Top 9 Intriguing Facts about Asia

In Vietnam, the New Year is considered the birthday of everyone. The New Year, also known as Tet in Vietnam, occurs annually towards the end or beginning of the winter season. Tet begins on the first day of the lunar calendar, which usually falls at the end of January or the beginning of February in the Gregorian calendar. Among the traditions of Tet, a new year is also seen as a celebration of a fresh start. Similar to Koreans, Vietnamese people count their age based on the number of lunar years they have lived. Therefore, a child officially turns one year older on their first Tet day. Even if a child is born just a few days before Tet, they are still considered one year older after Tet!

A birthday marks our presence in the world, the first day we come into contact with the outside world. It is a sacred moment, significant for everyone. Moreover, a birthday is an occasion to remember the parental care and upbringing. The day a child is born is also the day a mother undergoes the most difficult labor, the day parents anxiously await for 9 months and 10 days. Then follows a series of days where the child is nurtured and taught by parents with all their heart.

In recent decades, Asia has experienced tremendous growth and seems to have surpassed the West. Dubai Mall in Dubai - the world's largest shopping center, opened in November 2008 with a total area of ​​1.12 million square meters. This shopping center has a capacity of 1200 stores from luxury brands such as Rolex, Canali, Victoria’s Secret, etc. In addition, Dubai Mall also has a 22-screen cinema, a lively aquarium, an Olympic-standard ice rink, and many other entertainment activities.

West Edmonton Mall, Canada - the largest shopping center in North America, was built in 1981, is the 10th largest area in the world, with a total area of ​​approximately 490,000 square meters. It is an entertainment destination with the world's largest indoor water park, 800 stores, cinemas, bowling alleys, ice skating rinks, a 18-hole golf course, and 100 dining options.

Central World is the largest shopping center in Thailand, opened in 1990 with 495 stores in a total area of ​​550,000 square meters. This shopping center has office towers, 5-star hotels, convention centers, and parking areas. In addition, there are large fashion brand stores, ice skating rinks, play areas, beauty salons, and imported food.

Speaking of traditional New Year, Thailand's New Year starts from April 13th to the end of the 15th. The festival in this country is known for Songkran, which is considered a 'spiritual celebration' of the Thai people. The main attraction of the festival is that you will be sprayed with a mixture of water and flour or talcum powder. The festival itself has a spiritual significance - water is poured over Buddha statues, then people can take drops of water flowing down and pour them on loved ones to bring luck. During these days, water can be freely used, water guns are sold everywhere and given to everyone on the streets, where many people pass by. Thailand travel.

In addition, people go to temples to attend the Buddha bathing ceremony, bring fruits and vegetarian food to offer to monks, release animals; then they wish longevity to their parents, grandparents, and finally comes the part that is both a ceremony and a festival of Songkran: spraying scented water on each other to give blessings. Moreover, Thais also organize many parades, beauty contests... to add to the festive atmosphere. The Songkran Water Festival in Thailand is often more community-oriented than the internal family aspect of traditional New Year holidays in Vietnam, China, etc. Therefore, the Songkran water festival is also an ideal holiday for Thailand tourism for tourists to witness and immerse themselves in the festivities.

China spans about 3,200 miles (approximately 5,200 km), enough to cover about 5 distinct time zones (the U.S. has 4). However, China has only one time zone since the Chinese Civil War in 1949. The reason for this action is primarily political. China is an immensely vast territory, and after the 20-year-long civil war, the People's Republic of China wanted to send a message of unity. Unfortunately, the reality is that while the capital, Beijing, is watching the sunrise at 6:00 a.m., regions to the west like Xinjiang cannot see the sunset for more than 2 hours, creating their own unofficial time zone, which is 2 hours ahead of China Standard Time. But the Chinese government does not acknowledge this.

This policy has led to many absurdities in the daily lives of people in the remote western provinces of China, where the sun sets at midnight in the summer and rises when the clock strikes 10:00 a.m. in the winter. A traveler crossing from the Wakhjir Pass, Afghanistan into China would have to adjust their clock by over 3 hours and 30 minutes upon just setting foot across the border.

