Where Protest Lives in Paint: Oaxaca’s Murals of Resistance

Kennedy Kiser

Oaxaca’s vibrant street murals speak out against injustice, preserve Indigenous identity and invite travelers to witness resistance in color.

Oaxaca mural of revolutionary figures and Mexican

In the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, visual art spills onto the streets and across crumbling walls, telling stories rarely captured in textbooks or by tour guides. Oaxaca has long been a hub for both Indigenous culture and political resistance. Its murals reflect this layered history with vibrant and sometimes defiant voices, often highlighting legacies of colonialism and systemic inequality. 

Many amplify the voices of the Zapotec and Mixtec peoples, who have long resisted marginalization and assimilation. As scholar Bethany J. Welch explains, murals function as a way for Indigenous communities to reclaim public space and narrate their histories, refusing to allow their story to be filtered through state-sanctioned narratives and the lens of tourism.

Mural referencing the 43 missing students in Oaxaca, Mexico. Tobias Versus. CC BY 2.0.

Strolling through neighborhoods like Jalatlaco or Xochimilco becomes a visual lesson in autonomy. On Jose Lopez Alavez Street, bold images of Indigenous women, animal protectors and corn deities appear on walls beside neighborhood cafes and galleries. The murals mix ancient Zapotec symbols with messages of resistance to gentrification, environmental destruction and cultural erasure.

Mural referencing the 43 missing students in Oaxaca, Mexico. Tobias Versus. CC BY 2.0.

In central Oaxaca, a wall along Berriozabal Street honors the 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College who disappeared in 2014 while on their way to a protest. Created by the Urtarte Collective, the mural preserves their names and images, reminding passersby of the unresolved violence that continues to haunt their community. Elsewhere, recurring symbols like the possum — a local protest motif — emerge in politically charged artwork critiquing police violence and land theft.

Muralist painting wall for Casa de la Cultura in Oaxaca. Alejandro Linares Garcia. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Murals also serve as visual protests against environmental injustice. Canadian mining company Fortuna Silver Mines carries out operations near San Jose del Progreso despite long-standing resistance from locals. Murals in neighborhoods like La Noria depict masked water defenders, cracked land and slogans like “El agua vale más que el oro,” or in English, “water is worth more than gold.”

Feminist mural reading “Sin mujeres no hay revolución” in Mexico City. Wendy Aviles R. CC BY-SA 4.0.

Themes of gender injustice are equally prevalent. Oaxaca, like many parts of Mexico, faces an ongoing femicide crisis. In response, murals around the Santo Domingo Cultural Center and near Carmel Alto feature the faces of missing women, alongside phrases like “Ni Una Menos” (meaning “not one less” in English).

While often photographed, these murals are not decorative. They are part of an ongoing dialogue between community and state, artist and audience. Travelers can deepen their understanding by participating in walking tours run by local artists, such as Caminos del Arte, which provide historical and political context while ensuring support flows back into the neighborhoods depicted on the walls.

Oaxaca’s murals are not permanent fixtures. They adapt in response to elections, tragedies and resistance movements. Some are painted over, others quietly fade and many are reborn in new forms. This continued renewal reflects a larger truth: in Oaxaca, street art is a living archive — one that documents what official records often omit.

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Kennedy Kiser

Kennedy is an English and Comparative Literature major at UNC Chapel Hill. She’s interested in storytelling, digital media, and narrative design. Outside of class, she writes fiction and explores visual culture through film and games. She hopes to pursue a PhD and eventually teach literature!

The Case for Slow Travel

While many travelers hope to get the most out of their journey with faraway plane rides, consider slowing down and finding your way to the road less traveled. 

Walking on the beach at Møns Klint. Libby Scaperotta. 

In the spring of 2022, I studied abroad in Copenhagen. My friends and I took advantage of the amazing public transit and metro system to get nearly everywhere. So, when it came time to plan an adventure to the limestone cliffs of Mons Klint, we didn’t even consider renting a car. Instead, we quickly opened our phones to the public transit app to route our trip the night before. 

It’s the next morning, and the clock strikes 4:55 a.m. My roommate and I bounced out of bed, hopping into the clothes we had laid out the night before and grabbing our pre-packed bags before heading next door to knock on the neighbor’s apartment. With some begrudging groans from the boys next door, in under 10 minutes we were out the front door and headed toward the metro station. 

