Asia influenced western world in many ways, but with all the enormous advantages that we have received, we have hardly even managed to touch the surface of the cultural layer of the East.
Asia has influenced the Western world in many ways, but for all the tremendous benefits we have received from the East, we have barely even been able to touch the surface of the cultural layer of this diverse continent. From centuries-old traditions and modern trends, we have collected 10 unusual facts about Asia that leave you wondering.
Vietnamese New Year - Every Vietnamese's Birthday
The Vietnamese New Year, or Tet, is celebrated annually, around the end of winter, and lasts three weeks.
The holiday begins on the first lunar day of the first lunar month, which usually occurs at the beginning of February or at the end of January.
Among the many traditions of Tet - New Year in Vietnam, it is also considered the birthday of all Vietnamese people.
Along with Koreans, Vietnamese counts the number of Tet they have lived, so a child will officially be considered one year old, even if he was born a few days before the event.
Sonkran - New Year in Thailand
Continuing the theme of New Year's traditions, Thai New Year is celebrated for several lunar days during the hottest month in Thailand - April.
The Sonkran Festival is a Thai "astrological transition", the main attraction of which is pouring water from head to toe to everyone you meet and sprinkling talcum powder on passers-by, too, is not forbidden.
Initially, the celebration had spiritual connotations - water was poured over Buddha statues, and people collected the water that flowed down to sprinkle it on their loved ones for good luck.
Now the rhythm of the holiday is more intense and perky - these are large-scale battles from water pistols, which are sold at every corner, and people standing along the roads poured over everyone who passes or drives by.
Largest shopping mall in a ghost town
In 2005, Chinese billionaire Alex Hu Guirong began construction of the world's largest shopping center in Dongguan city, China.
Spread over 2.5 million square meters, the New South China Mall has a capacity of 2,350 stores, not to mention a full-size indoor slide, a 1.5-mile canal with gondolas and a replica of the Arc de Triomphe.
But there is one problem - no one wants to open their own store there.
Since 2005, 99% of the retail space has never been used - never, they just gather dust under the cloth of the roof, and the only people who really work are the security guards of this strange super center.
There is only one explanation why the mall is unprofitable - the city where it is built - Dongguan has a population of only 10 million, the majority of whose inhabitants are poor factory workers and it takes several hours to get to the mall.
North Korea celebrates its version of Christmas
In North Korea, citizens don't celebrate Christmas. Christmas in North Korea is still more an act of war than a holiday.
Therefore, instead of joining the Christmas holidays, North Koreans celebrate the birthday of Kim Jong Il's mother, who was born on December 24th.
The North Korean government maintains strong hold over religious groups within its borders.
They continue to demonize Western influence with their patriotic Christmas cards.
In addition to Kim Jong's birthday, North Koreans celebrate Constitution Day on December 27, and on New Year's Day they hold marches in front of Kim Il Sung's mausoleum.
A sense of Chinese unity in one time zone
China is about 5,200 km wide - a fairly wide area that can cover 5 time zones.
Despite this, China has only one national time zone since civil war in China in 1949.
The reason for this decision - Chinese politics - after the civil war people wanted to instill a sense of unity.
Unfortunately, in reality it looks something like this: at the time when the inhabitants of Beijing meet the dawn at 6 a.m., the western regions of Xinjiang will not yet see the sun for two hours.
This system is still relevant today, although Xinjiang took a firm stand and created its own unofficial time zone, which has a difference of two hours from the national standard time of China.
The Chinese government does not recognize this step.
Japanese overweight law
Japan is currently the slimmest industrialized country in the world and there are good reasons for that - the law against being fat.
Japanese law prescribes that men over 40 cannot have a waist of more than 85 cm, women were given a little more freedom - a waist up to 90 cm.
Why? The official reasoning is that slim people are healthier, they have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
People who violate legal waist measurements should go through counseling and start a government-approved diet.
Companies that have a large number of overweight employees will have to pay the healthcare penalty for older Japanese people.
