Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 5 - 2016 i ASIAN Geographic

The Chinese couplet (XfJ ) consists of two short, poetic lines that complement each other. It is traditionally written on red paper or carved into door panels, showcasing poetic creativity and calligraphic skills. Chinese couplets originated in the Five Dynasties (907-960) and were popular in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) dynasties. The couplet on this page says: "Be tolerant to diversity; tolerance is a virtue.”…

1 MANDALAY, MYANMAR Postcard vendor at U Bein Bridge: His beard and moustache accentuate the air of quiet confidence and mysticism about him. 2 PUNAKHA, BHUTAN A mysterious caretaker at a small village monastery. 3 PUNAKHA, BHUTAN A farmer's weathered face and hands, as well as the religious beads around his neck, speak volumes about the kind of life that he leads. 4 BANGALORE, INDIA Drawing attention: This construction worker at a hotel has an arresting stare. 5 TOKYO, JAPAN A picture of traditional Japanese culture, this geisha works as a professional entertainer at a traditional Japanese teahouse called Ochaya. 6 SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA An impeccably-dressed little girl at a souvenir shop. 7 PUNAKHA, BHUTAN Children in Punakha walk kilometres to attend school. Their school books are treasured possessions, which…

The Samurai were the warrior clans of medieval Japan, immortalised in literature and in art. Today it is Tokyo but once, many lifetimes ago, the city was Edo, the imperial capital of Japan. Amidst the marks of modernity - the skyscrapers, the flyovers and the neon signs - are hidden hints of a world many think of as lost, but which is just waiting for the eagle-eyed to discover. Together with Satoko Hirakawa, my walking tour guide, I stand upon the Nihonbashi Bridge, looking in the direction of Mount Fuji. High-rise buildings now obscure the view, but as an ancient milestone by our side shows, this was once point zero on the map. In Europe, they say all roads lead to Rome; here in Japan, it was Edo that was…

The Indian metalanguage has 122 active languages and over 1,500 sub-dialects. Hindi, the national language, is spoken throughout Northern and Central India. Some 75 percent of Indians speak the Indo-Aryan languages, which originated mostly from Iran, while the rest converse through Dravidian dialects. Persian, which has influenced Farsi and Urdu, was the predominant language during the Mughal period and used in courts in Northern India. The English language was introduced under British rule. Prior to the British Raj, ancient words in Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu and Tamil found their way to foreign tongues. The influence of the Indian language on English is vast: jungle, veranda, patchouli, shampoo, pyjamas, loot, bungalow, pundit, thug… the list goes on. South Asian words were brought to the West by trade through the East India Company.…

Burmese, a Sino-Tibetan language of the Tibeto-Burman group, is spoken by about 32 million people as their first language, and by up to 15 million more as a second language. It is the national language of Myanmar Burmese CATCH OR BE CAUGHT Burmese, a Sino-Tibetan language of the Tibeto-Burman group, is spoken by about 32 million people as their first language, and by up to 15 million more as a second language. It is the national language of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, where it is the main language of education, communication, media and administration, as well as inter-ethnic communication. Burmese has a recorded history going back to the 11th century, when it began to replace Mon as the literary language of the Bagan kingdom. Burmese literature has flourished…

Mongolian is spoken by 90 percent of the population. Across the country, a dialectal varieties of Oirat and Buryat, and also Khamnigan Mongol, are spoken. In the western areas, the Turkic languages Kazakh and Tuvan are also spoken Mongolian A STORIED TONGUE The Secret History of the Mongols is a historically significant example of Mongolian literature, a valuable literary work of the pre-classical Mongolian and Middle Mongolian languages. The founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuan Zhang, had all Mongolian books destroyed save this one. Incorporating elements of poetry and folklore, it chronicles the creation of the Mongol Empire as well as documents the language in its different stages of evolution. During the Ming Dynasty, after The Secret History was transcribed into Chinese, it was widely used to teach the…

Print Digital ASIAN Geographic has a consistent editorial focus aimed at showcasing the best of Asia to the world. From culture and heritage to environmental issues and social trends, we are proud to bring you Asia in all its beauty and complexity. AG PASSPORT magazine is now incorporated into the flagship title, ASIAN Geographic. While bound together, AG PASSPORT will continue to maintain its own identity, giving readers a new approach to travel appreciation. AG JUNIOR is a magazine for youngsters growing up in Asia. This bi-monthly title is the only magazine that showcases Asia and opens an infinite world of possibilities for youths aged 7 to 13. The biggest supporters of the magazine, however, are the parents who welcome new ideas and activities that keep their children occupied and…

