They are set against a serene backdrop based on an 18th-century Chinese painting by Ba Dan San Ren.
With the sea, the sand, and the sky as his serene backdrop, he levitates a stick, eclipses his shadow with his open palms, and shrinks a sand dollar.
But far from being a serene backdrop to peaceful village life, the Tian Shan (Mandarin for "celestial mountains") in this part of Kyrgyzstan are at the centre of one of the region's most ambitious and controversial mining projects and a long-running and increasingly tense conflict with communities nearby.
With each day that slips by before an end-of-March deadline for a framework agreement, the political temperature rises against the serene backdrop of the snow-capped Swiss Alps.
No Video Games, I'm on Vacation The sweep of white sand, the serene Caribbean backdrop, even the lagoonlike pool wending its way around palm trees and lounge chairs: It all looked pretty awful to 16-year-old Rachel Lin Moulene.
Perhaps it's the serene vinyl backdrop, offset by the color of the large blue bucket.
Pale noncolors (wheat, cream, a dash of celadon) blended graciously with Asian details, like the sliding bathroom door that evoked a shoji screen, to create a serene, if impersonal, backdrop.
For now though, I float in the deep swimming hole near the cabin, toes poking above the placid water, staring upward at the greying bridge silhouetted against its bright blue backdrop, serene.
BETH ORTON, Town Hall, Oct. 4. Alone onstage with her acoustic guitar for much of her set, Ms. Orton set up steady, mantralike picking patterns, a backdrop of serene constancy for the turmoil of ache and determination in her vocals.
If you left your swimsuit behind, you can stay dry on the viewing platform and still absorb the serene landscape — a perfect backdrop for envy-inducing vacation photos!
It's a beautiful spot of serene natural beauty; the lake, backdropped by snowy mountains and 10th century monasteries, has a promenade that stretches along the crystal-clear water's edge.
