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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 , Southwest 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. East Asia East Asia is usually thought to consist of China , Japan , Korea , but may also include Mongolia and Vietnam . Rarely, it includes the rest of Southeast Asia . The dominant influence Historically has been China, though in modern times, cultural exchange has flowed more bi-directionally. Major characteristics of this region include shared Chinese -derived language characteristics, as well as shared religion, especially Buddhism . There is also a shared social and moral philosophy derived from Confucianism . The Chinese Script is generally agreed to be the unifying principle. It was historically used throughout the region, and is still used to some extent in most countries of the region. In most cases, the meaning of the characters remain unchanged, but the pronunciation differs between regions. Even within China, for example, a Cantonese person and a person from Northern China probably cannot hold a conversation, but they can certainly understand each other by passing notes. The Chinese writing system is the oldest continuous writing system in the world (but by no means primitive). It was passed on first to Korea , and was the main writing system there until the end of World War II , and to Japan , where it now forms a major component of the Japanese writing system. In Vietnam, classical Chinese ( Han Tu ) was used during the millennium of Chinese rule, with the vernacular Chu Nom script replacing it later on. However, this has now (since the early 20th century) been replaced completely by the Latin Alphabet -based Quoc Ngu . In these cultures, especially in China, the educational level of person is traditionally measured by the quality of his or her Calligraphy , rather than diction, as is sometimes the case in the west. Though Korea , Japan , and Vietnam are not Chinese speaking regions, their languages have been heavily influenced by Chinese. Even though their writing systems have changed over time (with limited use of Chinese characters in Korea and none at all in modern Vietnam), Chinese is still found in the historical roots of many borrowed words, especially technical terms. Apart from the unifying influence of Confucianism , Buddhism , Chinese Characters , and other Chinese Cultural Influences , there is nevertheless much diversity between the countries of the region. South Asia (Indian Subcontinent) See Also: Culture of India i garments from Jaipur , India.]] The nations of India , Pakistan , Bangladesh , Bhutan , Nepal and Sri Lanka share an ethnic background and all have similar cultures. This is largely due to the fact that before the 1947 Partition , India included both Pakistan and Bangladesh in its borders. The reason they were separated was due to varying religious composition in various Indian states. The Indus Valley Civilization began on the Indus River (now in Pakistan). In time, however, Aryans settled down in the Indian subcontinent from the north. The Aryans also invaded the island of Sri Lanka and set up the Kingdom of Sinhala . The people eventually mingled to form a common culture. Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism and Sikhism , the four major world religions founded in the region that is today's India, are spread throughout the subcontinent. While 80% of Indians are Hindus and Nepal is a Hindu-majority State, Sri Lanka has a majority of Buddhists. South Asian culture was influenced somewhat by the arrival of Islam , which based itself in the northwest of India (now Pakistan), near the borders of Afghanistan. In 1947 , India was split as part of the Partition as a result of the Indian Independence Movement . This partition was on the basis of religion, although Pakistani people and Indian people share a common language ( Urdu being very similar to Hindi when spoken). Many Hindus and Sikhs still live in Pakistan while 10% of Bangladesh's population is Hindu. Another common feature of these states is the fact that all these countries maintain interests in the same world sports. India and Pakistan were both strong in Field Hockey during the 80s while Cricket is by far the most popular sport in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. With the Indian Cricket Team being one of the earliest International Cricket Teams to be created (after England, Australia and South Africa). Despite their religious differences, the way of life is still similar in India and Pakistan, because of shared history; and Pakistan differs in some ways from the Middle East. Foods such as '' Chapati s'' are common in both nations. South Indian foods (from the states Kerala and Tamil Nadu) can be found in Sri Lanka. Bangladeshi ways of life are similar to the people in West Bengal , the Eastern Indian State. 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]] Visual arts Crafts
Performing arts --> 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. =South Asia See Also: South Asian music In the Punjab Region of India and Pakistan, Bhangra music is very popular. =East Asia See Also: East Asian music =Middle East See Also: Middle Eastern music =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. s from Indonesia ]] =Southeast Asia See Also: Southeast Asian music Dance In the Punjab Region of India and Pakistan, Bhangra dance is very popular. The bhangra is a celebration of the harvest. The people dance to the beat of a drum while singing and dancing. In Thailand which is never Colonized by Western Countries , has retained cultural connections with the two great centers of Asian civilizations, India and China . Dances Of Myanmar , a country which was colonized only for a brief period, also retain very strong influences from these cultures. 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 See Also: Languages of Asia Asia is a continent with great linguistic diversity, and is home to various 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 . The official figure of 'mother tongues' spoken in India is 1683, of which an estimated 850 are in daily use. 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 include Ainu , Burushaski , Georgian , Hmong , Korean , Mongolian , various Romance -based Creoles ( Chavacano , Macanese , and Kristang ) and many others. LITERATURE Chinese Poet Li Bai , in a 13th century depiction by Liang Kai .]] Classical Indian literature See Also: Indian literature Classical Chinese and Japanese literature See Also: Chinese literature Japanese 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 . Classical Persian and Arabic literature See Also: Persian literature Arabic literature Modern literature .]] 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 Chinese 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 the 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 , Armenian Apostolic Church 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 People's Republic Of China . 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 . Islamic festivals such as Eid Ul-Fitr and Eid Ul-Adha , Sikh festivals such as Vaisakhi , and Christian festivals such as Christmas, are also celebrated in India. 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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