Seaforth Highlander Prisoner of War Side Drum
Side Drum - made for use by the Pipe Band formed by Prisoners of War. It bears the badge of the Seaforth Highlanders. Part of the Highlander’s Museum collection (Queen’s Own Highlanders Collection).
The art of Chinese seal carving is developed from the traditional Chinese seal technique. In ancient times, it was used to exercise and grant the power of state institutions and to prove personal identity. The earliest seals unearthed so far belong to the Shang Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago. During the Spring and Autumn Period, seals were widely used in society. The material used in ancient Chinese seals is mainly metal, which is divided into calligraphy (mainly seal script) and engraving (including chiseling and casting). The seal cutting has a history of nearly 500 years since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The Ming and Qing schools of seal cutting developed from ancient seals, which laid a good foundation for the art of seal cutting with its unique style and high artistry. So seal carved art history can be traced back to 2000 years ago in the spring and autumn period and the warring states period (770 ~ 221 BC). Since the 13th century AD, literati and artists began to use stone to engraved seals. They used various knife handling techniques in their creation, forming different artistic styles, and numerous art schools such as "Anhui School" and "Zhejiang School" emerged. Seal works created by artists are called seal cutting. Since then, many famous seal cutters have emerged in the history of seal cutting, such as Wen Peng, Ding Jing, Deng Shiru, Wu Changshuo, Qi Baishi and so on.
See Potala Palace, the Iconic Heart of Tibetan Buddhism
Seinn Spioradail is an exploration of the incredible wealth of sights, sounds and memories of spiritual singing and song writing in everyday life in Highland and Island communities, something which has been part of Highland culture for millenia. The material on the website includes a digital sound archive, virtual tour and soundmap exploring songs recorded during 5 years’ research by Dr Frances Wilkins into the sacred songs of the North-West Highlands and the Outer Hebrides. You will also find information about the Seinn Spioradial exhibition, curated by Dr Frances Wilkins and Ronan Martin, which tours around Hebridean communities from January 2024. This resource would not have been possible without the help and expertise of many people. Thank you especially to the Open Virtual Worlds team at the University of St Andrews for creating this website, virtual tour and sound archive.
Seokguram Grotto is an ancient monument situated in Gyeongju, South Korea and recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Its origins date back to the 8th century and it holds a remarkable Buddha statue. This heritage site is significant not only for its artistic and architectural value but also as an essential pilgrimage destination for Buddhists. It is a remarkable testimony to the culture of early Korea, representing the apex of Silla Buddhist art and architecture.
The Seokguram Grotto is a hermitage and part of the Bulguksa temple complex. It lies four kilometers east of the temple on Mt. Tohamsan, in Gyeongju, South Korea. It is classified as National Treasure No. 24 by the South Korean government and is located at 994, Jinhyeon-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsanbuk-do. The grotto overlooks the Sea of Japan and rests 750 meters above sea level. In 1962, it was designated the 24th national treasure of Korea. In 1995, Seokguram was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Bulguksa Temple. It exemplifies some of the best Buddhist sculptures in the world. The Seokguram grotto is said to have been built by Kim Daeseong and originally called Seokbulsa. Construction began in 742 when Kim Daeseong resigned his position in the king's court or in 751. The grotto was completed by the Silla court in 774, shortly after Kim's death. An old legend stated that Kim was reincarnated for his filial acts in his previous life. The grotto is currently one of the best known cultural destinations in South Korea. A viewing of the sunrise over the sea, which is visible from near the seated Buddha's perch, is especially popular.
Sericulture and silk craftsmanship of China
Sericulture and silk craftsmanship of China, centred in Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces, have a long history and have profoundly impacted global trade, culture, and fashion across the ages. This legacy shows the process of silk-making, which encompasses planting mulberry, raising silkworms, unreeling silk, making thread, and designing and weaving fabric. The lifecycle of the silkworm symbolizes human birth, death, and rebirth, reflecting deep cultural meanings. Silk products such as clothes, quilts, and fans adorn the daily life of the Chinese people. Nowadays, digital technology plays a crucial role in preserving and promoting these ancient silk technologies. The China National Silk Museum has established an online platform integrating comprehensive silk exhibitions and scientific research databases. By providing virtual tours, interactive content and educational resources, the platform not only enhances the visibility of this cultural heritage but also creates a digital archive for future generations. This digitization primarily supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for quality education (SDG 4) and industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9).
