Let’s Visit Asia

A festival also held in Napa and Tuscany, this premier arts and lifestyle festival will also be held in Singapore for the second time.
From 17 – 26 October 2008, embark on an exciting journey to celebrate the Art of Living Well through over 90 premium lifestyle and arts events encompassing Music, Visual Arts, Literature, Film, Wine, Cuisine and Wellness. Join over 250 artists, musicians, chefs, writers and celebrities at various beautiful locations along the Singapore River and Marina Bay throughout the 10 days.
Check out the calendar of events and ticketing details from their official website. If you book until end …read more

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Tomorrow is a public holiday here in Singapore: it’s Vesak Day, also informally referred to as “Buddha’s birthday,” but actually encompasses the birth, enlightenment Nirvana, and passing (Parinirvana) of Gautama Buddha. It is a public holiday not only here, but also in many Asian countries like Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Being a Christian myself and having lived only in largely Christian nations before, I have to admit I am totally ignorant of what happens during Vesak Day. But here’s what I found on the web:
The day starts with chanting of …read more

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We always associate fortune cookies with Chinese restaurants and assumed they originated in China, but did you know that they are actually virtually unknown in China?
There are several speculations regarding the origins of the fortune cookie, the most widely held belief is that this is an invention of the Chinese settlers in America. However, a researcher now claims that they are actually originally form JAPAN.
As she researched the cookie’s Japanese origins, among the most persuasive pieces of evidence Nakamachi found was an illustration from a 19th-century book of stories, “Moshiogusa Kinsei Kidan.”
A character in one of the tales is an …read more

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Deepavali or Diwali is a major festival in India. Celebrated by Hindus and Jains all over the world, the “Festival of Lights” signify the uplighting of darkness and victory of good over the evil within.
There is confusion as to the origin of the tradition, but that doesn’t stop the Indian communities from celebrating it this coming Friday, November 9. Well, unless you happen to be visiting Chennai, in which case, where the 5-day celebration has just begun today, until the 11th.
If you want to learn more about this Indian festival, you can find a lot of information here.

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Happy Halloween! Mary Jo at Flyaway Cafe compiled all the Halloween-related posts in the B5 Travel and Culture Channel; have a look at how this festivity is celebrated all over the world.
Although Halloween is also being observed in some parts of Asia, it is not a “real tradition” but merely in the context of American pop culture. In China and Chinese communities, however, its equivalent is the Ghost Festival:
In Chinese tradition, the thirteen day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar (Buddhist rituals are held on the fourteen day) is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general …read more

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From the thousands of travel videos uploaded in youtube, it makes it difficult to discover treasure like this. Join Tyson Sadler as he explores India and Nepal with his brother and best friend.

Great clips, great music, great annotation… 10 minutes of a real great documentary! I love it!

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In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Chinese drama, the Fifth Beijing International Drama Festival is ongoing until May 3 at the Great Hall of the People, Capital Theatre, Poly Theatre, Chang’an Grand Theatre, Haidian Theatre and others theatres in the city. A total of 18, mostly traditional, dramas will be staged during the festival.
The drama festival highlights various aspects of China’s dramatic arts, including musical drama, traditional drama, Peking Opera, Yue Opera from Southeast China’s Zhejiang Province and more.
Click here for more info on the schedule of performances.

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Particularly when you travel to countries within the same region (East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia), you’ll encounter sights, food and local behavior that is shared among the different countries. They may have some local twist or flavor to spring rolls, for example, but it’s basically the same. Different localities would adorn their temples and other places of worship differently, but the habits and traditions are quite similar.
Hyo, traveling across the countries along the Mekong River, phrases it jocularly, but they’re quite true:
The locals will reassure that each song you’ll hear is a different one, but how can …read more

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Forget luxury wellness resorts. If it’s meditation and soul-searching you’re after, how would you like to try staying in a Buddhist Temple instead?
Temple Stay Korea allows tourists to have a sampling to life in a Buddhist temple and learn, experience and appreciate Korean culture and the lifestyle of Buddhist monks. Organized by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s Templestay Division, the program promises visitors “a magnificent chance to relax, reflect and revitalize themselves in the tranquility of nature”.
Are you up for it?
I got my first hint of this austere lifestyle when I arrived and was greeted by Cho Hyemun-aery, …read more

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The year 2007 is the Golden Year of the Pig! Here’s wishing everyone a prosperous and fun-filled year of travels ahead!

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