Our journey began with a metro ride, two trains and two buses. After being dropped off and walking a short distance to the next bus stop, we waited patiently for what we thought would be the last leg of our trip, which never came. We had miscalculated a seasonal closure of part of the route’s timing. This led to the eight of us walking the last three kilometers of the trip on a beautiful sunny day in the Danish countryside. We walked among neighborhoods with quaint homes, beside farm animals and through pastures until we were dropped off at the magnificent cliffside of Mons Klint. 

A friend walking along the backroad in the Danish countryside during our adventure to Mons   Klint. Libby Scaperotta.

We repeated this process backward at the end of the day. But, as we waited at bus stops and train stations while the sun set, we giggled, shivered, danced and dreamed of a large pizza. 

Although this journey to Mons Klint would have taken probably a quarter of the time had we just rented two cars for the group, the day’s adventure was unforgettable. 

When traveling, we often try to maximize our two weeks of paid time off with ambitious plans to travel far by plane or private vehicle. 

Yet, I am here to convince you to try slower travel. Try taking public transit instead of driving and see where the adventure may lead you. Or, try slowing down on your backpacking trip and volunteer in an area instead of packing up so quickly. 

Traveling slowly is not only less costly for your wallet but also for the environment. My first introduction to a flight emissions calculator was a deeply upsetting experience that made me reconsider how I fly. Slower travel, which emphasizes public transport or staying in one place, may be a better option for eco-conscious travelers who hope to explore while still being mindful of their carbon footprint. 

If you are interested in slowing down your travels, I highly recommend a volunteer experience or work exchange. These will allow you to stay in one place and save on accommodation and meals while immersing yourself in an area’s pace of life and community. From there, you may be able to take short day trips or weekends away in areas that you may have never otherwise explored. There are several platforms that my friends and I have used to find and plan work exchanges: WWOOF, Workaway and Worldpackers. 

You can even integrate slow travel into your daily life. Grab your local public transit card and explore the destinations you may get to by bus or train! You might find a sweet town, a new beach or an adventure within arm’s reach. 

Slowing down can be good for you and the earth. And, it may even allow you to decide for yourself if exploring the road less traveled does make all the difference.

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Libby Scaperotta

Libby is a recent graduate from Middlebury College, where she studied Environmental Policy and Geography. She enjoys travel, photography, and spending time outdoors with people she loves. She plans to pursue a career dedicated to environmental work and wishes to share important stories that may inspire action. 

North-East India’s Women-Only Market

Manipur’s Mothers’ Market is a world of resilience and resistance, where tradition, activism, and community converge in unexpected ways.

I decide on the Ima frying whiteish dough balls over a stand-alone stove and gas canister. ‘Aloo,’ she smiles and gestures to the wooden bench next to a young man slurping a leafy soup. Seconds later, this plump woman serves me a lunch of grilled fish, unidentifiable green veg, those fried potato balls, banana leaf, rice, and then, despite my protests, several second helpings.

The Imas are lined up behind their gas stoves, enticing the locals with their jokes and salty fish dishes. Sitting opposite, in front of stacked ceramic pots, are two more, warming their hands over the burning embers of a square metal pot. My host, Suporna Devi, is one of over 4000 women who congregate daily, in Ima Keithel, Manipur’s main market, selling everything from temple paraphernalia to locally-caught eels.

But, unlike the rest of India, here men are forbidden from trading. Passed down the generations, a stall at Ima Keithel, meaning ‘Mothers’ Market’, is highly coveted and provides the local Imas with an important source of income. Spilling out of the market buildings, encroaching on the roads, under the concrete flyovers, women are everywhere, selling produce. Some are eating, some reading, some sleeping. Many are chatting.

Believed to date back to the 16th century, the origins of Ima Keithel are unclear. Sandwiched between Myanmar and the Indian state of Assam, Manipur has long been forced to fight the Burmese and Chinese to retain its autonomy. A forced labour system, called Lallup Kaba, sent the men far from home to fight these wars, leaving the women at home to cultivate the land and sell the produce, possibly fostering this peculiar phenomenon.

For thousands of years Manipur remained an independent kingdom and a crossroads of trade and cultural exchange until it was conquered by the British in 1891. The golden, oval valley fringed by misty blue hills was famously called ‘the Jewel of India’ by India’s first prime minister. It is home to a diverse mix of tribes, who ethnically share more with groups in Burma than with the rest of India. Several hard day’s travel from Delhi, Manipur feels like a faraway land compared to India I’ve come to know; somewhat familiar, but yet not. A unique language and alphabet add to my disorientation.

