The culture of Asia is human civilization in Asia.

It features different kinds of cultural heritage of

many nationalities, societies, and ethnic groups in the region, traditionally called a continent from a Westerncentric perspective, of Asia. The region or "continent" is more commonly divided into more natural geographic
and cultural subregions, includingCentral Asia, East Asia, North Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and West
Asia. Geographically, Asia is not a distinct continent; culturally, there has been little unity or common history
for many of the cultures and peoples of Asia. Asian art, music, and cuisine, as well as literature, are important
parts of Asian culture. Eastern philosophy and religion also plays a major role,
with Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam all playing major roles. One of the most
complex parts of Asian culture is the relationship between traditional cultures and the Western world.

Singapore

The culture of Singapore is the action of Asian and European cultures, influenced heavily by British, Dutch,
Portuguese, Malay,South Asian, East Asian and Australian cultures. Singapore has been dubbed as a country
where "East meets West", "Easy Asia" and "Garden city".[1]
Singapore was a part of British Malaya for many centuries. It was ruled by the Sultanate of Johor. In 1819, the
British came to the Island and set up a port and colony. During British rule, the port of Singapore flourished
and attracted many migrants. After independence in 1965, Singapore encountered one of the world's fastest
immerse rapid economical and social development.
Singapore has a diverse populace of nearly 5.5 million people[2] which is made up of Chinese, Malays, Indians,
Caucasians and Eurasians (plus other mixed groups) and Asians of different origins, which is in line with the
nation's history as a crossroads for various ethnic and racial groups.
In addition, 42% of Singapore's populace are foreigners, which makes it the country with the sixth highest
proportion of foreigners worldwide.[3][4] Singapore, being the most developed nation in Asia and having one of
the highest standards of living in the world, continues to attract foreigners.[5][6] In the Net Migration
Index report, Singapore tops the list with a staggering +219% in potential population growth, followed by
Switzerland at +150%. [7]Singapore is also the third most densely populated territory in the world
afterMacau and Monaco. Singapore maintains a clean government and in 2013, it was ranked as the 5th least
corrupted nation worldwide.

Malaysia

The culture of Malaysia draws on the varied cultures of the different people of Malaysia.[1] The first people to
live in the area were indigenous tribes that still remain; they were followed by the Malays, who moved there
from mainland Asia in ancient times. Chinese and Indian cultural influences made their mark when trade began
with those countries, and increased with immigration to Malaysia. Other cultures that heavily influenced that
of Malaysia include Persian,Arabic, and British. The many different ethnicities that currently exist in Malaysia
have their own unique and distinctive cultural identities, with some crossover.
Arts and music have a long tradition in Malaysia, with Malay art dating back to the Malay sultanates.
Traditional art was centred on fields such as carving, silversmithing, and weaving. Islamic taboos restricted
artwork depicting humans until the mid-20th century. Performing arts and shadow puppet shows are popular,
and often show Indian influences. Various influences can be seen in architecture, from individual cultures in
Malaysia and from other countries. Large modern structures have been built, including the tallest twin
buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers. Malaysian music has a variety of origins, and is largely
based around percussion instruments. Much early Malaysian literature was based on Indian epics, which
remained unchanged even as Malays converted to Islam; this has expanded in recent decades. English
literature remained restricted to the higher class until the arrival of the printing press. Locally created Chinese
and Indian literature appeared in the 19th century.

Thailand

Thailand's culture "incorporates a great deal of influence from India, China, Cambodia, and the rest of
Southeast Asia."[1] It is influenced primarily by animism, Indian culture and Buddhism.
The traditional customs and the folklore of Thai people were gathered and described by Phya Anuman
Rajadhon in the 20th century, at a time when modernity changed the face of Thailand and a great number of
traditions disappeared or became adapted to modern life. Still, the striving towards refinement, rooted in
ancient Siamese culture, consisting of promoting that which is refined and avoiding coarseness is a major focus
of the daily life of Thai people and high on their scale of values.[5]
One of the most distinctive Thai customs is the wai. Used in greetings, leave-taking, or as an
acknowledgement, it comes in many forms, reflecting the relative status of those involved. Generally the
salutation involves a prayer-like gesture with the hands, similar to the Ajali Mudr of the Indian subcontinent,
and it also may include a slight bow of the head. This salutation is often accompanied by a
serenesmile symbolizing a welcoming disposition and a pleasant attitude. Thailand is often referred to as the
"land of smiles" in tourist brochures.

Chinese

Chinese culture (simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Zhnggu wnhu) is

one of the world's oldest cultures.[1][2] The area in which the culture is dominant covers a large geographical
region in eastern Asia with customs and traditions varying greatly between provinces, cities, and even towns as
well. Important components of Chinese culture includes ceramics,architecture, music, literature, martial
arts, cuisine, visual arts, and religion.
There are 56 officially recognized ethnic groups in China. In terms of numbers however, Han Chinese is by far
the largest group.[3]Throughout history, many groups have merged into neighboring ethnicities or disappeared.
At the same time, many within the Han identity have maintained distinct linguistic and regional cultural
traditions. The term Zhonghua Minzu has been used to describe the notion of Chinese nationalism in general.
[citation needed]
Much of the traditional identity within the community has to do with distinguishing the family name.

