For many people, the joy of winter centers around strapping on skis, snowshoes or skates and heading outside. Of course, that is less true in many parts of Asia. But with climates ranging from the famously snowy Japanese island of Hokkaido to the tropical forests of Malaysia, the continent offers a wide variety of winter delights for travelers looking for something different from a day at slopes. Fresh-caught mountain trout sashimi, anyone? Here are five festivals to check out this winter.
South Korea
Hwacheon Mountain Trout Ice Festival
The chance to pluck sancheoneo, or mountain trout, from a frozen river draws thousands of visitors every winter to a cold-weather corner of South Korea. The annual ice festivalheld in Hwacheon County from January 6 to 28 this year, doubles as a tribute to a cherished local fish.
To participate, first purchase plastic bait and a pole on the boardwalk along the Hwacheon Stream. Then venture into the thick ice and get a predrilled hole in the fishing spot. Now, it’s time to start attracting some trout. Pro tip: It’s all on the wrist. And in case your aquatic adeptness still feels lacking, experts are daring about sharing fishing tips. Between their advice and the abundance of trout in the river, even a beginner’s chances of success are pretty good.
Whether you’re a fisherman or not, you can still taste the fresh catch (oh, not yours) near the fishing grounds, where a restaurant tent sells trout fried, grilled and sashimi-style. Order each preparation and taste each one with a local beer.
After fishing, warm up with some ice sports. Visitors can skate, sled, pedal an ingenious ice bike, and even scoot around crouching or sitting on a wooden board, steering themselves with two stick (sounds hard, but worth the effort once you’re gliding).
Some brave souls take a dip in the river, inspiring thrills in the audience. If you prefer to stay dry, walk about 10 minutes from the river to an indoor ice castle and sculpture landscape that makes for exquisite Instagram posts.
Most visitors end their visit to the festival around the corner from the ice castle site, by taking an evening stroll down a street decorated with a canopy of holiday lights – a bright end to the day. Hwacheon is about a 90-minute bus ride from Seoul. — Farah Fleurima
Malaysia
Thaipusam
Thaipusam, a Tamil Hindu festival celebrated annually around Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, is many things: spectacular, raucous, flamboyant, intoxicating and definitely not for the faint of heart. Every year, many devotees attend the festival — celebrating the victory of the deity Murugan over the demon — fulfill vows of personal sacrifice, hoping the god will grant their prayers: recovery of a sick relative, for example, or retribution for a past wrongdoing. Each petitioner had to carry a kavadi, or burden, on foot to a temple built inside a huge limestone. Batu Caves complex about eight miles outside the Malaysian capital. Kavadis can range from a simple milk pot to elaborate steel-and-wood mobile shrines that can weigh more than a hundred pounds.
Many also pierce their flesh with hooks and skewers, a practice banned in India, but still permitted in Malaysia. The sight of many holed up pilgrims climbing the 250-odd steps to the temple amidst the mesmerizing hum of chanting, drumming and blaring music attracts hundreds of thousands of worshipers and spectators every year. This year, the three-day festival will conclude on January 25, when devotees and their supporting family members and friends will make the pilgrimage.
Some of the kavadi carriers – who spent weeks fasting and abstaining from sex in preparation – appear to have worked themselves into a semi-fugue state, appearing to feel no pain from the their holes. Despite the intense devotion and sometimes chaotic atmosphere, the mood was more like a street party than a religious ceremony. In fact, for some of the devotees, perhaps those who have made the pilgrimage many times, everything seems surprisingly mundane. The last time I attended, a man carrying a tall kavadi anchored in the skin on his back were several dozen large iron hooks that raised a hand as I passed, flashing a smile and shouting, “Where you from, man?” — Simon Elegant
Japanese
Wakakusa Yamayaki Festival
The ancient city of Nara, once the capital of Japan, banishes the winter darkness with a unique tradition: lighting a local mountain on fire.
In a tradition stretching over 250 years, a brief, but spectacular, fireworks display leads to the revelation of the trumpets. Afterwards, the dry grass of Nara Park’s Mount Wakakusa was buried by local firefighters. (“Yamayaki” translates as “burning mountain,” and theories behind its origins are as colorful as apocryphal, ranging from an internecine clan boundary dispute to attempts to trap ghosts in a summit tomb of the mountain.)
