Endangered animals are projected on Empire State Building
Images of endangered animals were crawling and swimming across the Empire State Building. It was all part of the first light show of its kind in ESB history. Awesome display! It’s also a timely reminder of the impact and devastation caused by incidents like the hunting of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe.
Firstly, I’ll show you some gifs and photos. Secondly, I’ll explain how they did it. Finally, you’ll learn why they did this ambitious project. Here we go!
Empire State Tribute To Endangered Animals
How’d they do it?
They used 40 light cannons projecting images of wildlife upon the Empire State Building. After that, design firm Obscura Digital put it together for $1 million.
Who put it together?
The Oceanic Preservation Society organized it. They teamed up with the filmmakers of the new documentary, Racing Extinction. To clarify, it’s a documentary about humans’ impact on threatened species. Louie Psihoyos was also the director of The Cove.
I couldn’t hear most of the Racing Extinction music because of where I was set up.
Photos of animals on the Empire State Building:
You’ll notice some of the 160 species that were featured on the Empire State Building skyscraper. For example, here are some in group shots:
Cecil the Lion (on left)
This was the first of its kind; the Empire State Building is typically lit up with colors for weekly occasions and even light shows.
For example, click the below thumbnail for a full-size image:
We found Cecil the Lion (on left)!
photography by mariacelestearraras
And, here’s another video:
In conclusion, it was both an impressive display. Above all, I think it makes a powerful statement. I hope they do it again!
Most of these were my photography, besides a few from mariacelestearraras and empirestatebldg. In addition, check out NBC, Daily Mail, Gothamist for more great pics.
Welcome to the Bayon temples, built end of the 12th Century. The Bayon temples feature 216 faces! It’s a nearly surreal masterpiece, unlike any I’d ever seen.
29 photo Bayon tour:
I’ll start with geography, then stats on the scale, and even the history beyond it, with photos of Bayon throughout.
Are you ready to get started with the Bayon tour? Here we go!
Reflections of Bayon in Angkor Thom. Brilliant photo by Mike Behnken
Where is Bayon?
Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom, which is located in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
it’s 90-degrees fahrenheit, but I kept reading about killer mosquitos. They said it’s crucial to get vaccinated, and cover yourself from head to toe.
Bayon by the numbers
First, let’s give a sense of the scale of these Bayon faces.
How many Bayon temples are there? How tall are these massive structures?
There are 216 gigantic faces on the Bayon temple towers. They faces measure as tall as 7 feet just for the face, and there’s 37 towers!
There are 216 gigantic faces on the Bayon temple towers
Who are the faces of?
They Bayon faces are everywhere, and you might be wondering if they’re of someone specific. They’re nearly the same face over and over and over. I was wondering the same question.
To clarify, most historians say that they represent Lokeshvara, a Buddhist deity that projected benevolence outward to the four directions, or even the king himself.
Initially the faces were believed to represent Brahma, the Hindu God of creation depicted with four heads. When it was later established that the Bayon was not a Hindu temple but a Buddhist one, archeologists believed the faces to be of Lokeshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. The similarity of statues of Jayavarman VII and the face towers had led some to believe that it is the King himself whose face is depicted on the towers.
Bayon temples History:
But who’s Jayavarman?
Bayon was the state temple of Jayavarman VII, a powerful ruler in the late 13th century (Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII). The temple sat at the center of Angkor Thom, a walled city that served as the capital of the Khmer Empire.
The white and green spots on the face sculptures are lichen (fungus, green alga).
Cosmic Bayon?
Next, we’ll explain the cosmic angle.
The Bayon temple was “intended to evoke the form of Mt. Meru—the cosmic mountain at the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. In keeping with this cosmic symbolism, the plan of the temple is based on a ‘yantra’, a symbol used by Tantric Buddhists as the basis of mandala diagrams that represent the layout of the universe. The temple honored not just one deity, but a host of gods found throughout the Khmer empire. Its central shrine held an image of Jayavarman VII, who perhaps imagined himself as a god-King ruling in the name of the Buddha” [source]
Welcome to Bayon, built at the end of the 12th Century, capital of the Khmer Empire
Our guide explained how the bas-relief is showing Khmer soldiers going to war
our guide explains how the bas-relief is showing Khmer soldiers going to war
Bayon faces are facing in all four directions on each tower. The faces are thought to represent Lokeshvara, a Buddhist deity that projected benevolence outward to the four directions
Bayon faces are facing in all four directions on each tower. The faces are thought to represent Lokeshvara, a Buddhist deity that projected benevolence outward to the four directions.photo by Lee Phelps PhotographyAspara dancersso many great photos of the Bayon temples in Angkor Thomphoto from from the vantage point of the Bayon temple’s the upper terracephoto by Jean-Pierre DalbéraSmiling face of Avalokiteshvara
Central structure tower of Bayon
Details on every Bayon wall!
Next, I’d like you to focus in closer up on the actual walls. Every wall has detail that’s interesting in Bayon!
A scene from the eastern gallery shows a Khmer army on the marchThis scene is from the outer gallery at the Bayon temples. Our guide said it shows Chinese expats negotiating with Khmer merchants at an Angkorean market.
face to face at the Bayon temples of Angkor Thom near Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Finally, let’s finish the tour with some more photos of these structures. You can’t tell from my expression here but I loved it!
Those three are all near each other in Cambodia. They’re easily the best 1-2 day trip you can take in southeast Asia.Bayon temples in Angkor Thom are an impressive display of Khmer architecture
entrance to Bayon temples area
How to get to the Bayon temples and Angkor Wat
You might be wondering how you’ll get all the way to Siem Reap. Most visitors seem to build it into their Thailand trip.
Siem Reap is a short flight from Bangkok, Thailand. Do it!
Bayon temples in Angkor Thom are an impressive display of 