Author: admin (page 43 of 50)

OMISAKA: JAPANESE NEW YEAR

This year at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa don’t miss out our impressive Japanese New Year’s Eve party: OMISAKA. Like in all other cultures, this is a day to celebrate, and we would like to welcome 2014 with you in a special way.

In Japan, during the last few days of the year, the main tradition is to clean. By cleaning, Japanese people receive the New Year getting rid of all evil, and welcoming all that is good into their houses. Cleaning is a way of purifying their homes.

It is also a tradition to eat a traditional dish, “Osechi” this time of the year, for several days, as it is not considered good practice to cook the first 3 days of the year. However, nowadays many families purchase ready-cooked meals.

After all the arrangements, the time comes to have the longest dinner of the year which starts quite late at night, around eleven o’clock.

Noodles are the main food. The length of the noodles is very significant as it symbolises a long life. These noodles are generally eaten with chopped scallions, and are sometimes prepared tempura style.

After dinner, just like they do for us, the bells ring at midnight. In Japan, bells ring 108 times, and they can be heard from all Buddhist temples.

The bells ringing 108 times represent freedom from the 108 worst sins which cause human suffering according to Buddhist beliefs.

People also visit Buddhist temples to pray for happiness, good results in exams, success, finding love, etc.

Lastly, the most traditional drink this time of the year in Japan is the “Amazake”. This drink made out of fermented rice is sweet and it contains a light touch of alcohol. It is usually served with very hot water and grated ginger on top.

This year, our Japanese New Year’s Eve party at the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, will be inspired by Japan, and its purifying and fortune rituals. We will make this last day of the year a very special day for you.

Wouldn’t you like to spend New Year’s Eve doing something different? At the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you will be able to enjoy the most special Asian experience of the year.

 

 

(Images by Creative Commons Flickr)

RED STRING OF FATE

At Christmas, it is a tradition to spend time with the people we love and celebrate the holidays together. At the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we would like to do the same with our guests and that is why these are very special holidays for us.

In Japan, there is a legend about “red strings”, it is believed that there is a special link between two or more people destined to meet.

It is believed that people and each of their circumstances are linked by invisible red string, those who are connected are destined to meet no matter when or where.

This string is said to be indestructible, and that it can shorten or expand, or even get tangled but it can never break. People who are connected shall always be linked to each other no matter when it is that they will meet. Fate has determined it to be that way.

Japanese people say that those who are destined to meet will do so sooner or later.

Parents who adopt children in Japan use this metaphor as explanation to the bond with their adopted child, and as a way of justifying that fate has brought them together as a family.

This is the most popular legend in Japan:

A long time ago there was an emperor who found out that a very powerful witch was able to see the red strings of fate that connected people. The emperor demanded she bring the person connected to him immediately, as this would be the person he would marry.

The witch followed orders and went to a market where she found a peasant holding a baby; she brought her to the emperor who got enraged at her as he took it as an offensive joke. His anger was such that he pushed the girl and her baby to the ground hurting her head on the fall. The witch was arrested and was eventually beheaded for her offence.

Sometime later, the court recommended that the emperor marry the daughter of a very important general, and on the wedding day when he saw his future wife for the first time he realised that she had a peculiar scar on her forehead.

In other cultures, this string is said to be golden making reference to light, and it looks like a cobweb. However, all cultures agree on one thing, the string represents a bond between people who are destined to meet.

If you believe that your destiny is to meet us this Christmas, come to the Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa and enjoy the holidays surrounded by Asian luxury. HAPPY HOLLIDAYS!!

 

 

(Images by Creative Commons Flickr)

RANGOLI: INDIAN DESIGN AND TRADITION

During December Xmas spirit floods Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, so we have decorated our luxury resort using some Asian traditions known as “Rangoli”.

Rangoli is a type of Indian colorful art, based on the combination of decorative geometric sharps, forms and draws typical from Indian and its symbols.

“Rangoli” word is the name of those draws, and it comes from “ranga” that means “god” and “oli” which means “will satisfy”.

Although these designs use to be at the entrances of houses and flats, they are mainly used to decorate house patios during Indian Festivals. Their main proposal is to welcome Indian gods so they bring to the houses all blessings and good things. They are like daily offers to welcome new good desires and events.

Rangoli  is an art style deeply connected with nature, on their elements and themes. Drawings of green leaves of vine, flowers, swans, and royal turkeys were color filled with natural substances from trees, plant leaves and spices.

However, in our days patterns are created with materials such colored rice, dry flour, sand and even flower petals. Those patterns can have plane or tridimensional appearance.

One of the kept traditions of Rangoli that is still followed is that designs cannot have any broken line, cause it that happens, evil spirits could have the chance to come into the house and make evil actions.

Rangoli is normally made by women at sunrise. On the past, there were the mothers who make it, but now, it is made by young girls, who sing sacred mantras while they make the designs.

At Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa you will also find many places linked to the Nature, and enjoy a decoration specially designed to make your Asian experience be complete. And do not miss our Xmas decoration; it will be like being in Asia. Come and celebrate the New Year with us.

