Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Japan, its purposeful planting marking the cultural land-
scape of numerous villages and towns.
Buddhism's architecture includes some magnifi -
cent achievements, especially the famed structures at
Borobudur in central Java (Indonesia). Buddhist shrines
include
stupas
, bell-shaped structures that protect burial
mounds. Buddhists also construct temples that enshrine
an image of Buddha in his familiar cross-legged pose, as
well as large monasteries that tower over the local land-
scape. The pagoda is perhaps Buddhism's most famil-
iar structure. Its shape is derived from the relic (often
funeral) mounds of old. Every fragment of its construc-
tion is a meaningful representation of Buddhist philoso-
phy (Fig. 7.24).
Along with the religious structures such as temples,
we can see evidence of religion in the cultural landscapes
of the dead. Traditionally, Hindus, and more recently
Buddhists, and Shintoists cremate their dead. Thus, wher-
ever a large pocket of Hindus, Buddhists, or Shintoists
live, a crematorium will be nearby. The Hindu crema-
torium in Kenya stands in stark contrast to much of the
rest of the cultural landscape and signals the presence of a
large Hindu population (see Fig. 7.2).
The cultural landscapes of South Asian religions
extend into Southeast Asia, where several religions that
began in the South Asian hearth (including Hinduism
and Buddhism) diffused into Southeast Asia. Later,
Islam replaced the South Asian religions in many of
these places, and even later Christian missionaries
gained adherents in Southeast Asia when Christian gov-
ernments encouraged the migration of their people and
their religion to their colonies in these areas. Today, we
can stand in Singapore, study the cultural landscape, and
see the infl uences of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism,
and Islam.
Landscapes of Christianity
The cultural landscapes of Christianity's branches
refl ect the changes the faith has undergone over the
centuries. In medieval Europe the cathedral, church, or
monastery was the focus of life. Other buildings clus-
tered around the tower, steeple, and spire of the church
that could be seen (and whose bells could be heard) for
miles in the surrounding countryside (Fig. 7.25). In the
Field Note
“To reach the city of Yangon, Myanmar (Burma) we had to
transfer to a ferry and sail up the Rangoon River for sev-
eral hours. One of Southeast Asia's most spectacular Bud-
dhist shrines is the golden Shwedogon Pagoda in the heart
of Yangon. The golden dome (or
chedi
) is one of the fi nest
in Southeast Asia, and its religious importance is striking:
eight hairs of the Buddha are preserved here. Vast amounts
of gold have gone into the creation and preservation of the
Shwedogon Pagoda; local rulers often gave the monks their
weight in gold—or more. Today, the pagoda is a cornerstone
of Buddhism, drawing millions of faithful to the site. Myan-
mar's ruling generals have ruined the country's economy and
continue to oppress Buddhist leaders who try to convey
public grievances to the regime, even blocking international
aid following the devastating impact of cyclone Nargis in
May 2008. The generals have a powerful ally in the Chinese,
who are building bridges and laying pipelines but who exer-
cise little infl uence over the military junta.”
Figure 7.24
Yangon, Myanmar.
© H. J. de Blij
