Ching Ming (5 Apr, Hong Kong) is a day when Chinese people sweep the graves of their ancestors. But the tidy-up doesn’t end there: the festival is an important ancestor worship ritual that also requires families to weed graves, touch up headstone inscriptions, and make offerings of food and light incense.
Haru no Takayama Matsuri (14-15 Apr, Japan) is the annual festival of the Hie Shrine in the southern half of Takayama's old town. Since the shrine is also known as Sanno-sama, the spring festival is also called Sanno Festival and is one of Japan's most beautiful festivals to celebrate the season.
Songkran Festival (13-15 Apr, Thailand) has a long tradition of throwing water with its roots in the symbolic gesture of cleansing away bad fortunes. It is the traditional New Year in the Buddhist calendar when many families join together.
Tay Phuong Pagoda Festival (25 Apr, Vietnam) allows pilgrims to make their way to the festival to enjoy the pagoda's beautiful scenery and architecture. There are also traditional games such as tug-of-war, human chess, wrestling, and puppet performances.
The Phu Giay Festival (20-29 Apr, Vietnam) takes place in Nam Dinh province and is a tribute to Lieu Hanh, one of the Vietnamese "four immortal gods", and the only one based on a real person (a princess of the 16th century who died young).
Hung King Temple Festival (29 Apr, Vietnam) is a countrywide holiday celebrating the lives of the ancient Vietnamese rulers during the Hong Bang period. See a display of Vietnamese culture and national pride with crowds of several million people making the pilgrimage to the temple during the festival.
The Siem Reap Puppet Parade (Date TBA, Cambodia) is an annual event for the children of Siem Reap, Cambodia. The Giant Puppet Project is a local children’s community arts project and is the largest of its kind in Siem Reap.
Legu Gam (Date TBA, Indonesia) is a festival celebrated by the people of Ternate, in the province of North Maluku, to commemorate the Sultan of Ternate’s birthday. People from all over the island and beyond will gather at the Kedaton or the Palace of the Sultan of Ternate and participate in various traditional art and cultural performances.
Hue International Festival (Date TBA, Vietnam) introduces people to Hue's traditional craft villages, helping preserve the strong tradition within the city. Visitors can explore the many handicrafts, photography exhibitions, and enjoy fine cuisine.
World Rugby Singapore Sevens (9-10 Apr, Singapore) is a two-day tournament showcasing the game’s exciting seven-a-side format and featuring the 15 best-ranked nations in the sport, including 12-time Series champion New Zealand.
Meet at The Food & Hotel Asia Expo (25-28 Apr, Singapore) where the largest gathering of leading F&B manufacturers and emerging brands can be found.