Sericulture and silk craftsmanship of China (silk quilt)
The video demonstrates how this vlogger made a set of winter bedding from double-cocoon silk for her granny.
seven lakes basin, Olympic national park
"seven lakes basin, olympic national park" by ((brian)) is marked with CC BY 2.0.
China is the hometown of Shadow Puppets. Shadow Puppet has a history of more than two thousand years. It is the crystallization of the wisdom of generations of folk artists. It combines painting, sculpture, literature, music and stage performance, and is known as the “living fossil” of Chinese folk art. In The General History of Cinema, Georges Sardur of France called Chinese Shadow Puppets the forerunner of films. In his book The People's Theater, Hun Silou declared that “the source of sound films cannot but praise Chinese shadow play as the ancestor of the mountains”. Shadow Puppets, also known as "shadow play" or "lantern play", is a traditional opera form in which stories are performed by cutting images out of animal skins or cardboard and using lights to illuminate the cut images. It is popular in a wide range and forms different types and schools due to the different sounds performed in different places. There are various theories about the origin of shadow play, among which the most popular one is that Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty asked a magician to conjure up spirits by illusionization because he missed the dead Mrs. Li. In fact, the origin of shadow play is closely related to the ancient shadow play, folk shadow play, ancient carving, folk paper-cut modeling, worship belief and so on. The country attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritages. On May 20, 2006, it was listed in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritages list approved by the State Council. On June 8, 2007, hubei yunmeng shadow puppetry art troupe and shandong bb0 fan zheng an shadow puppetry studio won the first cultural heritage day award issued by the national ministry of culture. In 2011, China successfully applied for the World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The Shanghai Museum is one of the four major museums in China and features bronze, pottery, porcelain, calligraphy and painting. The building of the Shanghai Museum is very distinctive. Its base is square, and the top is round. This shape corresponds to ancient Chinese philosophy—The sky is round while the ground is flat. The Shanghai Museums essential positioning is the Museum of Ancient Chinese Art, and its collection, exhibition, and research focus on ancient Chinese artworks. The museum is divided into 11 art galleries and three exhibition halls. Eleven galleries cover most of the main categories of Chinese art: bronzes, ancient ceramics, paintings, calligraphy, ancient sculptures, ancient jade, coins, Ming and Qing furniture, seals and ethnic minorities.
The Shanghai Museum is one of the four major museums in China and features bronze, pottery, porcelain, calligraphy and painting. The building of the Shanghai Museum is very distinctive. Its base is square, and the top is round. This shape corresponds to ancient Chinese philosophy—The sky is round while the ground is flat. The Shanghai Museums essential positioning is the Museum of Ancient Chinese Art, and its collection, exhibition, and research focus on ancient Chinese artworks. The museum is divided into 11 art galleries and three exhibition halls. Eleven galleries cover most of the main categories of Chinese art: bronzes, ancient ceramics, paintings, calligraphy, ancient sculptures, ancient jade, coins, Ming and Qing furniture, seals and ethnic minorities
The nature and value of ‘Sheep Dolly’ heritage In China, the middle school education curriculum includes Dolly, the world’s first cloned sheep, in its textbooks. This means that all Chinese students learn about Dolly, admire the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, and recognize Scotland’s leadership in scientific research. At the time, Dolly sent shockwaves through the scientific community and became a monumental milestone in history (Oliveira, 2012). Both the cloning technology and Dolly’s preserved specimen have become an integral part of Scotland’s scientific heritage. As long as it exists, it will continue to contribute to scientific discourse and public knowledge for generations to come.
