The Contemporary Night Owl

	New York City's Times Square circa 2005, with the Panasonic Jumbotron in view.

Have you ever been in a major international city (especially a metropolis such as NYC or Tokyo) and caught a glimpse of a video billboard projecting a hi-tech ad or some other kind of programming? Or some other kind of enormous image being projected on the side of a building? Ever wondered about the history of the technology behind these amazing images? Let's have a look at the earliest and most groundbreaking giant screens...

Giant screens in unconventional outdoor settings as a medium of advertising, broadcasting, and relaying information gradually caught on throughout the mid-20th century. These screens enable advertisers to catch the public eye with dazzling, eye-catching ads or commercials (or TV shows and news broadcasts for that matter) and reach a wider audience than with traditional media such as television.

In 1933, the most famous and at one time, most common example of a giant outdoor screen was debuted to the world when the first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden, NJ, USA. This theater, which closed its doors after a mere three years, set the stage for thousands more like it to open across the US. Drive-in theaters would become a pop icon and an important part of the American landscape in the 1950s-60s.

In 1936, the British movie Things To Come (adapted by producer Alexander Korda and H.G. Wells from Wells's novel The Shape of Things To Come) featured a giant outdoor screen over which the public could gather and watch politicians give speeches from a broadcast studio. Ironically enough, this vision of the future was already becoming a reality with the historical developments in television technology made during that time as well the debut of the first drive-in theaters! Things To Come was an early preview of things to come in the world of broadcasting.

On America's Election Day in 1947, a giant screen popped up in an unlikely place: Starkville, Mississippi. This screen was erected on a drug store in town by the owners of the local newspaper to announce the local, statewide and national election results to people attending a large election party in town. As the results were announced (including the election of Miss. judge John C. Stennis to the US Senate - a seat he would hold for 42 years.), townspeople watched them live on the screen. This was a forerunner to Election Day TV coverage, which was just a few years away.

The "ancestor" of the video billboard or video screen as we know them today was created by one of the companies who has made good use of and pioneered it over the past few decades: Sony. In 1961, Sony debuted the Sony Scope, which was a huge movie projector that projected images such as public service ads, manga shorts, and Sony product commercials on buildings owned by the company in Tokyo. The Sony Scope, which was discontinued in 1964, was fired up several times a week at night and was extremely hi-tech when it first came out.

In the 1960s-70s, a new technology was developed which would revolutionize the world of advertising and broadcasting: LED technology. With their bright colors and long life, LEDs have enabled a whole generation of video screens, billboards, and more to be created, ranging from small video displays on store shelves to the gargantuans mentioned in this post! In 2004, what was then the largest LED display in the world was unveiled in Las Vegas, NV at the Fremont Street Experience. Since then, gargantuan LED displays in Suzhou, China and at an Absa bank location in Johannesburg, South Africa have successively taken the title as the world's largest LED screens.

One of the first Jumbotron models at Expo '85.

Sony would create another milestone in both large-screen televisions and giant screens when it unveiled the Jumbotron to the world in 1985 at the Expo '85 World's Fair, which was held in Tsukuba, Japan. This giant TV and video screen is based on LED technology. At the time it premiered, this TV was one of the most state of the art and largest ever manufactured. Five years later, the first Jumbotron was installed at One Times Square in New York City. Throughout the early and mid-1990s, this Jumbotron showed programming such as news, weather, music videos, "infotainment" programs, and The Late Night Show with David Letterman to the masses of people passing through Times Square at any given time. In 1996, Sony shut their Jumbotron down and that was soon replaced with one from their rival, Panasonic. That Jumbotron was in turn replaced in 2010 by one from Daktronics.

Other Sony Jumbotrons were installed elsewhere in the world, including what was, until 2005, the largest in the world at the former SkyDome (now named Rogers Centre) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Galleria in Seoul, South Korea.

One of most spectacular giant LED screens in the world is that of The Galleria in Seoul, South Korea. This massive screen, which was created in the 1990s, is powered by LED lights and engulfs the entire main building of the mall! It displays LED people, flowers, messages (which seem to be mostly in Hangeul), and more.

