Author: Ms. R.

AO Wants to Know is an ongoing interview series where we ask experts in extraordinary subjects to share their knowledge with us. At the beginning of The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier, the book’s subject introduces itself. “Everything you’ve ever seen or touched is a part of me. Yes, even you,” says the (slightly haughty) galaxy. “I am the Milky Way, home to more than one hundred billion stars (and yet you still think……

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The Umeda area of Osaka City is a bustling labyrinth of transport hubs, shopping malls and office buildings, but folk traditions can be found even in such metropolitan districts. One izakaya-filled passageway off Umeda Station is named Jizō Yokochō, and sure enough, it is home to a small shrine dedicated to Jizō (Ksitigarbha), one of the most popular Buddhist entities in Japan. Though Ksitigarbha statues are pretty much ubiquitous, Umeda happens to be home to one facing north, a……

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Located near the Kaohsiung Airport, the Hongmaogang Baoan Temple is a fascinating blend of Taiwanese folk religion and Japanese influence. The temple features Japanese-style architecture, setting it apart from typical Taiwanese temples. The Temple plays the Japanese naval march, “Gunkan kōshinkyoku,” instead of traditional Buddhist chants; it also prominently displays the Rising Sun Flag—a controversial symbol for some—underscoring its deep connections to Japan. Visitors are invited to worship in either Taiwanese or Japanese styles. In 2022, the temple gained……

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Manufactured in 1949 in Deggendorf, Northern Bavaria, the MS Utting was not destined to end its days on a bridge in the middle of Sendling, a suburban neighborhood near Munich‘s city center.  For 67 years, the ferry carried passengers across Ammersee, a great lake south of the Bavarian capital city. The vessel allowed locals and visitors to swim in the picturesque setting and enjoy some fresh air. During its operation, numerous onboard boat parties were organized with live music,……

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From the outside, Estudio Chuky looks like any of the unassuming warehouses that dot Carrer Camp Rodat, a street in Valencia’s Benaguasil industrial district. But step inside its tall steel doors, and you won’t find containers or trucks. Instead, there’s a 10-foot tall octopus hanging from the ceiling. Beneath it, a team of five artists is busy sanding, sculpting, and painting paper-mâché statues commissioned for Las Fallas, Valencia’s largest festival. During Las Fallas, a ritual inscribed by UNESCO as……

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The cranes of Gdańsk have always been a symbol of the city’s place as Poland’s de facto port. After Poland’s deindustrialization in 1992, the port was shut down and many cranes were no longer used. Now one of Gdańsk’s iconic cranes, Crane M3, is charting a new path forward. After almost a year of work, M3 was transformed into a 360-degree scenic lookout point that opened in April 2019.  Located in Gdansk’s rejuvenated Imperial Shipyard district, visitors can climb the……

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Henry S. Rosenthal stands beside the hand-painted curtain to his Two-Headed Calf MOOseum in San Francisco with an impish smile on his face. In the background, the low, guttural sounds of mooing emerge on a hidden speaker. On the wall hangs an image of the gestational cycle of polycephaly in cows. A former musician—Rosenthal helped initiate West Coast punk in 1977 as a drummer in the band Crime—he is no stranger to showmanship. “This is where it all begins,”……

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Just north of Chinatown’s central shopping district, Ping Tom Memorial Park is a tranquil oasis just outside of downtown Chicago. Once part of Santa Fe Railroad property, it transformed into a 17-acre park largely thanks to the efforts of the park’s namesake, Ping Tom. A lifelong Chicago Chinatown resident, Tom (1935–1995) was a civic leader and businessman who helped develop the iconic Chicago neighborhood. He helped create the 32-acre Chinatown Square, co-founded the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, and led……

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Through the northern area of Kamakura runs the Ten-en Hiking Course, a three-mile-long mountain trail that connects Kenchō-ji and Zuisen-ji temples. Just a short hike away from the Hansōbō portion of Kenchō-ji, a storied rock called Ju-oh-iwa offers a panoramic view of the whole city. Ju-oh-iwa literally means “Ten Kings Rock” and refers to the Ten Kings of Hell, a group of judges in afterlife. Sure enough, near-faded as they are, one can still discern the images of three……

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Also known as the Collégiale Sainte-Gertrude de Nivelles, this Romanesque church dates back to the 7th century. Originally the church was housed within an abbey whose first abbess was Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, the patron saint of cats. Through the centuries, several churches were built on this site. In 1046, the current church was consecrated with Wazon, Bishop of Liège, and Henry III, Emperor of the Holy German Empire, presiding over the ceremony. World War II-era bombings destroyed several sections of……

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