Shell ring site of the ancient city of Jinning
Shell ring site are a type of ancient human settlement site. The cultural accumulation at such sites is dominated by shellfish. Shell ring site of the ancient city of Jinning in Yunnan is the most complete known annular shell mound site of the Pre-Dian period in Yunnan Province, China. The core area of the site reaches 42,000 square meters, and the shell mound accumulation thickness is nearly 6.5 meters. There are a large number of snail shells stacked alternately with layers of lime soil in the site. After the ancients ate the snail meat, they discarded the snail shells as food waste, and gradually accumulated them over the years, forming the shell mounds we see today. The geographical location belongs to the northern latitude subtropical zone. However, most areas within the territory do not have severe heat in summer and severe cold in winter. They have typical temperate climate characteristics.
Shell ring site are a type of ancient human settlement site. The cultural accumulation at such sites is dominated by shellfish. Shell ring site of the ancient city of Jinning in Yunnan is the most complete known annular shell mound site of the Pre-Dian period in Yunnan Province, China. The core area of the site reaches 42,000 square meters, and the shell mound accumulation thickness is nearly 6.5 meters. There are a large number of snail shells stacked alternately with layers of lime soil in the site. After the ancients ate the snail meat, they discarded the snail shells as food waste, and gradually accumulated them over the years, forming the shell mounds we see today. Protecting shell midden sites can help people understand past ways of life, promote tourism and local economic development, and promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal SDG 4 quality education and SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.
'The Shetland Bus', was a Shetland based boat operation to and from Norway, that took place during the Second World War (1939 - 1945). The website is dedicated to all those who gave of their lives in the extremely hazardous boat trips between Shetland and Norway, to assist the Norwegian resistance movement. The conditions under which they operated, the difficulties of crossing the North Sea at night, with no lights and far from any possible help, can scarcely be imagined today. Always present in the minds of those on board would have been the threat of discovery and the risk of being shot at by German planes or boats, and possibly captured when they finally reached the Norwegian coast. Pictures, words and some audio files are available on this website, so please feel free to look around. A waltz (a 792k WAV file) was even written in honour of the extraordinary achievements. The 'HITRA' on a recent visit to Scalloway, in Shetland The project was initiated by, and has been coordinated by, Colin Nicol who is head of history at the Scalloway Junior High School.
Our Five Star, award winning Museum and Archives is a multifunctional visitor attraction in the heart of Shetland's capital town of Lerwick. Begin your journey through the history of our beautiful islands here, with an enjoyable and interactive visitor experience discovering our world renowned collections.
The Shipwreck Museum is an independent charitable Museum of the Nautical Museums Trust Charity No. 284687 – set in the historic Old Town of Hastings, UK. The Museum has artefacts from many ships wrecked in the English Channel from the Goodwin Sands in Kent to Pevensey Bay in East Sussex including the Amsterdam a Dutch East Indiaman of 1749 and the Anne of 1690 also the Charles II warship.
Pixar’s Shrek (2001) is the most important piece of digital heritage from the early 2000s. One that defined the childhood of the late 90’s kids and the early to mid-2000s kids and includes jokes for both children and their parents, meaning its impact on generations is even wider. The movie did something revolutionary in that its dubbing voice actors for each country were actual recognizable actors from that country. Eugenio Derbez, the voice actor for Donkey in Mexican Spanish suggested they change the scripted jokes to match the country of origin as well. While Spanish is a language that impacts multiple countries, the accents, comedy, and colloquial references in Shrek is different in Mexican Spanish, Spain Spanish, and Colombian Spanish, for example. Shrek is emblematic of the Gen-Z fight for inclusivity and diversity. Pixar continued this practice with “Inside Out,” where the main character refuses to eat broccoli in the American version. However, this was changed for Japan, as kids there find green peppers more disgusting than broccoli, thus following in Shrek’s steps to better relate to its audiences. In 2020, the Library of Congress in the US elected the film to be inducted into its National Film Registry due to it being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” [7]. Their current preservation tactics include the studio’s submission of the film in 35mm format, along with any appropriate copyright. The Audio- Visual Conservation Centre itself is “space controlled to stay cool and dry” to preserve its digital copies of the film.
