Hanuman was the supreme ruler of the monkey kingdom. According to the Hindu epic, Ramayana, Hanuman had formidable powers and was the most famous monkey god. Hanuman, who had four heads and eight arms, was both wise and brave. He was in a quest for the wife of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, who was the embodiment of Hindu god Vishnu. Hanuma successfully rescued her from ten demonic kings in Lanka, or present day Sri Lanka. He is popularly worshipped as the monkey god.
Incidentally, China’s monkey king Sun Wukong could also ride clouds in the sky. According to Journey to the West, he caused havoc in heaven, which resembles Hanuman’s battle in Lanka. Although many experts have different opinions about the resemblance between these two characters, the late Hu Shih, a well-known intellectual, believed that the all-powerful Chinese monkey king was not “made in China,” but was an in fact imported product from India. It is highly likely that Sun was created in the image and likeliness of Hanuman. (Translated by Ethan Zhan)
猴界至尊以印度史詩《羅摩衍那》裡法力高強的神猴哈奴曼最為著名。四臉八手的祂智勇雙全，為印度三相神之一毗濕奴化成的阿逾陀國王子羅摩尋妻，成功把她從位於現今斯里蘭卡的楞伽城十頭魔王手中救出，被民間奉為「猴神」。
Photo: Chan Shih-hung, Taipei Times
照片：自由時報記者詹士弘攝
無獨有偶，中國齊天大聖孫悟空也有騰雲駕霧武功，祂在《西遊記》裡大鬧天宮的事蹟，與哈奴曼大戰楞伽城行徑如出一轍。儘管不少專家各持己見，知名學者胡適還是認為，神通廣大的中國美猴王「不是國貨，乃是一件從印度進口的」，極可能參考哈奴曼形象而來。(自由時報綜合報導)
A: The 2025 World Masters Games will begin on May 17 and run until May 30. B: World Masters Games? A: It’s a quadrennial multi-sport event for people over 30, which will be jointly held by Taipei and New Taipei City. B: Cool, maybe we can go cheer for all the athletes from home and abroad. A: There will be an athletes’ parade in downtown Taipei prior to the opening ceremony on Saturday. Let’s go then. A: 2025雙北世界壯年運動會5月17日開幕，持續至5月30日閉幕。 B: 世壯運？ A: 這是四年一度、以30歲以上青壯年為主的運動會，本屆是由台北市和新北市共同舉辦。 B: 好酷喔，我們去幫來自國內外的選手們加油吧！ A: 週六在台北市區會有選手遊行，之後是開幕典禮，我們去看吧。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪)
A: Where will the 35 sports of the 2025 World Masters Games be held? B: Apart from Taipei and New Taipei City, some games will take place in Yilan County, Taoyuan County, and Hsinchu County and City. A: The news says about 25,000 people, including many celebrities and sports stars, have already registered for the games. B: Even Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, who is 47, registered for softball and squash. New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi, who is 68, also registered for table tennis. A: And it will be the largest sports event ever in Taiwan’s history. How exciting. A:
After the death of Pope Francis on April 21, the Vatican’s papal conclave on May 8 elected a new leader for the Catholic Church. Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost, who chose to be called Leo XIV, became the 267th pope, spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. But what exactly does a pope do? Here is a rundown of his main responsibilities. CATHOLIC LEADER The word pope comes from the Greek “pappas,” meaning “father, patriarch,” which is why believers call him the Holy Father. He is considered the successor of St Peter, to whom Jesus Christ is said to have entrusted
Have you ever wondered who decides what we see in a museum or how one artwork seamlessly connects to the next? Behind every thoughtfully arranged gallery space stands a curator, a skilled professional who combines art and storytelling to craft meaningful experiences. The term “curator” originates from the Latin word cura, meaning “to care.” Curators were originally caretakers of museum collections, but over time, their role has grown to include a broad range of responsibilities that extend far beyond preservation. Today, curators manage, organize and interpret collections in cultural institutions like museums and libraries. They research, acquire and catalogue
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