Innholdsfortegnelse for 2/2017 i ASIAN Geographic

Substance, Shadow and Spirit The Spirit responds The Great Potter cannot Intervene All creation thrives of itself. That Man ranks with Earth and Heaven, Is it not because of me? Though we belong to different orders, Being alive, I am joined to you. Bound together for good or ill I cannot refuse to tell you what I know: The Three August Ones were great saints But where are they living today? Though P’eng-tsu lasted a long time He still had to go before he was ready. Die old or die young, death is the same, Wise or stupid, there is no difference. Drunk, every day you may forget, But won’t it shorten your life span? Doing good is always a joyous thing But no one has to praise you for…

AFGHANISTAN THE WUSHU WARRIORS In a viral video clip reminiscent of a scene from Tarantino’s Kill Bill, 20-year-old wushu teacher Sima Azimi, sporting a striking black and yellow satin karategi, leads her class of women trainees in their wushu workout on a snow-splattered hilltop outside Kabul in Afghanistan. Donning pink uniforms – designed by a local tailor – with white hijabs, these young Hazara women, a mostly Shia group who speak Dari, are giving a roundhouse kick to gender stereotypes by practising this ancient form of kung fu, developed by the flying monks of the Shaolin Temple in northern China. This full-contact sport combines kick-boxing and sword fighting – with sabres and daggers. Azimi is Afghanistan’s first woman trainer in wushu, which she learnt while living as a refugee in…

Coming from the ultra-modern megalopolis of Shanghai, nobody would believe that a four-hour bus ride through eight-lane expressways, followed by a bumpy, mostly unpaved road would lead to the Chinese version of Hollywood. Hengdian, a city of around 200,000 people in the eastern part of Zhejiang Province is where, astonishingly, around 20 percent of all Chinese movies and TV series are filmed. “In the 20 years since filming activities started, some 1,800 titles have been produced here, including big hits such as Zhang Yimou’s Hero and Hollywood’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” Hengdian Group’s spokesman Zeng Yuling says. “At any given time, up to 40 stories can be taking shape in our hundreds of sets. Last year alone, 250 directors worked in the city, where more than 50,000…

“I can work, I have more time for myself and I don’t need to take care of my children all the time, as the other wives share the childrearing responsibilities with me” Azlina Jamaluddin Driving through the streets of the commuter town of Rawang, 30 kilometres north of Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur, Azlina Jamaluddin is more than eager to challenge any criticism of polygamous marriage. A born-again Muslim and self-proclaimed “working woman”, the 48-year-old dentist ascribes her professional success and personal growth to polygamy. “I can work, I have more time for myself and I don’t need to take care of my children all the time, as the other wives share the childrearing responsibilities with me,” she shares. Azlina wasn’t always supportive of the practice, however – like many…

For well over a century, women of the South Korean island province of Jeju – “the Land of Women” – have made their living by freediving – ill-equipped – to the depths of the ocean to harvest seaweed and shellfish. Reaching depths of over 10 metres in chilly waters, and lasting between two to three minutes on a single gulp of air, over 100 times a day, the Hae-Nyeo, or “sea women”, are often seen as myth-like mermaids. For as long as South Koreans can remember, the Hae-Nyeo have dived the waters surrounding Jeju, and have become emblematic of the very characteristics of the society that inhabits the far-flung island, reflecting the independent spirit, iron will and determination of its people. The semi-matriarchal family structure of the island, where women…

“What we are all about is making sure that kids everywhere... are given an opportunity to gain the lifelong gift of education” John Wood It is difficult to imagine where we would be without basic literacy. As a foundational skill, it improves our reasoning, creativity, and allows for further education and career opportunities. For many of us, it is perhaps too easy to become complacent about the ability to read and write. And yet, according to UNESCO’s statistics on literacy, nearly 17 percent of the world’s adult population, some 775 million people, are illiterate, and a further 122 million youth cannot read or write, with as many as two-thirds of them being women or girls. Without this basic education, denied to them by the accident of their birth, most illiterate…

Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, is rich in ancient heritage, ruled by different dynasties over centuries. There are about 74 million Tamil people today. An ethnic group with a history dating back to the Sangam era (400 BC to 300 AD), Tamils belong to either the Saivites or Vaishnavites group of Hindu pantheists. Tamils all over the world are deeply invested in safeguarding their cultural traditions, which include a wide array of rituals and ceremonies. Temple architecture showcases the Dravidian style: towering gopurams (temple towers) in which statues of gods and goddesses are engraved, with various filigree designs carved into towering edifices. Particularly notable architectural gems include the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai and the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, but there are countless others scattered throughout the state,…

“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one” Bruce Lee As a revered martial artist, an insightful philosopher, and a famous filmmaker and actor, Bruce Lee became a pop culture icon, listed by Time as one of the most influential people of the 20th century. Born on November 27, 1940 in San Francisco, Lee was raised in Hong Kong, where he appeared in more than 20 films as a child actor, training in Wing Chun Gung Fu under renowned master Ip Man (prompted after he lost several fights to rival gang members!). At 18, he returned to the US, where he taught martial arts and developed his own style called Jeet Kune Do (“the art of intercepting fist”). A star in both…

Every year, groups of young Japanese men clad in designer business suits and women donning traditional furisode (kimonos worn by single women) gather to celebrate their coming of age through a riotous – and opulent – day of celebration. Held annually on the second Monday in January, the Coming of Age Day – also called Seijin-no-Hi – allows young adults who turned 20 in the previous year (or who will do so before March 31 in the current year) to celebrate as they are officially declared “adults”, with the right to drink and smoke (and formerly, to vote, until the legislation was changed to age 18 in June 2016). The certified age marking adulthood has varied at different stages of Japanese history. During the Edo period (1603–1868), for example, boys…

“Now is the time to say no to those who want to impose their dogma on us – to rediscover the thinking of Hussein and Al Maeir’i” Osama al-Shariff Not many people in the Middle East have the freedom to enjoy art and marvel at their cultural history. This fear has been cultivated by certain doctrines which state that the admiration of artistic work is heretical. There is a link in some Middle Eastern cultures between statues and the worship of idols; the appreciation of statues is therefore often construed as blasphemous in some religious sects. The rampant looting of centuries-old artefacts and the ongoing destruction of thousands of years of antiquities have brought about a sense of deep loss and bewilderment for many people, in the Middle East, and…

“We are always worried about winter. A very cold season could kill many of our sheep and make it difficult for us to survive” It’s seven in the morning, but the frosty Mongolian steppe is still pitch black. With a thick blanket of clouds covering the starry sky, darkness is pierced by the hundreds of eerie lights emanating from the eyes of a large sheep herd. They stare at whoever dares to come out of the ger – the nomads’ traditional yurt – into the icy open air, some 35o C below zero. Their woolly faces are covered in ice. They have survived these bitter temperatures by staying very close to one another; this morning, they are huddled behind a wooden enclosure in the middle of nowhere. But Shuukhaz, a…

The Boat to Redemption (China, 2009, 2010) By Su Tong A political satire that follows the story of a dishonoured father and son, and a feral girl with a bourgeois attitude. Providing insights into China’s culture and recent history, it is a tragic story of people consumed by their own desires and needs. The White Tiger (India, 2009) By Aravind Adiga A poor Indian villager journeys from servitude to success as a prosperous businessman. The character is a representation of what India could become, shedding its history of poverty and caste conflict. The Corpse Washer (Iraq, 2010) By Sinan Antoon This book reveals the lives of the people in Iraq, through Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, the 2003 invasion and occupation. 1Q83 (Japan, 2009) By Haruki Murukami A distopian novel in the…

