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“ I ’ d never understood how closely things are connected to one another . And it isn ’ t just the zodiac I ’ m talking about . We human beings are only a part of something very much larger . When we walk along , we may crush a beetle or simply cause a change in the air so that a fly ends up where it might never have gone otherwise . And if you think of the same example but with ourselves in the role of the insect , and the larger universe in the role we ’ ve just played , it ’ s perfectly clear that we ’ re affected every day by forces over which we have no more control than the poor beetle has over our gigantic foot as it descends upon it . What are we to do ? We must use whatever methods we can to understand the movement of the universe around us and time our actions so that we are not fighting the currents , but moving with them .”
— Arthur Golden , Memoirs of a Geisha
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In 2020 , we went on a journey to discover what the Chinese philosophy of wu xing entailed . We explored the lives of the water people , uncovered childhood folk tales , unpacked the mystery of the coronavirus that has stopped the world in its tracks , revisited our cultural past and learnt the dangerous side effects of metal mining . You ’ ve walked through each element with us and together we went on a storytelling adventure , to get back some normality into our year .
We learnt that the elements of Nature don ’ t just form the world we live in , but also the essence of who we are mentally , physically and spiritually , and living through 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic has only allowed me to appreciate and understand it even more . The elements allow us to get in touch with who we are and by understanding how they impact us , we are able to live a longer and more fulfilling life .
In this issue of ASIAN Geographic Elements of Life Edition , we ’ re paying tribute to these all-important elements . From the history of wu xing to the symbolism of the elements in various cultures and festivals , we ’ ve selected the best picks from the last year and combined it all into one Collector ’ s Edition magazine for you to experience what 2020 had to offer , all in one sitting . hotels & resorts
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Elizabeth LIM