India and China make up one third of the world's population
It is well known that China has a large population, but the actual number of its inhabitants is simply staggering.
The population of one province of Sichuan is the number of inhabitants of Greece, Portugal, Holland, Guatemala, Austria, Malaysia, New Zealand, Austria and Canada combined. And this is not the most large province, but only the fourth largest.
In fact, India and China together make up over a third of the population the globe as of 2012 - 2,500,000,000 people. And all these people fit into the area, a little more than the United States.
Indian ritual giving good luck, courage and health to the baby
In the mountain temple of Solapur in India, newborns are led through a ritual that should make the baby happy, strong and healthy.
Apart from hotels or restaurants serving Western diners, in fact, all over India it is difficult to find a bathroom with a roll of toilet paper - why paper when you have a good left hand, right?
And not only to eat, but also to do anything with the left hand is considered offensive, for example, passing money with the left hand or shaking hands with each other in greeting.
Chinese children are named after an important event
You will not surprise Russians with such a fact, in our history and literature there is "Heart of a Dog" and the names Vilor or Vladlen. Over the 100 years since the revolution, the admiration for the leaders faded away and everything fell into place. It is in Russia.
In 1992, China applied to host the 2000 Olympics. In the same year, 680 Chinese people named their children Aoyun, which literally translates to "Olympic Games". More than 4,000 people continued to give this name to their children for the next 15 years.
Another spike came when it was announced that China would host the 2008 Games.
It's not too strange for the Chinese to name their children after political events or movements. These are just a couple of ways to choose a name for your child, but there are many others.
For example, according to the Chinese registry, the common names are "Defend China" or "Build a Nation".
Some children are simply called "Space Travel", with the name "Civilization" almost 300,000 Chinese people now live in the country. For comparison, it would be if the Russians named their daughter " Russian Federation"or" International Space Station ".
Geographic data.
Turkey is located in the eastern hemisphere. Its area is 779,452 sq. km. Part of the territory of Turkey - 97% - is located in Asia and 3% - in Europe. Geographic feature Turkey is located at the crossroads of important routes connecting Europe with Asia since antiquity. Nowadays, highways and railways run through the territory of Turkey, connecting Europe with many Asian countries.
On three sides it is washed by the seas: in the north - by the Black Sea, in the west - by the Aegean, in the south - by the Mediterranean. In the southern part of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn Bay is one of the the most beautiful cities the world and the most Big city Turkey - Istanbul (formerly Constantinople).
Minerals.
There are more than 100 types of minerals on the territory of Turkey. The country has many types of ore, mining, chemical, fuel and energy raw materials. First of all, tungsten, copper ores, borates, marble, coal and others. Turkey accounts for 25% of the world's total supply of mercury.
Climate.
Turkey is a predominantly mountainous country. In this regard, the country's climate is on average mountainous and features continental climate... Summer in Turkey is hot and dry everywhere, winters are snowy and cold.
Population.
The main population of the country is Turks. The country has never conducted a population census by ethnic composition.
More than half a million Arabs live compactly in the southeast of Turkey. Assyrians are also numerous in large cities, especially in Istanbul. The Jews of Turkey, who are about 0.1% of the population in Turkey and who live in large cities, consider themselves to be Jewish Turks. Greeks, Albanians, Georgians, Azerbaijanis and many other peoples live throughout the country, mainly in Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara and other large cities. Several thousand Russians live permanently in Turkey.
By religion, the Turks are Muslims.
Ankara is the capital of Turkey.
Ankara, capital of the Republic of Turkey and administrative center province of the same name. The second largest city and an important political and economic center of the country.
Mausoleum of Atoturk.
Undoubtedly, the Ataturk Mausoleum is the most visited and attractive attraction in Ankara. Located in the territory of a hugely protected park. The best craftsmen from Egypt, Spain, Italy and Germany worked on its creation.
