BC. Because of climate conditions and human activities, a third of this UNESCO World Heritage site — approximately 2,000km — has already disappeared. Still, many sections of the wall are being restored as we speak — see for yourself by taking a hike now.
3. It’s not just a wall — it’s a whole defense structure.
The Great Wall is not a single-structured wall. It includes beacon towers, barriers, barracks, garrison stations and fortresses along the walls. Together, they form an integrated defense system.
“Walk the Great Wall of China” includes a feature on the western starting point of the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty. Tragically, all that remains today is a lonely earthen mound.
The “First Pier of the Great Wall” — its western starting point during the Ming Dynasty.
4. Some of the bricks contain hidden signatures
Many bricks on the wall bear Chinese characters that are actually signatures. Most of these text bricks are from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when they were used as a quality-tracking method. The texts contain key information such as the production location, the brick household name and the responsible officials.
5. A Chinese unicorn can be found on the Simatai section
On the Simatai section of the Great Wall, there is a special tower with a hidden gem on its upper floor. A large screen wall made of 15 square bricks is carved with a mysterious, eye-catching animal from Chinese mythology, called Kirin (or Qilin). Over hundreds of years, the tower has been eroded, but you can still admire this auspicious symbol.
Want to learn more? Visit “Walk the Great Wall of China”, or download Google Arts & Culture’s Android or iOS app.
More than half of the world’s spices originated from Indonesia. These spices not only flavor one of the world’s most diverse cuisines — they also influenced the culinary world as we know it, changing tastes around the globe.
Spice Up The World, a new destination on Google Arts & Culture, is a collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism & Creative Economy and Indonesia Gastronomy Network. It features 45 immersive digital stories that dive into Indonesia’s 1,000-year history of spices and give you a taste of the delicious dishes that make up Indonesian gastronomy.
Here’s a quick taste of 5 things you should know about Indonesian spices:
An illustration of Indonesian spices by Nugraha Pratama
Indonesia is home to the Moluccas archipelago, also known as the “Spice Islands” where over 30,000 species of spices are growing. These include more than half of the world’s spices we know today. There are four categories of spices: dry spices (i.e. pepper, cumin), fresh spices (i.e. galangal), aromatic spice (i.e. pandanus leaf or turmeric leaf) and acids (i.e. tamarind or asam gelugur).
A close-up of Nutmeg. Photography by Josh Catti Rahadi (Negeri Rempah Foundation)
Today, every modern kitchen has a spice rack. But during the 17th century, nutmeg was worth more than its weight in gold. Medieval Europe was obsessed with Indonesian spices as it helped preserve food and add flavors to its cuisine.
During the Black Death, nutmeg prices exploded because people believed it might keep away the plague. People attached a pomander (a ball made for aromatics) onto a belt as fleas detest the smell of the spice. Learn more about Indonesian spices that may be sitting in your kitchen right now such as Nutmeg or Clove.
A photo of Run in Bandu Islands, where nutmeg grew wild
For centuries, nutmeg was the rarest spice in the world and could only be found on the island of Run in the Moluccas. In 1677, with the Treaty of Breda, the English ceded Run Island to the Dutch in return for Manhattan.
What seems like an unbelievable exchange today was seen as a very strong deal for the Dutch, who secured their monopoly on the rarest and most in-demand spice. The Spices Trail defined the world as we know it by triggering the first world travels, cultural exchanges and technological advancements.
The different spices that make up Base Genep. Photography from Bebek Timbungan, Bali
With over 30,000 different varieties of plants and spices, Indonesians have mastered the art of spices by blending them together. In Bali, the most popular blend is “Base Genep,” a complex mix of 15 different spices. Some Balinese believe that the Base Genep spice blend came from the Pandawas and Drupadi goddess who have been blessed with the power of taste.
Base Genep was created over 2,000 years ago, and is still the basis of Balinese cooking today.