At the time of this writing, the world's largest video screen is located at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC, USA. This screen, which is 61 meters long by 24 meters wide (200x800 ft.), is a Panasonic HD set that went into operation in 2011. This screen gives a spectacular view of the race to the audience...and anyone who happens to be within viewing distance of the speedway! However, that screen will soon lose its title this year when the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas, TX, USA unveils its new "Big Hoss TV"! That screen is a massive HD screen measuring 66 meters wide by 28 meters wide (218 feet wide and 94.6 feet) tall!

Other noteworthy giant video screens include the screens at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai, the Dallas Cowboys screen at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX, USA (which was the largest in the world until the Charlotte video screen came along), the Houston Texans' screen at the Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX (currently the largest in the American NFL), and the Tokyo Racecourse in Tokyo, Japan. All four of these screens are Mitsubishi Diamond Vision screens.

Over the decades, giant video screens, video/LED billboards, and more have been used to display movies and other entertainment programs, advertise products, broadcast news and information to large numbers of people, and magnify live events such as sporting events and concerts. Political leaders have reached massive number of supporters (and opponents) with these video screens. The screen in Things To Come has definitely become an everyday reality in our modern world.

Links:
http://www.oobject.com/category/giant-screens/
http://www.urbanscreens.org/ (A website dedicated to giant screens in urban society.)
http://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/31/business/media-business-advertising-sony-s-times-square-jumbotron-has-begun-attract.html (A New York Times article from 1993 about the Sony Jumbotron.)
http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2005/01/leds-transform-department-store-in-seoul.html (An interesting article from LEDs Magazine about the LED lights of Seoul's Galleria Mall.)
http://www.digitalsignagetoday.com/article/210081/Jo-burg-digital-signage-install-billed-as-world-s-largest-LED-display (Article from Digital Signage Today about the LED display in Johannesburg, South Africa that became the world's largest in March 2013.)

(Image Credits: Times Square: Jorge Royan.  Expo '85 Jumbotron: ころぞう/Ubcle. The Galleria: Christian Richters. All images used courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) 

The iconic "Jesus Saves" neon cross in New York City.

Today's blog topic is one many night owls - particularly those who spend any significant amount of time on the road - are probably familiar with: Neon church crosses.

Neon church crosses that light up the night sky are one of the most famous symbols of nighttime America. They can be found along many major American highways and interstates and in some inner city neighborhoods. Neon crosses can be found on top of church steeples and on the sides of various other buildings across the country, inviting the public to come to church or acting as beacons of comfort at night for anyone with troubles on their mind. During the Christmas season, they spread a bit of Christmas cheer along dark stretches of interstate highway where Christmas decorations might be sparse. Most importantly of all, neon crosses have become messengers in the night which help spread the message of Christ during the nighttime hours when most people are asleep.

For many centuries, crosses on top of churches have pointed us in the direction of Heaven, lifted the cross of Christ to the world, and much more. Neon crosses have served all of these purposes for many decades now. It's unclear when and where the first neon cross was created in the USA, but neon signs in general became highly popular in the United States during the 1920s-1930s. It can only be assumed the first neon crosses appeared on churches during this period.

For the next five decades onwards, neon crosses would pop up all over America. Many of these crosses have become historical landmarks. One such cross is the famous Route 66/I-55 neon cross over St. Paul's Lutheran Church (also known as the Church of the Neon Sign) in Hamel, IL. This cross was erected in 1946 in tribute to Oscar Brunnworth, a local soldier who was killed in Italy during World War II. This cross has been a source of inspiration and comfort to many late-night drivers driving along I-55 ever since it was erected. Another famous American neon cross is  the foreboding cross hanging over St. Paul's House in Manhattan, NYC which has warned passers-by that "Sin will find you out" for six decades now since it was erected in the 1950s. Also in Manhattan's Alphabet City neighborhood is the iconic "Jesus Saves" cross, which has made appearances in TV shows, movies, websites, and more.

In the 1970s, the number of neon crosses (and neon signs in general) began to drop in the US due to complaints about light pollution and rising electricity and maintenance costs. There are not nearly as many neon crosses now as there once were, but they are still very much a part of the American nightscape.

The Suwon Jeil Church in Suwon, S. Korea.