The two large market buildings sit in the commercial heart of Imphal, a dusty, grey city, home to as many motorbikes as people. Mornings see the city enveloped in a heavy, December mist, which she usually manages to shed by lunchtime. Most ladies are sitting under bright shawls: many baring two pale vertical lines on their foreheads, meeting on the nose: the mark of local Hindus. I feel the weight of eyes as I circle the floor. But smiles are soon reciprocated with smiles, and many proudly remove their glasses to strike a poise for my camera. Before long, I fall foul of the sly sales pitch of an unassuming mother and daughter. Several tea-towels later, I note to myself this is still India.

When I reach Suporna Devi’s stall, I am thankful for the rest, and we are soon conversing, in a broken fashion, through Hindi, her third language. She has worked here for over 20 years, she tells me, inheriting the pitch from her aunt. Pointing to a poster, emblazoned with hammer and sickle, she exclaims, “this is not just a marketplace, but also a place of protest!”

The revolutionary slogans spray-painted to the outer walls point to a more complex story, and I have started to research Manipur’s matriarchal society. Since at least the early 20th century, the Manipuri women have been wielding a strong influence over political and social matters of the state, with Ima Keithal at the centre of the movement. The market developed as a place not only of trade, but as a centre for gathering, a source of the latest news, a place to discuss ideas. The mothers of Ima Keithel started credit unions, lending to women who wanted to started businesses, and mentored them in the process.

As she ladles yet more rice onto my plate, Suporna suggests I visit the Nupi Lal (Women’s War) monument in another part of central Imphal. This is a memorial to Imas who fought the British rulers in the 1930s over attempts to export local rice to British battalions in other territories. Locally rice became scarce, the price spiralled and the Manipuris began to suffer. The Imas protested, peacefully, but were met with attempts to sell the market buildings. They refused to relent and eventually military and police forces were unleashed against the unarmed females. Although the export policy was eventually repealed, many women lost their lives in the struggle.

During the Second World War, Manipur became a battleground for the war between the British and Japanese: this part of India is scarred with war graves. With the independence of India, a ravaged Manipur was absorbed into the new country, unleashing a seemingly indefinite cycle of violence and insurgency as anti-Indian and ethnic groups fought over differing visions for the state’s future. From 1980 until today, most of the state has been classified as a ‘disturbed region’ by the Indian government, a ruling designed to give the Indian Army additional powers to help them maintain public order. In practice, it has granted them immunity from prosecution for a range of heinous crimes.

Despite the departure of the British, for the Imas of Manipur, the oppression continues and their imaginative responses evolve. From torching liquor stores and fining drunk men, to protesting, naked, outside an Indian army base against a case of rape and murder by the armed forces, their actions are undoubtedly radical in a country where the majority of women have little say in domestic or societal affairs. Today, they are continuing to hold out against the talons of globalisation: recent attempts by the local government to replace the market with a modern supermarket were derailed by round-the-clock sit-ins by the Imas. Again they succeeded.

After a few days of loitering around Imphal, chatting and drinking chai, I decide it is time to leave the Imas. Several check where I am going, who with, and most importantly, have I eaten yet? I gesture to the fish section at the back of the market and they nod approvingly. After my last meal, I ask Suporna if she enjoys her work in the market. She smiles and says, “This is not just my work. This is my life.” I tell her I am leaving. “Vapis ana,” (come again) she says, and goes on frying her potato balls. I heave on my backpack and head for the bus.

How to get there: I took the bus from Guwahati, Assam. It was an uncomfortable, although beautiful journey that crossed through the hills of Nagaland on the way. There are also direct flights from Delhi, Calcutta and Guwahati. Imphal makes a convenient stop if travelling overland from North-East India into Myanmar through the recently opened Moreh-Tamu border crossing.

Where to stay: The Hotel Nirmala has decent rooms starting at 850 INR. Aheibam Homestay is a good budget option.

Where to eat: The stalls of Ima Keithel, of course. And the Luxmi Kitchen does a mean thali.

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Eileen McDougall

After a decade working in London, Eileen swapped flashy buildings for a notepad and camera and set off for Asia. She fell in love with India, and it was here she started to write about her travels and the culture she was becoming immersed in. She is at her happiest on a bus alone heading off to somewhere new but seems to spend most of her time near mountains, mainly the Himalayas.