Illustration by Nugraha Pratama
Satay originates from Java and today is a national dish in Indonesia — you can find it everywhere from street cars to the most refined restaurants across the archipelago. Satay skewers are also popular across the South East Asia region. It’s so popular, there are songs written about it. Served on a bamboo skewer, satay is made of marinated and grilled meat served with spicy sauce.
There is an incredible variety of flavors found on Indonesian shores. Once you get a taste, we bet you’ll want to come back for more. Visit g.co/indonesianspices, or download Google Arts & Culture’s Android or iOS app to further immerse yourself in the flavorful world of Indonesian spices!
With its beautiful beaches, lush green landscapes, fresh food and vibrant culture, travelers the world over have been enchanted by Vietnam. In fact, in 2019, Vietnam welcomed 18 million international guests and Da Nang was named the top trending destination for 2020.
Sadly, the pandemic has had severe implications for travel, and that is one reason we’re excited to share this new project. Before the pandemic, Google Arts & Culture partnered with Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the local tourism boards of Da Nang, Quang Nam, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Binh and National Geographic award-winning photographer Tran Tuan Viet to capture the unique corners of Vietnam. The result is a project made more precious in today’s travel-restricted world: Wonders of Vietnam on Google Arts & Culture.
Featuring 35 stories and over 1,300 sumptuous photos of iconic sites, historical heritage, nature, cuisine and culture, the project is a unique way for us hungry travelers to virtually explore. The project is an important part of Google’s overall support of the local tourism industry, which has been badly affected by pandemic-related travel restrictions. By showcasing the wonders of Vietnam, specifically from the Central region, we hope to also raise awareness on preserving the sites affected by the recent floods.
Of course, nothing compares to experiencing the real thing in person. But while many of us aren’t able to do that, this is the next best thing. Here are my top 5 things to explore on a virtual visit to Vietnam on Google Arts & Culture:
Along with breathtaking photos of Son Doong Cave, you can learn about how it is home to an underground river where you can kayak and dive. The cave is so large it even has its own forest and climate.
Nha Nhac, meaning “elegant music”, refers to a broad range of musical and dance styles performed at the Vietnamese royal court from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century. The photos show meticulous details, like colorful costumes and large elaborate fans.
With our Color Filter feature, you can explore Vietnam by color, taking in the sumptuous reds of temples alongside fiery food or the lush greens of farmers harvesting hairgrass in Hoi An alongside the green wrapper of Bánh nậm. What a feast for the eyes!
Enjoy beautiful sites such as Xep Beach, the Meridian Gate at night or the Linh Ung Pagoda on Son Tra Peninsula while being serenaded by traditional Vietnamese music.
In the spirit of the coming Lunar New Year, we feature the famous Hoi An Lantern Festival, a monthly celebration of the full moon. The Hoi An lantern making tradition has lasted for over 400 years!
Wonders of Vietnam walks you through how the lanterns are made with bamboo structures and covered with very fine and vibrant silk. You can learn about the tradition of releasing the lanterns on the river, said to bring good fortune and love, as well as health and happiness.
With this new project, we hope locals can gain a new appreciation for the wonders of their country, and eager travelers all over the world can discover more of Vietnam, hopefully building more excitement for when they can visit in person. We invite you to visit Wonders of Vietnam and check out some of the other treasures our partners make available—including the Tomb of Tu Duc in 3D—on Google Arts & Culture.
The Palace Museum is one of the world’s most renowned cultural heritage sites. As the largest and the best-preserved wooden imperial architecture complex in the world, it served as the home of 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Museum consists of 9046 rooms and maintains more than 1.86 million pieces in its collection.
Building on our online collection of treasures of the Palace Museum, today, Google Arts & Culture unveils a new exhibition that allows people everywhere to explore parts of this famous site virtually.
The Palace Museum
Visitors can enjoy a 360-degree virtual tour of three main structures—the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Meridian Gate, and the Gate of Supreme Harmony. The Hall of Supreme Harmony was the venue for grand imperial ceremonies and, with its double layer of eaves and portico, is among the most prominent examples of ancient Chinese architecture.
