arts

• Theatres and Festivals are a very important part of the history of Asia. Every country across the Asian region has its own distinct festivals and theatrical presentations.
• These occasions are not simply a form of entertainment and merry making but they also serve as a celebration of life and culture, and as essential medium for the transmission of history and tradition from one generation to another generation.
• Most importantly, theaters and festivals bring together people from various cultural backgrounds and unite them for the common objective of harmony, solidarity, and peace.
• Asian Festivals

  • Asian Festival promotes the importance of cultural diversity in building a vibrant, prosperous and healthy community
  • Festivals are celebrated in countries, ranging from the regular calendar feasts to bizarre celebration of particular interests
  • These rituals are fun and bring family and friends together
• Thai Lantern Festival (Thailand)


  This festival take place during the festival of Loy Kratong in Chiang Mai. In this festival family members, lovers, and friends gather on the riverbanks to float flowers and candles. They also launch fireworks and release Thai lanterns at the same time. The Thais believe that bad luck will fly away with lanterns.
• Offering of lanterns

  The offering of lanterns has a religious history. The festival of lanterns was based on the beliefs of Brahmanism. It is said to symbolize knowledge or the light that guides them on the right path to follow in life.
• This ceremony highlights the people's beliefs that their efforts in creating artistic and durable lanterns offered at the temples will make their wishes come true.
• The offering of lanterns has been practiced not just in Thailand but in many Asian countries like China, Japan, Korea, and even here in the Philippines
• Materials for sky lantern

  Oil rice paper or lightweight papers, bamboo frame. For hot air: a small candle or waxy combustible material lit.
• Kodo Taiko Drum Festival

  The Japanese word kodo could refer to both a "heartbeat" (ko-heart/ do-rhythm) or "children of the drum" (ko-child/ do-rhythm). Taiko music in Japan is Taiko group performing Yatai Bayashi based on a strong tradition that encourages meditation the drums.by means of soft sounds or highly energetic sounds of the drums.
• Japan Kodo group

  They are a professional troupe of taiko drumners based in Sado Island in Japan. They are popular because of their creative and compelling music using taiko drums.
• Modern Taiko Ensemble

  As of May 2014, there are 32 performing members (26 men, six women) in Kodo and 28 staff members involved in Kitamaesen and Otodaiku which are both management groups of Kodo. Members of the ensemble play drums of various sizes and pitches. They also play percussion instruments. They are also popular for their costume of wearing only a loincloth. This loincloth or fundoshi in Japanese adds to the masculinity of the group's performance.
• Kabuki

  It is a traditional Japanese popular song and dance drama presented in a strongly stylized manner. A rich combination of music, dance, mime and dazzling staging and costuming, it has been a significant genre of theater in Japan for almost four centuries. The name kabuki originally suggested the unorthodox and disturbing nature of this art form. In modern Japanese, the term is written with three characters: ka, meaning "song;" bu, "dance;" and ki, "skill."
• Characteristics of Kabuki


  • Movements looks like dancing
  • Every gesture is with music
  • Actor pauses momentarily as if in a picture pose during climatic moments
  • Speaking is not natural but an ideal speech style
• Kabuki Actors

  • Trained in Japanese dancing and music
  • Acting craft has been passed on from many generations in the family
  • Highly esteemed in society
• Kabuki Costumes, Makeup, Props

  • Attractive, bright colors
  • Extraordinary, special, colorful
• Kabuki Music

  The basic musical instruments is called the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument. Music accompanies the actor's acting and dialogues.
• Kabuki Plot of the story


  • Based on Historical forms
  • Tragic Stories
  • Love Stories
• Peking Opera

  This is the national opera of China. It showcases the various Chinese art forms of China through its beautifully painted backgrounds, refined costumes dramatic makeup, fluid and graceful motions, and astounding acrobatic moves. It is a comparatively new theater art as it has only existed for about 200 years.
• Peking Opera Costumes and Makeup

  • Materials: silk, satin
  • Design: stylized and elaborate long cuffs, satin coats
  • Color: white, sharp contrasting colors
• Peking Opera Actors

  • The leading male actors
  • The female actors
  • The face-painted roles who represent the heroes and villains
  • The funny man or clown who has a white patch on his nose as his mark
• Peking Opera Face Painting

  Design: abstract patterns

  Color: multicolored or black and white patterns
• Peking Opera Stage

  Design: square platforms, simple, bare, with a carpet and an embroided curtain
• How is color used to represent the character of an Actor in a Peking Play?

  • Red-painted face represents a character who is brave and honest
  • Green-painted face symbolizes a character who is hard-headed, disobedient, and someone who lacks self-control
  • A face who is painted white shows a character who is not loyal and cannot be trusted
• Wayang Kulit

  This is the shadow puppet theater in Indonesia, which entertains and teaches lessons for many generations. This can be performed day or night, but it is more popular at night time. Wayang means "shadow" while kulit means "leather." The puppets are skilfully manipulated by a puppet master called dalang. He gives voices and characteristics to each puppet.
• Dalang


  A dalang is a puppet master, he Is a well rounded puppeteer who recites the story and dialogs, and at the same time manipulates all the puppets and he also gives cues to the gamelan orchestra.
• Art of puppetry

  • Puppets are sculpted from skin of animal, wood or painted on scrolls
  • Human actors sometimes do the puppetry themselves as they move in a puppet like style
• Stories popularly used in Wayang Kulit

  • Wayang stories mainly came from the Mahabharata
  • It also originated from popular, Islamic tales or local folklore
  • The theme of these stories centers on the battle between good and evil and the overcoming of disorder after efforts are made to restore balance and order
• Legong


  is a well-known dance drama in Bali, Indonesia. It is popular because of the young girls who wear colorful sarongs and flower headdresses. These girls dance gracefully to the accompaniment of Gamelan music.
• Keak

  is named after an old Balinese monkey chant. With the light of oil lamps, a dalang narrates the story while a male chorus produces the "cak-cak" sound of the monkeys, the Ramayana is also performed in pantomime.