The document discusses various Asian festivals, emphasizing China's Spring Festival (Chun Jie) as the most significant celebration, marked by customs like the dragon dance that symbolizes power and strength. It also covers Japan's Taiko Drum Festival and Indonesia's Legong dance, highlighting their cultural significance and performance elements. Additionally, it explores Thailand's Yi Peng and Loi Krathong festivals, which involve lantern releases and floating offerings to honor the water spirits.

1. ASIAN FESTIVALS

2. China: Spring Festival
(CHUN JIE)
 longest and most important
festivity in the Chinese calendar
 begins on the first day of the first
month and ends with Lantern
Festival on the 15th day

3. China’s customs and traditions concerning Chinese New Year

10. WŬ LÓNG (舞 龙)

11. DRAGON DANCE
• the highlight of Chinese New Year
celebrations
• a form of traditional dance and
performance in Chinese culture
• the dance mimics the supposed
movements of the river spirit

12. • symbolizes power and strength
• believed to bring good luck to
people
• qualities include great power,
dignity, fertility, wisdom and
prosperity
• appearance is frightening and
bold but it has a benevolent
disposition

13. CHEONGSAM / QIPAO

14. MANDARIN
COLLARED
SHIRTS with
CHINESE
DRAGON
SYMBOLS /
KUNG FU SUITS
and COAT

17. Japan: Taiko
Drum Festival

18. KODO
- professional Taiko drumming troupe
- based in Sado Island, Japan
- means “heartbeat”, the primal source of
all rhythm
- also means “children of the drum”

19. TAIKO DRUM FESTIVAL
 performance includes different drums
 fue and shamisen makes appearance on stage
 traditional dance and vocal performance are also
part of the whole performance
 include pieces based on the traditional rhythms of
regional Japan pieces composed by contemporary
songwriters and pieces written by Kodo members
themselves
 normally last for about one hour and forty minutes

20. UCHITE – Taiko drummer

21. DRUMS
 used in ancient times to signify the boundaries
of a village
 used in peasant events (rice harvests or dance
festivals)
 used to pray for rain and other religious
ceremonies
 lead warriors into battles in order to scare off
the enemy

22. HAPPI
OBI
HACHIMAKI
TABI

26. BARONG DANCE
represent the eternal battle between good and evil

27. LEGONG - a refined dance form characterized by intricate finger
movements, complicated footwork and expressive gestures and
facial expressions

28. a form of Balinese dance and music drama, originated
in the 1930’s performed primarily by men

30.  torso is wrapped in a
gold sabuk (sash) or
in an ankin (form-
fitting bodice); lower
half is wrapped in
kain (cloth)

31.  a variation on a soldier's
uniform from the
Majapahit era - layers of
cloth, embellished with
velvet beading, pompoms
and embroidery
 velvet ankle cuffs – stewel
 keris (dagger)

34. YI PENG – Sky Lantern Festival

35. YI PENG – Sky Lantern Festival
 launching of lanterns / small hot air
balloons (khom loi)
 each release is a petition, small
prayer, or good wishes
 held on the full moon of the 12th
month in Thai lunar calendar

36. YI PENG – Sky Lantern Festival
 the biggest lantern release is held at CHIANG MAI
 releasing of lantern means:
o sending away a person’s bad luck and misfortune
o a short prayer
o considered good luck for sky lanterns symbolize
problems and worries floating away
o an act of veneration to the PRA GAED KAEW JU LA
MANEE (the crystal Chedi in heaven)

37. LOI KRATHONG FESTIVAL

38. LOI KRATHONG FESTIVAL
 takes place along with Yi Peng
Festival
 loy/loi means to float
 krathong refers to the lotus-shaped
receptacle made of banana leaves or a
spider lily plant

39. LOI KRATHONG FESTIVAL
 believed to originate in an ancient practice
of paying respect to the spirit of the waters -
a young queen made a small boat adorned
with candles and sent it down the river
 a krathong is decorated with flowers,
candles and incense sticks
 a low value coin is sometimes included as an
offering to the river spirits

40. LOI KRATHONG FESTIVAL
 a ritual honoring PHRA MAE
KONGKA, the goddess of water
 a way of giving thanks for the
abundance of water, and to seek
forgiveness for overuse and pollution