Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Chinle, Arizona

Canyon de Chelly is located in northeastern Arizona within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation. The National Monument was established on April 1, 1931 as a unit of the National Park Service. The name Chelly is a Spanish borrowing of the Navajo word Tséyiʼ, which means "Canyon". Canyon de Chelly is one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America, because it preserves ruins of the early indigenous tribes that lived in the area, including the Ancient Pueblo Peoples and Navajo. The monument covers 83,840 acres and encompasses the floors and rims of the three major canyons: de Chelly, del Muerto, and Monument. 

These canyons were cut by streams with headwaters in the Chuska Mountains just to the east of the monument. None of the land is federally owned. In 2009 Canyon de Chelly National Monument was recognized as one of the most-visited national monuments in the United States. This is somewhat little-known canyon is not as immediately remarkable as others in Arizona or Utah but it does have sheer sandstone walls rising up to 1,000 feet, quite a few scenic overlooks and many well-preserved Anasazi ruins, and the area offers a captivating insight into the present day life of the Navajo, who still inhabit and cultivate the valley floor.

Canyon de Chelly long served as a home for Navajo people before it was invaded by forces led by future New Mexico governor Lt. Antonio Narbona in 1805. In 1863 Col. Kit Carson sent troops to either end of the canyon to defeat the Navajo population within. The resulting devastation led to the surrender of the Navajos and their removal to Bosque Redondo, New Mexico. Canyon de Chelly is entirely owned by the Navajo Tribal Trust of the Navajo Nation. It is the only National Park Service unit that is owned and cooperatively managed in this manner. 

Nearly 40 Navajo families live in the park. Access to the canyon floor is restricted, and visitors are allowed to travel in the canyons only when accompanied by a park ranger or an authorized Navajo guide. The only exception to this rule is the White House Ruin Trail. The beautiful and spiritual Canyon de Chelly has long history with its magnificent and ancient cliff dwellings and mysterious pictograph and petroglyphs. Here you can have plenty of opportunities for photo stops and conversations with knowledgeable Navajo guide.

The most of park visitors comes by automobile and view the Canyon de Chelly from the rim, following both North Rim Drive and South Rim Drive. Moreover; ancient ruins and geologic structures are visible, but in the distance, from turnoffs on each of these routes. Deep within the park is Mummy Cave. It features structures that have been built at numerous times in history. The national monument has a well-stocked visitor center, nearby an excellent campsite (Cottonwood Campground) with basic facilities, however no showers and plenty of sites, nestled beneath large cottonwood trees and at lodgings in the vicinity of the canyon. There is no fee to enter the canyon, apart from any charges imposed by tour guides.

Lodgings for visitors are located in the vicinity of the canyon, on the road leading to Chinle, which is the adjacent town. The National Monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1970. The unique geologic feature of park is, Spider Rock, is a sandstone spire that rises 750 feet from the canyon floor at the junction of Canyon de Chelly and Monument Canyon. Spider Rock can be seen from South Rim Drive. It has shown in the number of television commercials. 

According to traditional Navajo beliefs the taller of the two spires is the home of Spider Grandmother. If you have some time to explore, don’t miss the well-preserved Puebloan ruins nestled in the 1,000-foot-tall rock walls, accessible only via guided tour. With your guide, you can drive through the Chinle Wash to view the scattered settlements and ancient ruins of the canyon. At the end of the South Rim Drive, you will come to the popular overlook of Spider Rock. Despite the fact most hiking requires an authorized Navajo guide.

Lotus Exhibition Centre in China

Architects Studio55 imagined in the heart of Wujin to build an impressive building of Lotus exhibition center in the city of Changzhou in China. The building is not just the name it is in the form of a lotus flower, and, of course, has already acquired the status of the city attractions. This project cost is approximately AUD $12million and offering lotus in three forms with incredible architecture. The lotus building and the 3.5 hectare People’s Park has been designed to act as a cultural anchor and civic landmark establishing a symbolic commitment of the local government’s ambitions and future aspirations. 

Therefore it is briefly called a public building and park that’d embody an exclusive variability of civic nodes and public spaces. The lotus building is an existing double storey subterranean municipal facility situated beneath an existing artificial lake. The Lotus building houses parts of the planning bureau as well as new exhibition halls meeting rooms and conference centers. The physical form of the Lotus building has been determined by the need to form a structure which has an idiosyncratic presence; a key character piece in a city which can be in parts anonymous like so many other quickly developing Chinese cities.

The ultimate development is to seek and generate participation to build an ownership of place that builds ties to the community and induces people to stay and flourish and not to be drawn away. However; this stunning landmark goals to bring longevity and depth to the community; to make new standards of architectural motivation in the area and inspire further urban development. The landmark conceived as an inhabited sculptural form, emerging naturally from the lake; the visitor will enters from beneath and is greeted with a cathedral like revelation of space. Its colors and light combination to produce an illumination, creating a bright and uplifting interior atmosphere, no matter the weather. 

The Lotus building transitioned and graded color is applied to the side of the petal ribs, forming a deep hue only at the edge of the structure. Hand laid and varied white, beige and stainless steel hexagon mosaic tile appearances cover all external and internal surfaces; merging flawlessly to make a continuous form with studio505’s bespoke 7m high suspended chandelier at the apex, becoming the focus of attention, inside and out. The gorgeous project has been designed to minimize energy usage with over 2500 geothermal piles driven through the base of the artificial lake, The whole lake water mass and ground beneath is utilized to pre-cool in summer and pre-warm in winter to air conditioning systems for both the lotus and the two storey building underneath the lake. 

The project is a mixed mode and naturally ventilated and utilizes evaporative cooling from the lake surface to drive a thermal chimney within the main flower pod. Architects Studio 505’s design produce a vibrant public territory; which main key is a night lighting system devised to hold a series of changing natural color combinations for twenty seconds before gradually transitioning to the next scene over ten seconds. The Lotus Centre and People’s Park has become one of the most widespread landmarks in Wujin with a constant contribution to the social and cultural life of the city.

Double Tree in Piemonte Italy

A tree growing atop another tree, it’s not a sight that you get to see every day, but here you can know about a unique tree is growing in between Grana and Casorzo in Piemonte, Italy, recognized as the “double tree of Casorzo” or Bialbero de Casorzo in Italian.  This is a mulberry tree on top of which a cherry tree grows rises well above the mulberry tree on which it stands. The odd tree is also recognized as Grana Double Tree. No one exactly knows for the exact reasons how this is happened; perhaps various bird dropped a seed on top of the mulberry tree, which then grew roots through the hollow trunk of the host tree to reach the soil.

Though trees growing parasitically over another tree are not rare, but they usually do not reach the size and lifespan as seen in this specific example, as there is not adequate humus and space available where they grow. Large “double-trees”, also called Epiphytes, like the Bialbero de Casorzo is a rarity. Both trees combined together make for an inspiring sight, with their branches spreading 5 meters across. The double tree’s lifespan has been astonishingly long, given the detail that the cherry tree receives all its nourishment via the mulberry tree. Well, though not the only double-tree is probably the most impressive-looking trees in the world. Both trees are thriving from the same source of nutrients, and yet they are able to share very well.

Source: Charismatic Planet