Choi Seung-hee was born into an upper-class family in Seoul, Korea during the Japanese occupation and was also known by the Japanese pronunciation of her name, Sai Shoki. After graduating from Sookmyung High School at the age of fifteen, she went against her father’s wishes to study under modern dancer Baku Ishii in Japan, where she distinguished herself as one of the most talented dancers. She developed her own modern dances inspired by Korean folk dances, which had been considered as lowly works. She was supported by Japanese intellectuals including Yasunari Kawabata.

She went to North Korea and got posts in the communist government. She was purged by the party and disappeared in the 1960s. In February 2003, she was rehabilitated and utilized for propaganda by North Korea, who announced that she had died in 1969. [Summary for The Story of a Dancer (DVD)]

(Source: classicladiesofcolor)

vintageindianclothing:

These are examples of the nine-yard sari as worn in Maharashtra.  The lower half is like the dhoti i.e. the cloth is taken between the legs and tucked into the back and the upper half is left loose unlike in the south. It seems to have been worn by almost all sections of society and everything suggests it was a more practical garment than the modern sari given Maratha and Deccan queens hunted and fought in the garment. 

On the other hand once the tucks and drapes are in place it is also a garment that looks elegant and beautiful - a fact much exploited in the paintings of the Ravi Varma school. 

In its truncated form, it is also a “sexy” sari and it appears in simple early 20th century illustrations as well as in Hindi cinema. 

A modern photograph that clearly shows how the sari is tucked in at the back. 

(via beyondvictoriana)

asiasociety:

Photos: Kyrgyz People Cling to Tradition in Forbidding Corner of Northern Afghanistan

Photographer Matthieu Paley spent more than a decade photographing the Afghan Kyrgyz people, who live in one of the world’s most remote and inhospitable areas.

Read the full story here

(via beyondsilkroads)

paper-dragons:

The Mansoojat Foundation

The Mansoojat Foundation is a UK registered charity founded by a group of Saudi women with a passionate interest in the traditional ethnic textiles and costumes of Arabia.

Where We Go In The Future Is Determined
By Where We Have Been In The Past.

The Mansoojat Foundation’s mission is to revive and preserve the traditional ethnic designs and costumes of the various regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; to promote and conduct academic research important for the understanding of the history and culture of the region, and to raise public awareness for the appreciation of this unique heritage.

(via beyondsilkroads)

asean2015:

ASEAN Community
Yakan people, Philippines

Yakan people are among the major indigenous tribes in Mindanao. Having a significant number of followers of Islam, it is considered as one of the 13 Moro groups in the Philippines. There are also a good number of Christians in this tribe as a result of the conversion of the line of Datu Kalun - Ruler of the Island of the Basilan and the Yakans in Mindanao, to Christianity. The Yakans mainly reside in Basilan but are also in Zamboanga City, Philippines.

beyankha:

Yakan

(via swampkhaleesi)

matteoricci:

John Thomson: Chinese Women, 1869-72.

John Thomson (1837-1921) was a pioneering Scottish photographer who, after traveling through various parts of Asia, settled in Hong Kong in 1868 and operated a studio there for the next four years. Using Hong Kong as his base, he traveled extensively throughout China and was the first known photographer to document the people and landscapes of China for publication in the western market. Returning to England, he published a four volume book entitled “Illustrations of China and its People” in London, 1873-1874.

Images courtesy of Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

(via mahdmwozelle)

I’ve heard of Wing Chun (詠春) before, and I think most people are familiar with it vaguely — Bruce Lee was known to have popularized the style and used it to formulate his own style of martial arts. I’ve also sat through the recent movies Ip Man and Ip Man 2 which are about one of the Grandmasters of the style. 

That said, watching Bruce Lee or Ip Man isn’t what you’re looking for. Personally I would ask your instructor/teacher for recommendations. They’re probably an avid student of Wing Chun and have studied the history of it already. However, this following book pinged when I went looking for things, and seem to be of some interest:

• Complete Wing Chun: The Definitive Guide to Wing Chun’s History and Traditions

However most books seems to be about the technique and practice and not as much of the history you’re looking for. I suggest perhaps looking for biographies of well known Wing Chun martial artists for perhaps the backstory of these people. 

Perhaps also putting it to the public would help! 

 Indiegogo | Asianhistory | US History Minus White Guys