I.

NATURE AND SCOPE OF ASIAN STUDIES

an interdisciplinary discipline
focuses on the history, culture, and societies of Asia
concerned with the Asian people, their cultures, languages, history and
politics within the Asian sphere
combines aspects of sociology, history, cultural anthropology and many other
disciplines
study political, cultural and economic phenomena in Asian traditional and
contemporary societies.

II. REGIONS OF ASIA AND COUNTRIES

REGIONS OF COUNTRIES DESCRIPTION

ASIA
South Asia Sri Lanka,  has a peninsula-like shape that is
Bangladesh, bordered by three bodies of water: the
India, Indian Ocean to the south, the Bay of
Afghanistan, Bengal to the east, and the Arabian Sea to
Pakistan, Bhutan, the west
Nepal, Maldives  politically divided into eight autonomous
countries
 has the distinction of being the most
densely populated area in the world.

Southeast Asia Brunei,  located north of Australia, south of East

Cambodia, Asia, west of the Pacific Ocean, and east
Indonesia, Laos, of the Bay of Bengal
Malaysia,  encompasses a number of island and
Myanmar, archipelago nations that stretch between
Philippines, the northern and southern hemispheres,
Singapore, making it the only Asian region located on
Thailand, Timor both sides of the equator
Leste, Vietnam  politically divided into 15 countries and
territories
West Asia Georgia,  located in the area between Central Asia
Armenia, and Africa, south of Eastern Europe.
Azerbaijan,  often referred to as the Middle East,
Turkey, Cyprus, although it geographically excludes the
Syria, Lebanon, mainland of Egypt
Israel, Palestine,  politically divided into 19 states
Jordan, Iraq,  also includes the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt
Iran, Kuwait,
Bahrain, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia
East Asia China, Mongolia,  located east of Central Asia, with its
North Korea, eastern border running along the East
South Korea, China Sea
 Japan, Hong  The geography of East Asia is varied
Kong, Taiwan, depending on the zone.
Macau  The inner continental area experiences a
temperate climate, while Mongolia is
covered by the arid Gobi desert.
 East Asia is believed to have some of the
most advanced technologies in the world,
which fosters economic development.
Central Asia Tajikistan  West of China, south of Russia, and north
Uzbekistan of Afghanistan
Kazakhstan  The western border of this region runs
Turkmenistan along the Caspian Sea
Kyrgyzstan  sometimes informally referred to as "The
Stans" given that the name of each of
these countries ends in "-stan"
 played an important role in the
transportation of goods between China
and Europe during the Silk Road trading
era.

III. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

100  The land mass of Africa and India collided with Europe and Asia
million that cause the earth’s crust to crumple upwards forming a ridge
years ago of high ground from the Alps to the Himalayas; it is a barrier
that will have a profound influence on human history.
 A natural barrier in the south that is a dividing line formed by
the waters of Dardanelles, Sea of Marmara, the Boshporus and
the Black Sea.
A million  A variety of human that moved out of Africa and were spread
years ago through much of Asia and Europe is the Homo erectus; the first
one was found was in 1999 at Dmanisi in South Georgia that is
1.8 million years old.
 Fossil were also found as far as Java in Southeast Asia, Beijing
in northern China, Greece, Germany and England
60,000  After the spread of the Homo Erectus in Africa and Eurasia he
years ago succeeded within the regions by varieties of Homo sapiens –
the Neanderthals and then the modern humans who took the
next step in colonizing the habitable earth.
 In addition they also crossed from Southeast Asia to Borneo,
New Guinea and Australia.
 From the Indo European tribes of ancient time to the Mongols
and Turks of recent History, the people from steppes colonize
their civilized neighbours; the most tempting ones are those
beneath the ridges of Asia.
  During this time, mankind appears to have settles in villages
and towns; the start of agriculture. These settlements were the
towns named Jericho in Palestine and Catal Huyuk in Anatolia.
 The Mesopotamia, valley of Indus and the plains of north China
were the some of the places that produced earliest civilizations.
The reason for this is the seas, mountains and rivers (i.e Tigris,
Euphrates and Yellow river) that surround them are providing
ample resources for them to flourish.
 Another waterway that is similar to the aforementioned is the
Ganges or the Mekong made agriculture easier.
30,000  Humans made the short but difficult leap from Northeast Asia
years ago to Northwest Africa.
 Only nomads can live on the steppes north of the hill ranges of
Asia, moving with their flocks of livestock to survive together on
the meager grass crop.
 The people of the Steppes often descend upon their more
civilized neighbors with devastating suddenness. Below the
mountain ridges, Asia provides perfect places for civilized life.
 The areas bordering the Asian shores of the Mediterranean are
where the human race first appears to have settled in villages
and towns- a growth that requires at least the beginning of
agriculture. Two of the oldest villages worthy of the name are
Jericho in Palestine and Catal Huyuk in Anatolia.
 History indicates that there is an incomparable benefit , indeed
almost a necessity – the proximity of a big river, which flows
through an open field and is also provided by Asia in many
locations.
 On a map displaying the fertile plains of Asia, between the hills
and sea, three regions stand out: Mesopotamia, watered by
Tigris and Euphrates, the Indus Valley, and the plains of
northern China from the Hwang Ho (or the Yellow River) to the
Yangtze.
2,000  Tribes speaking Indo- European languages and living as
years ago nomadic herdsmen are well developed around 2000 BC in the
steppes from Ukraine to the east, to the areas south of the
Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
 The more attractive regions to the south and west are
constantly infiltrated – sometimes in something similar to open
warfare, and invariably without any doubt with violence.
1,800  The first important movement in Asia is the Hittites who
years ago establish themselves in Anatolia.
 The Medes and the Persians became the dominant tribes on the
Iranian plateau. They are linked to the Aryans who migrate
down to India and have a profound influence on the
subcontinent. Their tribal religion is a major contributor to
Zoroastrianism in Persia and Hinduism in India.
  The Sinhalese, one of India’s Indo-European tribal organizations
moves south and settled in Sri Lanka likely in the 6th century
BC.
 They are isolated from the Indo-Europeans of northern India
because they migrated south of another linguistic group- the
Dravidians, whose origin is unknown but whose language has
no connection with the Indo-Europeans.
 After another long gap, around the 11th century AD, members
of the biggest Dravid society, the Tamils, moved from southern
India to Sri Lanka and settled in the south of the island.
1000 BC  By about 1000 BC, the Hebrews was created in Palestine and
are neighbors with the Phoenicians to the south.
 Their territories became a continuous battlefield, first in the
triangualar rivalry between Mesopotamia, Egypt and Anatolia:
and later, when strong rulers control the Iranian plateau, in the
prolonged struggle between the Persian Empire to the East and
the Greece and Rome to the west.
1st C BC to  Cultural impact in the Southeast Asia originated either from
8th C BC India or China. Indian traders penetrated Burma in the 1st
Century BC. Further west in Vietnam, the culture of the Bronze
Age gradually infiltrated China sometime before the 3rd century
BC.
 The growth of more developed societies in the area stems
mainly from the spread of the two major religions of India;
Hinduism and Buddhism.
 The last personality of Asia was due to Hinduism and Buddhism
spread by merchants in conjunction with China’s political and
military space.
 Buddhism also extends from China and reached along the Silk
Road from India. After becoming well established in Korea,
Buddhist monks brought their faith to Japan in the 6th Century.
 In the 8th century, Buddhism reached Tibet in two directions-
from China and Nepal, the initial birthplace f Christianity in
India.
1st  At the beginning of the Christian era, western Asia is part of the
Millennium Roman Empire, which is confronted to the east by a Persian
AD empire of varying size and complexion.
 The region will stay an uncomfortable boundary between these
two blocks until the 4th century, when the implementation of
Christianity starts to turn the western antagonist from the
Roman empire into the Byzantine empire.
 The balance remains much the same until it is violently and
quickly upset by the rise of Islam in the 7th century.
 The nomads exert pressure to the south from the moment to
time. Early in the next millennium, their turn came first with
small communities gaining land in northern China and then with
the violent eruption of the Mongols.
 Almost every portion of the continent is invaded or occupied by
conquerors whose origins lie in the steppes south of the
mountain range.
 The first half of the century is dominated by the motion of
Turks and Mongols in Asia.
 In the 13th century, the Mongols emerged from the steppes to
seize a vast and almost instant empire; almost the entire
habitable continent belonged to Kublai Khan, with the exception
of Palestine and Syria in the west and India, Southeast Asia and
Japan in the east.
 In the 15th century, Timur almost repeats his great feat of
conquest, but the effect is only to place his Turkish
descendants on the thrones previously held by the Mongols-
with the exception of the imperial throne in China, which has
now returned to the native dynasty (the Ming).
 The indigenous ruler, the first of the Safavids, won authority in
Persia. And in 1517, the Ottoman Turks extended their rule
over the eastern Mediterranean and do win to Egypt and
Arabia.
 The Ottoman empire covers the whole of Southwest Asia. Most
of India is governed by Muslims of the Turkish descent. Steppes
stay at the provinces of Turkish and Mongolian nomads,
although this area and Siberia will progressively attract Russia.
 The Portuguese vessel reached Calicut in 1498. After three
years, Vasco de Gama sails away again. This journey to Asia,
however, is very distinct from the overland journeys made by
Marco Polo and others in past decades.
 The Spice Islands, dominated by the Dutch in the 17th century
are the first part of Asia to attract European attention. The next
focus of colonials attention is india, which battled French and
English in the 18th century.
 China maintains its dignified isolation until it was violently
crushed by Britain in the two Opium Wars of the 19th century.
 China is acquiring a European neighbour tp the north,
expanding the Russian empire to the Pacific.
 The French win control of the portion of Southeast Asia which is
known as Indo-China.
 By the mid 19th century, Europe’s existence in Asia was so
widespread that the wars in Afghanistan stemmed from
imperial rivalries between Russia in the north and the British in
neighboring India.
 The unrest of imperialism in the 20th century has Asia’s historic
areas fully restored to Asian control and Japan which was only
briefly invaded by Europe was an autonomous country.
IV. GEOGRAPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF ASIA