1999 SEPTEMBER Inagural Issue AG No.1 Issue 1/1999Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Christopher Lee Executive Editor: Michael Aw 2002 ARK TRUST INTERNATIONAL AWARDS 1. Genesis Award AG (Bear Witness) No.7 Issue 2/2001 Text: Cortian Bennett Photo: Paul Hilton ASIAN GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO COMPETITION Images of Asia 2006 ASIA TRAVEL & TOURISM CREATIVE AWARDS 2. Travel Photograph Scenic | Winner AG No.33 Issue 6/2005 Photo: Lester V. Ledesma 2008 ASIAN GEOGRAPHIC PASSPORT Inagural Issue AGP was launched in August 2008 ASIAN GEOGRAPHIC EXPEDITION Himalayas Expedition 2008 ASIAN GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY One Asia, One Heart A non-profit, scientific and educational society dedicated to the conservation and promotion of Asia’s environment, culture and wildlife. 2009 MPAS AWARDS 3. Best Visual/ Photography AG No.61 Issue 11/2008 4. Best Cover/ Feature Story AG No.58 Issue 8/2008 ASIAN GEOGRAPHIC JUNIOR Inagural Issue…

Chinese Spoken by the Han majority and many other ethnic groups in China, and also by nearly 1.2 billion people around the world, the metalanguage Chinese comprises numerous mutually unintelligible varieties. Spanish Spain’s colonial history in Latin America left a strong linguistic legacy. Originating in the Castile region in Spain, the language now has an estimated 570 million speakers in the world. Spanish is the native tongue in 35 countries and is spoken by about 472 million people as a first language. English A total of 339 million people speak English as their native language, 225 million of them in the United States. English is spoken in 110 countries, more than any other language.…

Japanese THE TONGUE OF THE RISING SUN In folk etymology, the distinctively Japanese arigato (thank you) was understood to be derived from the Portuguese word obrigado. However, the word is actually related to ari gatai, which literally means ‘it is rare (to receive such a favour)’. Nonetheless, in the 16th century, Portuguese priests did bring their faith, and certain words, into Japanese dialogue. For example, some common words from Portuguese that are current in Japanese include tempura (to deep fry) and pan (bread). Today, the Japanese language continues to expand and influence. While the Japanese phrase teiku auto is derived from the English ‘take-out’, modern English also includes much of the Japanese lexicon in words such as bokeh, karaoke and tycoon. The fascinating and multifaceted Japanese culture has intrigued the…

Bengali THE FLAMES OF PRIDE Bengali, or Bangla, evolved from eastern Middle Indo-Aryan dialects circa 1000AD. During the Middle Bengali period (1400–1800), the language incorporated many elements of classical Sanskrit. From 1800, the modern Bengali era witnessed a marked change in grammar, vocabulary and syntax, including the shortening of verbs and pronouns. Modern Bangla assimilated many French, English, Arabic, Persian, Turkic and Dutch words as the region came into contact with foreign powers. For example, the word ador resembles j’adore (meaning ‘I adore’ in French) and similarly connotes affection. The 1800s also witnessed the Bengali renaissance led by the Bengali intellectuals of Kolkata, India. The language now boasts a total of 250 million speakers, including those in India, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates and other nations. 250,000,000 SPEAKERS Romani WE…

  In keeping with traditional Cambodian values of non-confrontation and respect for elders, the Khmer language is divided into a system of registers: common speech, polite speech, speaking to or about royals, and speaking to or about monks Khmer TILL DEATH DO US PART Khmer, pronounced ‘kmae’ (the final ‘r’ is silent), is the official language of Cambodia; it branches into several dialects in different regions of the country. While it is one of the most widely spoken Austro-Asiatic languages (second only to Vietnamese), a despairing 35 percent of the population over 15 years old cannot read or write it. Khmer is the root language of three other dialects that vary according to the region that it is spoken in. There is Northern Khmer, where the final ‘r’ is still…