Train Ride the Sahara: Mauritania’s Hidden Adventure

One of the world’s least-visited countries, Mauritania is home to a travel experience like none other, inviting daring travelers to embark on an unpredictable journey through the desert.

The desert nation of Mauritania attracts only around 30,000 visitors a year, making it one of the least visited countries in Africa and around the world. The country is not seen as a highly desirable travel destination due to the fact that it is only about 0.5% arable land and one of the least densely populated nations in the world. Mauritania is also one of the poorest countries worldwide, unable to provide the infrastructure required to accommodate more traditional forms of tourism.

However, Mauritania boasts a unique attraction that is rising in popularity among thrill-seeking travelers — a famous iron ore train. Its contents — the iron ore — account for half the country’s exports and are critical to its GDP. The train is known as “the Backbone of the Sahara,” due to its national and day-to-day significance in the lives of locals who rely on the train for personal transportation and its goods. The train is one of the longest in the world; the length of the car itself spans around 1.5 miles and the track stretches over 400 miles across the Sahara. Beginning in the mining town of Zouerat, the train stops again in Choum, where most travelers board. Then, across the next 17 hours, laden with iron ore, the train makes its way to the port city of Nouadhibou, where it empties and sets back to Zouerat. 

The train runs daily, but not on any sort of fixed schedule, requiring no bookings or tickets. It’s hardly a passenger vehicle, as only one of the three daily trains has a paid passenger car attached. Many climb aboard one of the cargo wagons and ride alongside the ore for free. 

The journey has been popularized in recent years by travel blogs and social media. The author of One Step 4Ward, Irish travel blogger Johnny Ward, has even begun to manage trips to Mauritania, leading groups on the train. Ward claims that he has completed the journey seven times, more than any foreigner on the planet. On his blog, he describes the expedition as difficult and cold but also as “one of the best travel experiences of your life.”

Another blogger, the author of Plug Me In Project, described the conditions of riding the train. They emphasize the importance of bringing goggles, gloves, a sleeping bag, a blanket and a face covering — necessary protections against the iron ore dust and frigid nightly temperatures. He wrote about the friendliness of the locals who showed him around the capital city upon arrival and guided him to the station. 

The blog Sophie’s World highlights the thrilling yet unpredictable nature of visiting Mauritania as a tourist.  She notes that it’s important not to make the journey alone, particularly as a female traveler. She also emphasizes the level of respect required for the locals in order to have an enjoyable experience. 

Mauritania is home to one of the most unique travel experiences that the world has to offer, for those who dare to embark on the journey of a lifetime.

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Zoe Lodge is a student at the University of California, Berkeley, where she is studying English and Politics, Philosophy, & Law. She combines her passion for writing with her love for travel, interest in combatting climate change, and concern for social justice issues.

Racketeering in the Rainforest: How Gangs and Illegal Gold Are Taking Over the Amazon

Gangs in the Amazon Rainforest are increasingly finding that money does grow on trees and the local flora, fauna and Indigenous groups are paying the price.   

An aerial shot of the deforestation caused by illegal mining in the Amazon Rainforest. Planet Labs, Inc. CC BY 4.0. 

Covering 6.7 million square kilometers of South America, the Amazon Rainforest has long been heralded as one of the world’s most beautiful natural wonders. But recently, as gang activity, illegal gold mining and deforestation continue to rise, this natural beauty is under threat. 

Although concentrated mostly in Brazil, the Amazon spans nine different countries, including Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador. The world’s largest rainforest, the region contains 10% of Earth’s known species, making it a hotspot for wildlife and biodiversity. Scientific American notes that the Amazon is also a beneficial carbon sink; absorbing a significant amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the rainforest helps mitigate the effects of climate change. Further, the Amazon is home to nearly 2.7 million Indigenous Amazonians, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Among almost 400 Indigenous ethnic groups, the WWF reports that 60 live in voluntary isolation in order to protect their land and ways of life from outside influences. 

Tukanos, an Indigenous Amazonian group. James Martins. CC BY 3.0.  

