Culture of Asia

The culture of Asia includes the many different customs, traditions, and ways of life practiced by the many ethnic groups across the continent. These traditions cover art, music, literature, food, religion, and more, and have been part of Asia since very early times, even prehistory. Because Asia is so big, it is often divided into six areas: Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. Each of these areas has its own special qualities but also shares some similarities.

Asia is home to some of the world's oldest civilizations. These early societies created many important religions and some of the first stories and writings about right and wrong. Even though Asia is vast and has many difficult places like deserts and mountains, people found ways to travel and trade. This trade helped share ideas and culture between different parts of Asia, creating connections across the whole continent.

History

Main article: History of Asia

Multiple cultural regions

Asia's various modern cultural and religious spheres correspond roughly with the principal centers of civilization.

West Asia (or Southwest Asia) has its cultural roots in ancient civilizations like the Fertile Crescent and Mesopotamia, leading to empires such as the Persian, Arab, and Ottoman, along with major religions like Judaism and Islam. South Asia, including India, comes from the Indus Valley civilisation. East Asia developed from the Yellow River civilisation. Southeast Asia's cultural waves are more recent and were influenced by migrations and trade with South Asia and China. North Asia, known as Siberia, has a harsh climate that supports mostly nomadic populations. Central Asia blends influences from both West and East Asia.

East Asia

The East Asian cultural sphere includes China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Vietnam. These countries share similarities in ethnicity, language, art, writing, and values, mostly from the Yellow River civilisation in China thousands of years ago. China historically played a central role, influencing neighboring countries through trade and ceremonies led by the Chinese emperor. Key cultural traits include the Chinese writing system, and shared ideas from Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Each country also developed its own unique writing systems and arts, such as Japanese gardens and Vietnamese water puppetry.

Southeast Asia

A Confucian ritual ceremony in Jeju, South Korea

Southeast Asia is divided into Mainland and Maritime regions. It has been influenced by India and China, especially through Hindu and Buddhist traditions, and later by Islam. Countries in this area have adapted these influences in their own ways, creating unique cultures, arts, and buildings like Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Borobudur in Indonesia. Common features include stilt houses for flood protection and rice farming. Dance and drama are also important parts of the culture.

South Asia

South Asia, also called the Indian subcontinent, includes countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Evidence of ancient cultures dates back thousands of years, with the Indus Valley civilisation being one of the world's earliest urban societies. Later, the Vedic period brought major religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Today, the region is diverse, with many languages and religions, including Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. Cultures vary widely, from the Persian-influenced areas in Pakistan to the Bengali culture shared by Bangladesh and India.

Angkor Wat, Khmer Empire

Central Asia

Central Asia lies between the Caspian Sea and East Asia, including countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Historically, it was a crossroads for many cultures, including Chinese, Greeks, Mongols, Persians, and Russians. The region has a mix of nomadic and urban traditions, with influences from many conquerors over the centuries.

North Asia

North Asia, mostly known as Siberia, is part of Russia. It was historically home to groups like the Tatars, but is now mostly populated by ethnic Russians. Other groups include the Buryats, Evenks, and Yakuts. The area remains largely rural and remote.

West Asia

West Asia includes countries such as Turkey, Syria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. The region has been shaped by ancient Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Today, most people are Muslim, but there are also Christian and other minority groups. The area is known for its rich cuisine and literature in languages like Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. Cities like Dubai and Riyadh have grown into modern hubs along the coastlines.

Architecture

The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling

Asia is home to many grand and famous old buildings, mostly places for worship, forts, and palaces. Over many years, many of these great buildings have been lost, such as the Ziggurats of Mesopotamia, parts of the Great Wall of China, Greek temples, and the royal cities of Persia.

China

Main article: Chinese architecture

Chinese architecture has developed over many centuries with the same basic rules, changing only in decorations. A key feature is balance and symmetry, seen in everything from big palaces to small houses. Since the Tang dynasty, Chinese styles have influenced Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.

