Military modernization across Asia has shifted from simple budget increases to sophisticated technological advancement and strategic cooperation. Nations throughout the region are reimagining defense capabilities through artificial intelligence, cyber resilience, and multilateral partnerships that promise enhanced regional stability.

India's cultural treasures command significant presence in international auction houses, reflecting both the nation's rich artistic heritage and complex challenges around artifact repatriation. The movement of Indian heritage items through global markets raises questions about...

Many Bengalis across Bangladesh welcome the New Year, known as Pohela Boishakh, on April 14 with vibrant public celebrations, family rituals, and a nationwide holiday that blends ancient agrarian customs with modern civic pride. Pohela Boishakh traces roots to agrarian calendars and Mughal-era administrative reforms that standardized the Bengali calendar. Cultural revival movements in the early 20th century and post-independence nationalism strengthened the festival as a symbol of Bengali identity, language, and shared history. Street-level customs center on colorful processions, open-air fairs, and collective art. The Mangal Shobhajatra procession in Dhaka, organized by faculty and students of Dhaka University, features giant masks and effigies and has earned UNESCO recognition for its...

Festivals in Taiwan fuse ancient ritual, community celebration, and spectacular visuals; the Lantern Festival and Ghost Festival offer contrasting windows into Taiwanese culture. The Lantern Festival marks the end of Lunar New Year festivities and emphasizes light, renewal, and public art. The Ghost Festival, observed during the seventh lunar month, centers on ancestral rites, offerings to wandering spirits, and traditional performances meant to honor and placate the deceased. Lantern Festival customs date back centuries and vary by region. The fifteenth day of the first lunar month typically features large lantern displays in city squares, temple ceremonies, and family gatherings. Pingxi in New Taipei City is famous for sky lantern releases...

Festivals in Cambodia mark Khmer New Year with Buddhist ceremonies, ancestral offerings, water blessings, traditional games, and communal feasts that preserve cultural identity and seasonal rites.The Three Days of Choul Chnam Thmey Choul Chnam Thmey unfolds across three days, each with focused rites: Moha Sangkran ushers in a new household guardian, Veareak Vanabat emphasizes almsgiving and ancestral respect, and Veareak Laeung Sak promotes purification through water and communal cleansing rituals. Moha Sangkran: Welcoming the New Guardian Angel Families cleanse shrines, offer incense and food, and receive monkly blessings as the household symbolically accepts a new guardian angel to protect the year ahead. Veareak Vanabat: Acts of Charity and Ancestral Honor Communities gather to give...

You can trace Genghis Khan's legacy across Mongolia and neighboring regions through a cluster of World Heritage sites, monuments, monasteries and museums that together tell the story of the 13th-century Mongol Empire and its aftermath. The empire's rapid expansion reshaped Eurasian trade and culture, and surviving sites reflect political...

Over centuries Vietnamese culture blends Confucian filial piety, family-centered social structure, ancestor worship, and Tet celebrations; customs emphasize respect for elders, strong kinship ties, communal rituals, and preservation of heritage across generations.Core Social Values and Etiquette Family expectations and respect for hierarchy guide daily etiquette, with elders deferred to, modesty...