360° virtual visit to the Gate of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the Meridian Gate
In addition, we’re launching 19 new online exhibitions with high-resolution images of thrones and decorations in the Palace Museum, some of which are not usually accessible to visitors. These include rare paintings that show the splendour of life in the Forbidden City, such as an Album Leaf from The Grand Wedding of the Guangxu Emperor, which is being displayed online for the first time.
The Palace Museum is truly a global treasure. We hope this new exhibition allows people everywhere to learn more about its heritage and grandeur.
The Palace Museum is one of the world’s most renowned cultural heritage sites. As the largest and the best-preserved wooden imperial architecture complex in the world, it served as the home of 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Museum consists of 9046 rooms and maintains more than 1.86 million pieces in its collection.
Building on our online collection of treasures of the Palace Museum, today, Google Arts & Culture unveils a new exhibition that allows people everywhere to explore parts of this famous site virtually.
The Palace Museum
Visitors can enjoy a 360-degree virtual tour of three main structures—the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Meridian Gate, and the Gate of Supreme Harmony. The Hall of Supreme Harmony was the venue for grand imperial ceremonies and, with its double layer of eaves and portico, is among the most prominent examples of ancient Chinese architecture.
360° virtual visit to the Gate of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Supreme Harmony and the Meridian Gate
In addition, we’re launching 19 new online exhibitions with high-resolution images of thrones and decorations in the Palace Museum, some of which are not usually accessible to visitors. These include rare paintings that show the splendour of life in the Forbidden City, such as an Album Leaf from The Grand Wedding of the Guangxu Emperor, which is being displayed online for the first time.
The Palace Museum is truly a global treasure. We hope this new exhibition allows people everywhere to learn more about its heritage and grandeur.
Today is National Batik Day in Indonesia—and if you’re familiar with this beautiful craft, you know that there’s a lot to celebrate. Batik (meaning to ‘connect the dots’) is an Indonesian technique of wax-resist dyeing whole cloth. A one-meter piece of batik typically takes at least five skilled artisans six months to create, so we know each piece contains a wealth of hard work and emotion.
The exhibition features 23 immersive digital stories, including a tribute to legendary batik makers like Iwan Tirta—who was known to have made more than 10,000 original designs in his lifetime—and Go Tik Swan, who crafted the Batik Indonesia collection to inspire national pride. You can also learn about the Tjoa siblings, whose designs illustrate Indonesia’s diversity, displaying the parang of Java alongside peonies of China and European flower arrangements.
Indonesia has been known for its batik since the fourth century but today many of its more than 200,000 batik-makers are grappling with the economic impact of COVID-19. In addition to raising awareness of their extraordinary skill, we want to help the local industry get through the pandemic. For artisans, we’re providing digital skills training so they can take their business online. For teachers, we're providing an integrated, downloadable lesson plan that enables their students to learn about batik-making.
Batik is an ancient craft that deserves to be celebrated and preserved. We hope this new exhibition makes a small contribution to its enduring place in Indonesian and global culture.
For nearly 500 years—from 1420 to 1912—the Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors. Among its most illustrious inhabitants was the Qianlong Emperor, a patron of Confucian arts and culture who, during his 50-year reign in the 18th century, amassed the most important collection of artwork in Chinese history.
The Qianlong Emperor in Ceremonial Armor on Horseback. Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766, Chinese name Lang Shining)
This rich collection was built upon by his successors over time and went on to become the centerpiece of the Palace Museum that opened to people outside the imperial court for the first time in 1925. And starting today, anyone with an internet connection can now glimpse inside and view 100 precious artifacts from the Palace Museum on Google Arts & Culture.
The exhibit captures the breadth of rare and valuable works that are on display in the Forbidden City—from calligraphy to ceramics, silk paintings to stone carvings, and jades and other jewels. The Palace Museum collection on Google Arts & Culture covers over 6,000 years of China’s culture and history, and sheds particular light on the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, the traditions and prosperity of the Qing Empire.