India

The Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Main article: Architecture of India

Korea

Main article: Korean architecture

Korean architecture is simple and natural, avoiding extremes and using shapes that are easy and clear.

Indonesia

Sun temple at Konarka, Odisha, India

Main article: Architecture of Indonesia

Indonesian architecture shows many different influences, from local traditions to Hindu-Buddhist temples, colonial styles, and modern designs. Local houses, called _rumah adat, show clever use of the environment. Famous examples include Rumah Gadang, Tongkonan, Balinese houses, and Javanese Joglo. Big stone temples like Borobudur and Prambanan show the Hindu-Buddhist style. Later, European colonizers brought their own building methods.

Japan

Main article: Japanese architecture

Japanese architecture values nature and uses natural materials. Beautiful wooden temples and castles, some over 2000 years old, fit into the landscape. Examples include the Hōryū Temple complex, Himeji Castle, Hikone Castle, and Osaka Castle.

Vietnam

Main article: Vietnamese architecture

A typical example of Dravidian architecture

Traditional Vietnamese houses are wooden with steep roofs covered in special tiles. Some houses have stilts, and often have an odd number of rooms. Different rulers brought new styles. The Lý dynasty added Buddhist designs, building many pagodas. The Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long shows medieval Vietnamese architecture. The Trần dynasty added gardens and tower-temples.

Malay Peninsula

Main article: Malay architecture

Malay architecture was shaped by Chinese, Indian, and European influences. Wood was commonly used, but stone buildings from old kingdoms also exist.

West Asia

Main articles: History of architecture and Architecture of Mesopotamia

West Asia’s ancient buildings, dating back thousands of years, include early towns, houses with courtyards, and ziggurats. Mudbrick was the main building material, often decorated with enamel, and used for homes. Palaces and temples were built on raised platforms with decorated columns.

Art

Main article: History of Asian art

Martial arts

Main articles: Martial arts, History of martial arts, Origins of Asian martial arts, and Modern history of East Asian martial arts

Martial arts have deep roots in many Asian cultures. Some of the earliest martial arts come from ancient China, over 4000 years ago. Today, famous styles like Karate from Okinawa, Judo from Japan, Taekwondo from Korea, and Chinese martial arts known as kung fu are known around the world. Ancient India also had many martial arts mentioned in old texts. Southeast Asia has its own styles too, such as Vovinam from Vietnam and Pencak Silat from Indonesia. Wrestling styles also come from places like Turkey and Mongolia.

New martial arts continue to develop, and many traditional styles are now popular sports worldwide. Karate alone has over 50 million practitioners globally.

Cinema

Main article: Cinema of Asia

Cinema is very important in South Asia, especially in Bollywood, which makes films in Hindi, and in South Indian film industries. Pakistan’s Lollywood is also growing. In the past, Bengali cinema received international praise, especially films by Satyajit Ray.

China’s film industry has expanded greatly and now influences Hollywood because of its large audience. Hong Kong was famous for its kung fu films for many years.

Japanese and Korean films, TV shows, and music have become very popular around the world. Japanese anime and manga are enjoyed globally, and Korean films, dramas, and music, known as K-pop, have grown with support from the government. In 2019, the Korean film Parasite became the first Asian film to win an Academy Award.

Languages

Main article: Languages of Asia

Asia has a huge variety of languages, with many different language families and some languages that don’t fit into any family. Almost every major language family in the world is found in Asia, except for the Bantu languages. Many Asian countries have several languages spoken by their people. For example, Indonesia has over 600 languages, and the Philippines has more than 100. India has 30 languages spoken by more than a million people and many more spoken by smaller groups. Korea, however, has just one main language.

Some of the main language families and examples in Asia include:

Literature

Main article: Asian literature

Arabic

Main article: Arabic literature

Arabic literature includes writing in prose and poetry by writers who speak the Arabic language. One of the most famous works from West Asia is One Thousand and One Arabian Nights.

Chinese

Main article: Chinese literature

In China during the Tang and Song dynasties, famous poets like Li Bai wrote important poems. They created poems with lines of equal length and others with mixed line patterns.

