Jaipur ladies brighten the streetscape. Photo: Anna Griswold

Cultures worldwide nurture their folk art traditions, but in the 21^st century there are few places where the traditional arts burst out of the workshop and bustle so confidently down the street as in the Indian region of Rajasthan.

Fabrics dyed in dazzling shades of red, pink, yellow and green, and embroidered, tie-dyed, and block printed are everyday wear, as are gold, silver and gem-encrusted jewelry.  The going is smooth in footwear called “jootis,” fashioned of embroidered camel hide, and entwined turbans in crimson, saffron, and mustard protect from the sun and dust of the desert.

Upon building his new capital, Jaipur, in the early 18^th century, the Rajput maharaja Jai Singh and his architect laid out the city in rectangular sectors with each specializing in a particular handicraft.  Jai Singh was a devoted patron of the arts and science and, in addition to commissioning the construction of magnificent palaces and the world’s largest stone-sculpted observatory, encouraged artisans to settle in Jaipur through tax incentives.

Today the bazaars and workshops of Old Jaipur remain virtually intact within its crenellated walls, providing the strolling visitor a chance to observe skilled craftsmen at work.  Need I say that the shopping is incredible, not only for textiles, apparel and jewelry, but also pottery, tiles, miniature paintings, puppets, sandalwood carving, brassware, enamelwork, and handmade paper!

Our 22-day Epic India trip this fall includes nine days in Rajasthan, including the Pink City of Jaipur, the Blue City of Jodhpur, and festivities of the Pushkar Camel Fair.  Join us, and your color palette will never be the same!

Rajasthani puppets for sale. Photo: Anna Griswold

Yes, that’s right – I wrote “throwing beans”. It’s nearly Setsubun here in Japan, the day (February 3rd to be exact) where the Japanese traditionally chase away the dark spirits and chill of winter away by flinging soybeans either out their front door or at children wearing oni (demon) masks. The head of the household is usually given the fun task of wild soybean distribution, although men who were born under the current zodiac sign can also fill in. The traditional phrase that accompanies the ritual is Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi (demons outside, good luck inside).

Celebrating Setsubun at Zojoji Temple, Tokyo

While families can – and do – enact the setsubun ritual in their own home, it is more popular these days to herald the start of the season with a temple visit, where priests or other notable personages fling packets of beans at the crowds below. In Tokyo and parts of the south, these packets nowadays are mostly peanuts, a more cost-effective choice for large crowds. It’s also not uncommon in the larger cities to spot sumo wrestlers and television personalities up on the platforms participating in the ceremony.

As with all holidays, there’s food to follow - it’s custom to eat a soybean for each year of your life (plus one for luck) and chow down on sushi rolls. Interstingly enough, however, the sushi roll must be a large (think futomaki) uncut roll and must be eaten in silence to harness the full effect of good luck.

However you choose to celebrate spring, may the warm winds of the season soon bring you a respite from winter’s harsh beauty.

Taktsang, the Tiger's Nest. Photo by Anna Griswold

Legend has it that Padmasambhava brought Buddhism to Bhutan in 746 AD via a miraculous journey on the back of a flying tigress.  Upon the site of his landing at the uppermost reaches of a 3,000-foot cliff stands Taktsang, the holiest temple for the Bhutanese and a captivating destination for visitors.

Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche (“Most Precious Teacher”), went on to vanquish spirits of the indigenous Bon religion and heal the ailing King Sindhu, who in gratitude proclaimed Buddhism the new religion of the land.   To this day, its practice permeates every aspect of Bhutanese life and Guru Rinpoche is venerated with statues and painted images throughout the country.   His deeds are celebrated and re-enacted annually in festivals known as tsechus, which last from three to five days and feature masked dances, religious allegorical plays and folk dances.  At the renowned Paro Tsechu, an immense 18^th-century thondrol (a religious picture) of Guru Rinpoche is unfurled at dawn.  The rare, once-a-year display of this 91-foot by 55-foot painting is believed to bestow blessings on its viewers for a few brief hours before it is devotedly rolled up to protect it from the sun.

Since the 1970’s, Bhutan has cautiously but increasingly opened its borders to foreigners.  Nowadays you can take the earthbound approach to Taktsang by walking a steep and breathtaking footpath through a deep pine forest.   You can share the mesmerizing spell cast by masked dancers with Bhutanese villagers who have walked days through the countryside to attend the tsechu.

Mystery and history intertwine in this country that calls itself Druk Yul, the “Land of the Thunder Dragon.”  The appellation reportedly dates from a loud peal of thunder, believed to be the voice of a dragon (“druk”), during the consecration of a new monastery in the 12^th century.   Thundering dragons, flying tigers, and spiritual teachers vested with supernatural powers:  no wonder travel in the Himalaya holds such fascination for us pragmatic Westerners!

