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.
For one day, North Korea shares a public holiday with 80 other countries around the world. Banks and businesses are closed throughout the DPRK and families spend the day at leisure, relaxing and picnicking in parks and playing traditional games. In the evening in Pyongyang, there are dance performances and firework displays.
One of Tokyo's most famous festivals, alongside Sanno Matsuri and Fukagawa Matsuri, Kanda Matsuri takes place in odd-numbered years in mid-May. There are processions wthrough the streets and parades of portable shrines (mikoshi). Though the festival officially celebrates the Kanda Myojin Shrine and its trio of deities, over time Kanda Matsuri has come to be a celebration for wealth and good fortune.
A cultural initiative of President Ilham Aliyev and organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, this state-sponsored gala concert features performances by the country’s most talented musicians and composers, along with the national symphony orchestra and state choir capella, and with participation from international countries. The concert was first held in 1989 but ended in 1992 when the city of Shusha was captured during the First Nagorno-Karabakh war. It resumed again in 2021 after Azerbaijan successfully recaptured the city in 2020.
Kicking off in May and not ending until the following month, the Dragon Boat Festival in the old city of Lukang produces a carnival-like atmosphere, with cultural exhibitions, games, local food stalls, calligraphy performances, music, and of course, the fiercely contested dragon boat races that thousands cheer on by the river.
Held in an outdoor area around Tblisi in May, the New Wine Festival celebrates the revelation of huge clay vessels called qvevri, filled with pressed grapes and buried under the ground according to the traditional Georgian winemaking process. Visitors come from all over the world to try this “young wine” and experience the wine culture of Georgia. The festival is often held over a weekend.
Visitors from all over come to Bulacan for this three-day festival, primarily men and women who want to bear children. There is a parade each day for San Pascual, Santa Clara and Senora de Salambao and the people follow the images of the saints, dancing in the street to bamboo instruments, hoping to be blessed with fertility.
Every year on May 15th, the residents of Lucban pay respect to St Isidore, the patron saint of farmers, with this colorful celebration. The houses in one street are decorated with fruits, vegetables and adornments made of rice, which can be eaten later. The house owners compete to be named best-decorated.
From the weird to the wonderful, the three-day Pi Ta Khon festival in the picturesque Thai province of Loei showcases a wide range of unique Buddhist rituals for both locals and tourists to enjoy. Don’t be surprised if you witness muddy men roaming around, large phallus parades or bizarre dances in equally interesting costumes.
Every year, more than 30 ethnic groups indigenous to Sabah come together to celebrate and share their traditions and heritage. The culmination is a two-day festival with demonstrations of folk dance and music, as well as storytelling. Visitors can enjoy authentic homemade food and buy exquisite wooden carved souvenirs and crafts.
Pilgrims and visitors from all over come to Lhasa for this important Buddhist festival celebrating Buddha’s enlightenment. The people make the nearly five-mile procession around the outskirts of the town, reciting scripture and bowing towards the Palace. In the afternoon, there’s singing, dancing and entertainment.