Hebrew and Diaspora Jewish

Main articles: Hebrew literature and Jewish literature

Jewish literature includes ancient, medieval, and modern writings by Jewish people, both in their homeland and elsewhere. Much of it is written in Hebrew, including the important Hebrew Bible. Many other ancient Hebrew works also exist, covering religion, philosophy, history, and stories.

Indian

Main article: Indian literature

The poet and playwright Kālidāsa wrote famous epics like Raghuvamsham and Kumarasambhavam in Sanskrit. Other important Sanskrit works include plays such as Abhigyanam Shakuntala and texts like the Laws of Manu. Kālidāsa is often considered one of the greatest writers in Sanskrit literature.

Japanese

Main article: Japanese literature

In the early 1100s, Murasaki Shikibu wrote Tale of the Genji, considered a masterpiece of Japanese literature and an early novel. Later, Japanese poetry developed forms like haiku, with famous poets such as Matsuo Bashō.

Korean

Main article: Korean literature

Korean literature began in the Three Kingdoms period and continued through later dynasties. Famous poetic forms include sijo and gasa, and important works include Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong and The Cloud Dream of the Nine.

Nepali

Main article: Nepali literature

Pakistani

Main article: Pakistani literature

Pakistani literature has a rich history influenced by Persian, Muslim, and Indian traditions. It includes many famous poets who write in Urdu, such as Muhammad Iqbal, known as "The Poet of the East".

The earliest surviving Vietnamese literature was written in Classical Chinese. Over time, Vietnamese developed its own writing systems. Important works include poems, historical records, and stories such as Truyện Kiều by Nguyễn Du.

Modern literature

The poet Rabindranath Tagore from India became the first Asian winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. Other Asian writers who won Nobel Prizes include Yasunari Kawabata and Kenzaburō Ōe from Japan.

Family

In many Asian cultures, families play a very important role. They teach children that the family is their protection and helps give them their identity. Children are expected to be loyal to their parents and obey them. This idea is called filial piety, which started in China and is linked to Confucian teachings. Children should control their emotions and show respect in how they act and speak. They are also expected to care for their parents when they get older.

In some cultures, like in Korea, there were traditions where a man would live with his wife's family after marriage. This practice began in the Goguryeo period, continued through the Goryeo period, and ended in the early Joseon period.

Philosophy

Main article: Eastern philosophy

Many important ideas and ways of thinking started in India and China. These ideas are often called Eastern philosophy. In India, philosophies like Jain philosophy, Hindu, and Buddhist ideas focus on things that are not material, like peace and understanding. There was also a different idea called Cārvāka that encouraged people to enjoy life's pleasures.

In the 20th century, two big leaders shared very different ideas. In one country, Mahatma Gandhi taught about peace and not hurting others. In another country, Mao Zedong shared ideas about a system where everyone shared resources equally.

Religions

Main article: Religion in Asia

Asia is where many important religions began, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Druze, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Mandaeism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Taoism, Yazdânism, and Zoroastrianism. Many different religions are practiced across the continent, and new ones keep appearing. The two largest religions in Asia are Islam and Hinduism, each with around 1.1 billion followers. In 2010, a study found that five of the ten most diverse religious areas in the world were in Asia.

Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism started in India, in South Asia. In East Asia, especially in China and Japan, religions like Confucianism, Taoism, Zen Buddhism, and Shinto developed. Other religions in Asia include the Baháʼí Faith, Shamanism in Siberia, and Animism in parts of the Indian subcontinent.

More than 60% of all Muslims live in Asia. About 25% of Muslims are in South Asia, mainly in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. If we include Afghanistan, the number is even higher. The largest group of Muslims in one country is in Indonesia. There are also many Muslims in the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, China, Russia, Central Asia, and West Asia.