Guru Rimpoche painted on a roadcut in Bhutan. Photo: Anna Griswold

Photo by Anna Griswold

The Chinese New Year begins with a blank slate, in the heavens and within our hearts and homes.  Determined by the Chinese lunar calendar, it is the date of the new moon that usually falls between mid-January and mid-February of our Western Gregorian calendar.  Next Monday, January 23, ushers in the Year of the Dragon.

Preparations in China and in Chinatowns the world over are already well underway.  A thorough housecleaning sweeps away the old; new clothes and haircuts are believed to prepare for an auspicious beginning.  Traditionally, it was customary to pay off all debts before the New Year.  Red scrolls with couplets written in classical Chinese frame doorways, expressing good wishes to family and friends.  Gifts are purchased for dinner and party hosts, and children are presented with “lucky” money wrapped in red envelopes.   Fireworks blazing through the night sky frighten away evil spirits.

If you were born in 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952, 1940, 1928, or 1916, this is your year.  The dragon is one of twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac cycle believed to refer not only to year of birth, but also one’s character.  Dragons are considered to be confident and capable leaders, endowed with power from heaven.  In the past, their fierce imagery adorned imperial robes, temples and palaces.

New Year is observed in China with a four-day public holiday, but a festive spirit reigns for two weeks until the Lantern Festival on the first full moon of the year.   The luminosity of the sky is mirrored in the glow of paper and silk lanterns hung from homes and along streets, signifying universal hopes for a year of good luck and prosperity.

Asia360˚ wishes you a brilliant Year of the Dragon!  If your fortune predicts an international journey in the coming months, you will want to steer your destiny toward our EPIC China trip or another one of our adventures through the millennia of Chinese culture and history.

So when I opened the January program guide for our local PBS affiliate in Salt Lake City and noted that a six-week series, Himalaya with Michael Palin, began running on Thursday evenings starting January 5^th, I knew that I had a six-week commitment.  What a winning combination for a Himalaya buff and Monty Python fan!  During the course of the series,  Palin, whom I’m sure many of you will recall as a former member of that legendary British comedy troupe, covers over 3,000 miles through Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet and China.

My husband and I were quite enchanted with the opening episode in Pakistan, where, among other adventures, Palin visits a dentist in Peshawar, teaches English to a group of giggling children in a remote highland school, and attends the annual polo match between Gilgit and Chitral on a tundra-like field located at 12,000’ elevation.  We’re looking forward to next week’s installment in Nepal.

This BBC production was created in 2004, so its political context is clearly dated.  But in looking up the series online, there is a wealth of geographical, historical and cultural highlights, not to mention spectacular film footage, that still makes viewing worthwhile.  Among the program locations that align with Asia360˚ destinations are Kathmandu, Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna range, Lhasa, Bhutan, and China’s Yunnan Province – Tiger Leaping Gorge, Kunming and Lijiang.

If the series is not running this winter in your PBS viewing area, check it out on Palin’s website:  www.palinstravels.co.uk.  Here you can see videos and a photo gallery, as well as read the corresponding book online.  The book and DVD set of the series can also be purchased through Amazon.  Palin has evidently made a second career out of travel reportage, as other destinations on his site include the Sahara, the North and South Poles, and Europe.

“And now for something completely different…”

Asia360˚'s own Anna Griswold near Everest Base Camp. You could be standing here too!

Boardwalks line a lazy river, encouraging joggers and those out for a stroll. The smell of steamed buns and simmering ah gei, a local tofu delicacy, waft through the neighborhood streets. And, here and there, one comes across the traces of old Spanish and Dutch constructions, vestiges of a colonial past.

Taipei is not alone in its tale of European encounter. As the Portuguese, Dutch and Spanish sailed the vast waters of the Pacific, they marked their presence in outposts stretching from Manila to Malacca. Yet much of the territory that was under European control back in the age of exploration has been thoroughly overwhelmed by the relentless march of Asian progress. Faster, higher, brighter, louder … so goes the story of most neighborhoods in nearly any Asian city. Perhaps that is why Tamsui is so special. 

Along the waterfront in Tamsui

Running parallel to the waterfront, Tamsui’s Gongming Street (also known as Old Street) is the best place to start. Lined with food stalls and eclectic shops, you could take all day to wander end to end. Don’t be afraid to try the wares – more than one hospitable tea merchant poured me a cup of his signature brew and my suitcase was heavier for the bricks of ginger powder I bought to alleviate future stomach issues.

