Top 10 airports in Asia

The list of world's top airports always has some Asia representatives in it. Have you ever wonder which airports in Asia are considered best of the best by both experts and travelers? 

10. Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Malaysia)

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (IATA: KUL) is more than 50km (30 mi) from the Malaysia capital city Kuala Lumpur. KLIA is the primary airport serving Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley region. The airport opened in 1998. KLIA was voted in passenger surveys to have the "World’s Best Immigration Service" in the 2013 Skytrax World Airport Awards.

9. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (India)

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (IATA: BOM) is the airport that serves Mumbai, India. As the second busiest airport in India behind Delhi's Indira Gandhi and the secondary hub of Air India, the airport has historically been very crowded yet beautiful. 

8. Suvarnabhumi Airport (Thailand)

Suvarnabhumi Airport (IATA: BKK) is Bangkok's main airport and the busiest airport of Thailand. Thirty kilometres (19 mi) to the east of Bangkok, space-age Suvarnabhumi Airport started operations in September 2006 and is used by almost all airlines. However, several budget airlines (Air Asia, Nok Air, Orient Thai, Scoot and Thai Lion Air) use only Don Mueang Airport.

7. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (Taiwan)

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (IATA: TPE) is the primary international airport of Taipei and Taiwan. The airport is a hub for various airlines including EVA Air, UNI Air and Tigerair Taiwan. The airport saw over 44 million passengers in 2017. The airport opened in 1979 as Chiang-Kai Shek International Airport, the name was only changed in 2006, so you may still see some references to the older designation.

6. Chubu Centrair International Airport (Japan)

Chubu Centrair International Airport (IATA: NGO) is located on an artificial island 30 minutes south from Nagoya. Centrair prides itself on offering seamless interchange between international and domestic flights, making this a good option if you are heading elsewhere in Japan. Centrair opened in 2005, and this airport replaces the existing Nagoya airport, also taking over its IATA code NGO. 

5. Narita International Airport (Japan)

Narita International Airport (IATA: NRT) is the primary international airport serving Tokyo, Japan. The airport is in Narita, nearly 70 km northeast of Tokyo. It is Japan's largest international airport. The airport is generally modern and efficient.

4. Hong Kong International Airport (Hong Kong)

Hong Kong International Airport (IATA: HKG) is located just off Lantau Island in the west of Hong Kong. It is the primary hub for Hong Kong's flag carrier Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines and low-cost carrier Hong Kong Express. Due to the special status of Hong Kong, flights to mainland Chinese cities are treated as international rather than domestic flights. All flights from the airport are international, and there are no domestic flights.

3. Haneda Airport (Japan)

Haneda Airport (IATA: HND), officially known as Tokyo International Airport, is the largest and busiest airport in Japan, and the second busiest airport in all Asia despite the majority of flights being domestic. Haneda Airport serves as the primary hub for All Nippon Airways (ANA) and flag carrier Japan Airlines (JAL).

2. Incheon International Airport (South Korea)

Incheon International Airport (IATA: ICN) is South Korea's largest airport, its main international gateway, and the main airport of Seoul. It was built to the west of Seoul and opened in 2001. It has comprehensive connections to the South Korean capital, and is frequently rated in the top three airports in the world. The airport is beautiful, meticulously clean and well. 

1. Changi Airport (Singapore)

Singapore Changi Airport (IATA: SIN) is the main airport of Singapore situated on the eastern edge of the island with good public transport links to all parts of Singapore. Consistently voted one of the best airports in the world, Changi is no doubt the best airport in Asia and is also a major hub in Southeast Asia and a common stop on the Kangaroo route between Europe and Australia.

See more: First time in Singapore? Here are 8 of the top things to do

Source: wikivoyage

How the Chinese celebrate their New Year

Chinese New Year, also referred to as Lunar New Year, is the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. The holiday is a two-week festival filled with reunions among family and friends, an abundance of delicious food and wishes for a new year filled with prosperity, joy and good fortune.

Clean their home

This tradition is founded in the belief that cleaning the house at this time of year will "sweep away the bad luck" that has accumulated inside over the past year. Cleaning also makes the house ready for the good luck to start entering again.

Don't clean your home after the New Year has started. To do so is to "sweep away" the good luck you have just received. Over the following fifteen days, or at least the first few if you cannot wait that long, you are relieved of cleaning duties.