In addition to the US, there are other countries where neon crosses have become a familiar part of the nighttime landscape. One such country is South Korea. In the ROK, red crosses can be found all over the country. They are on top of virtually all Protestant churches across the country, including in the capital Seoul, which has earned it the informal nickname of "the city of the neon crosses"! These crosses serve very much the same purposes as the neon crosses in America do. And on top of Aegibong Hill near the DMZ separating North and South Korea, a huge electric Christmas tree tower is lit every year for 15 days which broadcasts a visual message of peace to the North through the Christmas season. This tower can be seen as far away as the North Korean city of Kaesong. However, some of the red neon crosses that have popped up in Korea may not exactly be a symbol of traditional Western Christianity......

According to a July 2008 article from the Asia Times Online, some of these red crosses have a meaning that goes beyond traditional Christian symbolism. In Korea, red crosses are also symbolic of the Donghak, or the "Eastern Learning" movement indigenous to Korea. These crosses reflect the "Poguk anmin" ("Protect the nation and secure peace for the people" in English) mantra, which is the call for a return to Confucian ideals and a Korean identity not shaped by foreign influence. In this case, these crosses are a call for Korean Christians to practice a more Korean-specific form of Christianity.    

Shanghai's Muen, or Moore Memorial Church in 2007.

One other neon cross that deserves special mention is the neon cross on top of the Muen Church in Shanghai, China. Erected in 1936 when the church was known as Moore Memorial Church and inspired by the neon crosses in the US, this red cross stood out in the city's nightscape when all around it were neon signs advertising nightclubs, dance halls, and all the other "party hard" establishments that are part of any major city at night. After the Communist victory in mainland China in 1949, all the neon lights - including the Moore Memorial Church cross - were turned off by the authorities. The cross would not be turned on again until 1988. Today the Muen Church is surrounded by office buildings and billboards advertising the latest iPhone, but it still stands out in the midst of the urban hustle and bustle, just as it did in the 1930s and 40s.

Other countries which have their own neon cross traditions include the Philippines, where blue neon crosses can be seen in cities across the country at night; Vietnam, where the neon lights of the Nha Trang Cathedral can only be described as stunning, and the UK, where a blue neon cross adorns the top of the Round Chapel in the Lower Clapton district of London's Hackney borough.

Since they started making their first appearances in the night skies all those decades ago, neon church crosses have been a source of inspiration for many, have become historical landmarks, and have carried Christ's message throughout the night. They have also become a means of guidance (both spiritually and navigationally) and have soothed many a soul, Christian and non-Christian alike.

Links:
-http://route66news.com/2011/01/01/the-old-neon-cross/ (Article about the Hamel, IL neon cross.)
-http://www.religiousproductnews.com/articles/2007-February/Feature-Articles/The-History-of-Church-Steeples.htm (The History of Church Steeples)
-A Protestant Church in Communist China: Moore Memorial Church, Shanghai 1949-1989 by John Craig and William Keating. Excerpt from Google Books about the church's neon cross.
-http://www.idealshanghai.com/venues/3756/ Website about Muen (Moore Memorial) Church.

(Image Credits: "Jesus Saves" pic: David Shankbone. Suwon Jeil Church pic: Zubro. Muen Church pic: Kwz. All images used via Wikimedia Commons.)

For the night owl traveling around the globe (particularly in the Asia-Pacific region), one of the most frequented destinations is the night market. These markets can be found all around the world, particularly in Asian communities. Night markets are the perfect place to go and do some late-night shopping, or just stroll around, look at some goodies, and observe all the hustle and bustle among all the other night owls who would rather do anything but sleep!

Here are five of Asia's most famous night markets:

Namdaemun Market at night.

1.) Namdaemun Market. Located in Seoul, South Korea, the Namdaemun market is Korea's oldest and largest market.

Dating back to 1414, Namdaemun Market is located by the city's historical southern gate. From the time of its inception, the market has been a place where food, everyday items, fruit, clothing, and much more can be bought (mostly bought nowadays) or traded. The market boasts over 400,000 shoppers a day and has over 10,000 stores located along its alleyways!

Namdaemun Market is open 24 hours and at any given time of the day, the market is bustling with shoppers! The market is famous for its restaurants, clothing stores, cosmetics shops, luxury item shops, food shops, household item shops, and even eyeglasses shops!