West of the Old Street, a tiny lane lead s past the statue of Canadian missionary George Mackay to the church he inspired, a brick edifice that still caters to a thriving Presbyterian population. Mackay was credited with bringing not only Christianity to the local population, but also Western education theories and medical techniques. His legacy lives on at Alethia University, the first Western-style college in Taiwan, which happens to be just up the hill from an even older European structure, the Fort San Domingo. Whatever Spanish fortification once stood here in the mid 1600s is unclear – the fort was destroyed when the Spaniards moved out and the Dutch moved in. The real gem here, however, is not the old fort’s foundations over even the attached -and opulent - British consular residence, but the views of northwestern Taiwan from the well-placed grounds. It’s the perfect place to linger a little longer – in fact, the relaxing atmosphere of Tamsui itself might encourage you to give that last train back to central Taipei a miss and spend a bit longer in one of East Asia’s best unhurried neighborhoods.

For nearly ten years I worked full- and part-time in the adventure travel industry, with five of those years devoted specifically to itinerary development, marketing, and copy writing for tours in Asia. I was fortunate to visit Nepal, Korea, and Thailand during this time, and am still enchanted by the memory of people I met and the experiences I had on those trips.

Among these journeys, trekking through the Nepal Himalaya was certainly the highlight for me, an inveterate hiker and lover of all mountain ranges.  Along with the spectacular trails and gracious locals, I was introduced to Buddhism, which has become an important spiritual quest for me.

While I look forward to my next trip to Asia, I walk the mountain and desert trails near my home in Salt Lake City, Utah.  My daily routine

includes T’ai Chi and yoga, and I also attend classes and other events at our local Tibetan Buddhist temple.   I have become a connoisseur of good teas, a reader of Asian history and travel literature, of Eastern philosophy and spirituality, a contemplator of thankas and mandalas.

The Asia Insider blog will now feature posts twice a week, with Mandy Bartok focusing on the Far East and Southeast Asia, and my contributions covering the Himalaya, India and Mongolia.  We hope to inform, entertain, and inspire!

A sight like this was once the norm before the end of the Pacific War and the era of jeans and stilettos arrived. Today, a kimono wearer is like a lunar eclipse – it doesn’t happen often but when it does, you can’t help but stop and stare. However, some fashion designers are looking to bring back Japan’s traditional dress for a modern audience.

Kimonos have long been part of the Japanese national costume. In the Jomon Period, the earliest recoreded period of Japanese history, both men and women clothed themselves in robes woven of hemp. Later, with the introduction of silk from China, the styles and cuts began to diversify. In the heyday of the Heian Period (792-1192), artistic tastes and love of the natural world began to be expressed in both formal and everyday wear. Maples leaves and cherry blossoms were chosen as suitable prints for kimonos, allowing wealthy Japanese to change their dress according to the season.

Japan’s golden age ended with a bitter century of warring clans and the eventual rise of the samurai. Kimono styles devolved into simple garments that allowed for maximum movement. When a national peace was reestablished in 1601, however, and new dyeing techniques were introduced, a ressurgence in the kimono as a form of art occurred.

A modern kimono design from Mamechiyo (Source: Strawberry Kimono)

While today’s traditional kimonos are without question stunning garments, they remain to most Japanese as practical as a wedding dress. Seldom worn and seen by the young as stuffy formalwear for special occasions only, the kimono recently seemed to be heading the same way as Japan’s aging population – into its twilight years.

Enter young, hip designer Mamechiyo. From her flagship store in Tokyo’s trendy Shinjuku neighborhood, this fashionista hopes to redesign and redefine the art of kimono wearing. With bold prints (think zig zag stripes and tasteful polka dot patterns) and vivid colors, Mamechiyo hopes to encourage the Gucci generation to reconsider their choice of daily and formal wear. If the streets of Japan’s cities are anything to go by, her avant garde ideas are starting to catch on.

One day, however, he was suddenly – though quite effectively – replaced.

Normally, the banging of crockery and cooking dishes around my host family’s compound wouldn’t begin on a weekend until  the sun had broken the horizon. This Saturday, however, the din had commenced early, so pronounced that even my amphibian roommate had gone off in search of quieter digs.

The reason? The celebration of my host mom’s cousin joining the ranks of the village priests.

Becoming a monk is a milestone for most Thai boys. Many choose to enter the temple for a short period of time in their 20th year. This action, considered to be their rite of passage into manhood, was once an obligatory length of three months. Today, the amount of time varies – some monks stay for the entire 90 days while others satsify their spiritual requirements after only a few days or weeks.