Depending on weather conditions, the fire can burn for up to an hour and can be seen across the city. For an up-close experience, spectators can watch from viewing points at the foot of the mountain, while others may prefer to see the show from one of the city’s temples or historic buildings, such as Heijo Palacefurther away from the mountain.
Before the fireworks display and grass burning, the first of which usually starts at 6:15 pm, several smaller events also take place throughout the day, including a contest where participants compete to see how far the they can throw a huge version of the rice crackers to feed many visitors all over the city.
Attendees can also enjoy live music performances and outdoor food stalls, as well as a procession of officials dressed in historical clothing as they make their way up the mountain before the burning.
This year’s festival, scheduled for January 27, is a short bus ride from Nara Station, although the brisk, but not too cold, weather in late January makes for a pleasant pleasant walk and the opportunity to enjoy other amusements on the way to the park. — Allan Richards
Japanese
Sapporo Snow Festival
Some cities hibernate when the snow starts to fall. Sapporo, on the northern island of Hokkaido in Japan, came to life. For one week every February, the city, which hosts the 1972 Winter Olympicsembracing the cold with the Sapporo Snow Festivaloffers outdoor dining, markets, sports, ice sculptures and more in three event spaces.
From its humble beginnings in 1950, when a group of high school students created half a dozen snow sculptures as a one-off event, the festival now features more than 200 snow and ice sculptures along nearly a mile of main festival site in Odori Park. The works range from modest, but nevertheless impressively detailed, amateur creations to towering professional designs depicting mascots, anime characters, famous buildings and sports heroes. To get it all, head to the observation deck nearby Sapporo TV Tower (admission: 1,000 yen, or about $7.10) for a panoramic view of the festival from 295 feet above. Once you get down, the area around the tower hosts many outdoor drink and dining options from hot noodle dishes to all-you-can-eat meals.
Nearby, the Ice World of Susukino showcases a variety of dazzling ice sculptures brightly lit each night along the boulevard, as well as a chance to watch artisans at work during the festival’s ice sculpting contest.
And back for the first time since 2020, the Tsudome the site offers activities for all ages for the more adventurous types. Attractions include snow and ice slides for tubes and sleds, zip lines, a snow maze and a snow raft pulled behind a snowmobile. If you’re feeling a bit chilly, indoor dining options are also available, showcasing Sapporo specialties like ramen and seafood rice bowls.
This year’s festival runs from February 4 to 11. If you’re going, bundle up against the cold, and consider investing in a pair of removable snow cleats to navigate the often icy exhibition spaces . While booking a hotel in the city center provides maximum convenience, the festival’s proximity to Sapporo Station and nearby metro stations makes arriving by public transport an easy alternative. — Allan Richards
Taiwan
Lord Handan explodes
Every year, communities across northern Taiwan celebrate the end of traditional Lunar New Year celebrations with the peaceful sight of thousands of lanterns released into the night sky. But the southern city of Taitung has its own way of meeting the occasion: a loud, fiery act of endurance. On the 15th day of the first lunar month — this year, Feb. 24 — volunteers allowed themselves to be stoned by thousands of exploding firecrackers.
During the tradition, the Blasting Lord Handan (also known as the Bombing Lord Handan), young men holding a banyan tree branch and wearing nothing but shorts, headdress, protective goggles, and a wet towel to protect their mouths, are paraded and nose from the smoke. through the streets on a bamboo throne, depicting Lord Handan. Firecrackers, bundled together in bricks, explode in their bare flesh. Covered in cracks and bloody scratches, the volunteers find dignity in their pain and hope to receive a blessing from the ordeal.
According to Taoist beliefs, Handan was originally a Shang dynasty general named Zhao Gongming who, upon his death, became a god known for his ability to create wealth and control lightning. The tradition of blowing up Handan arose, according to tradition, because of the god’s aversion to the cold – the fireworks were meant to bring him warmth and cheer him up.
Although the practice is specific to Taitung, it is believed to have arrived from the west coast of Taiwan during the Chinese imperial period. Under Japanese colonial rule (1895 to 1945), traditional Chinese religious expression was suppressed, and Handan worship was relegated to private homes. Taitung revived the tradition in 1951, and it quickly became the most important folk-religious ritual in the region. Today, the show is taking place at Xuanwu Templewhich is dedicated to Handan, and can also be seen around the streets. — Mike Kai Chen
