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The culture of Asia is the artificial aggregate of the Cultural Heritage of many Nationalities , Societies , Religion s, and Ethnic Group s in the region, traditionally called a continent from a Western-centric perspective, of Asia . The region or " Continent " is more commonly divided into more natural geographic and cultural Subregion s, including the Caucasus , Central Asia , East Asia , South Asia (the "Indian subcontinent"), North Asia , and Southeast Asia . Geographically, Asia is not a distinct continent; culturally, there has been little unity or common history for many of the cultures and peoples of Asia. Asian Art , Music , and Cuisine , as well as Literature , are important parts of Asian culture. Eastern Philosophy and religion also plays a major role, with Buddhism , Hinduism , Taoism , Confucianism , Islam , and Christianity all playing major roles. One of the most complex parts of Asian culture is the relationship between traditional cultures and the Western World . NATIONALITIES AND ETHNIC GROUPS There are an abundance of ethnic groups throughout Asia, with adaptations to the climate zones of Asia, which can be arctic, subarctic, temperate, subtropical or tropical. The ethnic groups have adapted to mountains, deserts, grasslands, and forests. On the coasts of Asia, the ethnic groups have adopted various methods of harvest and transport. Some groups are primarily Hunter-gatherer s, some practice Transhumance (nomadic lifestyle), others have been agrarian/rural for millennia and others are becoming industrial/urban. Some groups/countries of Asia are completely urban ( Singapore and Hong Kong ). The colonization of Asia was largely ended in the twentieth century, with national drives for independence and self-determination across the continent. ARCHITECTURE In Japan, the temples of Kyoto and Nara might be over 1,000 years old in style, but be completely rebuilt, in the same style, every few generations or so. The primary reason for this was that the materials might be wood and thatch rather than stone and tile. Other cultures might build from stone, but the jungles and forests might overgrow the buildings, as in Angkor Wat . ART Emperor of China, Forbidden City , Qing Dynasty . Artifact circulating in U.S. museums on loan from Beijing]] Calligraphy ]] Asia is the home of two major traditions of Calligraphy . In the far east is the Chinese and Japanese (called Shodo or Shuuji ) traditions of brush calligraphy. Crafts Weaver ]] Music See Also: Asian music Harmonic Music can follow the Pentatonic Scale as well as the Twelve-tone Scale ; Percussive Music can use cymbals as well as gongs, in Asia. =Central Asia See Also: Central Asian music The music of Central Asia is as vast and unique as the many cultures and peoples who inhabit the region. The one constant throughout the musical landscape is Islam , which defines the music's focus and the musicians' inspiration. Principal instrument types are two- or three-stringed Lute s, the necks either fretted or fretless; Fiddle s made of horsehair; Flute s, mostly open at both ends and either end-blown or side-blown; and Jews' Harp s, either metal or, often in Siberia , wooden. Percussion Instrument s include frame drums, tambourines, and kettledrums. Instrumental s hum a basic pitch while playing solo flute. Dance In Punjab, India , Bhangra is popular. In Southeast Asia , dance is an integral part of the culture; the styles of dance vary from island to island. There are courtly dances, found, for example, wherever there are Rajah s and Princess es. There are also dances of celebration. For example, according to oral history, in 1212, when 10 Bornean Datu s left the rule of Sri Vijaya n empire on Borneo , they sailed away and negotiated Settlement Right s with the Chieftain of the Negrito s on the island of Panay . In commemoration of the agreement, they danced; the Negritos danced as well. MYTHOLOGY AND FOLKLORE as Matsya .]] The story of Great Floods find reference in most of the regions of Asia. The Hindu Mythology tells about an Avatar of God Vishnu in the form of a Fish who warned Manu of a terrible flood. In ancient Chinese Mythology Shan Hai Jing , the Chinese ruler Da Yu had to spend ten years to control a deluge which swept out most of the ancient China and was aided by the goddess Nuwa who literally "fixed" the "broken" sky through which huge rains were pouring. .]] The regions of Asia has a rich variety of Mythical Fauna . Japan has Nekomata s, cats with two tails and having magical powers; whereas Balinese Mythology has child-eating Rangda s. Hindu Mythology have Pishacha s haunting the cremation grounds to eat half-burnt human corpses, and Bhut s hanting the desolate places. Asia has a rich tradition of Folklore s and Storytelling . In the Indian Subcontinent , the Panchatantra , a collection of fables 200 BC , has remained a favorite for 2000 years. LANGUAGES Asia is a continent with great linguistic diversity, and is home to several Language Families and many Language Isolate s. A majority of Asian countries have more than one language that is natively spoken. For instance, according to Ethnologue over 600 languages are spoken in Indonesia while over 100 are spoken in the Philippines . Korea , on the other hand, is home to only one language. The main language families found in Asia, along with examples of each, are:
