Blog
Asia Life
Sports, culture and the arts are a passion for billions in the Asia-Pacific, and offer unique insights into what makes countries here tick. From the latest cricket match to prize-winning novels and the latest art exhibitions, The Diplomat's bloggers cover it all, giving you a fresh perspective on the region.
Remembering Texas and the Battle of the Alamo in Japan
By Franz-Stefan Gady
How a poem by a Japanese scholar further glorified the most mythologized event in the history of Texas.
The Apocalypse Psyche: A Look at Chinese Eschatology
By Tomás Swinburne
In China, the end times has very much its own significance.
Cho Seong-Jin and Chopin’s ‘Eternal Sonata’ in East Asia
By Krzysztof Iwanek
A South Korean musician’s victory in the Chopin Competition confirms the composer’s enduring popularity in East Asia.
Australia Leads in Efforts to Solve Bee Mystery
By Helen Clark
Bees are disappearing, and the CSIRO is taking the lead in trying to find out why
South Korea's Love-Hate Relationship With the Chinese Language
By Jin Kai
The use of Chinese characters in South Korea (and related controversies) reveal the intersecting cultures of East Asia.
Coconuts Reimagined
By Luc Forsyth and Gareth Bright
Outside Ben Tre, Vietnam we stumble on an inventive way to recycle one of the region's most plentiful exports: coconuts.
A Laughing Matter: China Experiments With Comedy
By Bochen Han
Can foreign-style stand-up comedy gain ground in China?
Vietnam’s PISA Surprise
By M Niaz Asadullah and Liyanage Devangi Perera
How has the country been able to overcome socioeconomic disadvantages to perform so well?
In the Mekong Delta: Erosion, Pollution, and Millions of Shrimp
By Luc Forsyth and Gareth Bright
On the island of Phu Thanh, shrimp farmers face serious environmental challenges.
Dominion of the Sea
By Luc Forsyth and Gareth Bright
After reaching the Mekong's terminus, we join a shrimp fishing crew to explore the sea's importance at the river's end.
Illuminating Old City Dhaka
By Poppy McPherson
Festival organizers hope to put a spotlight on the old city’s beautiful bones.
A River's Tail Begins: The Mekong Delta
By Luc Forsyth and Gareth Bright
The journey begins where the Mekong ends, in the sprawling delta where Vietnam meets the sea.