Hakka TALES OF MIGRATION The story of Hakka is one of migration, where hak and ka translate respectively to ‘guest’ and ‘family’. Following invasions of their homeland from other ethnic groups in the 17th century, the Hakka people migrated southward from northern China. Confronted with ethnic violence, the spirit of ngang giang flourished in the Hakka people – valued qualities of diligence and strength in the face of adversity. The move spawned several variations of the Hakka dialect, often assimilating features of languages spoken locally. The five major Hakka dialects – namely Hailu, Raoping, Zhaoan, Sixian and Dabu – are spoken by an estimated 60 million people worldwide. Its speakers are mainly distributed across China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, South Africa and India, where Hakka-speaking people have settled. There are pronunciation…

More than 100 languages across the Asian continent have undergone language death, have no native speakers or have no spoken descendants CENTRAL ASIA The core region of the Asian continent stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to China in the east, and from Afghanistan in the south to Russia in the north. About 90 milllion people live in Central Asia, which is almost two percent of Asia’s total population. The region has long been a strategic location because of its proximity to several great powers on the Eurasian landmass. WEST ASIA The world’s earliest civilisations developed in West Asia, with the Babylonian, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other empires dominating the land at different periods in history. Today, the population of West Asia is over 300 million and the…

APRIL THE QUIZ OF ASIA The ASIAN Geographic Hot Soup Challenge returns for another year to put Singapore’s kids in the quiz hot seat and challenge their general knowledge about Asia. The school challenge will run in April 2017 under the theme of Climate Change. Students will have the opportunity to study up on relevant issues through the January edition, which will address issues relating to global warming. This year’s challenge will also dovetail with the Asia Dive Expo, which runs at Suntec from 7-9 April. The contest is broken down into three categories: • Junior (age 7–12) • Students (age 12–18) • Open Category (age 18 and above) OCTOBER PHOTO COMPETITION LIVE JUDGING & WORKSHOPS Organised by ASIAN Geographic, Asia’s leading geographic title and a source…

When addressing others, Koreans use two terms: jondaemal , used in formal speech, and banmal , used in familiar speech Korean THE NEW LANGUAGE OF LOVE A heartthrob male lead stares intensely into his doe-eyed beauty, whispers a sweet sarang-hae-yo and leans in for a kiss. All over the world, viewers have stayed glued to their cable TV, swooning and bawling over the dramas that have become distinctly Korean – the epitome of 21st-century soap opera. Hallyu (the Korean wave) has revolutionised pop culture: sarang-hae-yo has come to embody the sincerest ‘I love you’ and Korean itself has come to be the new language of courtship in the East. Korean is an isolated language with no genealogical roots to other languages. Contemporary Korean, which…

 ASIAN Geographic specialises in bringing compelling stories, groundbreaking research features and exciting news updates about Asia to readers across the region. The largest and most populous continent, Asia boasts 4.4 billion inhabitants, accounting for 60 percent of the world’s population. The world’s two most populated countries, China and India, together constitute about 37 percent of the world’s people. It is unsurprising, therefore, that our coverage has demonstrated that there is a never-ending reserve of fascinating stories behind Asian culture, society, history and science. “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”Nelson Mandela When it comes to the spoken and written word, Asia is also blessed with an astonishing diversity…

Naukan Yupik CHUKCHI PENINSULA, 70 SPEAKERS Naukan Yupik is the native tongue of a meagre 50 people living mostly in Lavrentiya, Siberia, but who originally hail from the village of Naukan, East Cape, Siberia, across the Bering Strait from Alaska’s Seward Peninsula. It is also spoken by a small handful of people living on the Chukchi Peninsula, the northeastern extremity of Asia, making a total of 70 people worldwide who are privy to this language. Despite the group’s paltry size, the lexicon of this language was first documented long ago – all the way back in 1732. Though only spoken in Siberia, Naukan is a linguistic intermediate between two other languages: Central Siberian Yupik of St. Lawrence Island and Yup’ik Eskimo, a tongue exclusive to southwestern Alaska. On its evolutionary…

