While some people travel to relax and unwind, others do it to experience different cultures and traditions, for which there is no better place to go than Asia.
When people say Asia is the most diverse continent on the planet, they really mean it. It’s the largest continent on Earth, making up 30% of the planet’s landmass and containing 60% of the world’s population.
With all that being said, festivals in Asia are some of the most unique and diverse on the planet, celebrating customs, traditions and religious practices that vary from one country to another.
Even though most countries have already eased their travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still wise to look up the country you are visiting for any rules or guidelines you must follow when traveling there.
If you and your friends are planning to travel to Asia, here are 10 festivals you’ll want to consider adding to your itinerary.
Lotus Lantern Festival in Seoul (Yeondeunghoe)
Lotus Lantern Festival, or Yeondeunghoe in Korean, is celebrated with bright, colorful lanterns in different shapes and forms, such as that of a person or an animal. This festival, which will be held in Seoul and many other places in South Korea in mid-May, is a celebration of the Buddha’s birthday.
UNESCO added this South Korean festival to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020.
Mikuni Festival
Mikuni Festival — also called Mikuni Matsuri — is held in the town of Mikuni in the Sakai district of Fukui prefecture, Japan, every year in late May.
The festival’s highlight takes place a few days into the festivity when neighborhoods in the town create their versions of six-and-a-half-meter-tall floats of figures from Japanese history or legend for the parade that are accompanied by music.
Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA)
Singapore’s annual International Festival of Arts (SIFA), which kicks off sometime in late May and runs up until early June,…
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