One of the collection’s oldest surviving pieces, the Bu Shang Studying, Running Regular Script was made by calligrapher Ouyang Xun to document the philosophical reasoning of one of Confucius’ most distinguished pupils. Zoom into the artwork to appreciate Ouyang’s brushstrokes. This piece was widely documented throughout history, finally entering the imperial collection during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, who included it in his personal album of splendid calligraphic works.
The Seal of Imperial Sacrifices to Heaven features a knob carved in the form of a crouching dragon and is said to be one of the Qianlong Emperor’s twenty-five most cherished seals, and was used in his worship of Heaven.
From left to right: Bu Shang Studying, Running Regular Script, Ouyang Xun (557-641); Seal of Imperial Sacrifices to Heaven - View 1 and View 2.
The Qianlong Emperor developed a practice of leaving an imprint of his imperial seal on many of his favorite pieces of art. Slowly zoom in to Listening to a Zither, a quintessential piece of court figure-paintings of the Song dynasty, and scroll to the left to find two stamps added by the emperor.
With Google Arts & Culture, you can explore more of the Qianlong Emperor’s most prized artworks that he placed his seal on, such as the Admonitions Scroll, some of which are now found in collections around the world.
Come and discover these gems from the Palace Museum and much more on Google Arts & Culture today, available on desktop, iOS and Android.
Bright Yellow Satin Court Robe with Embroidered Golden Dragons - View 1. This robe was part of the ceremonial dress used by the Qianlong Emperor and is decorated with the twelve imperial symbols that are outlined by round golden threads.
Inksticks with Paintings and Qianlong Emperor's Poems. Each inkstick is embellished with a famous painting on the front and a poem by the Qianlong Emperor on the back.
Gold Cup with Jewel Inlay: Eternal Territorial Integrity. Qing Imperial Workshop. At midnight at the beginning of the new lunar year, the Qing imperial palace would hold a writing ceremony, during which the emperor used the Eternal Territorial Integrity Cup. The emperor would pour auspicious wine into the cup, display it on the table, and write couplets for the Spring Festival by candlelight.
Jade Sculpture of Paulownia Trees Shading Young Ladies - View 1. The underside of this delicate white jade sculpture is engraved with a poem and an inscription—both attributed to the Qianlong Emperor—in praise of the craftsmanship. The two seals read Qian and Long (the two characters of that emperor's reign title), respectively.
For nearly 500 years—from 1420 to 1912—the Forbidden City was home to 24 emperors. Among its most illustrious inhabitants was the Qianlong Emperor, a patron of Confucian arts and culture who, during his 50-year reign in the 18th century, amassed the most important collection of artwork in Chinese history.
The Qianlong Emperor in Ceremonial Armor on Horseback. Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766, Chinese name Lang Shining)
This rich collection was built upon by his successors over time and went on to become the centerpiece of the Palace Museum that opened to people outside the imperial court for the first time in 1925. And starting today, anyone with an internet connection can now glimpse inside and view 100 precious artifacts from the Palace Museum on Google Arts & Culture.
The exhibit captures the breadth of rare and valuable works that are on display in the Forbidden City—from calligraphy to ceramics, silk paintings to stone carvings, and jades and other jewels. The Palace Museum collection on Google Arts & Culture covers over 6,000 years of China’s culture and history, and sheds particular light on the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, the traditions and prosperity of the Qing Empire.
One of the collection’s oldest surviving pieces, the Bu Shang Studying, Running Regular Script was made by calligrapher Ouyang Xun to document the philosophical reasoning of one of Confucius’ most distinguished pupils. Zoom into the artwork to appreciate Ouyang’s brushstrokes. This piece was widely documented throughout history, finally entering the imperial collection during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, who included it in his personal album of splendid calligraphic works.