The features of the ancient Egyptian tombs are clearly visible in the architectural details and decorative design of this structure. From the observation platforms of the Mausoleum, a magnificent circular panorama of central part Ankara. In the halls of the Mausoleum, in addition to the tomb with the ashes of Ataturk, there are several museum expositions, including cars that the beloved leader of the Turkish people liked to drive.
Ataturk died on November 10, 1938 at the fifty-seventh year of his life. Founder of the Republic of Turkey, Great Leader of the Turkish War of Independence and a person who implemented great reforms, Atatürk spent his life fighting for the independence of the Turkish people and for Turkey's achievement of the level of progressive countries. It was under his leadership that Turkey with its the state system reached the level of modern civilization. The idea arose of building such a mausoleum, which would emphasize the greatness of this person with all its appearance, reflecting his principles and ideas aimed at the development of the country. This was the desire of the Turkish people grieving over the loss of the Great Leader.
Iran
The Islamic Republic of Iran is a state in the southwest of Asia. The capital is the city of Tehran. Iran is one of the oldest states in the world. Iran is one of the most technologically advanced states in the region.
Iran has an arid climate. Along the coast of the Caspian Sea - subtropical. In the north of the country, in winter, the temperature often drops below 0 °, in July it occasionally reaches 30 °. In summer, the temperature in deserts can exceed 40 °. In western Iran, in the Zagros mountains in winter, the temperature is almost always below 0 °, abundant snowfalls and strong wind... On the plains along the coast of the Persian Gulf, winters are generally mild, while summers are hot and humid.
Major cities.
Tehran is the capital and The largest city Iran and one of the largest cities in Asia. The political, economic, transport, trade, financial and cultural center of the country.
Mashhemd is a city in the north-east of Iran, the administrative center of the Khorasan-Rezavi province. Population - more than 2.5 million people.
Keremj is a city in the north of Iran, a suburb of Tehran, located at the foot of the Elbrus Mountains. Population - 1223 thousand inhabitants. Kerj is an important transport center through which all cargoes heading to Tehran from the Caspian Sea pass.
Isfahamn is a city in Iran on the banks of the Zayand River, located 340 km south of Tehran. The administrative center of the province of Isfahan, the third largest city in Iran. Population - 1583 thousand people
Tabriz is a city of 1.4 million people near Lake Uremia in Iran, the administrative center of the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan.
Shiraz is a city in the south of Iran, the administrative center of the Fars province. Shiraz is located in the valley of the small river Khoshk in the Zagros mountains at an altitude of over 1,500 meters above sea level.
Qom is a city in Iran. Population - over a million inhabitants. Kum - sacred city Shiites, the city is growing rapidly. The School of Muslim Theology in Qom is considered the second most important among the Shiites after the school in Najaf.
Ahvaz is a city in western Iran, the administrative center of Khuzestan. Located on the banks of the Karun River. Population - about 841 thousand. An important center of the metallurgical industry.
Iraq
The Iraqi Republic is a state in the Middle East, in the Mesopotamian lowland, in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Iraq possesses large reserves of oil and natural gas.
The climate in Iraq is continental, with dry hot summers and relatively rainy cool winters, subtropical in the north, tropical in the south. Average January temperatures increase from north to south from 7 to 12 ° C, average July everywhere 34 ° C. Annual quantity precipitation 50-150 mm in the plains and up to 1500 mm in the mountains. In summer, dust storms are frequent in the south.
The capital is Baghdad.
Baghdad is located almost in the center of Iraq, on the banks of the Tigris River, near the mouth of the Diyala River. Natural vegetation is represented mainly by comb, date palm, and in the coastal zone - salt marsh grasses, reeds, reeds, willow. Before the outbreak of hostilities with the United States, the population of Baghdad was over 5 million. However, as a result of the death of part of the city's residents, as well as the emigration of Baghdad residents to other cities of the country and beyond, the number of the urban population has significantly decreased, there is no exact data at the moment. National composition The population of the city is represented mainly by Arabs, as well as Kurds, Turks, Assyrians, Armenians, Jews, etc. State language is Arabic, the Kurdish language is also widespread, which has received the status of an official one.
