ASIAN Geographic

ASIAN Geographic commemorates its silver anniversary in 2024, and we’re in the mood to celebrate, remembering some of the most compelling features in our 25-year history. Over the years, we’ve discovered the astonishing diversity, complexity and some

A Hindu bride is a work of art: Her hands and feet are a canvas for the most intricate of henna designs. It is said that the darker the colour of the design, the more love and welcome she will receive from her in-laws – so getting it right is an abso

Over the centuries, martial arts have travelled far beyond their places of origin and become some of the greatest sports ever devised. In contemporary culture, names like Jackie Chan and Jet Li have broken language barriers, transcended cultural diff

Unbelievable journeys are not uncommon when travelling through Asia. The people, colours and cultures are difficult to forget, and even harder to leave. Ancient imageries and statues, vivid descriptions and metaphors, and archaic rituals make for lif

Penis madness. That’s the impression you can’t help getting once you set foot on this small, mountain-locked country. In every village and on nearly every imaginable spot of this “last Shangri-la” – as dubbed by foreigners enchanted by the splendour

As direct evidence of the adoration of the erogenous based on religious teachings, imageries and statues portraying zany sexuality are widespread in consecrated sites throughout the Indonesian archipelago. In a number of temples built in Java and Bal

Held annually in the small Japanese city of Komaki in central Japan, the Honen Matsuri festival is the survival of an ancient and once widespread ritual believed to ensure the growth of all living things and a good harvest. It is centred around two S

Like a tribe of children armed with poster paints, early man made his mark on his surroundings by pressing his dye-covered hands and feet to the walls and the floor, by scratching or drawing around their shape and making impressions in the sand and s

In Tibetan regions, people still practise the sky burial – a ceremony that entrusts the corpses to vultures. Hardly has the first light of dawn begun brightening the sky when the sound of creaking prayer wheels fills the kora (pilgrimage path) surrou

In Thailand, a newly-minted cultural minister once suggested a “wholly original” idea to help prop up the flagging tourist sector: aggressively market carved wooden penises to foreigners. Of course, the minister wasn’t trying to be funny or provocati

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what do they say about the beauty of the eye, if, they in question, happen to be great scientific minds? In a basic sense, eye colour is determined by iris pigmentation, and how well the stroma

Our tourist boat sailed down the central river of Tokyo and stopped near Ginza, a high-end district with a walking street paved with the likes of Gucci, Versace, Prada and Louis Vuitton. A friend and I moved from the dock towards the street with doze

According to an old legend of the Soyot people, a vicious person can never find the way into the valley of the Ok-hem River: Bad weather or misfortune will stop him. There are mountains all round the valley. This area of the Sayan Highland, situated

Extract from the citrus peel can be used for anti-dryness. Shiseido’s White Lucent range is part of a line that uses such organic ingredients to naturally help re-texturise the skin for a smoother, brighter visage. Glycyrrhizinic acid derivative is a

Once every 12 years, a Hindu temple is required to hold a Kumbhabhishekam as part of its consecration ceremony. Kumbhabhishekam is derived from two words, abhisheka (ritualistic pouring of sacred water) and kumbham (a pot filled with sacred water). T

Growing up in Vietnam, tea drinking has always been a ritual in my family. Back then, however, I did not appreciate or understand why people were so interested in tea. Over several years, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend mor

There is something primeval about the hunting of whales before the advent of industrial killing by factory ships and explosive long-range harpoons. It’s a near-mythical activity rooted in the fiction of Moby-Dick and the reality of men sailing thousa

Come to the island of Iloilo and celebrate the annual Dinagyang Festival as it pulsates with high-octane rhythms and mesmerising performances. A bona fide adrenaline rush for the incidental globetrotter, the remarkable spectacle of Dinagyang promises

Ganesha Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaga Chaturthi, is the hindu festival of Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, who is believed to bestow his presence on Earth for all his devotees throughout the duration of this festival. It is generally c

Translated from Chinese You ask for what reason I stay on the green mountain, I smile, but do not answer, my heart is at leisure. Peach blossom is carried far off by flowing water, Apart, I have heaven and earth in the human world. LI BAI (701–762) w

Successful first Great Spine of Africa expedition to document and protect the river that feeds the Zambezi led by Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative partner explorer Steve Boyes Through its Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex is supporting Steve Boyes’