GEOGRAPHICAL AND POLITICAL BOUNDARIES

ASIA
- largest of the world’s continents
- divided into five major physical regions: mountain systems; plateaus; plains,
steppes, and deserts; freshwater environments; and saltwater
environments.
- the world’s most populous continent, with roughly 60 percent of the total
population.
- makes up the eastern portion of the Eurasian supercontinent; Europe occupies
the western portion.
- Its western border follows the Ural Mountains, the Caucasus Mountains, and the
Caspian and Black Seas.
- bordered by the Arctic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

MOUNTAIN SYSTEMS

1. THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS

- extends for about 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles), separating the Indian
subcontinent from the rest of Asia.
- covers more than 612,000 square kilometers passing through the northern states
of India and making up most of the terrain of Nepal and Bhutan.
- composed of three different mountain belts

2. THE TIEN SHAN MOUNTAIN SYSTEM

- stretches for about 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles), straddling the border
between Kyrgyzstan and China. The name Tien Shan means “Celestial
Mountains” in Chinese.
- The two highest peaks in the Tien Shan are:
a. Victory Peak- stands at 24,406 feet
b. Khan Tängiri Peak- stands at 22,949 feet; has more than 10,100 square
kilometers of glaciers

3. THE URAL MOUNTAINS

- some of the world’s oldest, at 250 million to 300 million years old.
- The highest peak is Mount Narodnaya at 6,217 feet.

PLATEAUS

1. THE DECCAN PLATEAU

- makes up most of the southern part of India
- bordered by three mountain ranges: the Satpura Range in the north, and the
Eastern and Western Ghats on either side. The plateau and its main
waterways—the Godavari and Krishna rivers—gently slope toward the
Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal.
2. THE TIBETAN PLATEAU
- considered the largest and highest area ever to exist in the history of Earth.
- Known as the “Rooftop of the World,” the plateau covers an area about half
the size of the contiguous United States and averages more than 16,400 feet
above sea level.
- extremely important to the world’s water cycle because of its tremendous
number of glaciers.

PLAINS, STEPPES, AND DESERTS

1. THE WEST SIBERIAN PLAIN

- located in central Russia, considered one of the world’s largest areas of
continuous flatland.
- contains some of the world’s largest swamps and flood plains.
2. THE RUB’ AL KHALI DESERT
- considered the world’s largest sand sea, covers an area larger than France across
Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
- holds roughly half as much sand as Africa’s Sahara desert even though it is 15
times smaller in size.
- known as the “Empty Quarter” because it is virtually inhospitable to humans
except for Bedouin tribes that live on its edges.
-

FRESHWATER

1. LAKE BAIKAL
- located in southern Russia, the deepest lake in the world, reaching a depth
of 5,315 feet
- known as the “Galápagos of Russia” because of its importance to the study of
evolutionary science.
- contains 20 percent of the world’s unfrozen freshwater, making it the largest
reservoir on Earth
- the world’s oldest lake, at 25 million years old.
2. YANGTZE RIVER

- is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world (behind the
Amazon of South America and the Nile of Africa).

