Photo of the Day Archive for January 2004

by Albert Wen, Nov 15, 2006 | Destinations: Japan
This flaming display held in mid-February is called Dondo yaki, in which huge pyres of New Year's decorations are burned to send off old spirits and to pray for health and safety in the upcoming year.

This flaming display held in mid-February is called Dondo yaki, in which huge pyres of New Year's decorations are burned to send off old spirits and to pray for health and safety in the upcoming year.

This flaming display held in mid-February is called Dondo yaki, in which huge pyres of New Year's decorations are burned to send off old spirits and to pray for health and safety in the upcoming year.
The New Year is Japan's most important celebration. At this time, the people of Japan visit shrines and temples to pray for blessings in the year to come. Families gather to enjoy specially prepared foods called O-sechi, and to exchange seasonal gifts. One traditional New Year's gift is a symbolic arrow to ward off bad fortune in the coming year.
On the second Sunday of the New Year, wearing nothing more than loincloths called shitaobi and headbands called hachimaki, many Japanese men brave the icy waters of Teppozu Inari Jinja, a Shinto shrine in central Tokyo, to practice a yearly purification ritual.
The New Year is Japan's most important celebration. At this time, the people of Japan visit shrines and temples to pray for blessings in the year to come. Families gather to enjoy specially prepared foods called O-sechi, and to exchange seasonal gifts. One traditional New Year's gift is a symbolic arrow to ward off bad fortune in the coming year.

Photo of the Day Archive for January 2004

More From This Author

June 21, 2002, Hong Kong. A very nice and hot Friday afternoon. Brazil faces England in the quarterfinals. Your friends are in Japan watching the game. Still, there are many places you can catch the game from Hong Kong. One of them is Times Square, one of Hong Kong's major shopping malls.

World Cup Fever - Hong Kong

China
Albert Wen
A trained masseurs giving an oil massage at a "ghat" (platform constructed on the river bank) in Varanasi. These masseurs ply their trade at "ghats" in religious places, where people throng to worship in the river, a custom that has been prevalent for centuries. These masseurs, it is believed, can cure all kinds of aches, pains and minor ailments.

Photo of the Day Archive for September 2005

Vietnam
Albert Wen
Turtle Mountain Island, located 10 kilometers off the coast of Toucheng in Yilan County, Taiwan, looks like a turtle floating in the sea, hence its name. The island has high cliffs, steaming fumaroles, welling underwater hot springs, mountain peaks, sea-eroded caves, a lake, and unique cliff vegetation, as well as a rich marine ecology. Since the Ching Dynasty, Turtle Mountain Island has been famous for its runrises. The best place to watch this spectacular sunrise is from Toucheng Beach or the mouth of the Lanyang River, between April and September.

Photo of the Day Archive for October 2006

Vietnam
Albert Wen
A small basket boat on the river at Hoi An.

Photo of the Day Archive for August 2006

Vietnam
Albert Wen
About ThingsAsian

ThingsAsian is an Asia travel website with stories contributed by a worldwide community. Although we cover a wide range of topics, our emphasis is on art, culture, history and travel. Our writers, photographers and contributors are real people who tell you the stories of their personal travels and experiences. Some of the countries we currently cover are Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Email: info@thingsasian.com

© 1994-2015 Global Directions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.