Many of the Ladakh festivals take place in winter which is a relatively idle time for the majority of the locals, but the Thak Thok (pronounced Tak Tak) festival takes place in the on the 20-29 of the ninth Tibetan month (around the 11th / 12th August).
Thak Thok means ‘top of the rocks’ and is 4-km up the valley from Chemrey on a lumpy outcrop of eroded rocks, and the small Gompa (fortified place or monastery of learning) here is the sole representative in Ladakh of the ancient Nyingmapa order. The wonderful monasteries are fanstastic centres of Buddhist art, literature and culture and Thak Thok has many new temples adorned with gleaming new Buddha’s and garish modern murals and has a sacred meditation cave at the centre. Many of the festivals take the form of dance dramas (including the secret masked dance) and take place in the gompa courtyards that are meant to revitalise the spirit of the people.
Read more...
Posted by Jackie Hewett on Sun 27th July 2008 at 12:20 PM, Filed in Far East, July
On the 11th to 13th every July Mongolia holds its ‘national games’ (also known as ‘Eriin Gurvan’) showcasing Mongolia’s three games of men (horse racing, archery and wrestling). Some say the festival stared in the 1920’s whilst others claim it is centuries old. Whilst celebrations are held throughout the country the main games are held in Ulan Bator and on the open steppes just outside the city.
Details of the games:
- Opening Ceremony – where monks, soldiers and athletes parade in colourful Genghis Khan style costumes
- Wrestling – Mongolian wrestling is similar to sumo wrestling and is the only actual all male event. The bouts are not timed and a competitior loses if they touch the ground
- Archery – men shoot over a distance of 75meters and women over 60 meters.
- Horse Riding – this event dominates day 2 and Mongolians are renowned horsemen (and children). The races are broken down into different ages of horse. The youngest horses (1 year olds) race 15km whilst the older horses race over 30km. There are around 400 participants in every race and the horses reach speed of up to 80 km per hour. Riders are all children, some as young as 5 and it said that Mongolian children learn to ride before they can walk!
Read more...
Posted by Jackie Hewett on Wed 12th March 2008 at 01:08 AM, Filed in Far East, April
This is possibly Thailand’s biggest annual festival and marks the start of the Buddhist New Year…..with water! It starts on April 13th and lasts at least 3 days to the 15th, but in some parts of the country it goes on for up to 10 days and Pattaya celebrates in the following week. As it is an official holiday most businesses, including government offices and many shops, are closed.
Everyone gets wet, including Buddha images, which are bathed on the 13th as part of the ceremonies. Today families pack into the back of pickup trucks use water guns, hoses and buckets to fire their water missiles in ‘drive-by’ squirtings that go on until sun down. Traffic can be bumper to bumper, and one downside is that unfortunately road fatalities increase as people ride on bus and train roofs and driving can be even more erratic. Tourists are not exempt from a soaking as eager water throwers have been known to board buses or hurl buckets of liquid through open windows and even police officers are considered fair game, albeit a little more gently than the general public. The important thing is that it is all in good spirit, and as it’s quite a hot time of the year an impromptu shower can be a welcome relief! Be warned however that some Thais also throw white powder to ward off evil spirits, but its not good for your eyes (wear sun glasses) or your camera (keep it in a plastic bag and be careful when you are using it).
Read more...
Posted by Jackie Hewett on Thu 17th January 2008 at 01:19 AM, Filed in Far East, January
Like many Thai locations, you’ll find ‘Bosang’ spelt in several different ways, including Bor Sang and Bo Sang. But however you spell it, the place is now synonymous with umbrellas, and making/selling them provides a livelihood for many of the villagers.
Bosang is only 9 kilometers outside Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand, according to various legends, is a place where umbrellas have been made for centuries. Some claim the craft migrated here from China, others from Burma.
For two or three days every January the village holds a festival celebrating their local craft. In 2008, 2009 and 2010 the festival is being held on the 18th, 19th and 20th of January (It usually falls on the third week-end in January).
Read more...
This festival started in 1963 in Harbin (the capital city of the Heilongjiand Province in northeast China), this festival lasts over a month starting on January 5th. Some exhibits start to go up as early as November depending on the weather in which case they can be viewed early. There were a number of interruptions during the cultural revolution, but the event was resumed in 1985 and has been annual ever since. Today many ice sculpture experts and artists from America, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Russia and China congregate in Harbin to participate in competitions and network with each other.
The arctic (Siberian) climate provides the perfect environment with plenty of snow and ice for the festival ice artworks, which are combined with coloured lights and music. There are other forms of entertainment too such as ice-skating, ice hockey, skiing and sledding and many weddings and parties are held too.
Read more...
