Nuosu, a subgroup of the Yi ethnic minority residing in southwest China, has maintained a long yet continually evolving tradition of verbal dueling from generation to generation. It is called […]
The Maranao of Lanao del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines has a vibrant culture that is evident in their way of living. It is as colorful as the malong1A fine tube-shaped garment […]
The similar actions in fairytales, epics, and dastan of Altaians, Tatars, Bashkirs, Kazakhs, Karakalpaks, and other Turkic-speaking people, shows that the Uzbek dastan “Alpamysh,” as a creation of Turkic oral […]
How far the objective of the Baul philosophy of secularism or religious tolerance can motivate a people calls for some investigation. Yet, in Bangladesh and in states similarly multicultural and […]
A triad of spring festive rites—biye baylau, ayghyr kosu, and kymyz murundyk, identified and documented in Terisakkan Village in the northern outskirts of Ulytau District, Central Kazakhstan—is a testimony to […]
In India, a land of faith, there are numerous occasions and venues where fear, desire, spirits, and rituals converge, leaving logic to take a back seat. It is said that […]
Ancient Okinawan religious beliefs do not focus on a single, absolute deity. Okinawans believe that people have spirits and are born into this world with physical bodies, but when the […]
Lhamo’i Drubchen, or colloquially Lhamo’i Dromche (with a corrupted form drubchen), is a grand religious ritual and mask dance dedicated to Palden Lhamo, the principal female guardian deity of Mahayana […]
The painting industry and paint products in Vietnam have a long tradition. The first vestiges of paint materials were unearthed hundreds of years before the Christian era. Since ancient times, […]
The art of lacquer painting of Uzbekistan has deep traditional roots. Lacquer had been used in Samarkand since the Temurids epoch (fourteenth to fifteenth centuries). These facts can be testified […]
The geography of Korea is ideal for growing lacquer trees. Optimal climate, topography, and soil conditions can be found across the country, and the lacquer produced is of the highest […]
Lacquer work, or liyelaa jehun as locally known, is one of the most distinctive forms of handicraft. In simple terms, a piece of wood is sculpted into the desired shape […]
Thailand is divided roughly into five parts: north, northeast, central, east, and south. Northeast Thailand is called Isan in Thai. Making up a total of a third of the population […]
The Chinese classical garden is a material and spiritual complex that not only embodies material elements—superb skills of architecture, nature, and plant landscape—but also contains the intangible elements of gardening […]
Gardening is a popular branch of traditional agriculture in Tajikistan. The term bāgh (garden) among Tajiks has three meanings: a home garden inside one’s own yard; a walled garden alongside […]
Homegardens are traditional systems that combine agriculture, forestry, and livestock and provide economic, environmental, and social benefits for the householders. These agroforestry systems are often cited as the epitome of […]
Bhutan is a treasure trove of rich and unique tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Bhutan’s distinctive and often sacred cultures have been preserved and passed down through the generations. Today, […]
Dance has been an inseparable element of Persian culture for thousands of years. Dance depictions on pottery excavated from prehistoric sites attest to the antiquity of this art. However, ritual […]
One category of Korean royal court is jeongjae, which is performed at banquets. Etymologically, jeongjae is derived from two words, jeong meaning ‘to offer to a superior’ and jae meaning […]
With the change of the times, forms of arts including dance also change and develop according to the conditions of each district. Usually these changes are influenced by political, economic, […]