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{ EDITOR ’ S NOTE
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“ For last year ’ s words belong to last year ’ s language and next year ’ s words await another voice . And to make an end is to make a beginning ”
T . S . Eliot
Image © Miguel Candela CAFÉS & Restaurants
tOURISM BOARDS
Festivals can be deeply spiritual and ritualistic , or merely frivolous and fanciful . They range from rambunctious to riotous to reflective . They can also be romantic , nostalgic – even melancholy . Some ancient practices appear archaic and macabrely out of place in contemporary contexts ; several are hard to stomach . Some are in danger of dying out completely , whereas others have metamorphosed , taking on modern influences and idiosyncrasies .
Asia ’ s festivals can really be summed up in one word : diverse . From east to west , the region boasts a smorgasbord of the weird , the wonderful , and the downright bizarre . But whatever their flavour , festivals offer a fantastic means of immersing oneself in a foreign community ’ s culture . In keeping with Passport ’ s mission to equip the modern traveller with a comprehensive guide to Asia , we ’ ve covered as many bases as possible , with a calendar and listings of some of the festival highlights in the region – and you ’ re invited .
Journey to Mongolia for the riotous Naadam festival , which gives the Olympics a run for its money in terms of its fierce competitive edge , with three Genghis Khan-approved traditional sports ( p26 ). Visit the Surin Elephant Roundup , which has its origins in Thailand ’ s royal hunts in the Ayutthaya period ( p40 ). In the Philippines , Easter takes a turn for the queasy as Catholic devotees re-enact the crucifixion in all its gory glory ( p48 ). The high stakes continue at Myanmar ’ s Taunggyi Fire Balloon Festival , where homemade exploding fireworks douse the audience in showers of sparks – for some , the danger is half the fun ( p56 ). Take a turn to the Pushkar Camel Fair in India , the largest of its kind in the world ( p70 ), and in Central Asia , get into the spirit of the widespread Nowruz celebrations ( p86 ).
It is also with sadness that I say my farewells to the magazine , with this being my last issue . ASIAN Geographic was honoured to take home seven awards at this year ’ s Media Publishers Association of Singapore gala dinner ( see the scoop on p110 ), so I ’ d like to congratulate and thank the team for all their hard work , creativity and commitment over the last year .
Wishing all our readers a festive , fabulous year ahead – and safe travels ! attractions
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media correspondents India , Sri Lanka RMA Media , Faredoon KUKA • india @ asiangeo . com Nepal , Bangladesh Media South Asia ( P ) Ltd • nepal @ asiangeo . com Thailand Radius • thailand @ asiangeo . com China Hainan Periscope Social Media Company • china @ asiangeo . com Japan Keiichi ARANTANI • japan @ asiangeo . com
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ALEX W . CAMPBELL
BEIJING / SHENZHEN / HONG KONG