Why The Images About London Are Important To The Culture - Essay Example

Argument about why the Images about London are Important to the Culture This paper provides profound information specifically describing the magnificent images that are found in the city of London and how these images play a role in the enhancement of culture. It also covers the stereotyping aspect of the images in England and other settings. Some of the images discussed in this paper include the British museum, The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Buckingham palace, Big Ben amongst other images that have contributed in exhibiting the culture of the London Citizens. This paper also defines and elucidates some of the practices and events that have been considered to play a role in maintaining and further strengthening the culture and traditions of the London citizens. Indeed, London is well known as the capital city of the United Kingdom that a majority of individuals recognize as one of the oldest but greatest cities of the world. Characterized by its eminently aesthetic serene, London is known to harbor approximately 8.5 million people. The city is situated on both banks of the river Thames that connects London with the sea thus making it a large seaport. The city of London is recognized as the heart or hot spot of business and commercial life. London is forefront in terms of being the world’s leading business, financial and cultural centers as well as being a political, education, entertainment, media, and fashion and art bigwig. Besides this, London has been known for its magnificent and beautiful landmarks by which some have been in existence ever since the heydays. These are the likes of Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret’s Church, the Tower of London, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Big Ben among many others. As a result, the city has become one of the most influential and most popular tourist destinations in the world. Introduction Culture is incorporated and woven into the fabric of London city; that has been described as one of the most aesthetic City all over the world. Its scenario is just magnificent and its beauty indescribable. London has further been described as an ornament to the realm by the beauty it poses. London, the capital city of the United Kingdom is one of the most popular cities in the world due to the numerous landmarks, art galleries and its diverse cultures (Cvetkovic, 2013). In cultural terms, early modern London was considered to cut an edge over the other vast cities by being the largest and most widely experienced human creation all over the world. Its fast-paced growth and advancements helped to produce a community of arts and letters that had existed since the Anthens of the fifth century. London is the home of cultural and education institutions and this is clearly depicted by the numerous images around the city. It is an excellent international city like no other as it pulsates with energy of business, style, and rich cultural history. The city is the home to a wide range of famous and spectacular sceneries such as museums and art galleries that have been in existence ever since the ancient times. Besides this, London is also known for its strengths in the commerce, arts, entertainment, fashion, finance, tourism, transport, and other myriad number of traits (Cvetkovic, 2013). The images found along the street are eminently vital as they portray the identity of its people, structure, and meaning. One of the most striking feature surrounding the London City are the existence of thatched houses which are currently being referred to as cottages. Although being a few in numbers, the thatched houses represent the ancient times where there had not been any developments in terms of housing. The cottages are described as being small dwellings of traditional build as it was in the olden days. The materials for building a thatched house had caused an alarm as it posed a great threat because of the materials used being prone to fire. It is with this profound reason that the government passed on a bill that required its citizens to adapt to brick houses. However, there are still a few thatched houses that have been specifically designed to resemble the traditional ones thereby signifying the culture and traditions of the Britain citizens. London Bridge is another scenario that has caught many eyes due to its evident magnificent beauty and location. London Bridge is one of the historic sites found in London city and was constructed in the year 1831. Found along River Thame, the bridge is an arch and remains to be one of the most iconic destinations in London City. London Bridge and Tower Bridge are located downstream to each other, crossing the River Thames besides the London Bridge is the grand towers emblazoned upon postcards and fridge magnets. They symbolize the British way of life, the industrial revolution, the monarchy, and the capital’s gory history. The highlighted are some of the few scenarios that make many to privy the gruesome truths about London’s past that include hangings, beheadings, conspiracy, and theft. Moreover, the bridge would certainly give anyone a fascinating and magical view of the city with all its grandeur. London city is also endowed with a plethora of great museums that provide some of the fascinating experiences to a vast majority of tourists who come to visit. One of the most widely known museums is the British museum. Britain’s national museum of archaeology and antiquities was established by an act of parliament in the year 1753 when the government had