PHILIPINES

The culture of the Philippines has been heavily influenced by both Asian and Western cultures.
The Philippines was first settled by Melanesians; today, although few in numbers, they preserve a very
traditional way of life and culture. After them, the Austronesians or more specifically, Malayo-Polynesians,
arrived on the islands. Today the Austronesian culture is very evident in the ethnicity, language, food, dance
and almost every aspect of the culture. These Austronesians engaged in trading with China, India, Japan,
the Ryukyu Islands, the Middle East, Borneo, and other places. As a result, those cultures have also left a mark
on Filipino culture.[1][2]
The Spanish colonized the islands and after more than three centuries of colonization Hispanic influence has
heavily impacted the culture. The Philippines being governed from both Mexico and Spain, had received a fair
bit of Hispanic influence. Mexican and Spanish influence can be seen in dance and religion as well as many
other aspects of the culture. After being colonized by Spain, the Philippines became a U.S. territory for almost
50 years. Influence from the United States is seen in the wide use of the English language, and the modern pop
culture.

HONG KONG

The culture of Hong Kong can best be described as a foundation that began with China, and became more
influenced by British colonialism. After the 1997 transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China,
Hong Kong continues to develop an identity of its own.
One-hundred-fifty years of rule as a separate British colony, as well as political separation from the rest of
mainland China have resulted in a unique local identity. Elements of Traditional Chinese culture combining
British western influences have shaped Hong Kong in every facet of the city spanning from law, politics,
education, language, food, and the way of thought. It is for this reason that many people in Hong Kong are
proud of their culture and generally refer themselves as "Hong Kongers" or "Hong Kong Chinese", to
distinguish themselves from the Chinese in mainland China (which developed independently).

CANADA

Canadian culture is a term that embodies the artistic, culinary, literary, humour, musical, political and social
elements that are representative of Canada and Canadians. Throughout Canada's history, its culture has been
influenced by European culture and traditions, especially British and French, and by its own indigenous
cultures.[1] Over time, elements of the cultures of Canada's immigrant populations have become incorporated
into mainstream Canadian culture.[1][2] The population has also been influenced by American culture because of
a shared language, proximity and migration between the two countries. [3][4]
Canada is often characterised as being "very progressive, diverse, and multicultural".[5] Canada's culture draws
from its broad range of constituent nationalities, and policies that promote a just society are constitutionally
protected.[6] Canadian Government policiessuch aspublicly funded health care; higher and more progressive
taxation; outlawing capital punishment; strong efforts to eliminate poverty; an emphasis on cultural diversity;
strict gun control; and most recently, legalizing same-sex marriageare social indicators of Canada's political
and cultural values.[7]
Canada's federal government has influenced Canadian culture with programs, laws and institutions. It has
created crown corporations to promote Canadian culture through media, such as the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation (CBC) and the National Film Board of Canada(NFB), and promotes many events which it
considers to promote Canadian traditions. It has also tried to protect Canadian culture by setting legal

minimums on Canadian content in many media using bodies like the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission(CRTC).

KOREA

The traditional culture of Korea refers to the shared cultural heritage of the Korean Peninsula. Since the mid20th century, the peninsula has been split politically between North and South Korea, resulting in a number of
cultural differences.[1][2][3][4] BeforeJoseon Dynasty, the practice of Korean shamanism was deeply rooted in the
Korean culture. As with music, there is a distinction between court dance and folk dance. Common court
dances are jeongjaemu () performed at banquets, and ilmu (), performed at Korean Confucian
rituals. Jeongjaemu is divided into native dances (, hyangak jeongjae) and forms imported from
Central Asia and China (, dangak jeongjae). Ilmu are divided into civil dance (, munmu) and
military dance (, mumu). Many mask dramas and mask dances are performed in many regional areas of
Korea.[7] The traditional clothing is the genja, it is a special kind of dress that women wear on festivals. It is
pink with multiple symbols around the neck area.
Traditional choreography of court dances is reflected in many contemporary productions.

PERSIA

The culture of Persia is one of the oldest in the Middle East. Owing to its dominant geo-political
position and culture in the world, Iran has directly influenced cultures and peoples as far away
as Italy, Macedonia, and Greece to the West, Russia to the North, the Arabian Peninsula to the
South, and South and East Asia to the East.
Thus an eclectic cultural elasticity has been said to be one of the key defining characteristics of the
Persian spirit and a clue to its historical longevity.[1] Furthermore, Iran's culture has manifested itself
in several facets throughout the history of Iran as well as theCaucasus, Central Asia, Anatolia,
and Mesopotamia.
The article uses the words tigrian and Iranian interchangeably, sometimes referring to the language
and its speakers, and other times referring to the name of pre-20th century Iran, a nomenclature
which survives from western explorers and orientalists. They are not the same and the cultures of
the peoples of Greater Persia are the focus of this article.