Money is burnt in honour of ancestors

Graves will be swept, food will be offered and paper money will be burnt in honour of their ancestors. The Qingming Festival falls on 5 April this year and is an annual festival celebrated by the Chinese in remembrance of their ancestors.

Foreigners can now apply to volunteer at 2008 Beijing Olympics

Non-mainland Chinese and foreigners (i.e. not from China) can now finally apply to become a volunteer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

India’s 150 Years of Freedom Struggle

In commemoration of India’s 60 years of independence, the country’s Ministry of Tourism has put together a website about India’s Freedom Movement.

Contact details for Dr. Ho Shixiu

I’ve received a lot of emails lately from people asking me for the contact details of Dr. Ho Shixiu, the famous doctor of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Chinese Herbal Medicine Clinic in Baisha in China.

Neral-Matheran mini train back on track

The mini train from Neral to Matheran in India is now running again.

The popular 21km line had been shut since July 2005, when heavy rain washed away part of the track.

18 people killed during Kite Festival

I am very sad to have learned that 18 people were killed and more than 100 injured during last weekend’s Basant Festival in Pakistan, according to Pakistan Observer.

The Basant Festival, which ran from 24-25 February, is famous for its kite flying, but also notorious for the number of deaths and injuries, it causes.

Shanghai declares war on mosquitoes

Mosquitoes in Shanghai are likely to double in numbers this coming summer compared to last year, according to China Daily.

But Shanghai is not just rolling up its sleeves waiting for the sting.

Chinese Festival of Arts in Singapore

The Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts is celebrated in Singapore from 23 February till 4 March this year.

Now in its fifth year, the festival was introduced by the Esplanade arts centre in 2003 as part of a program to “enable audiences across communities to find meaning and enjoyment in the arts.”

Dove festival in Thailand

Attending festivals is one of my favourite activities when I travel, the quirkier the festival the better.

One such quirky festival is the Asian Barred Ground Dove Festival in Thailand

Questions from foreign Olympic volunteers welcomed

Would-be volunteers for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games can now ask questions, before they apply.

But only if you’re from a select list of countries, it seems.