Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 167 i ASIAN Geographic

Wander around Siu Sai Wan in the northeastern part of Hong Kong Island and you’ll be mostly confronted by high-rise apartment blocks and multistorey car parks, plus the occasional school and shopping mall. But nestled in this unassuming residential district is a gem you would least expect: a tiny museum that offers visitors a unique journey through the history of our planet. Founded by Christian Pilard, a long-time Hong Kong resident and environmental advocate, The Little Museum of the World is crammed with literally thousands of objects, from 3.9-billion-year-old stromatolites (the first record we have of organic life) to fragments of the parachute that dropped the Apollo 11 crew back to Earth; shards of pottery from ancient civilisations to boxing gloves signed by champion boxer Muhammad Ali. Alongside these inspiring…

ASIA FUTURE TECH & TRAVEL ASIAN Geographic No. 168 Issue1/2025 Asia is poised to lead the future of tech, driven by rapid innovation and government investment in emerging fields like artificial intelligence, robotics, 5G connectivity, and drone technology. Countries like China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore are at the forefront, pioneering advancements in smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and renewable energy. With Asia’s growing tech talent and thriving startup ecosystems, the region is becoming a global hub for innovation. This issue explores all the latest tech emerging from the region as well as challenges such as data privacy, cybersecurity, and balancing rapid growth with environmental sustainability. ASIA WELLNESS & TRAVEL ASIAN Geographic PASSPORT No. 169 Issue2/2025 Besides the typical vacation to explore and discover new places and cultures, there is a…

As we surface from a dive in the clear, calm waters of Indonesia, the most strikingly beautiful rainbow reveals itself. Appearing after a brief tropical rain shower, the ocean and sky seem to merge as one, and I can’t help but think the rainbow is actually drawing its colour from the wonderous coral reef beneath us. The Asia region, without doubt, has some of the most vibrant underwater landscapes in the world. These underwater ecosystems burst with life, a sublime example of our planet’s artistic brilliance, offering a visual feast to anyone that adventures beneath the surface. INDONESIA: BEATING HEART OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE With an estimated 17,000 islands, Indonesia and has three times more of its surface area covered by the sea than it does land; and with it,…

PUSHKAR CAMEL FAIR, RAJASTHAN One of India’s most photogenic festivals, the Pushkar Camel Fair is a heady mix of livestock trading, Rajasthani culture, and spiritual ritual. Held every November in the holy town of Pushkar, the fair begins with a religious bath in the Pushkar Lake and ends in a carnival of colour – camel races, folk dances, fire-breathers, and even moustache competitions. It’s an eye-popping blend: golden dunes, ornate camels in pompoms and mirrors, gypsy music by the campfire, and the thrill of desert bazaars. Don’t miss the hot-air balloon rides at dawn or the rare chance to sleep in a luxury desert tent. SONEPUR MELA, BIHAR Held on the banks of the Ganges and Gandak rivers in Sonepur, this mela was once Asia’s largest cattle fair – even…

Her rainbow sleeves are gay as golden winePoured from a silver flask to porcelain bowls.Between the guests she moves. Their wet lips shine. Their eyes grow dry and hot as burning coals,Watching her bend to pour their perfumed wine,Watching her rainbow sleeves above the bowls. One gives her amber beads like honeyed light,Another, coral drops for her to wearLike folded peach buds in her ears tonight,While one sets bright blue feathers in her hair.Gay are her sleeves!Yet, in the lanterns’ light,Her face – a peony flower – reveals despair.…

CHENGDU, CHINA A performer enthrals audiences with traditional face-changing art, or bian lian, at the Chunxifang Chunxilu covered street. The ancient Chinese dramatic art is part of the more general Sichuan opera, originating in Sichuan province around 1700. Performers wear vividly coloured masks, typically depicting characters from the opera, which they change from one face to another with a deft swipe of a fan or brisk wave of the hand. DID YOU KNOW? There are five distinct opera styles, each with a different history. The most distinctive and representative form of Sichuan opera is Gaoqiang (高 / 高), which is characterised by its free line and free singing style. The others are Kunqiang (崑 / 昆), Huqin (鬍 / 胡), Tanxi (彈 / 弹), and Dengdiao (燈 / 灯). LADAKH,…

Imagine standing at the banks of a sacred river as the sun rises, watching millions of devotees – draped in saffron, chanting ancient mantras – step into the water in unison. The air is thick with incense, drumbeats echo across the sky, and ash-smeared sadhus stride past with tridents in hand. Welcome to the Maha (Great) Kumbh Mela! India is no stranger to crowds, colour, and chaos, but its melas, or festivals, are something else entirely. These are not just religious or cultural events; they are deeply human experiences, where tradition meets transcendence, and devotion blends with spectacle. If you’re a traveller looking to immerse yourself in the soul of the country, there’s no better way than to dive into one of India’s many melas. SPIRITUALITY ON A GRAND SCALE…

Morning rush in the Philippines begins just after sunrise, with the sky still basking in pastel hues and the country beneath it girding for another day of work. In the capital Manila, the thoroughfares slowly fill with vehicles of every shape, size and wheel count. Things are just as busy at the transport hubs, where pavements and loading stations brim with everyday folks setting off on their morning commute. These bustling scenes could just as well be from any other modern Asian city, if not for the uniquely Pinoy form of public transport vehicles that ply the local streets. These diesel-powered chariots are instantly recognisable by their stainless steel chassis, their loud colours and their distinct silhouettes. Thailand has its multihued tuk-tuks and India has its zippy autorickshaws; in the…

It’s only in the depths of winter in China’s Jiuzhaigou National Park that temperatures drop low enough to freeze the park’s famous blue-green waters. When nighttime temperatures dip to minus 10 degrees Celsius and a sunny day hovers around 3 degrees Celsius, Jiuzhaigou’s fast-flowing waterfalls are turned into hidden springs behind white and blue icicles and ice sheets cascading down rock faces that separate the park’s many lakes. It is a stark winter landscape that is about colour and frozen motion. It’s not just the waterfalls that attract attention; the lakes, which are a bright blue or green due to mineral deposits, appear even more vibrantly coloured when surrounded by snow and bare trees. One of China’s best kept secrets – until now – has been that winter is the…