Lavish Indian Wedding Goes on a Diet as Economy Slows
India’s weddings are famously lavish — lasting days and with hundreds if not thousands of guests — but this season many families are cutting costs even if it risks their social standing.
Category: Culture
Heavy Metal Remains Underground in South Korea
Head-banging away in the shadow of a multi-billion-dollar K-pop industry, South Korea’s axe-wielding heavy metal bands shred a modest trail of destruction.
Meet the Maker: Yongchun County Produce One Third of World’s Incense
Dozens of workers toil through the night coating thin lengths of bamboo in herbs, spices and richly colored powders to create incense sticks that are spread out under the rising sun to dry.
GagaOOLala: Asia’s First LGBT-Focused Streaming Service
A rom-com about a lesbian flight attendant and a romance in a gay spa are among the shows featured on Asia’s first LGBT-focused streaming service, which is pushing boundaries in an often highly conservative region.
Vanishing Art: One of the Last Chinese Opera Troupes in Thailand
An ancient world of swords, warriors, and folklore roars to life on the darkened street, offering a momentary escape from the modern-day bustle of Bangkok’s unstoppable development.
‘Same-Sex Marriage’ Among the Top Suggestions Made by the Chinese Public to Lawmakers
Legalising same-sex marriage was among the top suggestions made by the Chinese public to lawmakers tasked with amending the civil code, a spokesperson for the top legislative body said.
Macau: The ‘Good Boy’ in the Family
The former Portuguese colony of Macau will this week celebrate 20 years since its return to China, with Beijing’s leaders praising a pliant city that has grown rich on gambling and deference to authoritarian rule.
China: Some Children are Learning to Code Before Even Entering Primary School
Wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses and a red T-shirt, an eight-year-old Chinese boy is logged in for an online coding lesson – as the teacher.
Facts About Sumo and the Tough Path for a Foreign Wrestler in Japan
The quintessentially Japanese sport of sumo stops the country during the six big tournaments per year, with millions glued to the live action on TV.
A 2,000 Year-Old Skill: Thai Massage May Get the Prestigious UNESCO Status
At Bangkok’s Reclining Buddha temple Krairath Chantrasri says he is a proud custodian of a 2,000-year-old skill – the body-folding, sharp-elbowed techniques of Thai massage, which this week could be added to UNESCO’s prestigious heritage list.
30,000 Monks Gathered for the Spectacular Alms-Giving Event
Thirty-thousand monks assembled in the early morning chill in Myanmar on Sunday for a spectacular alms-giving event, partly organised by a controversial mega-temple under scrutiny across the border in Thailand.
Paris Ballet’s Foreign Dancers Achieving the ‘Impossible Dream’
Watching YouTube as a child in Australia, the idea of one day joining the ranks of the hallowed Paris Opera Ballet seemed nothing short of an impossible dream.
Learn Korean Culture thru Funny Comics by the ‘Korean Friends’
“Korean Friends” is sharp, funny, and unapologetic – three things that you genuinely need to put into art when introducing your culture to the world.
Founder of Anti-High Heels Movement Steps up to Fight ‘Glasses Ban’
A Japanese woman whose campaign against mandatory high heels in the workplace won broad public support has stepped up her fight against strict corporate dress codes including a de-facto ban on women wearing glasses.
Government Slams Malaysia Tattoo Expo as ‘Porn’
Malaysian officials on Monday slammed a tattoo exhibition held in the country as “porn” unsuitable for a Muslim-majority country, after images of half-naked men and women went viral.
CULTURE
No Strings Attached: India Millennials are Renting it All
At 29, Spandan Sharma doesn't own a flat, a car, or even a chair, Indian millennials bucking traditional norms and instead opting to rent everything from furniture to iPhones.