Dreamworks' Shrek (2001) is the most important piece of digital heritage from the early 2000s. One that defined the childhood of the late 90’s kids and the early to mid-2000s kids and includes jokes for both children and their parents, meaning its impact on generations is even wider. The movie did something revolutionary in that its dubbing voice actors for each country were actual recognizable actors from that country. Eugenio Derbez, the voice actor for Donkey in Mexican Spanish suggested they change the scripted jokes to match the country of origin as well. While Spanish is a language that impacts multiple countries, the accents, comedy, and colloquial references in Shrek is different in Mexican Spanish, Spain Spanish, and Colombian Spanish, for example. Shrek is emblematic of the Gen-Z fight for inclusivity and diversity. Pixar continued this practice with “Inside Out,” where the main character refuses to eat broccoli in the American version. However, this was changed for Japan, as kids there find green peppers more disgusting than broccoli, thus following in Shrek’s steps to better relate to its audiences. In 2020, the Library of Congress in the US elected the film to be inducted into its National Film Registry due to it being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” [7]. Their current preservation tactics include the studio’s submission of the film in 35mm format, along with any appropriate copyright. The Audio- Visual Conservation Centre itself is “space controlled to stay cool and dry” to preserve its digital copies of the film.
The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary is located in Sichuan Province, China, and includes the Wolong, Siguniang Mountain and Jiajin Mountain areas. This area is ecologically diverse and is one of the largest and most important giant panda habitats in the world. This area is of great significance to maintaining global biodiversity and environmental stability. Through digital monitoring, intelligent wildlife tracking and data analysis, we can more effectively protect endangered species and the ecological environment and enhance the public's ecological awareness.
The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary is located in Sichuan Province, China, including the Wolong, Siguniang Mountain and Jiajin Mountain areas. This area has a diverse ecosystem and is home to the world's largest population of giant pandas and many rare plant and animal species. Protecting giant pandas and their habitats is crucial to global biodiversity conservation and environmental balance.
The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary is located in Sichuan Province, China, including Wolong, Siguniang Mountain and Jiajin Mountain. This area has a diverse ecosystem and has the largest population of giant pandas in the world and many rare animal and plant species. Protecting giant pandas and their habitats is essential for global biodiversity conservation and environmental balance. Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, manage forests, combat desertification, curb land degradation and halt biodiversity loss Goal 13: Address climate change and its impacts
Silk, Tea and Celadon: Intercultural Dialogue on the Silk Road
An online exhibition of the China National Silk Museum.
Sipadan (Malay: Pulau Sipadan) is the only oceanic island in Malaysia, rising 600 metres (2,000 ft) from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, Malaysia. It was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone that took thousands of years to develop. Sipadan is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world. More than 400 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem.
Sipadan Island, a globally renowned diving site in Malaysia, is a marine sanctuary formed atop an extinct volcanic cone, rich with over 3,000 marine species. As part of the Coral Triangle, it holds ecological and cultural importance for the indigenous Bajau Laut people. To safeguard its biodiversity, the Malaysian government limits tourism and employs advanced digital tools such as remote sensing, drone monitoring, and AI for reef health analysis and visitor tracking. Virtual Reality (VR) experiences also offer immersive access while minimizing environmental disruption. These efforts underscore Sipadan’s status as a model for sustainable marine conservation, combining traditional knowledge with modern technology to protect endangered ecosystems and support scientific research. SDG Target: Goal 14.5 – Conserve at least 10% of coastal and marine areas, in line with national and international law
Sir John Soane’s Museum was the home, museum and library of 19th-centurt architect Sir John Soane(1753-1837). Designed by Soane himself, it is filled with his exceptional collection of works of art,sculptures, furniture and artefacts. The interiors and collections are still displayed as they were at the time of his death - over 180 years ago.