purchased three large private collections consisting of books, manuscripts, prints, drawings, medals, coins, seals, cameos, and natural curiosities (Wetmore, 2009). The museum is located in the Bloomsbury district of London and is famously known for its collection as in archaeology and ethnography that together define some of the Britain’s tradition and culture. The museum has been known for its stellar illustrations and documentations of the story of human development and culture from its early years up to date. Britain national museum is the home to probably one of the most comprehensive collections in the entire world, representing the human history (Knott, Sandford & Taira, 2013). The collection is composed of some of the amazing cultural relics from nearly every civilization in the world – past and present. Houses of parliament are among the iconic landmarks of the London city that represent the history of Britain. It is aesthetic view and nature has made it to be a tourist attraction due to a vast majority of tourists thronging in the city of London on a daily basis. The Houses of parliament, also known as the palace of Westminster lies on the Middlesex bank of the River Thames in the city of Westminster in central London. Big Ben is also one of the places in the middle of London city that has had its existence ever since the ancient times. It is also regarded as being one of the many iconic landmarks in the busy city of London. One of the most famous parts of Charles Barrys design is the elegant clock tower. Originally called St. Stephens Tower, it was soon named after the towers largest bell, the Big Ben. A light at the top of the tower is illuminated when Parliament is sitting at night. A vast majority of students are known to flock in the numerous institutions of London in search for knowledge. It is evidently true that a London is a town that is not only endowed with beautiful destinations but is also an area where students are guaranteed of quality education (Nam, 2012). Besides this, students are always taught and learn of the Britain’s culture due to the available resources that offer them this knowledge. Generally, a vast number of students enjoy their stay in Britain due to the non-discriminative environment thus making London to be a suitable region for any student from any part of the world. The city of London is thereby regarded by many as being the city where one can lack nothing since one is guaranteed of getting some of the best services offered in the city. Culture creates identity and London as a city has created its identity through a myriad of ways because of their diverse but dynamic culture. It is in the United Kingdom that the highest magnitude of community languages has been recorded. It is evident that there is still a growing diversity of London’s population and research has revealed that there are over 300 languages that are currently being spoken by the people living in London and its surrounding environs (Tames, 2006, p.77). According to research studies, London has been considered to have the highest number of different languages as compared to any other city in the world. The people who speak these languages have specific cultures and traditions that are recognized all over the globe thus giving London a recognizable identity. Furthermore, the peace and unity that prevails in this city has captivated many inclusive of the foreigners who would freely come to view the beautiful serenity of the city. This certainly increases the economy of the city and the country at large. London is also known to have the highest record of festivals that take place each year. Around 250 festivals are known to take place in London annually. This is known to be one of the major aspects that contribute to unity and togetherness among the citizens inhabiting London. Each person living in the city is able to witness and enjoy the cultural diversity that is usually being exhibited during the festivals. A great majority of artists, each with different talent unite during this period to display their God given gifts and most importantly to send a message to the citizens living in London and to the world at large. Besides this, London periodically holds live comedy shows than any other City in the world. From holding new talent shows in the backrooms of Pubs to the likes of Ricky Gervais, Chris Rock, and Steve Coogan performing in major arena ((Merrifield, 2003). There are also more than 17,000 music performances a year across London’s 300+ venues including the O2 arena which is the world’s most popular music venue for the last five years running (Street, 2010, p.50).This has thereby given London its own identity. London’s cultural industry is famous for its innovation and experimentation, its entrepreneurial energy and risk taking. Some of the marvelous exhibitions that reflect the culture and traditions of the London citizens are the music, written books, movies, and dramas among other numerous events. The artists who design and produce these events incorporate some of the London’s culture in the said events and a majority of people all over the world usually witnesses this. Almost each dawn, producers work their best to develop film projects, museum curators, and planning exhibitions that are usually known to promote unity among the citizens living in London. One of the factors that has attributed to the exhibition of London’s culture was Olympic and Paralympics games that were held in the year 2012 (Hadjetian, 2007, p.132). London is defined by its history because of its spectacular success of the Olympics and Paralympics