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.
Held at India’s wealthiest monastery in Ladakh, this two-day festival celebrates the birthday of Guru Padamasambhava, and the triumph of good over evil. People dress up in brightly-colored clothes and wear unique masks, sing and dance, and a market is held where local handicrafts are sold.
Clambering inside a massive volcanic crater may sound a bit crazy, but on the island of Java, this means one thing – it’s the annual one-day Yadnya Kasada Festival. Hundreds of Indonesians climb inside the crater to deliver offerings to the gods. The religious festival takes place at the foot of Mount Bromo, which makes for an incredibly beautiful setting.
Translating to ‘Sacrifice Day,’ this 4-day religious holiday coincides with the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and is marked by sacrificing an animal, mostly sheep in Azerbaijan.
This three-day festival is held in the Lhakhang Monastery of Nimalung, home to a huge statue of Guru Rimpoche. There are colorful, masked dances depicting stories from history and an enormous scroll painting of the Guru on display, which devotees from all around travel to the district to see, because it is said to absolve their sins.
The pagodas of Pakokku on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River are home to this annual two-week traditional country fair. While traditional plays and dances are performed, local crafts, chillies, tobacco and fabrics are sold and women from all over the country stock up on organic cosmetics made from the tree bark found in the area.
This month-long celebration begins on June 29th and includes the Kasadyaan Festival. It’s a celebration of the baby Jesus and includes traditional body painting and tattooing in the style of the pintado warriors. There is a colorful grand parade with tattooed performers demonstrating tribal dancing in the center of Tacloban city.
This increasingly popular event attracts boat racing teams from Hong Kong, China, Japan and the rest of Malaysia to Likas Bay in Sabah. Spectators flock to see the colorful boat race as the teams beat their drums to synchronize their paddling. There are local gourmet delicacies, while music and dance creates a carnival atmosphere.
Folk dance ensembles from around the world are invited to perform and share their traditions and culture through dance and music at the Sabah Cultural Center. The multi-day event features demonstrations, workshops, folk art exhibitions and a food fair alongside performances of international classical dance.
Buddhists flock to the monastery in Samye, the oldest in the country for this festival. People camp out around the compound, and there’s a great picnic with singing, dancing and chanting as they await the monks dressed in elaborate costumes who perform stories and legends. Later, devotees climb nearby mountains to burn incense and hang flags.
For decades, the descendents of the Portuguese settlers of Melaka have held an annual festival in honor of the patron saint of fishermen and now the week-long San Pedro fiesta is popular with tourists from all over who come for the bazaars, the fairground, concerts, cultural performances and the procession and feast on the final day.