However, as the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) states, since “the 1960s, when government incentives to clear land for production coincided with more effective tools such as chainsaws and bulldozers,” the Amazon has undergone alarming rates of deforestation. Especially under former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, the emphasis on profits at the expense of environmental and/or Indigenous protections grew abundantly clear as new mining and cattle ranching initiatives took hold. “Deforestation hit a 15-year high during his [2019-2022] term,” the Associated Press reported. As President Bolsonaro “weakened environmental agencies” and “prioritized agribusiness expansion,” he left the rainforest vulnerable to outside exploitation.

In their September 2024 report “Gold, Gangs, and Governance,” Amazon Watch “highlights the increasing influence of organized crime” in the Amazon rainforest. Indeed, the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety affirmed that as of December 2024, “gangs were present in 260 of 772 municipalities in the region, compared with 178 in 2023.” The presence of criminal organizations like Familia do Norte (FDN) and First Capital Command (PCC) has escalated crime and deforestation to the point where homicides have increased by 574% and deforestation by 300%. According to Amazon Watch, both of these rates far exceed the Latin American average. Amazon Watch specifically points to illegal gold mining as a driver of much of this instability. “Due to institutional weakness” and the minerals’ “lack of traceability,” illegal gold is a highly lucrative commodity, bringing in between $800 million and $1 billion in exports for “over 500 shell companies” in 2022. Many gangs feel incentivized to then “reinvest [their] profits from drug trafficking into this activity,” the report found. Although drugs have indeed made the Amazon a violent “smuggling domain,” as The New York Times confirms, illegal mining activities are also responsible for transforming many rainforest cities into zones of conflict by escalating “territorial control disputes” and “strengthening the criminal groups that control mining enclaves.”

Deforestation in the Amazon. Free Malaysia Today. CC BY 4.0. 

These cycles of violence have detrimental impacts that reach far beyond the gangs they involve. Amazon Watch found that from  2015 to 2021, “7,495 hectares of rainforest were lost [...] due to illegal mining.” Per Reuters, this damage puts more than 10,000 species of plants and animals at high risk of extinction. This increased deforestation also threatens the rainforest’s aforementioned status as a carbon sink: “Scientists say parts of the forest now emit more carbon dioxide than they can absorb,” the CFR reports. Rather than mitigating the effects of global warming, then, the Amazon could now exacerbate them. Sarah Brown of Mongabay estimates that deforestation will ultimately generate economic losses “seven times higher than the economic gain” of commodities produced through deforestation. Therefore, Brown argues, “deforestation for commodity growth is less valuable than rainforest preservation.” 

Economics aside, the human costs of illegal mining are even higher, and they’re already rearing their head. Of the 1,519 instances of illegal mining reported between 2019 and 2024, Amazon Watch found that 46.7% occurred on Indigenous lands, disproportionately affecting the health of Indigenous Amazonians through the contamination of “rivers with heavy metals such as copper, iron, lead, and mercury.” Further, as governments try to combat these illegal activities with increased militarization, they have only provoked “increased violence in Indigenous communities” in the process. As their Amazon Watch affirms, between poisoning resources and outright death threats, gangs in the Amazon and the surrounding governments are “eroding [Indigenous] identity and threatening their cultural and physical survival.” Illegal mining in the Amazon has become a deadly enterprise on multiple fronts. 

An environmentalist protest sign that reads “My house is burning” in Spanish. Candy Sotomayor. CC BY 4.0 

To get involved, people can support Amazon Watch and their calls for greater institutional strengthening and increased awareness from the global community. The organization also notes that a societal cutback on beef and dairy consumption would help curb the strain of cattle ranching. Nonprofits including the WWF and the Amazon Emergency Fund also work to support sustainability projects and uplift Indigenous communities. From an administrative standpoint, some steps are being made toward these ends: deforestation in 2024 dropped by nearly 31% compared to 2023, and some international governments like the Biden administration pledged funds to support conservation efforts. But until there are strong, long-lasting initiatives that prioritize environmental and Indigenous protections, activists continue to urge the global community to continue raising awareness and applying public pressure on local governments. As Indigenous activist Allessandra Korap told the Associated Press, that “is our top priority, along with the expulsion of illegal miners.” 

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Bella Liu

Bella is a student at UC Berkeley studying English, Media Studies and Journalism. When she’s not writing or working through the books on her nightstand, you can find her painting her nails red, taking digicam photos with her friends or yelling at the TV to make the Dodgers play better.

5 Stunning Temples in Cambodia

From Hindu to Buddhist, Cambodia is home to some of the most architecturally rustic and traditional temples in the world. 