Games. These games, which were witnessed all over the world brought unity not only among the people of Britain but also among the people and citizens coming from every part of the world. The London citizens were also able to showcase their cultures and traditions to the whole world thus creating a name and identity for the city of London. The success of both the Olympics and Paralympics games portrayed an excellent picture of tremendous leadership, coordination, and partnership. The 2012 games more so reminded the world that London is and is still is a global cultural powerhouse. Alongside the games, London was able to stage the largest cultural festival in its history; astonishing the city with the likes of Streb’s daredevil dancers extreme choreography on London’s landmarks in one extraordinary day, the Globe Theatre’s season of Shakespeare from around the world, a bouncy castle Stonehenge and a Union Jack hat for Admiral Nelson (Merrifield, 2003, p.60). The educational institutions in London have been authorized by the London’s authority to include arts and culture as part of the education. This is currently a growing trend amongst the educational institutions existing within the city of London. The children at a tender age are honed in terms of artwork and are also taught about the culture existing in London. In one way or another, this has greatly contributed towards the expansion and spread of the culture and traditions amongst the children who would grow more aware of the existing diversified culture. The introduced ambitious programmes of cultural activities are vital as they engage and inspire the young people of the London city. Through public art projects, the talented people of London have integrated contemporary art into the cityscape. The event is one of the practices that have so far made the London City to be the epitome of great and magnificent art gallery. The government together with authorities has also been supportive as they allow the talented youths to showcase their God given talents in terms of integrating contemporary art into the cityscape (Bond, 2007, p.23). This makes the city of London to be the most outstanding amongst all the other cities in the world. This is because the government allows it people to enjoy the freedom of expression with their talents being tapped and showcased to not only the people of London but to the whole world at large. This has enhanced unity amongst the people and has made the people inhabiting London to always feel at home. London’s built environments inclusive of public realms and parks have provided arenas for outdoor events and festivals that create a unique sense of occasion. London has also been on the limelight with its numerous events such as the Royal wedding and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee that have been acknowledged and celebrated all over the world (Hadjetian, 2007). This has made London to be a city that is recognized all over the world. The dignitaries from each part of the world have also been invited to such events and this has indeed brought the whole world together in celebration. Besides this, there have been numerous events and festivals that are usually held across London. These festivals assist in providing a sense of belonging to the people of London as they are able to enjoy and celebrate their diverse cultures through these events (In Bel & In Paskins, 2013). London is also a city that is endowed with erudite fashion designers who produce exquisite products to be worn. Ever since the heydays, London has been known for great fashion sense and this has simply advanced. It is with this profound reason that London Fashion Week has been invented and in the year, the return of the olden Philip Treacy was witnessed (Tames, 2006). With over a million viewers from more than 100 countries were able to live-stream the event. This thereby indicated a sense of unity amongst the different people of the world who were captivated with the products showcased during the London Fashion Week event. In conclusion, London is a city of many attributes and is mainly considered as a hot spot area that supports the culture and tradition of its people. It is with this profound reason that tourist throng in London each and every day thus making London to be a city like no other. References Bond, E. (2007). Reading London: Urban speculation and imaginative government in eighteenth-century literature. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. https://books.google.us/books?id=aC_1b4MxnncC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Reading+London:+Urban+speculation+and+imaginative+government+in+eighteenth-century+literature&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7q1LVdOTJ4-3uATUhIDIDQ&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Bottom of For Cvetkovic, V. B. (2013). Portrayals of children in popular culture: Fleeting images. 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New York: Oxford Univ. Press. https://books.google.us/books?id=ocPzXnCaOkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=London:+A+cultur l+history&hl=en&sa=X&ei=d7NLVe_yPMPj7Qaq_4H4Bw&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepag &q&f=false Wetmore, K. J. (2009). Portrayals of Americans on the World Stage: Critical Essays. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. https://books.google.us/books?id=jFgu7J8JySYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Portrayals+of+Americans+on+the+World+Stage:+Critical+Essays&hl=en&sa=X&ei=dbRLVei5IcW3uAS8-oDwCQ&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false Read More