| > | | | | stepped upon, as a symbolic exorcising of their |
| | | | demons. |
| Travel Asia: Festivities and Fun | | | | Travel Asia: Yasothon Rocket Festival |
| Are you planning to travel to Asia within the next | | | | In the middle of May, things get very noisy for |
| year, and are looking for some fun festivities to | | | | Asian travelers to the Phaya Thaen Park in |
| attend? Well, look no further — | | | | Thailand. Historically, the festival started as an |
| we’ve researched some of the more | | | | offering to the gods of the sky, exploding |
| incredible Asian festivals for you to check out | | | | beautiful rockets to encourage rainfall for rice crop |
| during your travels. | | | | growth. Nowadays, event has become something |
| Travel Asia: Pulilan Carabao Festival | | | | more of a sport, with competitions to see whose |
| You’ll probably never see a water buffalo | | | | rocket can fly the farthest, and whose explodes |
| adorned quite like this! If you travel to Pulilan in | | | | the most. |
| the second week of May, you’ll witness | | | | Travel Asia: Asakusa Samba |
| the homage to the patron saint of farmers, San | | | | Toyko’s version of the Rio Carnaval |
| Isidro Labrador. Families take their prized water | | | | happens every August, in the Asakusa district. |
| buffalos, scrape away the dirt, shave them, | | | | Travelers to Asia and natives alike are amazed |
| anoint them in oils, and then parade them around | | | | by the colorful sequined costumes and feathers |
| the city square dressed as kings. The priests of | | | | of the dancing Samba girls, along with their full |
| the Asian city then kneel and ask the buffalos to | | | | bands marching down the street alongside them. |
| bless them, promising health and good wishes for | | | | Travel Asia: The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts |
| the upcoming year to all, including visiting travelers. | | | | Hong Kong hosts this unusual yearly event, held |
| Travel Asia: Parade of the God of Medicine | | | | on the 14th day of the seventh moon (sometime |
| On the 15th day of the third lunar month, the city | | | | in August, during a full moon). Legend says that |
| of Taiwan is taken over by this world-renowned | | | | the gates of Hades were opened on this day, and |
| Asian festivity — a must for travelers in | | | | the dead who cannot rest were left to run the |
| the area because of its spectacular parade. At | | | | streets mischievously. The Yue Lan Festival, as it |
| the nucleus of the 160 temple celebration are Pao | | | | is known in Chinese, has natives of the city |
| Sheng in Taipei and the Temple of Ching Tzu in | | | | putting up odd paper monuments all over the |
| Hseuhchia. Spearheaded by a group called the | | | | streets, which are then ceremoniously burned on |
| Centipedes, worshippers attending the city-wide | | | | the last day. |
| parade throw themselves on the ground to be | | | | |