People & Culture
Map
East Asia
Wherever you go in East Asia, you’ll find a mixture of different people, from Korea’s taekwando masters to China’s Buddhist monks, from Mongolia’s hoomi singers to Japan’s sumo wrestlers.
With such a rich blend of people comes a rich tapestry of art, philosophy, medicine, music, religion, food and innovation. Japan is renowned for its sushi and sashimi, favorite snacks in restaurants across Europe and North America. China is known for its many inventions, from gunpowder to dominos to paper money. These are just a few examples of the many highlights that, together, form the people and the culture of East Asia.
More fun facts that shed light on the region’s cultural diversity include the following from East Asian countries:
China:
China is the most populated country in the world, with more than 1.3 billion people—about one-fifth of the world’s population.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea:
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is also known as North Korea and is one of the five remaining communist countries in the world.
Republic of Korea:
Taekwando originated in Korea and remains its national sport today.
Mongolia:
Hoomi is a type of eerie and beautiful singing that originated in Mongolia. Hoomi sounds like people are actually singing multiple notes at once. Learning hoomi takes many years of training.
Japan:
Noh is a type of Japanese theater that can be up to eight hours long.
Many cultural dances and celebrations come from such a populous region. One popular celebration in China, for example, is Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year lasts for 15 days.
Chinese New Year
Here are some things people do during Chinese New Year:
- Eat noodles to promote long life
- Visit temples to pray for good fortune and health
- Spend time with family and friends
Whatever the celebration, and whatever the country, each one is bound to be colourful and full of music and dance. The costumes may change, but the lively involvement of the people remains the same.