ASIAN Geographic

ASIAN Geographic is the bi-monthly magazine that scours the region to bring readers the most compelling stories and images from the world's largest and most diverse continent. Readers enjoy a unique melting pot of breathtaking photography and in-depth features covering culture, nature, sustainability issues and exploration into the history of this diverse region. A regular 'Exploration' segment follows brave field editors as they travel deep into Asia's unexplored regions to take readers on a journey.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Colours & Celebrations • Collect All Our Timeless Colour Editions and Our Special Silver Jubilee Edition!

The Silk Road Through Uzbekistan • High-speed trains may ply some of this route today, but the historical, religious and cultural significance of the great cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva remains intact

10 Awe-Inspiring Reasons to Visit Sri Lanka • From eye-popping temples and tea estates to jaw-dropping national parks and natural wonders, the “teardrop island” has it all

Pilgrimage to Japan • The Land of the Rising Sun is as eclectic as it is fascinating, an exotic blend of ancient and modern. But two destinations in particular offer visitors an authentic taste of this unique nation: Wakayama, its spiritual centre, and Kyoto, its cultural heartland.

Wakayama: Epicentre of Spirituality • From pristine forested mountains to sublime hot springs, sacred shrines to UNESCO heritage trails, Wakayama offers travellers an escape to heal the mind, body and soul.

Kumano Sanzan • The Kumano Sanzan shrine complex comprises Kumano Hongu Taisha in Tanabe, Kumano Hayatama Taisha in Shingu, and Kumano Nachi Taisha in Nachikatsuura, which are situated between 20 and 40 kilometres from one another. These three grand shrines are the sohonsha, or head shrines, of all Kumano Shinto shrines, of which there are more than 3,000 across Japan. Kumano Sanzan also includes two Buddhist temples, Nachisan Seiganto-ji and Fudarakusan-ji.

Koyasan • An imposing 25-metre-high vermillion wooden gate, known as the Daimon Gate, marks the entrance to Koyasan, or Mount Koya, a temple mountain in northern Wakayama perched atop a mountain range off the Kii Peninsula. Nestled along the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage route, Koyasan is home to shrines and huge caves.

Kyoto: Japan in a Nutshell • If one city sums up Japan better than any other, it’s Kyoto. As the cultural and historical heart of the nation, this former capital offers almost everything a traveller enthralled with “traditional Japan” would want to experience, from temples to teahouses, gardens to geisha. Just about the only quintessentially Japanese experience you can’t enjoy in Kyoto is a sumo match, since tournaments aren’t held here, but it’s only a 15-minute bullet train away in Osaka, the main international gateway to Kyoto.

Nepal: In the Shadow of Giants • Sandwiched between China to the north and India to the south, Nepal receives influences from Asia’s two major powers, but this unique land bordered by the greatest mountain range on Earth promises experiences offered nowhere else

DAWA YANGZUM SHERPA: A TRAILBLAZING NEPALI MOUNTAINEER TEACHING WOMEN TO CLIMB • The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative is supporting Sherpa guide Dawa Yangzum in her quest to train young local women to become skilled mountaineers

Asian Geographic