Cheng Ming Festival By Sharon Schweitzer The Ching Ming Festival, also known as Qingming (清明节), is a Chinese custom celebrated worldwide by people of many Asian cultures. Sometimes called Tomb Sweeping Day or the Pure Brightness Festival (pure brightness is the English translation of Qingming), it's an annual event to remember and honor ancestors [...]
International Tea Day By Sharon Schweitzer Tea is a beverage made from the Camellia sinesis plant. Tea is the world’s most consumed drink, after water. It is believed that tea originated in northeast India, north Myanmar and southwest China, but the exact place where the plant first grew is not known. There is evidence that [...]
Celebrating National Rice Month By Sharon Schweitzer The history of National Rice Month which is celebrated in September, started in 1991, when President George H.W. Bush designated the month as such. The president and the United States Rice Federation came to an agreement to celebrate and recognize the usage of the grain in our daily [...]
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels Do you know what the most consumed liquid in the world is after water? And hint: It’s not beer! Tea is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis and is the second most consumed drink on the planet. So, in honor of National Hot Tea Month, we are exploring five global [...]
A blue and white Texas porcelain tray is nestled beautifully among other cherished gifts on the office coffee table of Madam Nie Meisheng. She is the former Chairwoman of the Chinese Real Estate Chamber of Commerce in Beijing, China. When I gifted this eye-catching, artfully scalloped ‘made-in-Texas, USA’ tray, I intended it to be a special item [...]
Image: Cover design by Adrian Cheah (Penang) Headshot by Matt Brandon (Penang) October is National Book Month, a month-long celebration that focuses on the importance of reading, writing, and literature. In honor of this important month, it is fitting to invite E.S. Alexander, my co-author for Access to Asia, to return and write [...]
Image: stock.adobe.com By Wipark One of Japan’s most cherished celebrations, Golden Week, occurs April 29 - May 5, 2021. This is a special time when the entire country celebrates cultural traditions by observing four historical holidays. Companies close their doors and employees enjoy a week of paid vacation. Global business takes a pause to celebrate each of [...]
Image Credit: commons.wikimedia.org Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan. March is Women’s History Month, and we are highlighting global female success in a series of posts. Asia is our third in the series, after U.S. American women, and South American women. How much do you know about successful women in Asia? Asia is [...]
Image: stock.adobe.com By Sensvector While most Western countries ring in New Year’s Day at midnight on January 1 following the solar calendar, many of our Asian neighbors celebrate New Year’s according to the lunar calendar, which in 2021 falls on February 12th, and is the Year of the Ox. Not just a single day festivity, [...]
Tea at Lanesborough Hotel with Elizabeth Filippouli photo by Sharon Schweitzer After water, tea is the second most consumed liquid on the globe; no, it’s not beer! So, in honor of National Hot Tea Month, we are exploring a few global regions where tea is a fundamental part of culture. Just how did tea gain [...]