Syria
The Syrian Arab Republic is a state in the Middle East. The population of Syria is 20 million. The capital is Damascus, one of the oldest permanently inhabited cities in the world.
The climate is generally dry. The average annual precipitation does not exceed 100 mm. average temperature in January - 7 °, in July - 26.
Capital Damascus.
Damascus is the capital of Syria. One of oldest cities the world.
Damascus landmarks:
Sayyid Zeynab Mosque
Sayyid Rakaya Mosque
The Umayyad Mosque is the largest mosque in Syria
Damascus Cathedral
Cathedral of the Virgin Mary
House of St. Ananias
Chapel of st paul
Roman Catholic Cathedral
St john's church
Lavra of St. Paul
Sanctuary of Saint George
Old houses
Azem Palace
Bayt al-Akkad
Maktab Anbar
Beit al-Mamluk
Lebanon
Lebanon is a small mountainous state in the Middle East. The population of Lebanon is about 4 million people. Republic stands out in Arab world extraordinary religious diversity.
Lebanon has a Mediterranean climate. In coastal regions, winters are generally cool and summers are humid and hot. In winter, in the mountains, the temperature drops below 0 °, snow is possible. Though average annual amount much more precipitation in Lebanon than in neighboring countries, in the northeast, an arid climate prevails, as the mountains block the flow of moist air from the sea. Sand and dust storms are frequent.
In ancient Lebanon, the forests of the Lebanese cedar, which became the symbol of the country, grew in huge numbers. For centuries, trees have been cut down without replanting as the main material in shipbuilding. This led to the fact that by the 20th century only isolated islands of greenery remained in place of the richest forests.
The capital is Beirut.
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, a large sea port... Beirut is the most important financial and banking center of the entire Middle East. In addition, many are based in Beirut. international organizations... 70% of Muslims and 30% of Christians live.
Currently, the city center is practically restored, city architects are building a new Beirut with high-rise buildings, commercial complexes and cultural centers.
Jordan
Jordan - Arab state in the Middle East. Desert and semi-desert occupy about 90%.
Tourists visiting Jordan can visit the beaches and coral reefs of the Gulf of Aqaba, where underwater world you can observe almost from the shore, the beauty of the Dead Sea and ancient monuments. But the largest number of tourists is attracted by one of the new seven wonders of the world - Petra.
Museums and Libraries.
The national heritage is preserved in three small museums in Amman: the Archaeological Museum located in the city citadel, the Folklore Museum located in the lower galleries of the Roman amphitheater in the city center, and the National Art Museum, which contains works by local artists. In Madaba, the museum, which occupies several of the old city buildings, houses a collection of late Byzantine mosaics.
Pemtra - ancient city... Located on the territory of modern Jordan, at an altitude of more than 900 m above sea level and 660 m above the surrounding area, the Arava valley, in the narrow Siq canyon. The territory of Petra covers a large area. From the center, where the ruins of numerous buildings, no longer rocky, but built in the traditional way, of stone, are well preserved, it stretches for several kilometers.
Capital Amman
Ammmn is the capital of Jordan and the largest city in the country. One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Population - 2.5 million people.
Geography.
The city is located 65 km east of Jerusalem, on seven hills, which are represented on the flag of Jordan by a seven-pointed star.
Kingdom of Bahrain - Island state on the archipelago of the same name in the Persian Gulf in Southwest Asia, the smallest Arab state. The capital is Manama.
Geography
Area - 620 km?
Coastline: 161 km.
Bahrain occupies three relatively large and many small islands 16 km east of the coast of Saudi Arabia and is connected to this country by a road bridge.
Qatar is a state in southwestern Asia, located on the Qatar Peninsula in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula.
Population.