- considered the lifeblood of China. It drains one-fifth of the country’s land area, is
home to one-third of its population, and contributes greatly to China’s economy.

3. TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES RIVERS

- began in the highlands of eastern Turkey and flow through Syria and Iraq,
joining in the city of Qurna, Iraq, before emptying into the Persian Gulf.
- The land between the two rivers, known as Mesopotamia, was the center of
the earliest civilizations, including Sumer and the Akkadian Empire.
 SALTWATER

1. THE PERSIAN GULF

- has an area of more than 234,000 square kilometers
- borders Iran, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait,
and Iraq.
- The gulf is subject to high rates of evaporation, making it shallow and extremely
salty.
2. THE SEA OF OKHOTSK
- covers 1.5 million square kilometers between the Russian mainland and the
Kamchatka Peninsula.
- The sea is largely frozen between October and March.
- Large ice floes make winter navigation almost impossible.
3. THE BAY OF BENGAL
- the largest bay in the world, covering almost 2.2 million square kilometers
and bordering Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Burma.
- is one of the world’s largest tropical marine ecosystems
- home to dozens of marine mammals, including the bottlenose dolphin, spinner
dolphin, spotted dolphin, and Bryde’s whale.

CLIMATE AND TOPOGRAPHY

Climate
 Varying climates
 Generally warm weather
 dry across southeast sections and dry across much of the interior

11 Major Climatic Regions of Asia (with map and statistics)

Some of the major climatic regions of Asia are as follows: 1. Tundra Region 2. East Siberia
3. West Siberia 4. Temperate Monsoon Lands of East Asia 5. Tropical Monsoon Region 6.
Equatorial Region 7. Central Asia: Mongolian Region 8. Central Asia: Aral-Caspian Region 9. Iran-
Sind Region 10. Mediterranean Region 11. Tropical Desert Region.

The large variety of climates that prevail in Asia may be grouped into several broad re-
gional types. The regional division adopted here is a modification of Lyde’s classification (Lyde,
1938, pp. 125-139). Unlike Koppen and Thornthwaite who apply the statistical variables in
delineating the climatic boundaries, but largely ignore the important “dominant controls” in
patterning climates, particularly that of relief, and pressure and wind systems, the basis of
classification adopted here is “genetic” rather than statistical, and hence the climatic boundaries
are generalized rather than precise.

1. Tundra Region:
It spans the entire continent from east to west along the Arctic Ocean and includes the
lowlands between the Arctic Circle and 70°N, the southern limits roughly coincide with the July
isotherm of 50°F (10°C). Winters are long, dry and snowbound; summers are short but warm
enough for some snow to melt. The snow cover, usually not thick due to scarcity of precipitation,
allows the subsoil to be deeply frozen during winter; soil surface thaws are possible only in sum-
mer, when the surface becomes swampy.
2. East Siberia:
Between 50° and 70°N latitudes a large territory in eastern Siberia including the lower
basin of Lena river and the area to the north of Baikal lake. It is mostly a mountainous region
(Yablonoi, Stanovoi, Verkhoyansk mountains). The deep interior location and the sheltering
mountains rob the region of the influences of the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans. The winters are
long, dry and among the coldest in the world. Verkhoyansk has once recorded -80°F. The
summers are warm with temperatures varying between 50°F and 70°F (20°C).
Given these extremes, the world’s largest temperature ranges are found (up to 50°C at
several stations). The region thus epitomizes the cold, continental climate. In the Kamachatka
peninsula, the moderating influence of the Pacific keeps the temperature somewhat higher in
winter and lower in summer.

3. West Siberia:
The region is located west of the preceding region all the way to the Ural Mountains.
Temperatures are higher than in East Siberia, and there is a little more rainfall (up to 250 mm
annually)—a clear evidence of the Pacific influence. The ground remains frozen in winters, and
thaws during the brief summer, causing swamps and marshes.

4. Temperate Monsoon Lands of East Asia:

Most of eastern China, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan are included in this region
which lies entirely north of the Tropic of Cancer. Summers get rainfall, and winters are dry—a
definite monsoonal trait. Only Taiwan, and southern islands of Japan including southern half of
Honshu, receive rainfall in winter caused by the southeasterly winds which bring rainfall after
picking up moisture on the Japan Sea, East China Sea, and the adjoining seas. The range of
temperature increases in the interiors, as the winters become colder and summers warmer.

