Traditions11 min
Kimjang: Korea's great collective winter kimchi rite
Every autumn, families and neighbors salt dozens of cabbages together. Meet kimjang, the communal kimchi-making listed by UNESCO in 2013.
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The Kotoba Interactive journal.
Editorial features on the cultures, history and languages of Asia. Filter by culture, by topic, or search for what inspires you.
29 articles
Traditions10 min
Sexagenary cycle ganzhi: five elements, twelve animals
The sexagenary cycle ganzhi pairs ten heavenly stems with twelve earthly branches over sixty years. Oracle-bone origins, elements, animals, and time as return.
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Traditions11 min
Asian Zodiacs: Why Vietnam Has a Cat and Japan a Boar
One cycle of twelve animals, three versions: how the Chinese Rabbit becomes a Cat in Vietnam and the Pig a Boar in Japan.
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Traditions13 min
Hanakotoba: The Secret Language of Flowers in Japan
Funereal camellia, graveyard lycoris, fleeting cherry blossom: in Japan every flower carries a coded message you had best read before offering a bouquet.
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Traditions8 min
Korean Superstitions: Why Korea Dreads the Number 4
Lifts with no fourth floor, names forbidden in red ink, death by fan, auspicious days: a deep dive into Korean superstitions about numbers and dates.
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Traditions14 min
The Hungry Ghost Festival: China's Ghost Month
Gates of hell flung open, spirit money burned, meals left for wandering souls: inside Zhongyuan, China's ghost month and its rites.
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Traditions12 min
Chongyang: The Double Ninth Festival and Chinese Autumn
On the 9th day of the 9th lunar month, China celebrates Chongyang: climbing the heights, chrysanthemum wine, Wang Wei's poem, and honoring the elderly.
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Traditions13 min
Nebuta Matsuri: Aomori's Giant Lantern Floats
Every August, Aomori sets the night ablaze with towering washi-paper lantern floats. History, craft, and the haneto dance of Japan's most flamboyant matsuri.
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Traditions13 min
Qingming: China's Tomb-Sweeping Festival of the Dead
Every spring, the Qingming festival gathers Chinese families around ancestral graves. Discover its origins, rites, foods, and living meaning today.
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Traditions13 min
Auspicious Dates: Picking the Right Day with the Chinese Almanac
Weddings, moving house, opening a shop: how the Chinese almanac (huangli) and the art of choosing a lucky day (zeri) still guide China's biggest decisions.
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Traditions9 min
Hanfu: the spectacular return of traditional Chinese clothing
The hanfu movement in China: how millions of young Chinese have revived Han traditional dress, between cultural pride, social media and the fashion industry.
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Traditions8 min
The Dragon Boat Festival: when China paddles for Qu Yuan
History and traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival (端午节 Duanwu) in China: dragon boat races, zongzi, Qu Yuan, and rituals of the fifth lunar month.
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Traditions6 min
The Lantern Festival: when China lights up the night
History and traditions of the Lantern Festival (元宵节) in China: lanterns, riddles, tangyuan, dragon and lion dances, the fifteenth night of the New Year.
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Traditions12 min
Hanami: The Japanese Art of Cherry Blossom Viewing
A complete guide to hanami in Japan: its thousand-year history, the cultural meaning of sakura, the best viewing spots, picnic etiquette, and blossom forecasts.
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Traditions5 min
The Chinese kite: two thousand years in the wind
History of the Chinese kite (fengzheng): ancient invention, military uses, popular art, the capital Weifang and the symbolism of cutting the string in spring.
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Traditions5 min
Talchum: the satirical masked dance of Korea
History and meaning of talchum, Korean masked dance theatre: tal masks, satire of the powerful, village rites, regional variants and UNESCO heritage status.
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Traditions6 min
Chinese New Year: the Spring Festival, the world's largest celebration
Origins, legends and rituals of Chinese New Year: the Nian monster, the red envelopes, the reunion dinner, the lion dances and the Lantern Festival.
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Traditions6 min
Ssireum: the traditional wrestling of Korea
History and rules of ssireum, Korean traditional wrestling: the satba belt, the sand ring, the bull prize, the Cheonha Jangsa title and UNESCO heritage status.
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Traditions11 min
Furoshiki: the Japanese art of wrapping with cloth
History and technique of furoshiki, the Japanese wrapping cloth. Origins in public baths, musubi knots, motifs, decline and zero-waste revival.
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Traditions7 min
Jesa: the rite of the ancestors at the heart of Korea
Discovering jesa, the Korean ancestral rite: its Confucian roots, the offering table and its rules, the charye of Chuseok and Seollal, and its evolution today.
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Traditions6 min
Seollal: the Korean Lunar New Year
Traditions and rites of Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year: the journey home, ancestral charye rite, the sebae bow, tteokguk soup and the yutnori game.
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Traditions7 min
Hanbok: The History and Symbolism of Korea's Traditional Dress
All about the hanbok, Korea's traditional dress: origins, jeogori and chima, obangsaek colors, etiquette, modern revival, and rental at Seoul's palaces.
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Traditions19 min
Chinese Zodiac: The Twelve Animals and Their Legend
From twelve animals to five elements, the Chinese zodiac hides a fascinating cosmology. The great race legend, the betrayed cat, and Fruits Basket.
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Traditions6 min
Korean shamanism: muism, the mudang and the gut ritual
Discovering Korean shamanism (muism): the mudang, the gut ritual, the spirits, its prehistoric roots, its survival and its presence in today's Korea.
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Traditions14 min
Japan's 72 Micro-Seasons: Nature's Hidden Calendar
Discover Japan's 72 kō, a poetic calendar dividing the year into five-day micro-seasons that shaped Japanese culture, food, and art for centuries.
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Traditions6 min
Hanfu: The History and Revival of Chinese Traditional Dress
The history of hanfu, the traditional dress of the Han: its forms, its symbolism, its disappearance under the Qing and its spectacular revival among Chinese youth.
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Traditions10 min
Chanoyu: The Sacred Art of Japanese Tea
Explore the art of Japanese Sadō, where every gesture, bowl, and season carries a centuries-old philosophy blending hospitality, aesthetics, and spirituality.
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