40% of the population are Arabs. Immigrants from Pakistan, India, Iran and other countries also live. Official language- Arabic, English is widely spoken. The state religion is Sunni Islam, the Iranians are Shiites.
Almost the entire territory of the country is a desert. In the north, there is a low sandy plain with sparse oases, covered with moving sands; in the middle part of the peninsula there is a rocky desert with areas of salt marshes; in the south there are high sandy hills. The climate is continental, tropical, dry. In summer, temperatures often rise to 50 ° C. The peninsula is poor in water. There are no permanent rivers, most of the water has to be obtained by desalination of the sea. Underground sources of fresh water and oases are found mainly in the north of the country. Animal world poor, reptiles and rodents predominate.
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is a state in southwestern Asia in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula.
Geography.
The United Arab Emirates occupies an area shaped like a rhino horn that juts out into the Persian Gulf from the northeastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. UAE border Saudi Arabia in the south and west, and with Oman in the east.
The climate of the country is tropical desert. Sandstorms are frequent. The temperature in summer is 35-40 degrees C, often reaches 50, and in winter in the daytime it is 20-23 degrees, it is colder at night, but frosts are extremely rare, precipitation is irregular.
Population.
Population of the United United Arab Emirates is approximately 4.5 million people, of which ethnic Arabs account for only a third, and the indigenous people - 11%. The rest are from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other countries South Asia who immigrated to the UAE as temporary workers. 85% of those living in the country are not citizens. Arab immigrants are mostly Palestinian refugees.
Oman is a state in Southwest Asia, in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula.
Geographic data.
In the northeast of the country, along the coast of the Gulf of Oman, the coastal plain of El Batina stretches in a narrow strip, the most developed and densely populated part of the country. A vast area west of this plain is occupied by the El-Hajar-el-Garbi mountains. Individual peaks reach 3000 m ( highest point- 3353 m). In the middle of the country there is a low plateau, largely covered with sand. Its average height is 500 m. In the southern part of the country, Dhofar, mountains rise, the highest off the southern coast - up to 1678 m. There are no permanent rivers in Oman. All rivers have only periodic flow, mainly in winter.
Vegetation is poor. In the mountains there are groves of tamarisk, fig, sycamore and oak, but their total area is small. There are savannas in the foothills. There are palm groves on the north and south coast.
In the middle part of Oman there is a desert, there are areas completely devoid of any vegetation.
The fauna is quite diverse. There are many sand gazelles and rodents. Predators live - striped hyena, jackal, fox. There are many birds. Reptiles are very numerous - agamas, lizardmen, geckos, chameleons, as well as arachnids - phalanxes, scorpions.
Capital Muscat.
Muscat is the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Oman. Muscat metropolitan area covers an area of about 1,500 km?. Since the start of modernization in Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructure development and urbanization, and, as is usually the case in other cities in the world, neighboring towns have gradually merged into the metropolis.
Sights.
Sultan Qaboos Mosque - In 1992, Sultan Qaboos ordered his country of Oman to have its own Great Mosque. In 1993, a competition was held, construction began in 1995. The construction work took six years and four months.
Add yourself a bookmark to this page:North Korea's official name: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Local population calls it "Joseon" ("Land of Morning Freshness").
Fun facts about India
India is the “big paradise” in Asia. Exotic culture, priceless art, modern cities, national natural parks and friendly people - all this allows us to call the country an excellent tourist destination with vast expanses of indescribable beauty. Until the 21st century, India has managed to maintain a traditional lifestyle. It regularly hosts the Festival of Laxmi, one of the most famous Hindu religious festivals. Laxmi is the goddess of peace and prosperity. This festival plays a significant role in the lives of many Indians. India has gone down in history as the birthplace of Mohandas K. Gandhi, whose legacy is democracy. Once Gandhi said: "We ourselves must become the changes that we want to see in the world."