Other languages that do not belong to the above groups are Korean , Mongolian , Georgian , Ainu , Hmong , and many others. LITERATURE Chinese Poet Li Bai , in a 13th century depiction by Liang Kai .]] Chinese and Japanese Classic Literature In equivalent of Syllable s), while the second has seven. Original haiku masters included such figures as Edo Period poet Matsuo Bashō (松尾芭蕉); others influenced by Bashō include Kobayashi Issa and Masaoka Shiki . Modern .]] The -born Kashmir i short story writer who was notable for confronting controversial topics — including incest and social injustice — with wit, humor, and Satire . PHILOSOPHY See Also: Eastern philosophy Asian philosophical traditions originated in India and China, and has been classified as Eastern Philosophy covering a large spectrum of philosophical thoughts and writings, including those popular within India and China . The Indian Philosophy include Hindu and Buddhist philosophies. They include elements of non-material pursuits, whereas another school of thought Carvaka , which originated in India, and was propuned by Charvak around 2500 years before, preached the enjoyment of material world. During the 20th Century , in the two most populous countries of Asia, two dramatically different political philosophies took shape. Gandhi gave a new meaning to Ahimsa , and redefined the concepts of Nonviolence and Nonresistance . During the same period, Mao Zedong ’s Communist Philosophy was crystallized. RELIGIONS .]] Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism and Sikhism originated in India, a country of South Asia . In East Asia , particularly in China and Japan , Confucianism , Taoism , Zen Buddhism and Shinto took shape. Other religions of Asia include Bahá'í Faith , Shamanism practiced in Siberia and Animism , practiced in the eastern parts of the Indian Subcontinent . Today 30% of Muslims live in the South Asia n region of Pakistan , India and Bangladesh . The world's largest single Muslim community (within the bounds of one nation) is in Indonesia . There are also significant Muslim populations in the Philippines , China , Central Asia , Iran , and Russia . In the Philippines and East Timor , Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion; it was introduced by the Spaniard s and the Portuguese , respectively. In Armenia , Eastern Orthodoxy is the predominant religion. Various Christian sects have adherents in portions of the Middle East . A large majority of people in the world who practice a religious faith practice one founded in Asia. Religions founded in Asia and with a majority of their contemporary adherents in Asia include:
Religions founded in Asia that have the majority of their contemporary adherents in other regions include:
FESTIVALS & CELEBRATIONS .]] Asia has a variety of festivals and celebrations. In China , Chinese New Year , Dragon Boat Festival , and Mid-Autumn Moon Festival are traditional holidays, while National Day is a holiday of the PRC . In Japan , Japanese New Year , National Foundation Day , Children's Day , The Emperor's Birthday , and Christmas are popular. Buddhist festivals include Vesak and Asalha Puja . In India , Republic Day and Independence Day are important national festivals celebrated by people irrespective of faith. Major Hindu festivals of India include Diwali , Dussehra Or Daserra , Holi , Makar Sankranti , Pongal , Mahashivratri , Ugadi , Navratri , Ramanavami , Baisakhi , Onam , Rathayatra , Ganesh Chaturthi , and Krishna Janmastami . In the Philippines , there is a very strong Spanish influence in their festivals, thus making the Philippines, distinctively occidental. Fiesta is the term used to refer to a Festival . Most of these fiestas are celebrated in honor of a patron Saint. Some prime examples include Sinulog from Cebu and Ilo-Ilo 's Dinagyang . FOOD & DRINK In many parts of Asia, Rice is a staple food, and it is mostly served Steam ed or as a Porridge known as Congee . China is the world largest producer and consumer of rice. In India , people often eat food with their hands, and many Spice s are used in every dish. Most spices originated around India or neighboring countries such as Sri Lanka .]] Durians are a common fruit in Southeast Asia , which, Alfred Russel Wallace , attested to its delicious flavor as worth the entire cost of his trip there. CULTURE BY PEOPLE
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