Inside of Wat Phnom. Daniel Mennerich. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. 

While Angkor Wat is on most traveler’s lists when they visit Cambodia, the country also has many other extraordinary and one-of-a-kind temples which each hold immense historical, cultural, religious and artistic significance. 

1. Banteay Srei 

Banteay Srei. Uwe Schwarzbach. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

The temple Banteay Srei, located in Angkor, Cambodia, is believed to have been built in the tenth century by and for some sort of spiritual guru to a royal, though not much is known about the person themselves. In addition to its fascinating origin, Banteay Srei’s architecture is unique for the area, built almost entirely out of a shining pink sandstone and surrounded by a moat. In terms of the architeccture’s cultural significance, the temple features a large and ornate statue of the Hindu God Shiva. Nowadays, Banteay Srei is primarily known for its meaning to women. Banteay Srei directly translates to “the women’s temple”, and the statue of Shiva is surrounded by other statues of women including Hindu gods and saints. 

2. Ta Prohm

Tree growing in Ta Prohm. Daniel Mennerich. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. 

The temple Ta Prohm, located in Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia, is one of few historical sites to have been left untouched by archaeologists and society in general. It was built around the 12th to 13th century, and it was a temple of enormous scale surrounded by a village of an estimated 79,000 people who worked to maintain it.  Unlike Banteay Srei, Ta Prohm was built by a Khmer king. Today, only the ruins of Ta Prohm remain, and its beauty and intrigue have only increased with growing trees surrounding the temple. Visitors can see a tree whose roots have grown over the roof of a corridor, and another stands tall in the middle of a courtyard. While visitors can walk through Ta Prohm, they are no longer permitted to climb on the stone walls, as the temple’s foundation is so old and precarious that damage can easily be done. 

3. Wat Phnom

Staircase to Wat Phnom. Daniel Mennerich. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. 

In contrast to Ta Prohm, which has maintained a rustic look, temple Wat Phnom is located in the major city Phnom Penh, at the top of the only hill in the city. Unlike many other ancient temples, historians know Wat Phnom was built in 1372. A large and ornate staircase lined with animal sculptures such as lions and five-headed snakes leads the way to the temple. The temple is a place of worship, as people go to make wishes, requests and prayers for themselves and their loved ones. Wat Phnom is known to be a bustling and busy center, with vendors selling cold drinks and birds flying through the temple. 

4. Sambor Prei Kuk

Sambor Prei Kuk temple. Plb06. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The Sambor Prei Kuk temples are unique from the other temples on this list primarily because of their age and striking architecture. Sambor Prei Kuk is a collection of temples built in the 6th to 7th century CE, in the Pre-Angkorean architectural style which favored more natural looking octagonal temple structures that were less outwardly ornate than later temples. Sambor Prei Kuk was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017 due largely to its architecture, which represents a significant period in the history of Cambodia. The religious symbols inside the temple also reflect the significance of the relatively new cross-continental trade that was emerging at the time in Asia. The inscriptions and statues feature a mix of Buddhist and Hindu figures and messages, as well as displaying the “God-kings” who ruled the region at the time by claiming divine connections. 

5. Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat. Pigalle. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

A Cambodian temples list wouldn’t be complete without Angkor Wat. The temple, located in Angkor, was built in the 12th century and is one of the most famous temples in the world, as well as one of Cambodia’s most famous sites. The compound contains hundreds of buildings, and is the largest religious structure globally. Originally, Angkor Wat was a Hindu temple, but in 1177 after losing a battle and thus losing faith in Hinduism, the king at the time (King Jayavarman VII) converted Angkor Wat into a Buddhist temple. In 1992, Angkor Wat became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an estimated 500,000 people per year travel to see the historic temple. 

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Calliana Leff

Calliana is currently an undergraduate student at Boston University majoring in English and minoring in psychology. She is passionate about sustainability and traveling in an ethical and respectful way. She hopes to continue her writing career and see more of the world after she graduates. 

Matcha's Roots: The Legacy of Japan's First Tea Tree

Explore Shofuku-ji, Japan’s oldest Zen temple, where the legacy of the first tea tree still thrives.