The Temburong District in the eastern part of Brunei is the country’s greenest, hilliest and least populated area, and is considered one of Borneo’s most pristine rainforest environments, host to a range of ecological research and ecotourism activities. Ulu Temburong National Park covers about 500 square kilometres of largely undisturbed forest, boasting extensive visitor facilities and resort-style accommodation. The park houses several suspension bridges, boardwalks, treehouses, wildlife observation points and a canopy walkway – rising some 50 metres above the forest floor. From this bird’s view vantage point, you can admire undisturbed Nature. Snakes often glide through the treetops, such as the striking, and venomous, Wagler’s pit viper. Lizards are easier to spot than snakes, and with luck, you may catch glimpses of the five-lined flying lizard (Draco quinquefasciatus) and…

01 INDONESIA A young boy reveals his face beneath a topeng – an Indonesian traditional mask 02 CHINA Li women – mostly located on Hainan Island – began tattooing as a symbol of belonging; gradually, their tattoos came to signify beauty 03 INDIA The Konyak are recognised by their tattoos. Previously known as “headhunters”, they would take the heads of opposing warriors as trophies 04 SRI LANKA At Sigiriya Rock, a young girl dressed in a headscarf engages the camera 05 MYANMAR A Padaung woman of the Karen tribe peers through colourful fabric in Myanmar 06 BANGLADESH A little boy clambers onto his father’s back during Jumu’ah prayer at the second-largest Muslim congregation held in Bangladesh 07 BHUTAN Backstage activity at the Thangbi Monastery in Bumthang Province 08 QATAR…

Music, fashion and lifestyle converge in this unique subculture, known for its wild Mohawk hairstyles, spikes and piercings, black leather and “emo” disposition Punk hardly needs an introduction. Music, fashion and lifestyle converge in this unique subculture, known for its wild Mohawk hairstyles, spikes and piercings, black leather and “emo” disposition. In Asia, a continent whose many different cultures tend to share a deep-seated appreciation for cultural traditionalism, you would be forgiven for thinking that punk barely registers in the social strata in the more conservative parts of the region. But it does – and not just in terms of fashion statements – although in fashionable areas such as Taipei’s Zhongxiao- Dunhua and Tokyo’s Harajuku, you can drop several hundred dollars to get the look of strung-out Sid Vicious, even…

The younger generation of Mongolians feels increasingly disconnected to their parents’ nomadic way of living, which has been practised for thousands of years. With increasing migration to the capital but a lack of infrastructure to accommodate the surge of people, many social problems are proliferating. Pastoral Traditions Mongolians have followed a pastoral way of living for 3,000 years. Mongolian nomadic people move two to four times a year Seeking Greener Pastures In the 1950s, only about 20 percent of Mongolians lived in urban areas. In 2014, 68 percent of the population lived in cities and towns A Livestock Livelihood Mongolia has over 55.9 million livestock. There are more sheep than people in Mongolia: 12 sheep per person Burgeoning Numbers Mongolia’s population has been increasing at an annual rate of more…

As the sun sets, a vanguard of boys enters the ceremonial grounds, shouldering large V-shaped objects covered in colourful plastic streamers and bells. They bounce up and down to set a beat while seated onlookers look towards the line of approaching Saisiyat tribespeople. As they begin to flood into the grounds, rocking their bodies as they step in time with the jangling bells, their haunting singing – energetic, but mournful – rises in volume. The line of people is connected by intertwined arms – each hand crosses the body of the person adjacent to them to grasp the hand of the next person. They are dressed in the traditional blood-red clothing of the Saisiyat tribe with matching headbands. The end of the line is brought up by men and women…

Five families of artisans live here, and continue to make alms bowls in the traditional way In the face of globalisation, numerous traditional arts are at risk of disappearing. In Thailand, one craft on the brink of extinction is the making of monks’ alms bowls – by hand. It is common to see Buddhist monks wandering through the country with these bowls, collecting offerings from devotees – a custom that dates back thousands of years. The tradition of handcrafting alms bowls is just as old. However, now that most bowls are mass-produced in factories, these niche craft communities have died out… save one: Bangkok’s Ban Bat (the “Monk’s Bowl Village” – baht is the Thai word for a monk’s bowl; ban for community). A group of craftsmen from Ayutthaya settled…