The Sistine Chapel is in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City and was built between 1473 and 1481. It is famous due to the paintings created by Michelangelo on its ceiling between 1508 and 1512, commissioned by Pope Julius II. There are various scenes from the Genesis, like the Creation of Adam, the Fall of Adam and Eve and the Expulsion from the Garden. The scholars and art experts believe that the images on the ceiling are a depiction of the Neoplatonic view of the Bible. This means that the scenes that are depicted by Michelangelo represent the various stages of the relationship between humans and God. In addition, Michelangelo portrayed his strained relationship with the Catholic Church by giving his face to St Bartholomew's martyred body.
North of the Great Wall, the Site of Xanadu encompasses the remains of Kublai Khan’s legendary capital city, designed by the Mongol ruler’s Chinese advisor Liu Bingzhdong in 1256. Over a surface area of 25,000 ha, the site was a unique attempt to assimilate the nomadic Mongolian and Han Chinese cultures. From this base, Kublai Khan established the Yuan dynasty that ruled China over a century, extending its boundaries across Asia. The religious debate that took place here resulted in the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism over north-east Asia, a cultural and religious tradition still practised in many areas today. The site was planned according to traditional Chinese feng shui in relation to the nearby mountains and river. It features the remains of the city, including temples, palaces, tombs, nomadic encampments and the Tiefan’gang Canal, along with other waterworks.
Prof Richard Fawcett and Dr Rebecca Sweetman take the team on a site visit to St Andrews Cathedral.
Prof Richard Fawcett and Dr Rebecca Sweetman take the team on a site visit to the Cathedral.
The six countries involved in the six nations rugby championship displayed using rugby balls.
The Six Nations Rugby Championship is an annual rugby competition between Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy. The Six Nations is a valuable intangible cultural heritage for many reasons. Firstly, it is a very important event for all six nations involved, as well as for rugby fans worldwide. Secondly, the Six Nations is a source of national pride for the participating countries. Finally, the championship is a significant social event, bringing people together from different backgrounds and cultures to celebrate their shared love for rugby.
Built in 1636 as a private tomb, it is adorned with paintings depicted the relationship between land and sea. Climate Impacts: Groundwater flooding, coastal erosion, slope instability
Sketch of the standing stones of Stenness from estimated 1818
Estimated to have been sketched between 1781 and 1820. Estimated 1818.
Sketch of the Stones of Stenness from 1818 (estimated).
"The title along the bottom of the sheet reveals that William Daniell drew this sketch of the standing stones at Stenness, probably in 1818. The stones have been set in the context of their mountainous surroundings, and a figure gives perspective. " - Description of image from National Library of Scotland
Estimated sketch origin: 1818. Published electronically in 2005.
Skinnergate was once the main thoroughfare into Perth. Here, just inside the burgh’s boundaries near the city wall was where the Skinners lived. Other smelly and dangerous crafts were settled just outside the wall. Leatherworkers lived here, and had stalls to advertise their goods. Life in medieval Perth was packed, humans lived close to their livestock, workshops were in the houses, and everyone was living within the city walls for protection and privileges. Living in the city meant a strict following of rules and many duties to keep life pleasant for everyone, including gait dichting – the cleaning of streets. Life was regulated mainly by members of the guild and the craft incorporations. Perth was always known for the quality and variety of its crafted goods, it was called a craftis toun, and people from all over Scotland descended on the city during special fair days to buy and trade gold, silver, precious stones, animals, hides, leather goods, wool, pottery, knives, soap, cloth, luxury goods, corn, the famous Tay salmon, wine, beer, spirits, the meat of goat, lamb, deer, cow and pig. So you can imagine how busy and packed the place would have been!