Shofuku-ji Temple. N yotarou. CC BY-SA 4.0

At the end of an unassuming street in Fukuoka, Japan stands the Shofuku-ji Temple. Its ancient grounds are a testament to centuries of cultural and spiritual history, particularly to the evolution of matcha, Japan’s iconic powdered green tea. Matcha is made from specially grown and processed tea leaves. The process begins with shading the tea plants several weeks before harvest to boost chlorophyll levels, resulting in its vibrant green color. The leaves are then carefully picked, steamed to stop oxidation, dried, and ground into a fine powder using traditional stone mills. Matcha's popularity outside Japan, especially in the U.S., experienced a surge in the early 21st century due to a growing interest in health and wellness globally. Its high antioxidant content, culinary versatility, and cultural appeal contributed to its widespread adoption in cafés and homes worldwide. 

Shofuku-ji Temple was founded in 1195 CE by the Buddhist priest Myōan Eisai, who is often credited with introducing Zen Buddhism to Japan. However, Eisai’s cultural influence extends beyond religion. Chinese legend dates the invention of tea to around 2737 BCE in ancient China. From China, the beverage was brought to Japan by a mission of monks, including Eisai, returning from a pilgrimage in 1191 CE. Upon arriving in Japan, Eisai cultivated the tea seeds in the Iwakamibo gardens of Ryozen-ji Temple, Saga. 

Shofuku-ji Temple Pond. Mark Pegrum. CC BY 2.0

These seeds, which produced the first tea plants in Japan, became the foundation of what is now known as matcha. The plant that stands at Shōouku-ji today, often referred to as "Japan’s First Tea Tree," is a direct descendant of those original plants, a living monument to the history of Japanese tea culture.

When Eisai brought the tea seeds to Japan, he was not merely bringing a new beverage, he was introducing a practice that would become integral to the Zen way of life. The preparation and consumption of matcha evolved into a ritualized practice that aligned perfectly with the principles of mindfulness and presence central to Zen. 

Buddha Statue. David McKelvey. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Referred to as “the way of tea,” the preparation of tea developed into an exercise of Zen devotion that honored the beauty which can be discovered in an otherwise flawed world. Author and tea expert Solala Towler has said: “It is a ceremony that takes the simple art of drinking tea to a sacred level, where the host and the guests share a moment of worship of the simple art of preparing and drinking of tea together, elevating them to a level of purity and refinement.”

The Jizōdō at Shōfuku-ji. MomoyamaResearch. CC BY-SA 4.0

The word matcha comes from the Japanese verb “matsu”, (to rub or to daub) and “cha” , (tea). In its early form, matcha was consumed as a medicinal drink. Eisai himself wrote about the health properties of tea in his book “Kissa Yojoki” (“Drinking Tea for Health”), where he extolled the virtues of tea for both body and mind. 

Eisai believed that tea could cure physical ailments and enhance mental clarity and spiritual well-being, making it an ideal companion for Zen meditation. He realized that drinking matcha improved his meditation sessions by producing a state of calm alertness, likely a product of the cognition-boosting interaction between matcha’s caffeine and L-theanine. Caffeine, a natural stimulant, provides an energy boost. However, caffeine alone can sometimes lead to jitters, increased heart rate, or anxiety. L-theanine, an amino acid found in tea leaves, counters this with its calming effect on the brain. It promotes the production of alpha waves, which are associated with a relaxed yet alert mental state.When consumed together in matcha, caffeine and L-theanine synergize to create a balanced effect. 

Shofuku-ji Temple. David McKelvey. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

For centuries, the practice continued to spread throughout Japan, dispersing throughout all levels of society. Today, the matcha tea ceremony provides an opportunity for intellectual exchange, the sharing of knowledge and the continuity of tradition.

As was written in a collection of essays entitled “The Book of Tea” by Okakura Kakuzo, one of the first Japanese to advocate for the art of tea drinking, “Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others,” a sentiment that ties humility in oneself to the appreciation of others and their work, tea among them. 

A Sanmon at Shofuku-ji Temple. STA3816. CC BY-SA 3.0

Today, Shofuku-ji Temple remains a serene sanctuary where visitors can connect with the historical and spiritual origins of matcha. The temple grounds, with their carefully maintained gardens and ancient structures (including a Buddhist temple, a kitchen, a Zen hall, a bell tower, a sun and moon garden, a records hall, and more) provide a peaceful setting for reflection upon the past. Visitors can appreciate the tea plant, a living link to Japan’s first tea plants, and the enduring legacy of Eisai’s contributions to Japanese culture. 