Put up red decorations

Red is the color or symbol of good luck in Chinese culture and is often used for new year decorations. The number "8" also symbolizes good luck and wealth, since the Chinese character for eight rhymes with fortune or wealth.

Appease the Kitchen God

Seven days before the New Year, the Kitchen God is said to report to the Jade Emperor about the household. Keep on your best behavior and offer him a sacrifice of fruit, candy, water, or other food. Some people burn a picture of the Kitchen God to send him up to heaven.

Firecrackers and fireworks

New Year festivities just would not be the same without pyrotechnics. New Year’s firecrackers are made from strings of rolled red paper containing gunpowder that, when set off, leave shreds of scarlet paper in their wake. Traditionally, it is believed that the loud noise of the firecrackers serves to scare away evil spirits, although nowadays firecrackers are banned in many cities for safety reasons. In addition, most major cities, including Hong Kong and Shanghai, will put up an impressive display of fireworks around midnight to welcome in the new year.

Honor your ancestors

Show gratitude and respect for what your ancestors have done for you. There are many traditional customs associated with this if you choose to follow them, such as bowing to a shrine dedicated to them or offering them food and drink as a sacrifice.

Dress for the occasion

If you have traditional Chinese clothing, this is the perfect time to wear it. Outfits can be purchased in Chinatown, including beautiful silk clothing. Associated with joy, happiness, good luck, wealth and good fortune, red clothes will ensure that you are fully participating in the spirit of the celebrations. Gold is another suitable color; try combining the two colors for a festive look. Avoid wearing too much black during the celebration period because black symbolizes bad luck and even death.

Give and receive red envelopes

Visiting relatives and friends is the main traditional custom during Chinese New Year and children will often receive gift money in little red packages, together with the wish for safety throughout the New Year.
The most commonly-said greetings are ‘xin nian kuai le’ (Happy New Year) and ‘gong xi fa cai’ (Wishing you prosperity). It is also common for Chinese parents to place mandarins and oranges alongside a red envelope on their children's pillows because their names in Chinese sound similar to those for ‘luck’ and ‘wealth’.

Read more: The best destinations to spend New Year in Southeast Asia

Source Internet

All you need to know about Diwali Festival

Diwali is one of the most important festivals in India. In 2018, it will start on 7th November. But do you know what this grand festival is about and why people celebrate it? 

1. What is Diwali Festival?

Diwali, also spelled as Deepavali, meaning "row of lighted lamps", is a Hindu festival of lights and Hindus celebrate it with joy. Diwali symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance." Diwali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and a school holiday in many states of the United States with a large Hindu population.

2. When is Diwali celebrated?

Diwali is celebrated at the 13th lunar day of the Krishna paksha (also known as the dark fortnight) according to the Hindu calendar. It is traditionally celebrated every year between the mid October and mid November.

3. How to pronounce Diwali?

Because the word is transliterated from Hindi, Tamil, and other alphabets, we end up with different pronunciations, just as the festival is celebrated in many different ways between the numerous ethnic groups and religions.

The pronunciation for the three most common occurrences is as follows:

Diwali (English): "dee-wall-ee" but also heard as "dee-vall-ee"

Deepavali (Hindi): "dee-paw-lee"

Tihar (Nepal): "tee-har"

4. How is Diwali celebrated?

Diwali is celebrated with family gatherings, new clothes, special treats, and meals. Just as in the days leading up to Lunar New Year, homes are cleaned, renovated, and decorated. New clothes, along with sweets and small gifts for friends and family, are purchased. The quickest and easiest way to show that you acknowledge Diwali is to light lanterns and candles in front of your house.

5. How long is Diwali celebrated?

The Diwali festival lasts for five days. The peak is usually on the third day, which is considered a sort of New Year's Eve. The last day is set aside for brothers and sisters to spend time together.

6. Why is Diwali celebrated?

People believe that what they do at the festival of Diwali they will do that for whole year. That’s why people do good work, lighten the every corner of their home with lamps, distribute sweets, make friendship, offer puja (worship) to Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi to get peace and prosperity, eat luxurious food, decorate their home and other activities so that they can do all that for whole year.

See more: The colorful festivals you cannot miss in India

Source: Internet