5. Tropical Monsoon Region:

It is a vast region in southern and southeastern Asia encompassing nearly all the territory
north of 10° north and south of the Tropic of Cancer—from the Indus-Ganga lowlands to the
Indo-Chinese peninsula (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) and Myanmar and Thailand.
The North Indian plains are practically tropical in climate although they actually lie in the
Temperate Zone. Typically monsoonal conditions—seasonal reversal of wind systems and
associated rainfall regimes—prevail.
It is important to emphasize here that the summer monsoons in India owe their origin to
the pressure and wind systems in the equatorial zone. During summer the southeast winds are
sucked to the low-pressure area in western India and the moist winds from the Indian Ocean
cause the onset of rain bearing summer monsoons.
Most of the region, from India to China and Japan, receives rainfall during summer
months. In winter, conditions are reversed. Winds low from the high-pressure region of East
Siberia outward and are dry. However, during their course as they traverse the wafers of East
and South China seas, they pick up moisture and bring some rain to parts of East Asia and
Southeast Asia that lie in their tracks (southern China coast North Vietnam, northeastern Sri
Lanka, southern part of east coast of India).
The countries of the Indo-Chinese peninsula (Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) reflect mon-
soonal seasonality but differ from the Indian and Chinese monsoons. The range of temperature
is smaller and the seasonality of rainfall depends on the precise locations with reference to the
summer or winter monsoons.

6. Equatorial Region:
It includes the areas lying between 10°N and 10°S in Indonesia and Malaysia. Typical
climatic conditions consist of high, seasonally well- distributed rainfall and a small range of
temperature except in locations where the seasonal shifting of the trade winds leaves a part of
the year relatively drier.
 7. Central Asia: Mongolian Region:
The region lies in the heart of the continent containing a vast territory of mountains, and
plateaus from Tibet to Mongolia. The conspicuous climatic characteristics are extreme
temperature ranges (daily and annual) and dryness. The region comes under the influence of a
large body of cold, continental, and out flowing dry winds over Asia’s landmass. In summer, the
landmass is heated, and a low pressure system takes over, with the consequent dry, inflowing,
gusty winds, the enclosing mountain system shelters this vast region from the inflow of any
maritime winds.

8. Central Asia: Aral-Caspian Region:

The region resembles the Iran-Sind region (described below) in dryness and large tem-
perature ranges, but differs in topography, as it is mostly lowland drained by the historic Amu
and Syr rivers. The Mediterranean influences (some winter rain) reach the western section; but
the eastern part gets most rainfall during the summer. Irrigation is important for all cultivation,
as rainfall is scanty.

9. Iran-Sind Region:
The region includes eastern Iran, Afghanistan, and southern Pakistan (Sind province).
Dryness and heat are the two outstanding characteristics of the climate. Rainfall increases
somewhat from the Iran plateau with nearness to the sea. Very hot summers and cold winters
account for large temperature ranges.
Toward the east, monsoonal traits (summer precipitation) are becoming increasingly
evident; in the western parts Mediterranean influences are evident.

10. Mediterranean Region:

Climatically, the region is transitional between the trade wind deserts (Arabia) and the
zone of prevailing westerlies. It includes the territory bordering the Mediterranean from Turkey
to Syria, Israel, and Iraq. Winter temperatures fall below 50°F and in summer rise above 75°F.
Precipitation is mostly in winter brought by the cyclonic storms emanating in the west.

11. Tropical Desert Region:

The region lies essentially in the trade wind belt, outside the monsoonal and
Mediterranean influences. Excessive temperature ranges and dryness characterize the climate.

Classification Count Examples

Tropical rainforest 91925 Singapore,Bandung,Medan, SIak Sri Indrapura,Kuala Lumpur
climate
Hot desert 76283 Karachi,Baghdad,Riyadh,Jeddah,Faisalabad
climates
Warm humid 72121 Moscow,Saint Petersburg,Novosibirsk,Yekaterinburg,Nizhny
continental Novgorod
climate
Hot-summer 66020 Istanbul,Allahabad,Lucknow,Varanasi,Tashkent
Mediterranean
climate
Humid subtropical 65660 Shanghai,Tokyo,Guangzhou,Shenzhen,Ganzhou
climate
 NATURAL RESOURCES

REGIONS MAJOR RESOURCES

OF ASIA
SOUTH forests, soil, coal, water resources, petroleum, of asbestos, uranium,
ASIA natural gas and minerals