Generally, Shofukuji Temple is not open to the public. If you are visiting as a group, you must apply one month in advance and receive permission from the temple, even if you just wish to tour the grounds. The application and a guide to the grounds can be found on the temple’s website. The temple is a nationally designated historic site that protects cultural assets and the continuation of the Zen tradition, so visitors are asked to proceed quietly and with care. Visitors may also be asked for a contribution to help protect and restore cultural properties. Applications received less than one month in advance will not be accepted.

GETTING THERE

Shofukuji Temple can be reached in a short walk from Gion Station and a 15-20 minute walk from Hakata Station in Fukuoka. Fukuoka is the sixth largest city in Japan and offers a variety of hotels and transportation methods for visitors.

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Rebecca Pictairn

Rebecca studies Italian Language and Literature, Classical Civilizations, and English Writing at the University of Pittsburgh. She hopes to one day attain a PhD in Classical Archeology. She is passionate about feminism and climate justice. She enjoys reading, playing the lyre, and longboarding in her free time. 

Land of Legends: Experience Romania’s Rich Medieval History

The country of Romania is a diorama of hundreds of years of human history.

Bucharest’s skyline. seisdeagosto. CC BY-SA 2.0

Romania’s incredibly rich history is still preserved to this day in the form of beautiful architecture. Medieval castles and communist palaces rub elbows in the beautiful landscape, standing side by side to create a fascinating timeline of human history.

A feat of medieval architecture, the legendary Bran Fortress is seated in the heart of the Transylvania region. Although it is known outside of Romania as “Dracula’s Castle,” there is no direct relation between the actual castle and the famous novel by Bram Stoker. The site’s only vampiric influence is a tangential relation to Vlad the Impaler, a historical monarch who had little connection to the supernatural outside of literary and popular imagination.

The Bran Fortress is a striking example of Saxon architecture. Built in 1377, the palace is now used as a museum displaying the furniture and art collection of Queen Marie, the last queen of Romania, who ruled from 1914 to 1927. The collection is open to visitors and provides guided tours of the historical pieces. Below the palace is a recreation of Romanian peasant life, featuring reconstructed barns, water-powered machinery and cottages.

A view of Bran Fortress. Clay Gilliland, CC SA 2.0

An even more ancient —yet surprisingly modern—relic hidden in the heart of Romania is the Salina Turda, a salt mine dating all the way back to 1075. Founded by the Roman occupants of Transylvania, the mine continued to produce table salt for centuries before finally closing its doors in 1932. Years later, in 2010, the massive series of caverns was reopened as a tourist destination and historical site. In addition, the Theresa Mine houses a beautiful underground lake a full 400 feet below ground.

The modern Salina Turda Salt Mine. Valentin Cocarlea, CC BY-SA 4.0

Jumping ahead roughly a century, the city of Brasov is home to the 14th-century Biserica Neagra, or the Black Church. This beautiful Gothic cathedral was nearly destroyed by a fire in the 1680s and took nearly a century to fully repair. The church got its name from the ruined, soot-covered walls which remained after the blaze. Today, the Church is open to visitors and still holds weekly concerts with its massive, 4,000-pipe organ.

Biserica Neagra, the Black Church. Gaspar Ros. CC BY-SA 3.0

A palace of the modern era, the Palace of Parliament stands in the capital city of Bucharest. Constructed in the 1980s, this palace was planned and built by the communist regime of Romania in the midst of the Cold War. Since the ousting of the Communist Party, the palace has become the home of the Romanian legislature. The Palace of Parliament is an incredible combination of architectural styles, creating a uniquely beautiful building with as much form as function.

The Romanian Palace of Parliament. Jorge Franganillo. CC BY-SA 2.0Romania is one of the best examples of a living museum. From the Middle Ages to the Cold War, whole centuries are represented in art, architecture and sometimes the land itself. For the historically driven tourist, Romania is a destination that can’t be matched anywhere else.

The best time to visit Romania is between May and September when the weather is warmest. The capital city of Bucharest offers a variety of hotel bookings ranging from $100 to $200 per night. More affordable options include rental apartments around the city from $30 to $40 per night.

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Ryan Livingston

Ryan is a senior at The College of New Jersey, majoring in English and minoring in marketing. Since a young age, Ryan has been passionate about human rights and environmental action and uses his writing to educate wherever he can. He hopes to pursue a career in professional writing and spread his message even further.