Bøger af Gang Xu

How did the Chinese character Xi, also a prominent family name in China, originate? The mute swan might very well hold the answer to the question. In 2014, the author, a former Harvard fellow, was stunned to come across a scene in which two mute swan parents disciplined and trained one of their three children, which precisely captured the original meaning of the character Xi. His curiosity about the bird as an intelligent animal species was finally given an opportunity to flourish five years later, when more than two dozen mute swans wintered in the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in the west periphery of the city of Boston, Massachusetts. He soon discovered that mute swans have evolved a practice that can only be characterized as a religion or faith, indicating that religion or faith is not an experience unique to humans. His observations suggest that the bird has formed a primitive civilization with significant social structure.This book is the fruition of his passionate inquiries and painstaking documentation over a full, intensive year. The most comprehensive book about the mute swan so far, it systemically presents various aspects of mute swans, from their habitat and other birds that share the same water with them, to their relationship with humans, to their behavior, their faith, and their family lives. It integrates photography, nature, sciences, and humanity, as well as tales of his encounters with mute swans and other birds: at one end of the spectrum, the book goes into great detail about mute swans' wing structure; at the other, it brings in early Chinese civilization--Chinese idioms, mythology, Taoism, and the oracle bone script--as relevant to birds.Among the book's most valuable features: 167 sets of beautiful photo illustrationsA diligent case study on human, environment, and animalsCareful photo annotations that promote critical thinking and discussionBrainstorm questions that encourage open-minded curiosityBilingual in English and Chinese; the two languages are printed side by side to be beneficial to language learnersA complementary video series on YouTube, titled Dr. Gang Xu's Swan WorldA book of stunning discoveries, Great Mute Swans is for a broad audience. With its numerous photographic illustrations, the book is a great gift for families and children of a wide range of ages.

In the 1990s there has been a boom in China's tourist industry. This study examines the role of tourism in the local economic development in different areas of China, and identifies the decisive factors in determining the success or failure of tourism-oriented development strategy at local level.

2 Estimation of Affine Transformation 165 4 RECOVERY OF EPIPOLAR GEOMETRY FROM LINE SEGMENTS OR LINES 167 Line Segments or Straight Lines 168 4. 2 Solving Motion Using Line Segments Between Two Views 173 4. 4 Determining Camera Projection Matrices 201 4. 4 Summary 204 5 REDEFINING STEREO, MOTION AND OBJECT RECOGNITION VIA EPIPOLAR GEOMETRY 205 5.

2 Estimation of Affine Transformation 165 4 RECOVERY OF EPIPOLAR GEOMETRY FROM LINE SEGMENTS OR LINES 167 Line Segments or Straight Lines 168 4. 2 Solving Motion Using Line Segments Between Two Views 173 4. 4 Determining Camera Projection Matrices 201 4. 4 Summary 204 5 REDEFINING STEREO, MOTION AND OBJECT RECOGNITION VIA EPIPOLAR GEOMETRY 205 5.