Turkey is a Eurasian country stretching from the peninsula of Asia Minor (or Anatolia) in western Asia to Thrace (Rumelia) in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. It is thanks to its strategic location that Turkey is famous for its unique blend of Eastern and Western traditions. Turkey is surrounded by eight countries: Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. From the south of Turkey are the Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus, from the west - the Aegean Sea and its archipelago, and from the north - Black Sea... Continue reading this article to get more interesting information about Turkey.
The Philippines (officially the Republic of the Philippines) is an archipelago of 7,107 islands lying in Pacific... It is an island nation in South-East Asia surrounded by countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau and the Republic of China. The Philippines is the only country in Southeast Asia that does not have common land borders with its neighbors.
Singapore today is a developed city-state, a capital and a republic at the same time, but only 50 years ago this country was considered one of the poorest, and the majority of the population sympathized with the communists. Local political leader Lee Kuan Yew took power into his own hands and, with a handful of patriotic saratniks, brought order to the country.
As the Japanese poet Murasaki Shikibu, who lived in the 9th century, said, “It's hard to find someone who really understands you. Usually people judge only by their own yardsticks. " The hardest thing for us to understand is the Japanese themselves.
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Indonesia is considered one of the most popular destinations in the world today. The name "Indonesia" comes from the Latin word "Indus" ("India") and the Greek "nesos" ("islands"). Indonesia became popular in the 1900s. Now this beautiful country ranks fourth among the most visited countries in the world. In this article you can read interesting information about Indonesia.
Goddess girls are not uncommon in Nepal. They are the living embodiment of the goddess Taleju. To get into the goddess, you need to go through a competitive selection according to 32 parameters. The selected one lives in the palace without any problems. But as soon as the girls start menstruating, they are expelled from the palace.
Asia has a great influence on the western world. Amazing discoveries, innovative ideas, philosophy and more, all have a number of benefits for the West. However, with all this influence, we only barely manage to touch the slightest surface of the Asian cultural layer. We have selected a dozen extraordinary facts about Asia, some of which can be confusing.
The Vietnamese celebrate the new year according to the lunar calendar, in another way it is called Tet. The duration of the holiday is three whole weeks. Interestingly, in addition to the New Year itself, these numbers of the lunar calendar are the birthday of all Vietnamese. Vieta count the number of Tet, that is, if the baby was born one week before the New Year, then he will already be 1 year old. It is curious that the Vietnamese still have the date, month and year of birth in their documents.
Shopping mall in a ghost town
- the billionaire from China conceived in 2005 to build a huge shopping mall, which is unmatched in all of Asia. The city of Dongguan was chosen as the site for development, and as it turned out, this was not the best choice.
A huge amount of money was spent on construction New Soth China Mall, which can accommodate 2,350 stores. A copy of the Arc de Triomphe is installed in the center, and a half-kilometer canal with boats is made. Amazingly, 97% of the territory of the shopping center has never been rented. Now the only workers in this place are the guards.
Why did it happen? Dongguan city has a population of 10 million, but the vast majority of the inhabitants are peasants and factory workers. They simply do not have the money, so as not only to buy goods in the shopping center, but even to get to it, because it is located at some distance from the residential areas of the city and closer to the industrial zones. This is how an unfortunate choice of location played a cruel joke on the Chinese billionaire.
North Koreans don't celebrate Christmas like the rest of the world. As you know, December 24 is the date of Catholic Christmas and it is celebrated in many parts of the world. Many Asian countries do not disdain this, even those where Buddhism is considered the official religion.
The North Korean authorities have tight control over the population, and the emergence of religious groups is immediately chopped down. By the way, the last such group of Christians was discredited in the 80s. But, December 24 is still a date, and Koreans have their own Christmas here. They celebrate the birthday of Kim Jong Il's mother, who coincidentally was born on December 24th.
Japan is considered the most slender country in the world and this is no coincidence. In the country The rising sun there is a law according to which citizens cannot be overweight. There is a certain regulation - men cannot have a waist more than 85 centimeters, women - 90 cm. The Japanese say that slender people are healthier.
