So much in Asia depends on the calendar. In February in Beijing, more than 20 million people all set off fireworks to celebrate Chinese New Year. In Nagaland in India, tribes from all over the region meet to compete, dance, and celebrate. In Thailand, spectators look on as celebrants perform bizarre rituals at the Nine Emperor Gods Festival.
With an intimate and unique knowledge of Asian culture, Remote Lands knows the importance of experiencing culture the right way. Whether you want an up-close view of the Sing-Sing festival in the Asaro Valley of Papua New Guinea or a quiet walk through the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan, Remote Lands can give travelers the best possible experience on their celebrations throughout Asia.
The four-day Ok Om Bok Festival in Soc Trang is a chance for Vietnam’s Khmer ethnic group to celebrate, whilst also thanking their Moon Goddess for any good fortune from the past year. Spiritual ceremonies are combined with mass lantern making sessions (and releasing), as well as the festival's highlight: a canoe boat race.
Water sports enthusiasts gather for this annual, two-day event, which historically celebrates peace between warring tribes. As well as racing traditional, decorated long boats, the teams of rowers from all over ASEAN take part in a range of other events, competing for cash prizes. There is also a food festival and golf tournament.
Also known as the Sonepur Cattle Fair, this fall event is one of the largest cattle fairs in the world. Visitors from all over Asia make their way to Sonepur, Bihar, on the banks of the River Ganges, for the ancient festival that can stretch from 15 days to one month. Farm animals from dogs, to rabbits and Persian horses are sold at the event.
A symbol of nationalism throughout Georgia, This holiday commemorates the torture and martyrdom of St. George on the wheel for refusing to make sacrifices to Roman gods. Accounts claim that Saint George had appeared to soldiers in the midst of battle and among the Georgian people St. George, or Giorgi, is regarded as a patron of the nation. Churches throughout Georgia hold remembrances in his honor.
Celebrated all over Myanmar, this festival marks the end of the rainy season. Women weave continuously for two consecutive nights on the platforms of pagodas to make new robes for the monks. On the full moon day, the Khahtein ceremony is held to present the monks with robes, shoes and bowls; donations are also made to the monasteries.
This important three-day Buddhist festival is held at one of Laos’ most sacred temples. A procession takes place in the evening around Vientiane’s founding pillar. People carry "castles" of wax flowers and incense and the following day, offer them at That Luang. On the day of the full moon, offerings are made to the monks.
Known as the Gustor ritual, this annual three-day festival features sacred dances, a trade fair and prayers. The festivities take place at the Tibetan-Buddhist Thiksey Monastery, perched on the top of a hill in Ladakh, India. Chams - masked dances - are performed by monks, and a sacrificial cake is cut up and dispersed.
This newly established public holiday commemorates Azerbaijan’s capture of Shusha, and thus victory, in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war with Armenia.
The Water Festival marks the reversal of the Tonle Sap River’s tide, and the end of rainy season. The celebrations last for three days and nights throughout the country but are particularly vibrant in Phnom Penh where there are boat races on the river. There are concerts and performances, and traditional food is cooked and enjoyed.
The Angkor Wat International Half Marathon takes place every year at the famous World Heritage temple ruins. The race supports victims of landmines and other weapons that ravished the region over the past century. Runners completing the 13-mile course can take in the incredible surroundings whilst knowing they're helping a great cause.
