The precise modern calendar we take for granted has roots in ancient China, India, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Arabia and Rome.

ECONOMIST: Late for the date

Travelling in ancient China was arduous.

NEWYORKER: The Grand Tour

They join a number of other striking feathered dinosaurs found in ancient lake deposits in China and Germany, for which the presence of feathers is inferred by subtle markings on the fossil bones and wispy markings in the surrounding fossilised sediment.

BBC: Dinosaur feathers 'developed for courtship'

Set in the dense forests of the Kii Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean, three sacred sites - Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan, Koyasan - linked by pilgrimage routes to the ancient capital cities of Nara and Kyoto, reflect the fusion of Shinto, rooted in the ancient tradition of nature worship in Japan, and Buddhism, which was introduced from China and the Korean Peninsula.

UNESCO: Culture

Cormorant fishing is an ancient ritual that has been practiced in China and Japan for more than 1, 500 years, and can also been seen in other parts of the world.

WSJ: Cormorant Fishing in Yunnan Province, China

The conversion is rejuvenating China's ancient Silk Road to the west, immortalised by Marco Polo in the 14th century but rarely used since sea routes made the camel trains redundant.

BBC: News | oldBusiness | The future shines for China's Silk Road

Sericulture and silk craftsmanship of China, based in Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces near Shanghai and Chengdu in Sichuan Province, have an ancient history.

UNESCO: Culture