The Skriðuklaustur cloister was the last one to be founded during Iceland’s Catholic period, i.e. shortly before the country’s 16th-century Reformation. It was thus active for less than six decades, and could scarcely be said to have flourished for more than about four decades. The deed of gift is still preserved whereby the couple Sesselja Þorsteinsdóttir and the local sheriff Hallsteinn Þorsteinsson, who lived on the other side of this valley at Víðivellir ytri, donated Skriða farm as the site for a cloister. Although this deed was signed on 8 June 1500, it is considered certain that the cloister was founded sooner, probably in 1493 when Stefán Jónsson, bishop at Skálholt, came on his first visitation to this valley. A legend tells of a 15th-century miracle here in the valley of Fljótsdalur. As was often the case, the Valþjófsstaðir priest rode his horse along the valley in order to attend to a dying parishioner. When he arrived, he discovered that he had lost everything he needed for the last sacrament, Extreme Unction, so a farm boy was sent looking. Following the well-worn trail, he was passing below the farmhouses at Skriða when he noticed the wine chalice standing full of wine on a grassy hummock, with the paten over it holding the bread. This was considered to be a miracle which, according to the legend, was commemorated by building a chapel here, with its altar located where the hummock had been. Somewhat later, the cloister was founded here.
Skriðuklaustur was the last Catholic monastery to be founded in Iceland before the Reformation. In June 1500 the farm of Skriða (in the valley of Fljótsdalur in eastern Iceland) was given to a community of Augustinian canons. However, there had already been religious activity on the site for some years before the official grant. According to local legend, a fifteenth-century priest was going to visit a dying man in the valley of Fljótsdalur when he realised he had lost the bread and wine needed for the sacrament. A boy was sent out to look and miraculously found a full chalice of wine, and a paten holding the bread, standing on the grass by the farm at Skriða. A chapel was built on the site where the bread and wine were found. Later, the Augustinians located their church in the same place. During the mid-sixteenth century religious change was imposed on Iceland by Christian III of Denmark. The Danish government forcibly introduced Protestantism, and in 1554 the monastery at Skriðuklaustur was closed and the lands given to a Lutheran pastor. The buildings occupied by the Augustinians fell into ruins, although the church continued in use for some generations. The site was eventually deconsecrated in 1792. In the early twentieth century the writer Gunnar Gunnarsson bought Skriðuklaustur and built a house not far from the monastic remains. Both the monastic site and the house are now part of a cultural institute which is open to the public.
Our Dunscaith reconstruction is part of an exclusive video ' Skye Story' created for the AROS Centre on Skye. Cupido started 1st of September 2018. As part of the 'Skye Story', we reconstructed various periods to tell the story of evolution on the island of Skye. The project's overall objective is to develop new business opportunities in the cultural and cultural heritage sector around the North Sea, to reinforce the economic position, competitiveness and social cohesion of local rural communities in areas with a declining population. CUPIDO intends to strengthen a viable and sustainable future economy, based on the social historic role and core qualities and values of the involved regions, cities and local communities. CUPIDO is co-funded by the North Sea Region Programme 2014-2020. The partnership has 14 partners from 7 regions in 6 countries around the North Sea. All in regions with an ageing population, due to both urbanisation and changing demography, and with municipalities that struggle to maintain a basic level of services and common functions. The new approach is to lift forward culture as a driver in local & regional development policies and to explore its potential. Culture in the context of CUPIDO is cultural activities (art, dance, music) as well as cultural heritage. The project's overall objective is to develop new business opportunities in the cultural and cultural heritage sector around the North Sea, to reinforce the economic position, competitiveness and social cohesion of local rural communities in areas with a declining population. The project intends to strengthen a viable and sustainable future economy, based on the social historic role and core qualities and values of the involved regions, cities and local communities. CUPIDO is mainly about the commercialisation of the cultural sector that contributes towards creating vibrant, sustainable rural municipalities/communities that attract people to live, work and enjoy life. The project offers its partners an opportunity to jointly share resources, knowledge and expertise to commercialise the cultural sector. It enables insight into new business approaches, stimulates the development of products and services, and aims at an average of five new start-ups per area and support to existing SME's. Follow CUPIDO in social media #cupidoNSR.