The Seal of Imperial Sacrifices to Heaven features a knob carved in the form of a crouching dragon and is said to be one of the Qianlong Emperor’s twenty-five most cherished seals, and was used in his worship of Heaven.
From left to right: Bu Shang Studying, Running Regular Script, Ouyang Xun (557-641); Seal of Imperial Sacrifices to Heaven - View 1 and View 2.
The Qianlong Emperor developed a practice of leaving an imprint of his imperial seal on many of his favorite pieces of art. Slowly zoom in to Listening to a Zither, a quintessential piece of court figure-paintings of the Song dynasty, and scroll to the left to find two stamps added by the emperor.
With Google Arts & Culture, you can explore more of the Qianlong Emperor’s most prized artworks that he placed his seal on, such as the Admonitions Scroll, some of which are now found in collections around the world.
Come and discover these gems from the Palace Museum and much more on Google Arts & Culture today, available on desktop, iOS and Android.
Bright Yellow Satin Court Robe with Embroidered Golden Dragons - View 1. This robe was part of the ceremonial dress used by the Qianlong Emperor and is decorated with the twelve imperial symbols that are outlined by round golden threads.
Inksticks with Paintings and Qianlong Emperor's Poems. Each inkstick is embellished with a famous painting on the front and a poem by the Qianlong Emperor on the back.
Gold Cup with Jewel Inlay: Eternal Territorial Integrity. Qing Imperial Workshop. At midnight at the beginning of the new lunar year, the Qing imperial palace would hold a writing ceremony, during which the emperor used the Eternal Territorial Integrity Cup. The emperor would pour auspicious wine into the cup, display it on the table, and write couplets for the Spring Festival by candlelight.
Jade Sculpture of Paulownia Trees Shading Young Ladies - View 1. The underside of this delicate white jade sculpture is engraved with a poem and an inscription—both attributed to the Qianlong Emperor—in praise of the craftsmanship. The two seals read Qian and Long (the two characters of that emperor's reign title), respectively.
Some 600 years ago, the Van Eyck brothers created one of the first large-scale oil paintings: “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.” Due to its pioneering attention to detail and realistic portrayal of people, the “Ghent Altarpiece” is renowned as one of the most influential paintings ever made and a defining artwork that represents the start of the Northern Renaissance.
As such an important symbol in art history, the altarpiece has long been highly sought after and widely coveted. Since 1432, when it was first installed at Saint Bavo Cathedral in what’s now Belgium, the Altarpiece has survived 13 crimes. Looted, burned and torn apart, it’s been through the hands of multiple armies, including those of Napoleon and the Nazis.
After World War II, the Monuments Men—a group set up by the Allied armies to protect cultural heritage from the Nazis—brought it back to its original home in Ghent, Belgium. One of the panels—“The Just Judges”—is still missing following its theft in 1934. Its absence remains one of the most intriguing riddles in art history.
Archives documenting the Altarpiece’s rescue at the end of WWII from the collection of Lukas - Art in Flanders.
Now, the freshly renovated exterior panels of the Altarpiece can be explored in ultra-high resolution on Google Arts & Culture. Thanks to a partnership with the online image library of Flemish art heritage Lukas - Art in Flanders and the Cathedral of Saint-Bavo, we’ve digitized this masterpiece for future generations to explore in unprecedented detail.
Our robotic Art Camera took about 4,000 high-resolution close-ups of the artwork and used those to create the highest ever resolution image ever made of the panels. You can zoom as much as you’d like into more than 8 billion pixels.
Discover amazing details, revealed by the panels’ recent renovation: for example, a charming view of medieval Ghent which used to be barely visible. Now you can even make out the lines of the book Mary is reading.
This is one of the latest efforts by Google Arts & Culture to provide institutions with the tools to digitally preserve their collections and make cultural heritage more accessible to everyone.
Explore the adventurous past and rescue of the Altarpiece today—and download Google Art & Culture app on iOS or Android for a daily dose of culture.
