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BigEdgeSanFranciscocompletesourcoastlinetrek.Amere47squaremilesversusHoustons596thisisverymuchawalkingcity.Iliterallywalkedfromoneendtotheother.Oneimportantcaveatisthatmuchofthewalkingisupanddownsteepgradessoyoudefinitelyneedtobeingoodphysicalshape.Ifyouarenotthereisanelaborateandaffordablepublictransportationsystemtogetyoueverywhereyouwanttogo.WalktheGoldenGatebridgeandtakespectacularphotos.VisitMuirWoodsandmarvelatthegiantredwoodsthatareupto1000feettall.NapaValley.IespeciallylikeDomainChandon.ItsEtoilerestauranthasthebestfoiegrasIhaveevertasted.Dontmisstheorganicfarmersmarketheldyear-roundattheFerryBuilding.Saturdaysarethelargestwithfreshvegetablesfruitscheesesmeatsandmoreplusmultiplepop-uprestaurantsfeaturingsomedeliciousregionalfoods.YummyWalkeverywhere.Therearesomanyneighborhoodswithdistinctivecharactersthatyouareboundtofindtheperfectcafesandrestaurantsforyou.LasVegasisnotallaboutslotmachines.Infactyoucanavoidgamblingaltogetherandstillhaveawonderfultime.FremontStreetExperienceindowntownLasVegas.Ascreenbilledasthelargestintheworldformsacanopythatcovers5footballfieldsinlengthandconsistsof12millionLEDbulbs.Everyeveninguntilmidnightasixminuteshowisscheduledeachhour.Morethan25000visitorsadayaredrawntothespectacle.ThethrillridesattheStratosphere.Manyamusementparkshaveridesthatdropyouprecipitouslyforadistance.Noneofthemdoitfromanelevationofmorethan800feetwhenyoubeginastheydohere.Howaboutgettingonasee-sawthatdanglesyou1000feetabovetheStripItsnotformebuttherearealotofpeoplewhocantbethrilledtoomuch.TheCityCenterArtCollectionwhichisthelargestcorporatecollectionofpubliclydisplayedartintheworldandincludestheworksofMayaLinHenryMooreandMasatoshiIzumiamongothers.Twentypiecesofartarestrategicallyplacedwithina67acrearea.AndofcourseratesLasVegasasbeingsecondonlytoNewYorkforthenumberofluxurystores.Youcannevershoptoomuchforthebeststuffonearth.ItmaybestatedwithconvictionthatyellowhasruledsupremelywithinthecontextofChinesehistoryandhascoloredtheveryfabricofitsculture.ThenameoftheYellowRiverisattributabletothefactthatitcontainsmoresiltthananyotherriverintheworld.Thesiltcausesthewatertohaveayellowishappearance.HuangDiliterallytheYellowLordisconsideredtobethefounderofChinesecivilizationandthecentralancestorofthelargestethnicgroupintheworldHanwhorepresent92ofmoderndayChinese19oftheworldspopulation.Priortohisrule2698BCE-2598BCEChinaconsistedoffarmingtribesgovernedbywarringchieftainswhosoughttodominateoneanotherandthelandtheycontrolledaroundtheYellowRiver.HuangDismilitaryprowessenabledhimtoconquertheothertribeswhoelectedtouniteunderhisleadership.HistribehonoredtheyellowearththesymboloffarmingandhecametobeknownasthelegendaryYellowEmperor.Andsotheyellowracewasborn.LegendcreditsHuangDiwithinventingthecompasstofindanenemythattraveledsafelyunderthecoverofasandstorm.Hefoundtheenemyandconqueredthem.NotwithstandingthelegendscholarsconcurthatthefirstcompassdoesappeartohaveoriginatedinChina.IntraditionalChineseculturethereisafifthcardinaldirectioninadditiontonorthsoutheastandwest.Itisthecenter.Eachdirectionisrepresentedbyacolor.AstheYellowEmperorestablishedtheYellowRiverasthecenterofChinesecivilizationthecenterofthecompassissymbolicallyyellowaswell.ChineseNewYearisthemostcelebratedholidayinChineseculture.WhilethecalendarisbaseduponacomplexcalculationofastronomicalmeasuressuchasthesunslongitudeandthephasesofthemoonitisbelievedtobeaproductofHuangDisinventivenessinthe61styearofhisreign.Thisistheyear4704whichisthesumoftheWestsGregoriancalendaryearof2006addedtothebeginningyearofHuangDisrulein2698.Yellowhasbeenusedsymbolicallyinotherways.Intheearly1400soneoftheMingemperorsrelocatedthecapitalofChinatoBeijing.ThecapitalconsistedoftheForbiddenCitywhichhousedtheemperorandhisfamilytheImperialCityforgovernmentofficialsandtheOuterCityforeveryoneelse.For500yearsandthroughoutthereignof24emperorstheconfinesoftheForbiddenCitywerenotseenbyoutsiders.Theplacementofthepalaceandthearchitecturetowhichitconformedstrictlyfollowedfengshuiprinciples.Itwasalignedalonganorth-southaxis.Thenumberninewhichrepresentstheultimatesymbolofmasculinityfiguresprominentlythroughoutthestructurethecornertowersaresupportedbyninebeamsthereareeighteenpillarsthereare9999roomswithin.CompletingthesymbolismtheuseofyellowisexclusivelyreservedfortheForbiddenCityanditsinhabitants.Yellowglazedrooftilespaintedbrickssheetsdecorationsandclothingwereonlyfoundhere.IronicallywhereasyellowhasbeenreservedforthehighestechelonofChinesesocietytheroyalsithasalsobeenembracedbythemosthumbleofpeoplewhoshuntheaccumulationofwealthandallthingsmaterialBuddhistmonks.Theirsaffronrobesaresymbolicofdaylightearthandcalm.OnceacolorwornbycriminalsyellowwasselectedbyGautumBuddhaasasymbolofrenunciationtheabsenceofdesireandhumility.ThereverencesurroundingyellowisnotuniquetoAsianculture.AncientEgyptiansbelievedthatsincethesunandgoldareyellowthecolorrepresentedpermanenceindestructibilityandtheeternal.Sincetheskinandbonesofthegodswerebelievedtobemadeofgoldtheyconstructedstatuesofgodsandthedeathmasksofpharaohsfromitaswell.DuringEnglandsElizabethanperiodtheSumptuaryLawsgovernedtherulesastowhowaspermittedtowearyellowgarments.Thewealthandsocialstatusofcitizenswasconveyedbythecolorstheywore.Sincethecolorfastdyeusedtoproduceyellowfabricswasmadefromexpensiveimportedsaffrononlyexpensiveclotheswerefashionedinthiscolor.AsafinaltestamenttothepervasivepresenceofyellowwithinAsiancultureconsiderthatthesurnameHuangisthe7thmostcommonnameinChinawithmorethan29millionpeoplesonamed.Furtheritisthenameformorethan2millionoverseasChineseand1millionKoreansnodataispresentlyavailableforVietnamese.Thesenumbersdonotincludeallthetransliterationsofthenamei.e.WongHoangVongBongNgWeeOiOeiOoiOngWangWhangandHuynhwhichwouldsurelyelevatethenumbersconsiderably.Withahistorythatencompassestherichnessofmotherearthtothesplendorofroyaltyitisclearthatthepopularityofyellowiswellfoundedandall-inclusive.Itisapopularitythathasspannedmillenniaandliveswithinthetensofmillionsofpeoplewhoarenamedafterit.Undoubtedlythestatureofyellowwillbesignificantformillenniatocome.6CULTUREHENRIMERCERONContinuedfrompage4SanFranciscoLasVegasTheImportanceofYellowNancyRubins2009VdaraHotelmaindriveCityCenterMustseesincludeMustSeesincludeTravelLeisureMagazineMarch2011HistoryIsNotColorblindby