The cousin in question, it seemed, was renouncing his worldly life for a month, though he still appeared slightly nervous about his decision when he appeared in the family courtyard that morning. Over 100 other family members had turned out to witness the joyous occasion of ordination day and the yard was a swirl of traditional Thai silk and modern T-shirts.

 The cousin and a compatriate had begun their morning inside the house with the ceremonial shearing of their hair and eyebrows. Immediate family members are often invited to cut a lock of the boy’s hair before the entire head is shaved clean.

Outside, the pair of novices stood out from the crowd, thanks both to their bald pates and their lacy white robes, gifts from their mothers for the day’s festivities. While some boys make their journey to the wat (temple) on the shoulders of family members, our two honorees had the privilege of riding on the backs of white horses bedecked with rainbow-hued pompoms.

A gift was thrust into my hands – a golden bowl of hygiene products wrapped in yellow cellophane – and I was propelled to the front of the enthusiastic procession. We moved slowly through the village streets, arriving finally at the ornate wat. Many of the female relatives began dancing around the temple grounds, fingers bending and flexing in the typical joint-cracking Thai style. As the crowd surged and swirled, we were pelted with fruit from the two novice monks. Initially miffed that I was being attacked with delicious rambutan (a Thai fruit) and oranges, a closer inspection revealed coins stuck into the skin of the fruit. Tradition dictates that the monks throw money to the crowds, a symbolic renouncement of their earthly goods and possessions.

We circled the wat the customary three times before making our way to the interior. I laid down my gift on a mat near the altar – these offerings help sustain the temple community as they are forbidden to purchase anything to fulfill their own needs.

We knelt carefully on the floor, with our feet tucked under us so as not to point them at any one person (a massive faux pas in Thai culture). Up front, the temple monks grilled the new novices and the two boys in turn promised to strictly obey the tenets of Buddhism for the duration of their temple stay. After the questioning, they were taken behind and screen and changed into their flourescent orange robes. From that point on, their life as a monk had begun.

My host mother handed me three sticks of incense, each wrapped with a small amount of baht (Thai money). As the monks moved slowly through the crowd on their way out of the temple, we carefully placed the joss sticks in their satchels. The hardest part was being careful not to accidentally brush against the newly ordained monks, as all contact with women is forbidden. Even their own mothers could no longer lay a hand on them.

Eventually, they made their way to the temple door and – for a brief second – their bodies were silhouetted in the brilliant sunlight. Enlightenment comes in all forms, and for me, this was one of those inspiring – and unforgettable – moments.

Get an insider’s look at Southeast Asia with Asia360′s EPIC and custom trips.

