Ward Off Evil at the Setsubun Festival in Kyoto
Published on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 by Vanessa Boiser
China is a veritable foodie's paradise with a unique culinary tradition in every province. Beijing is no exception. One of the best ways to sample some traditional Chinese street foods is at the Donghuamen Night Snack Street in Beijing. The long stretch of road is lined with vendors selling everything from the mundane noodles to the strange, unusual, and sometimes a bit disgusting, but all for a good price. Once the sun goes down, join the throngs of Chinese and ...
One strong personality comes to mind when thinking of Mongolia, Genghis Khan. The rule of Khan was legendary. He conquered almost half the globe and united the then fighting Mongols into a powerful army. On a softer side, Mongolia is a wonderful mixture of cultures from all over Asia, particularly China. Its vast regions team with Buddhist temples, and its snow capped mountains seem to graze the sky with splashes of green. Still maintaining its legendary power and culture, Mongolia's ...
The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia, and has been nicknamed the Polar Olympics. It will be the second time that Russia is hosting such an event, and this time the three mascots of the Winter Olympics are a snowboarding leopard, a bunny that is figure skating, and a polar bear wearing a scarf. These three animals are literally the symbols of Russia’s self image. While there will be hundreds of athletes at the 2014 Winter Olympics, ...
The ultimate destination for whitewater rafting in Colorado is the Arkansas River. It is also one of the most sought after rafting destinations in the country. Locals refer to it simply as “the Arc.” It is the 6th longest river in the United States and the 45th longest in the world running nearly 1,500 miles! The river’s basin starts in the Colorado and flows all the way through to Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. You can pick up the river in ...
In the far northwest Turkish province of Edirne, it’s over 40 degrees at the height of summer, leaving competitors of the Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival, as well as the crowd, sobered by the heat. The ancient Ottoman drums beat slowly at first, and the sound mimics the heart rhythms of the two remaining wrestlers (Pehlivans) who are leaning brow to brow in a defiant arch. They are dripping in olive oil; naked save for a pair of water buffalo leather ...
Palmyra is an ancient town in Syria, about 200 km from Damascus, where the Palmyra Camel Caravan event is celebrated. It is very important to Syria because of it's rich history of caravan travellers that stopped there to trade diamonds, gold, pearls and silver. Sometimes mistaken for a mirage, Palmyra's eden would appear from the glistening sands draped in gold. Aside from its opulence, Palmyra is also famous for its tombs that hold the remains of many great rulers of ...
The Thai people are known for their big smiles and kind spirits, and the denizens of the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai are no exception. If you want to get a taste of traditional Thai culture and make some friends while you're at it, head to a traditional Muay Thai kickboxing match and place some bets with the locals. While Chiang Mai has plenty of Muay Thai arenas that stage fights specifically for tourists, ask your guesthouse or tuk ...
Basant Mela is the kite flying festival of Pakistan, celebrated mainly in Lahore—the historic capital of Pakistan. The Basant Kite Festival in Lahore is celebrated in spring, and heralds the beginning of the season. Along with the kites there is also great food, folk art, dancing and music. When you first visit Pakistan’s capital city during the Basant Kite Festival, you will see that the streets are filled with enthusiastic people flying kites everywhere. They fly them on the terrace, ...
With the rise and fall of the sun each day, Dubai fisherman dock to offload their catch and head for the Deira fish market. They have returned from the Gulf where, buoyant in the mineral rich waters, there lies a deep history of fishing spanning countless generations, and thousands of years. Today, Dubai’s fishing industry depends upon the vibrant fish market of Deira. The chaotic splendor of this market ultimately provides a glimpse of Dubai’s everlasting bond with the sea. ...