Jurassic Skye was created as part of an exclusive video, ' Skye Story' created for the AROS Centre on Skye. Cupido started 1st of September 2018. As part of the 'Skye Story', we reconstructed various periods to tell the story of evolution on the island of Skye. The project's overall objective is to develop new business opportunities in the cultural and cultural heritage sector around the North Sea, to reinforce the economic position, competitiveness and social cohesion of local rural communities in areas with a declining population. CUPIDO intends to strengthen a viable and sustainable future economy, based on the social historic role and core qualities and values of the involved regions, cities and local communities. CUPIDO is co-funded by the North Sea Region Programme 2014-2020. The partnership has 14 partners from 7 regions in 6 countries around the North Sea. All in regions with an ageing population, due to both urbanisation and changing demography, and with municipalities that struggle to maintain a basic level of services and common functions. The new approach is to lift forward culture as a driver in local & regional development policies and to explore its potential. Culture in the context of CUPIDO is cultural activities (art, dance, music) as well as cultural heritage. The project's overall objective is to develop new business opportunities in the cultural and cultural heritage sector around the North Sea, to reinforce the economic position, competitiveness and social cohesion of local rural communities in areas with a declining population. The project intends to strengthen a viable and sustainable future economy, based on the social historic role and core qualities and values of the involved regions, cities and local communities. CUPIDO is mainly about the commercialisation of the cultural sector that contributes towards creating vibrant, sustainable rural municipalities/communities that attract people to live, work and enjoy life. The project offers its partners an opportunity to jointly share resources, knowledge and expertise to commercialise the cultural sector. It enables insight into new business approaches, stimulates the development of products and services, and aims at an average of five new start-ups per area and support to existing SME's. Follow CUPIDO in social media #cupidoNSR.
Immovable Culture Heritage,Movable Cultural Heritage
Some of the small Buddha statues found at the caves
Socratic Dialogue – Ancient Philosophy and Civic Education
In the Agora of ancient Athens, Socrates walked barefoot and questioned everything — from justice and truth to courage and virtue. His approach to philosophy, known as the Socratic Method, was not about giving answers, but about asking the right questions. This project envisions a digital simulation where users can engage in real-time dialogue with an AI-powered Socrates. It would allow people to explore complex ideas through guided, age-adapted conversations: in schools, libraries, and even public museums. The aim is to reintroduce philosophy as a living, public conversation that teaches people how to think critically and reflect deeply. This entry supports SDG 4.7 by promoting education that encourages civic awareness, ethics, and inclusive dialogue.
South China Karst is one of the world’s most spectacular examples of humid tropical to subtropical karst landscapes. It is a serial site spread over the provinces of Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan and Chongqing and covers 97,125 hectares. It contains the most significant types of karst landforms, including tower karst, pinnacle karst and cone karst formations, along with other spectacular characteristics such as natural bridges, gorges and large cave systems. The stone forests of Shilin are considered superlative natural phenomena and a world reference. The cone and tower karsts of Libo, also considered the world reference site for these types of karst, form a distinctive and beautiful landscape. Wulong Karst has been inscribed for its giant dolines (sinkholes), natural bridges and caves.From Unesco
Gold thread accentuates the eyes and single curved horn of this spotted deerlike animal, and the flamelike emanations coming off its body announce its supernatural status. It runs through an abstracted landscape with clouds overhead and a low groundline.
For over 800 years, Market Street has been the commercial heart of the burgh of St Andrews. This reconstruction shows Market Street during the middle of the sixteenth century – a time when St Andrews was a significant trading centre and the religious capital of Scotland. The reconstruction was created by Smart History and the Open Virtual Worlds Team at the University of St Andrews. It is part of an ongoing project to represent digitally the burgh of St Andrews at the time of the Scottish Reformation. During the Middle Ages, Market Street was a place where residents met to exchange goods, gossip, and watch the punishment of wrongdoers. Funding for the Market Street reconstruction was provided by the St Andrews Community Trust and the University of St Andrews’ Covid-19 Restarting Research Funding Scheme. This work was funded as part of 'Enabling Heritage Response to COVID-19 through Virtual Reality Exhibits, Virtual Museum Infrastructure and Capacity Building'.