[Kumbh Mela] is widely known by its Sanskrit name, Kumbha, the sacred language of Hinduism The Hindu devotee’s hands are pressed together. His palms touch, close to his chest, and his fingers point upwards. His brightly-coloured turban is in stark contrast to his thick white beard. “Namaste,” he says with a slight bow. Literally translated, the word means “I bow to the divine in you.” A respectful greeting, namaste, or namaskar, combined with the wordless hand gesture, conveys the same meaning of acknowledgement for a loved one, a guest or a stranger, regardless of the speaker’s language, culture or religion. Amidst the potpourri of more than 1,500 languages spoken in India, namaste is a universal form of salutation, understood by all, and particularly so during the Kumbh Mela. The…

  “This is Burma and it is unlike any land you know about.” – Rudyard Kipling in Letters from the East Known as Myanmar in present day, the country has a rich tapestry of traditions, cultures and tribes dating back 13,000 years. Myanmar or Burma? The confusion begins here. Myanmar is recognised in most countries and in the United Nations (UN), but not in the United Kingdom. As Myanmar’s former colonial rulers, the UK has refused to acknowledge the ruling legitimacy of the Myanmar military regime. Hence, they still say ‘Burma. UNION OF THE STATES AND TRIBES Myanmar is closely connected to her neighbouring countries: Thailand in the East, India in the West, Malaysia in the South, China in the North-East and Tibet in the North. Its topography consists of…

They sound like customs that belong to a forgotten culture of an ancient community. The people do not traditionally marry, but engage uninhibitedly in consensual relationships with different and often multiple partners, as desired by each party, from the age of 13. The concept of love fidelity, in the sense that we might be accustomed to in modern-day society, does not exist. Little value is attached to the notion of possession or exclusivity, and even less to the idea of shared finances, property and responsibilities, as each partner normally remains socially and economically a part of his or her own maternal family. In addition, the concepts of ‘husband’ and ‘father’ are traditionally not a part of the Mosuo social structure. As such, children who are born of these relationships are…

It’s still pitch dark in the small Mongolian town of Khailaast. But Ganbold and Tungalatamir have already finished their light breakfast and are about to leave their ger – the traditional yurt of the nomads – with all the tools required to perform their illegal work. Ganbold is carrying the heavy water pump while his wife loads smaller tools into the back of their white minivan. They head for a manmade lake in the middle of the infinite steppe, where the first sunrays cover the green grass in gold... And that is exactly what the couple is looking for. They are ‘ninjas’, a nickname gold diggers get because of the large green bowl they carry on their backs, which is reminiscent of the shells of the famous comic characters in…

As the impact of the major global languages increases, it continues to pressurise local languages into adapting [...] In our everchanging lexical world, where languages twist and turn, and sometimes bend over backwards or die out to suit trends, cultural changes and technology, the future of the spoken and written word is difficult to predict. Around the World The influence of globalisation is operating in quicker and more complex ways, and creating a more connected world than ever before. This multi-cultural epoch that we live in affects language in significant ways, for wherever we go, we bring our language with us. As the impact of the major global languages increases, it continues to pressurise local languages into adapting, and year by year we are seeing more languages bowing out. The…

Korean is the official language of the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, with many small local dialects (mal, saturi or bang’eon). Worldwide, approximately, 80 million people speak Korean. A once-unified country, sharing the same history for millennia, divided at the end of WWII THEY SHARE: 1. A long history as a distinct, homogeneous ethnic group, native to the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria 2. A common nationalist historiography, centred on the Korean minjok 3. A common cultural heritage 4. The same language origins, using Hangul as the main writing system STANDARD LANGUAGE In both island-states, the standard language is derived from the Seoul dialect in practice, and both standards remain largely intelligible. Largely based on the Pyongyang dialect. Usually referred to as chos › n-mal or,…

ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS Arabic: During the Islamic Golden Age (8th–13th centuries), a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian tales was compiled by authors, translators and scholars across West, Central Asia and South Asia as well as North Africa. Written in Arabic, One Thousand and One Nights – also known as Arabian Nights in the English editions – drew from ancient and medieval Arabic, Persian, Mesopotamian, Indian, Jewish and Egyptian folklore and literature. Common throughout all editions of the Arabian Nights is the initial frame story of the ruler Shahryar and Scheherazade. The stories are developed from the first tale about how Shahryar, on discovering that his first wife has been unfaithful, executes her, then proceeds to marry a succession of virgins, only to execute each girl the…