Those who are unable to control their weight are consulted by psychologists and nutritionists. They undertake to go through the state diet, which is approved by the best doctors in the country. Sanctions are also imposed on companies with a large number of overweight employees. Companies pay heavy fines, which then go to the health care of older Japanese people.
One third of the world's population
2.5 billion people live in China and India - this is one third of the world's inhabitants. Amazingly, the numbers continue to grow. For example, Russia, the largest country in the world, is home to 143 million people. One province of Sichuan, which is in China, has more population than Greece or Canada.
In words, the countries say that they are struggling with such a demography, but in reality they are timid attempts to stop the growing population.
Indian ritual
In a mountain temple Solapur that in India, they carry out an unusual ritual. He assumes that the baby who has gone through this action is doomed to a happy life.
So, according to tradition, it is necessary to climb with the baby to a height of 15 meters, then push him out of there. But of course not to the ground, what kind of happiness will there be? Downstairs, they stretch out white sheets and wait for the child to land. Despite the claims of various organizations, the Indians of this land continue to carry out the ritual. According to the locals, not a single injury has been recorded for 500 years.
Curiously, Chinese people like to give names to their children in honor of any significant events. For example, the Olympic Games were recently held in China, and so, 4000 names were recorded in the country " Ayun", Which in translation means -" Olympic Games". This practice is normal in China, and choosing a name only gives a few options, thanks to the events in the country.
It's funny, but the more popular names are " Defend your homeland», « Nation building". Yes, that's how Chinese people choose names. 400,000 people now live in China with the name " Civilization”, Of course it is in our language. "Conquest of space", "Satellite exit", "Space travel" are the norm. Just imagine if in Russia they gave names " Space station"Or" Constitution Day ".
One time at all
The length of China is more than five thousand kilometers, which covers as many as five time zones. However, time flows the same for every province in China. The fact is that in 1949 the authorities decided to rally and unite the nation. The time zone was connected to this plan, and the authorities made the time uniform for all provinces. Interestingly, when the sun rises in Beijing, the residents of the western provinces wait for this for another two hours, although the hands on the clock show - 6:00. They even tried to resist the will of the party and created their own internal time, but the authorities do not approve of this step, but they do not strongly interfere.
Malaysia loves to eat
Food is sacred for the Malays. The meal break must be respected and respected by the whole country. For example, a bus driver can interrupt the route and go to a cafe for a bite to eat, and this is treated very respectfully, and many go to the cafe with the driver. Imagine if this happens in the Moscow metro.
This is only an isolated case, there is also a very interesting example of the Malays' love for food. In universities, not only is it allowed, but even approved, to eat during lectures. That is, while the teacher explains another example from mathematical analysis on the blackboard, the Malays calmly listen to him and gobble up lunch. It is difficult for people from the Western world to understand such traditions, it is wild for them to stop work in broad daylight, while influencing the time of others. Although in the same Britain there is a time for lunch, and in Spain siesta.
Many people believe that the Vietnamese are Buddhists. However, this is a misconception. In fact, Buddhists are only 9% of the country's population, most of them have their own religion. A certain cult of the customs of ancestors, based on a philosophical understanding of nature and the environment. This is very interesting, because in its history Vietnam has repeatedly been exposed to the arrival of strangers with its own foundations and rules, but it has preserved its religion.
Many in Vietnam hang a mirror on the front door from the side of the street, as the Vietnamese assure, the evil spirit, seeing itself in the mirror, immediately leaves. Also, looking closely, you can see many amusing figures in the courtyards, on the windowsills, at the doors.
Asia certainly has a huge impact on the Western world in many ways, but despite this, we see only a small part of what is really going on there. Having looked the truth in the eyes, we will understand that we do not know anything about this amazing part of the world, it continues to remain a secret for us behind seven locks. TravelAsk wants to introduce you to some of the centuries-old traditions and modern trends in Asia that will leave you scratching your head in bewilderment. Here are 10 of the most unusual facts about Asia.