EAST ASIA agricultural land, rivers, coal reserves, natural gas, forests, uranium, of
asbestos, zinc and lead ores, timber, minerals & petroleum, and
aquaculture
SOUTHEAST Natural gas, rice, timber, fish, opium, gemstones, copper, water
ASIA resources, tin, gold, coal, chromite, botanical resources, nonmetallic
minerals, spices, rubber, fruits, silver & oil
WEST ASIA Petroleum, natural gas, coal, animal resources, botanical resources,
iron, chromite, sulfur and gypsum

CENTRAL Oil, gas, coal, iron, sulfur, animal resources, gypsum, bauxite,
ASIA chromium, ferroalloys

V. THE PEOPLE OF ASIA

ETHNIC GROUPS & RELIGION
REGIONS OF ETHNIC GROUPS RELIGION
ASIA
South Asia Indian, Bengalis, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism
Munda, Mizo, Tamils,
Marathi, Angami
Naga, Chagossians,
Nepalese
Southeast Asia Hmong, Lao, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and
Vietnamese, Chams, Sikhism, Shintoism, Sindoism, Taoism,
Khmer, Negrito, Confucianism and Christianity
Shan, Thai
West Asia Arabs, Azerbaijanis, Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Kurds, Persians,
Turkic
East Asia Major: Han, Yamato, Buddhism, Shintoism, Sindoism,
and Korean Taoism, Confucianism
Others: Tibetan,
Uyghur, Kazakh,
Manchu and Mongol
Central Asia Major: Turkic, Indo- Islam (Turkic/Indo-Iranian peoples) and
Iranian, and Mongolic Buddhism (Mongolia)
peoples
 FESTIVALS & EVENTS

 MONKEY BUFFET FESTIVAL

one of the most unique festivals in the world, because it's an event for monkeys. The
people of Thailand put out 4000kg of fruit, vegetables and whatever else the local monkeys and
let the monkeys feast in front of their temples.

 BALI SPIRIT FESTIVAL

represents the core mantra of Balinese Hinduism, "Tri Hita Karana", which basically means to
live in harmony with our spiritual, social and natural environment. This festival is all about good
vibes, and aims to bring about harmony through yoga, dance and music.

 PHUKET VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL

an event held to commemorate the Chinese belief that staying vegetarian in the ninth lunar
month will help them obtain good health and a peace of mind. Many participants puncture their
cheeks with various items, as they are believed to be serving as mediums of the god by doing
this.
 HOLI FESTIVAL
one of the most well-known Indian festival. Also known as the 'festival of love' or the 'festival
of colours', and is traditionally supposed to signify the victory of good over evil, the reparation of
broken relationships, as well as the arrival of spring.
 BORYEONG MUD FESTIVAL
Korea has great cosmetic products which sometimes includes mud. It turns out that the South
Koreans really do love their mud, as seen through the annual Boryeong Mud Festival held in
Seoul. The entire Daecheon beach area is covered in mud, and there are mud pools, mud slides
and even mud skiing competitions.
 SONGKRAN FESTIVAL
celebrated by the Thais to commemorate the beginning of the new solar year, as well as the
start of the summer season. It is a form of a wish for a year full of blessings.
 ATI-ATIHAN FESTIVAL
This festival held in the Philippines can be traced back to the early Borneo settlers. The
Filipinos celebrate it in honour of Santo Nino, Baby Jesus.
 GRAVE SWEEPING DAY
In China, people hold their ancestors in high esteem. Even after the ancestors have passed
away, their descendants show their reverence by taking care of their graves. Grave Sweeping
Day is held during the Ching Ming Festival. It is celebrated as a holiday and people visit the
cemetery and clean the graves of their forefathers.
 FOOT BINDING
An old Chinese custom of foot binding used to be followed in order to make women more
beautiful. However, this practice is no longer carried out in modern China owing to the pain and
negative consequences which women had to face in the past.
 UNIVERSAL BIRTHDAY ON NEW YEAR
In Vietnam, the New Year festival is celebrated as every citizen’s birthday. It is termed as
“Tet” by the locals. An individual’s age is calculated by considering the Tets he has celebrated
throughout his life. The festival is held in winters when the new lunar year commences. The
celebration goes on for a number of days.
 NORTH KOREAN CHRISTMAS
In North Korea, Christmas is celebrated as the birthday of the mother of Kim Jong II. She was
born on the 24th of December. Therefore, instead of the conventional Christmas celebrated in
the western world, North Koreans have their own version of the festival.
 What do you think is the effect of religion to these ethnic groups?
It would affect their belief system, culture