| XPLORER FEST |
2–12 May
Lotus Lantern Festival
Seoul, South Korea
In celebration of the birth of Buddha, this grand scale event is a spectacular display of lanterns throughout the streets of Jongno and Dongdaemum. Visitors can enjoy an array of traditional dance performances and sample traditional foods from other Buddhist nations, as well as participate in various activities such as lantern making and cosmic design paintings at the Buddhist Street Festival, taking place at the street in front of Jogyesa Temple. As night falls, the streets will light up with huge colourful floats and some 100,000 lanterns in a procession that starts from Dongdaemum and ends at Jogyesa Temple. The lantern parade, held on 4 May, will close in a breathtaking grand finale where spectators will be treated to a shower of falling pink paper petals.
www.llf.or.kr/eng/main.asp |
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5 May
Kodomo no Hi (Children's Day)
Japan
Traditionally called Tango no Sekku or Boys'Day, this festival celebrates the healthy growth, development and happiness of Japanese children especially young boys. It is also a day where children give thanks for the love and care they receive from their parents. On this day, families with boys will raise huge koinobori (carp-shaped streamers) outside the house - one for each son in the family, and display dolls of famous warriors and heroes inside. The carp was chosen because the Japanese recognise it as a symbol of strength and success. Mochi rice cakes wrapped in kashiwa (oak) leaves are also traditionally served on this day. |
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10–12 May
Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival
Yasothon, Thailand
This ancient local festival marks the start of the rainy season where Thai farmers begin planting their rice crops. Locals believe that setting off the rockets will appease the gods and bring about blessings of rain and a bountiful harvest. An average rocket measures about nine metres in length and carries 20 to 25 kilogrammes of gunpowder. On the first and second day, various rockets are paraded along the streets in a lively procession accompanied with traditional music and dance; while on the third day, the rockets are launched at the various rocket contests, where teams compete for the biggest and highest flying rocket. |
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13 May
Thrissur Pooram
Kerala, India
A magnificent celebration held annually at the Vadakkumnathan temple in the Thrissur district, the main attraction of this event is a splendid procession of elaborately caparisoned elephants from various neighbouring temples of Kerala. These elephants are grandly displayed locals vie for the title of the best elephants, most creative fireworks, and the most artistic parasol exchanges. The elephants also carry images of the deities from all temples of the village to the main temple. This pageantry draws a large crowd to Thrissur each year, and is a festival that makes no distinction between people on the basis of religion
or caste. |
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16-18 May
Sanja Matsuri
Tokyo, Japan
Each year, hordes of spectators gather at Tokyo's Asakusa district to witness this three-day religious festival involving the transport of mikoshis (portable shrines) carried by men, women and even children from the different neighbourhoods of Asakusa to the famous temple shrine. This is followed by an extravagant procession that takes place in the town streets as the mikoshis, surrounded by a frenzied crowd, are jolted vigourously with the belief that it will intensify the power of the deities. On the Sunday, three exceptionally large mikoshis, each depicting one of the three temple's founders, will depart in different directions from Asakusa Shrine at 6am to various locations before returning at 8pm. Various street fare and performances can also be found around Asakusa Temple during this festival.
www.asakusa-umai.ne.jp/e_asakusa/matsuri/index_spr_e.html |
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30-31 May
Grand Finale - Tadau Kaamatan Celebration
Sabah, Malaysia
The Tadau Kaamatan Celebration is a festival held annually by the largest ethnic groups in Sabah - the Kadazandusun and Murut communities, to give thanks to the gods for a bountiful harvest of rice. Visitors will be treated to a host of traditional performances like song and dance and are invited to join in the fun. Furthermore, there will also be traditional games for all to participate and a feast consisting of traditional local cuisines. It is also during this time that the highly-anticipated annual Harvest Queen (or Unduk Ngadau) competition is held. The title of the Harvest Queen holds great significance to the community as it is believed to represent and commemorate a young lady who had sacrificed herself so that her people could have abundant food. |
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1–15 June
Dayak Festival
Sarawak, Malaysia
Celebrating the end of the rice harvest, the annual Dayak Festival or "Gawai Dayak" is traditionally a festival where Sarawak's indigenous peoples including the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit and Murut, come together to rejoice after the hard work is over. Many city dwellers also join in the fun and celebrations; and it is also common to witness the forging of new marriages and unions. Visitors to the event can expect live music, traditional dancing, food and drink and other cultural displays and events. |
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4–8 June
Yosakoi Soran Festival
Sapporo, Japan
This festival is a combination of the Yosakoi Festival of Kochi and traditional soran folk music of Hokkaido. Each year, over 400 teams and 44,000 dancers from Japan and other parts of the world participate in this street festival with colourful costumes, lively music and unique energetic dances inspired by the traditional Japanese Obon dancing with the use of a naruko (a clapper) that sets the rhythm for the dance. An estimated two million spectators join in this vibrant street procession that takes place annually at multiple venues throughout the city. |
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8 June
Dragon Boat Festival
Hong Kong
First held in 1976, this 2000-year-old festival, also known as , has become an exciting and spectacular annual event. Held in commemoration of the death of a popular Chinese national hero, Qu Yuan, competitive dragon boat races take place each year on Shing Mun River, at Sha Tin in the New Territories. Over 100 teams from all over the world participate in this event. Each team will consist of between 20 to 22 paddlers with a steerman at the back of the boat and a drummer in front. Teams race across the river in elaborately-decorated boats to the pounding of the heavy drums and the roar of the crowd. Similar races also take place in other parts of China, Macau, Taiwan as well as other overseas Chinese communities. |
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8 June
Dano Festival
Seoul, South Korea
Celebrated annually on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, this lively festival, also known as Surit-nal, heralds the beginning of hot summer and is one of the major holidays in South Korea. This is a time where prayers are offered in hopes of a bountiful harvest in the coming year. Many participate in the folk game contests, which include rope skipping, chachigi (stick-tossing) and ssireum (a wrestling match among men). Declared by UNESCO as one of the “Masterpieces of Intangible Heritage”, visitors will have the opportunity to taste traditional local specialities, along with cultural music and dance performances at this festival. |
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DAYS TO REMEMBER
1 May
International Labour Day
3 May
Japan Constitution Day
4 May
National Youth Day (China)
Greenery Day (Japan)
5 May
Coronation Day (Thailand)
19 May
Vesak Day
23 May
Royal Ploughing Day (Cambodia)
31 May
World “No Tobacco” Day
5 June
World Environment Day
9 June
Philippines Independence Day
12 June
World Day Against Child Labour
14 June
World Blood Donor Day
20 June
World Refugee Day
24 June
Manila Day (Philippines)
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HISTORICAL EVENT
15 May 1972
Okinawa, the Japanese island under the United States control in 1945, is returned to the Japanese government.
17 May 1992
Black May. Pro-democracy protests start in Thailand in an effort to end years of authoritarian rule, causing many innocent people to be killed and injured.
23 May 1958
Mao Zedong initiates the “Great Leap Forward” movement in China.
29 May 1953
Edmund Hillary and Nepalese sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to conquer Mount Everest.
1 June 2001
Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev of Nepal massacres his family during a royal dinner due to a disagreement over his choice of bride.
2 June 1999
Television begins broadcasting in Bhutan.
BIRTHS
19 May 1925
Pol Pot (Cambodia)
21 June 1953
Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan)
DEATHS
21 May 1991
Rajiv Gandhi (India)
21 June, 1970
Sukarno (Indonesia) |
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