A scene at the "temporary" Shilin Night Market circa 2006.

2.) Shilin Night Market. The largest market and biggest nighttime hotspot in Taipei, Taiwan, is without a doubt the Shilin Night Market.

This market, which opened in 1909, is famous for its food court, which contains over 500 different food stalls and restaurants! The market itself consists of two areas: The market itself, and all the neighboring businesses such as stores, theaters, and karaoke bars. Shilin Market is most famous for its street food and traditional food such as "frog eggs" (a type of dessert that resembles frog eggs. No actual frog eggs are used as ingredients in this dessert!), Chinese baozi, fried chicken, and sausages.

The original Shilin Market building underwent renovation beginning in 2006 and in December 2011, the newly-renovated market building opened to the world.

For anyone in Taipei looking for a good late-night snack, this is the place to find it!

A row of stalls in Temple St. Night Market.

3.) Temple Street Night Market. For the night owl living in or visiting Hong Kong who wants a good nightly dose of late-night Cantonese opera, men's fashion, traditional Chinese medicine, odd trinkets and antiques, old video tapes, Canto-pop karaoke, and Chinese fortune-tellers, they can find all this and more at the historic Temple Street Night Market in the Yau Ma Tei and Jordan areas of Kowloon.

This market is one of the busiest in Hong Kong. Over the years it has earned the nickname "Men's Road" because of the large number of vendors and stalls selling men's fashion and fashion accessories. It is also famous for its seafood restaurants and street food, antique and household accessory stalls, fortune-telling booths, and masters of traditional Chinese medicine who practice in this market.

Temple St. Night Market is also famous for being shown in a number of HK blockbuster films such as the Temple Street series of movies from the early 1990s and the 1996 Stephen Chow movie The God of Cookery.

The Liuhe Night Market.

4.) Liuhe Night Market. Another famous night market in Taiwan is Kaohsiung's Liuhe Night Market. This market is famous nationwide for its seafood and exotic food, as well as other Chinese foods.

The first food stalls opened at Liuhe in the 1940s and in 1987, it became a full-fledeged tourist-oriented night market.

Liuhe has 138 food stalls and the market itself opens at night. During the day, the market vanishes and the street is just another one of Kaohsiung's streets!

Lau Pa Sat in the daytime.

5.) Lau Pa Sat. While the old Telok Ayer Market - or Lau Pa Sat as it's more popularly known among Singaporeans - isn't quite a night market anymore, it is a popular food court and "hawker centre" that stays open through the night!

Established in 1825, Lau Pa Sat has been an integral part of Singapore's history throughout its existence. Until 1973, Lau Pa Sat was a "wet market" where seafood was sold. Nowadays it's a food center where many food stalls can be found selling dishes from all over Asia and the West.

Lau Pa Sat can also be a very lively place at night. During the weekends, jazz bands perform in the center of the market after dusk and throughout the week, hawker stands selling  a southeast Asian shish kebab-like dish known as satay pop up all around the building.

All in all, Lau Pa Sat is a lively place to have a good meal and enjoy the Singapore nightlife on a sleepless night!


These are just five of the famous night markets in Asia where a person can whittle away the nighttime hours shopping, eating, or just soaking up the atmosphere. If you know of any other night markets (or any other markets such as Pasar malam or hawker centres) in the Asia-Pacific region that are a good place to shop or just hang out in the wee hours of the morning, please tell us more about them in the Comments section below!  

For more info about these markets, here are some sites for you:
-http://www.thatfoodcray.com/2012/05/03/taipei-cray-night-market-madness-part-two-shilin/ (An excellent entry from the food blog That Food Cray about the Shilin Market. Includes a multitude of pictures.)
-http://mykafkaesquelife.blogspot.com/2011/07/liuhe-night-market-kaohsiung.html (A blog entry from My Kafkaesque Life about the Liuhe Night Market. Chock full of photos and info about the market!)


(Image of Namdaemun Market copyright: d'n'c. Shilin Market image: Senkang. Temple Street Night Market image: deror_avi. Liuhe Night Market image: Henry M. Trotter. Lau Pa Sat image: mailer_diablo. All images used via Wikimedia Commons.)