Christmas celebration isn't confined to Western countries; nowadays, it's also popular in many Asian countries with unique and fascinating cultural aspects. North Korea holds its own 'version' of Christmas in a distinct manner. In North Korea, people don't celebrate Christmas. For North Koreans, Christmas resembles more of a wartime gesture than a commemorative event. Instead of engaging in Christmas festivities, North Koreans celebrate the birthday of Kim Jong Il's mother, who was born on December 24. Alongside Kim Jong's mother's birthday, North Korea also commemorates 'Constitution Day' on December 27, and for the New Year, they parade to visit Kim Il Sung's mausoleum (the initiator of the Korean War) in the form of a mummified corpse.

On Christmas, Japanese people often exchange gifts. Children receive presents from their parents, and colleagues exchange meaningful gifts as well... Christmas in Japan is closely associated with the traditional New Year's holiday of Shogatsu, which the people of the Land of the Rising Sun eagerly anticipate each year. Additionally, the Emperor of Japan's birthday (December 23) falls close to Christmas, so the atmosphere in the days leading up to the end of the year in the Land of the Rising Sun is bustling and lively.

China and India together account for one-third of the world's population. China is known to have a massive population, and in reality, the magnitude is astonishing. Just the province of Sichuan alone has a population larger than Greece, Portugal, the Netherlands, Guatemala, Austria, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada combined - and Sichuan is just one of the four largest provinces in the country. In fact, India and China combined represent over one-third of the global population - approximately 2.5 billion people (2012). And that total population fits snugly into an area nearly as large as the United States.

Two-thirds of the population currently reside in countries where the average woman has about 2 children, down from an average of 5 children in 1950. The population aged 65 and over is expected to increase by 6% globally by 2050. Only 8 countries will account for half of the world's population growth by 2050, and these countries are mainly concentrated in Africa and South Asia: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, and Tanzania.

The two most populous regions in the world by 2022 are South and East Asia, with China and India accounting for the majority of the population in these regions with 1.4 billion each. Although China has a larger population than any other country in the world, its population is set to start declining by 2023, with India set to surpass it soon after.

Japan is increasingly seen as a world leader in super-lean nation. They have a very valid reason for that, which is the law against becoming obese. Japan's law mandates that men over 40 cannot have a waistline larger than 33.5 inches (85cm). Women are allowed a bit more leeway with 35.4 inches (90cm). Why so? The reason they cite is that leaner individuals are healthier, and this is an effort towards combating high cholesterol levels and hypertension issues. Those who exceed the legally permissible waistlines must undergo government-approved counseling and dietary regimes. Companies with a large number of overweight employees will face fines, as a measure towards elderly healthcare.

This strategy has faced some criticism, yet the Japanese government has shown firmness in the face of the significant health challenge. This also stems from concerns about the massive costs associated with elderly healthcare nationwide (which is increasing). Japan also has a low birth rate, meaning the tax-paying young citizen group is gradually decreasing.

In India, people eat with their right hand and wipe with their left hand. One of the most interesting customs in India is that they only eat with their right hand. The reason is that they use their left hand for bodily hygiene. To clean their hands, Indians don't use paper but pour a little water onto their left hand to clean. Except in hotels or restaurants serving Western guests, it's really hard to find toilet paper in restrooms across the country. Locals here wonder why you would want to use paper when you have a perfectly good left hand? Furthermore, when it comes to eating, using the left hand is considered offensive. On the contrary, with the left hand, you can use it for other things like holding money or shaking hands in greeting.

Indians believe that eating with the hand not only fills the stomach but also 'nourishes' the spirit of each person. When you touch food directly with your hand, you create a physical and spiritual connection with the food. Indian folklore believes that the 5 fingers represent the 5 elements that make up the universe: Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Indians believe that when these 5 elements come together when you eat, it will make you feel tastier and digest better.

In China, children are named after events. In 1992, China bid to host the 2000 Olympics. That same year, 680 Chinese people named their newborns Aoyun, directly translated as 'Olympic.' Over 4000 people continued to name their children this for over fifteen years following. And this number skyrocketed when it was announced that China would host the 2008 Olympic Games. But this isn't unfamiliar territory for Chinese parents who name their children after events or political movements. It can be seen as a naming technique for children in China – though there are many variations, common registered names for Chinese people often have general themes like 'protecting China' or 'building the nation.'

Many Chinese people name their children based on historical events. Boys born right after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 are often named 建国 (Jianguo), meaning the establishment of an independent nation. As for children born on National Day (October 1st every year), they are named 国庆 (Guoqing), meaning national celebration in Chinese.