1. Hike the Himalayas in the shadow of Mt Everest
2. Watch the sunrise from the peak of Japan’s Mt Fuji
3. Come face to face with an orangutan in Borneo
4. Walk along the Great Wall, one of the world’s most impressive fortifications
5. Ponder the vagaries of war at Panmunjom, Korea
6. Spend a night on the serene waters of Halong Bay, Vietnam
7. Take the Star Ferry across Hong Kong Bay at sunset
8. Breathe in the sights, sounds and smells of Pushkar’s annual camel fair
9. Spend a night out on the steppes in a Mongolian ger
10. Ride the newly-connected rails overland from Beijing to Tibet
11. Eat your way around Singapore’s diverse neighborhoods
12. Marvel at the artistry of the temples at Angkor Wat
13. Join a sunrise tai chi session along The Bund in Shanghai
14. Share a kiss at the Taj Mahal, the ultimate monument to love
15. Chow down on dumplings in Taipei
16. Tour the DMZ in Vietnam with an army veteran
17. Stretch out on a sunny beach in Thailand
18. Engage in retail therapy in Kuala Lumpur’s shopping districts
19. Taste the freshest fish at Tokyo’s Tsukiji market
20. Tap into your spiritual side in a Bhutanese temple
21. Cruise the backwaters of Kerala, India
22. Take time for tea in Seoul’s classic teahouses
23. Peer into the depths of China’s Tiger Leaping Gorge
24. Catch a Bollywood flick in Mumbai
25. Sign up for a cooking class … anywhere!
26. Ride an elephant in Nepal’s Royal Chitwan National Park
27. Marvel at the view from Taipei 101, the world’s second tallest building
28. Admire the craftmanship of the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, China
29. Glimpse a geisha in the willow-lined streets of Gion, Kyoto
30. Savor high tea at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong
31. Catch the misty sunrise over the Ganges in Varanasi, India
32. Ride a horse across the empty Mongolian steppes
33. Go back to school at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore
34. Soak with snow monkeys at an outdoor onsen in Japan
35. Float down the Irawaddy River to Bagan, Burma’s land of 5000 pagodas
36. Walk the remarkably preserved city walls of Pingyao, China
37. Test the strength of your tastebuds on Korea’s fiery cuisine
38. Discover the pirate legacy of Melaka, Malaysia
39. Shop for silks in the charming riverside town of Hoi An, Vietnam
40. Explore India’s famed “Pink City” of Jaipur
41. Brush up on your chopstick skills at a kaiseki (high class) dinner in Japan
42. Make friends with Thailand’s hilltribes on a multi-day trek
43. Explore the underground river in Palawan, Philippines, one of the world’s newest natural wonders
44. Catch one of Bhutan’s colorful festivals
45. Feast on Peking duck in a Beijing hutong
46. Join Hindu pilgrims at Nepal’s holy Pashupatinath Temple
47. Trek through the deserts of Rajasthan on camel-back
48. Cheer on wrestlers and archers at Mongolia’s Nadaam Festival
49. Be buried alive – well almost – in the volcanic sands of Beppu, Japan
50. Explore the watery world of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta
51. Chill out on Jeju Island, Korea’s vacation hotspot
52. Bear witness to Cambodia’s troubled history at the Killing Fields
53. Ride a century-old tram to Victoria Peak in Hong Kong
54. Participate in a ceremony at a traditional Sarawak longhouse
55. Cycle the karst-studded landscapes of Guilin, China
56. Tread in the footsteps of Genghis Khan in the ancient Mongolian capital of Karakorum.
57. Sip a Singapore sling in its original home, the historic bar of Raffles Hotel
58. Kayak the iridescent waters of the Gulf of Thailand
59. Celebrate the luminous festival of Diwali in India
60. Watch weavers at work in the villages of Laos
61. Wander the streets of the fortress city of Suwon, Korea
62. Bike the neon-green rice paddies of Mai Chau, Vietnam
63. Trek to the Annapurna Sanctuary in mountainous Nepal
64. Catch a few rays on the quiet sands of Sihanoukville, Cambodia
65. Ride the Central-Midlevels escalator up the slopes of Hong Kong Island
66. Spread a picnic under Japan’s sakura branches in the spring
67. Hail a trishaw for a atmospheric ride through old Georgetown in Penang
68. Escape the masses on a boat ride through the canals of Tonli, China
69. Ooh and ahh over New Year’s fireworks from one of Singapore’s sky bars
70. Trace the path of WWII history while riding Thailand’s Death Railway
71. Marvel at the fortress of Trongsa, Bhutan
72. Witness the birth of democracy in the streets of Burma’s cities
73. Snorkel the crystalline waters of Boracay in the Philippines
74. Track tigers in India’s Kanha National Park
75. Explore the vastness of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert
76. Whip up your own kimchi in a Korean kitchen
77. Eat your way through Hanoi’s up and coming food scene
78. Blaze a trail through Taiwan’s stunning Taroko Gorge
79. Stroll along the colonial-era riverfront of Battammbang, Cambodia
80. Savor a spicy curry meal in Kolkatta, India
81. Stumble upon a free martial arts demo in the hometown of Jack Chan, Hong Kong
82. Whiz from winter snows to volcanic landscapes on Japan’s bullet train
83. Watch a kitemaker at work in Kelantan, Malaysia
84. Feel the weight of history in the 9,999 rooms of Beijing’s Forbidden City
85. Ride a colorful jeepney through the streets of Manila
86. Sharpen your night vision at the Singapore Zoo’s Night Safari
87. Cycle among the stupas of Thailand’s ancient capital, Ayutthaya
88. Admire the architectural feat of the rice terraces in Banaue, the Philippines
89. Wander the streets of Mandalay, ancient capital of the Burmese royal family
90. Dive the coral-reefs off the coast of Okinawa, Japan
91. Dodge a mass of motor scooters in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
92. Cruise the waters of Phewa Tal, Nepal
93. Attend an opera in Hong Kong
94. Be amazed by larger-than-life snow sculptures at the annual Snow Festival in Sapporo, Japan
95. Get up close and personal with an impressive array of avian life at Kuala Lumpur’s Bird Park
96. Watch cormorant fishing on the rivers of southeast China
97. Explore hidden gardens in Hue, Vietnam
98. Shop for the perfect sari at the frenetic markets of Delhi, India
99. Stop off at a stilt village in the middle of Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia
100. Make a new friend, taste a new food and experience a new outlook on life

How many of these can you check off you “life list”? What have we missed that YOU would have added? Let us know – we’d love to hear from you!