Christianity is widely practiced in Asia, with over 286 million followers according to a 2010 study, and nearly 364 million according to another source in 2014. In the Philippines and East Timor, most people follow Roman Catholicism, brought there by Spanish and Portuguese explorers. In Russia, Georgia, and Armenia, Orthodox Christianity is common. Different Eastern Christian groups are found in parts of the Middle East and South Asia. Significant Christian communities also exist in Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Judaism is the main religion in Israel.

Religions founded in Asia and mostly followed there include:


Religion	Image	Adherents	Followers in Asia
Baháʼí Faith		7 million	3,433,000
Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism Theravada Buddhism Vajrayana Buddhism		520 million	>400,000,000
Hinduism		984 million	>900,000,000
Judaism		14 million	6,373,700
Islam Ahmadiyya Islam Shia Islam Sunni Islam		2.1 billion	1,160,000,000
Christianity: Syriac Christianity Eastern Orthodox Oriental Orthodox Roman Catholic Protestantism		2.4 billion	286,100,000 - 364,000,000
Jainism		>4.2 million	>4,200,000
Shinto		Unknown	Unknown
Sikhism		25 million	Unknown
Taoism		~173 million	~173 million
Druze		1 million	>1 million
Zoroastrianism		190,000	Unknown
Shamanism		Unknown	Unknown
Animism	—	Unknown	Unknown

Festivals and celebrations

Asia has many colorful festivals and celebrations. In China, people enjoy Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. National Day is also a big holiday there.

In Japan, families celebrate Japanese New Year, Children's Day, and O-bon. They also mark The Emperor's Birthday and Christmas.

India celebrates Republic Day and Independence Day. Happy days like Diwali, Holi, and Eid ul-Fitr bring everyone together.

The Philippines loves fiestas all year. These celebrations often honor a patron saint, with events like Sinulog in Cebu and Dinagyang in Iloilo.

In Indonesia, Independence Day and important Islamic days such as Eid ul-Fitr are widely celebrated.

Sports

Main article: Sports in Asia

Asia is a huge place, and different sports are popular in different areas. Association football is loved by many people across the continent. In East Asia, boxing, badminton, and table tennis are very popular. Baseball is a favorite in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. In South Asia, cricket is especially loved, mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, and also in Nepal and Afghanistan. Traditional games like kabaddi and kho-kho are also enjoyed in South Asia.

The bat-and-ball sports baseball (left) and cricket (right) are popular in East and South Asia respectively.

Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Asia

In many parts of Asia, rice is a main food that people eat. It is often served steamed or as a soft porridge called congee. China makes and eats the most rice in the world. In places like the Middle East and India, people often eat flatbread made from grains.

In some parts of Asia, people traditionally eat with their hands, but now many use spoons and forks, especially in public places. In countries like China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam, people usually use chopsticks to eat. The chopsticks look different in each country. For example, Chinese chopsticks are long and square, while Japanese ones are round and short, made to help eat fish easily.

In East Asia, especially Japan, dishes like sushi and sashimi — made from fresh raw fish — are very popular. These dishes came from Chinese and Japanese cooking traditions.

In India, people often eat with their hands and use many spices like cardamom, cumin, and fennel seeds in their food. Most of these spices come from India.

Durians are a common fruit in Southeast Asia. One explorer said they were worth the whole trip just to taste them.

The cuisine of Indonesia has many different dishes from each area. People there often eat steamed rice with tasty meat, fish, and vegetables all together, like in Nasi Padang and nasi campur. Other popular foods include rendang, satay, soto, and nasi goreng.

In Filipino banquet meals, many special dishes came from the country’s history of being ruled by others and trading with nearby cultures. It mixes Latin, Malay, Chinese, and American styles with local traditions.

Chicken tikka, a famous dish around the world, shows how South Asia cooks.
Philippine cuisine
Kabsa is also called Majboos, and it is popular in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and United Arab Emirates

Cultural spheres

The culture of Asia is grouped into different areas with shared traditions, called cultural spheres. These include the Sinosphere, Indosphere, Persosphere, and Arabsphere. Each of these areas has its own unique way of life and history.