Universal birthday
Vietnamese New Year is everyone's birthday.
The Vietnamese New Year (or Tet) is celebrated annually at the end of winter and lasts several days. It starts on the first day of the lunar calendar. In addition to many other traditions of this holiday, it is considered a birthday. Like Koreans, Vietnamese count their age by the number of Lunar New Years they have experienced. So the child will officially turn one year old on his first Tet, even if he was born a few days before.
Thailand watering festival
Thai New Year (Songkran) is celebrated from 13 to 15 April and is the oldest festival that marks the change of the year and the Thai "astrological transition". The main ritual during the celebration is pouring a mixture of water, flour or talcum over each other. Initially, the celebration had a spiritual meaning: people poured water on the statues of Buddha, and then they collected the water that flowed from the statues, and poured it on their loved ones for good luck. Nowadays, this ritual is performed with the help of water pistols, from which everyone who passes by is watered.
Largest shopping center
In 2005, Chinese billionaire Alex Hu Guirong began building the world's largest shopping mall in Dongguan City. There was room for 2,350 stores on seven million square feet, not to mention a full-size indoor roller coaster, a 1.3-mile water channel (complete with gondolas) and an 82-foot replica Arc de Triomphe... The only problem is that no one wanted to open their own store in this center. From 2005 to the present, only about 1% were employed retail space... One of the most compelling reasons for this failure is the location of the mall: Dongguan County has a population of just 10 million, most of whom are poor factory workers.
Merry Christmas!
North Korea celebrates its own version of Christmas.
In North Korea, Christmas is not celebrated in its usual sense. Instead of Christmas holidays, North Koreans celebrate the birth of Kim Jong Il's mother, who was born on December 24th. On December 27, celebrations on the occasion of Constitution Day are held here, and on New Year's, marches are held to the tomb of Kim Il Sung, where the body of the leader rests in an imperishable form.
China has only one time zone
Although China has 5 time zones, there has been only one national time zone since the 1949 Chinese Civil War. This was done in order to give the population a sense of unity and cohesion. When the sun rises at 6 a.m. in Beijing, the western territories do not see daylight for another 2 hours, so they created their own unofficial time zone. The Chinese government does not recognize him.
It's illegal in Japan to be fat
The Japanese are considered the thinnest industrialized nation in the world, and this is because it is illegal to be fat here! Japanese laws require that the waist of men over 40 should not exceed 85 cm in girth.Women are given a little more freedom: their waist should not be more than 90 cm.According to the official version, thin people are healthier, thus the law is aimed at combating high level cholesterol and hypertension. People who violate this law must undergo counseling, following which they are assigned a government-approved diet. And companies that employ a large number of overweight people are required to pay fines. This money will be transferred to a health fund: for medical care for the elderly.
World population
Throwing children - for good luck
In the holy mountains in India, newborns are subjected to a ritual designed to bring the child good luck, courage and health. The children are carried to the top of the 50-meter tower and then thrown down onto a stretched cloth held by the monks. This Muslim custom has been practiced for over 500 years and continues to this day. While many people are terrified of the ritual, locals claim that no one has been hurt yet.
Watch your hands
Hindus eat with their right hand and dry themselves with their left.
One of the most interesting customs in India is that the locals eat with their right hand only. The fact is that they don't use toilet paper in the toilets, they pour some water into their left hand and use it to dry themselves off. In India, it is quite difficult to find a restroom with toilet paper, apart from hotels and restaurants serving Western customers. It is also considered offensive to do anything with your left hand, such as handing over money or holding out to greet.
Chinese children
Chinese children are named after the events.
In 1992, China applied to host the 2000 Olympic Games. In the same year, 680 Chinese people named their newborn babies Aoyun (literally translated as "Olympic Games"). More than 4,000 people gave their children this name over the next 15 years. According to the Chinese registry, other common names are “Protecting China” and “Building a Nation”. Some of the kids are called Space Travel.