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Some Asian buildings speak themselves. They tell us about their history, their architecture and their culture. So it does Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, our Asian inspired luxury resort. And so it does the Great Wall of China.

This ancient Chinese fortification had been built and rebuilt between the 5th century BC and the 15th AC. It was erected to protect the northern border of Chinese Imperium during successive dynasties.

The Great Wall of China is 8.851 kilometers long and runs from Korean border at the Yalu River side, to the desert of Gobi. Nowadays, it is only conserved the 30% of the original one.

On 1987 the Great Wall of China was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and it has also the unofficial record to be the world’s biggest cemetery, as near than 10 million people had died during its construction.

Although many do not know it, this Wall is twinned with the Roman Wall of Lugo, sited on Galicia, which is also a World Heritage Site.

The Great Wall is made of walls, passes, watch points and towers. At the passes there were set the Imperial Army. Juyongguan Pass is the main one of the Wall as it was the strategic place for the army.

Badaling Section is today one of the most touristic and beauty places all over the world. This building’s architecture beauty and history route  is also able to admire from out space. That is one of the reasons that made it declared one of the Seven World Wonders.

The Great Wall of China is such an impressive monument that many designers and artists have chosen it as a stage, using their passes as a natural and unique fashion catwalk. One of those was the creative and world known Karl Lagerfeld for Fendi.

Obviously, the Great Wall hides many curiosities, funny stories and facts like that it takes 101 days to walk it by feet, or that its sinuous and curly way was marked by donkeys, which are the best expertise on mountain routes, as they know how to select the less stoned ways.

Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa will impress you as it breathes all flavors and essences from all kind of Asian culture. If you would like to take a walk over our Zen gardens and fill yourself with a millenary environment, we strongly recommend you to visit our Resort. You will experience a luxury stay.

SONGKRAN, THAI BUDDHISTNEW YEAR’S

And so… here it is December!  In Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa we love to celebrate “big time” the New Year.  That is why, in addition to enjoy with us at our luxury resort our big New Year’s Eve Party, today we would like to share with you other ways of celebrating New Year in Asia.

Let’s talk today about Songkran; one of the most known and main Thai celebrations which runs 3 days, from April 13 to 15.

Opposite to the european New Year, Songkran coincides with the summer beginning and the Buddhist New Year; as almost all Asian celebrations Songkran is a colorfull and plenty of good intentions and wishes. Families and friends get together to honor the upcoming new year and also their ancestors’ memory.

It is also a celebration of cleanness, renovation and change, so water is the main element on this traditional feast during which the city becomes a big water celebration.  Friend and relatives throw water each other; this has 2 main reasons:  April’s high temperatures and intense hot, and the celebration of the upcoming monsoon rain season, which will make grow the rice fields and provide a good harvest.

As we can see, Songkran is a singing to the rain and water and a commemoration to winter’s end and life’s reborn.

During this celebration, there are other activities such temple cleaning, where people shows their gratitude and respect to their elder and equals spilling water on their hands to bless new year.

On Songkran’s third day it is usually to spill water over Buddha’s images and statues from a silver bowl. It is an ancient spiritual purification rite.

Another Sogkran tradition is to tie a cord as a bracelet around the wrist to wish a happy year to friends and family; this creates a special link between the person who tie each cord and the one who receives it. It last until the cord breaks and fall itself.

If you find interesting this new year traditions don’t miss our Asia Gardens blog, as during this month we will share so many others; and if you want to live and experience an Asian New Year, spectacular and different, come to our luxury resort and celebrate the new year coming with us at Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa.

TAJ MAHAL, PALACE’S FIRST LADY’S CROWN

Today we welcome you to our “private palace” Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa by getting you closer to Asian culture, with one of its masterpieces: Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal Palace is a group of buildings that combines architecture elements from Islam, Persian, Turkish and Indian cultures. This monument has overcome many threatens and it is considerate the most beautiful example of Mogol architecture, as it is recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage  and named one of the Seven New Wonders of the World.

Taj Mahal is located at the city of Agra (India) and could be called “the building to love”. Its construction was inspired upon the endless love that emperor’s Shah Jahan felt to his favorite wife between 1631 and 1654. This is the love story that is hidden behind this unique monument:

One day, at the bazar, Prince Shah fell in love with princess Arjumand while she was trying a crystal necklace. The Prince became so impressed by her beauty that decided to buy the shining necklace that the Princess has liked so much. However, the necklace was not made of crystal, but diamonds. And in spite of the high price (10.000 rupees), he bought it and so he won immediately the Princess’ heart.

After 5 years waiting to get marry (with no allowance to see each other a single time), the couple could celebrate an amazing and spectacular wedding ceremony, where Shah, who was yet by then the Emperor, gave the title of  “Mahal” to  Princess Arjumand Mumtaz, which means “first lady of Palace” or “the chosen of Palace”.

Some years after being crowned King, Shah had to face the biggest tragedy of his life. Mumtaz Mahal died during the delivery of their 14 daughter, and on her dying bed, she ask his husband to build on her memorial a monument that reflects their love and was unrivalled over the world.

The name of this mausoleum, “Taj Mahal” is often considerate as a shortcut of empress full name’s, but it is in fact a combination of the two things that emperor Shah wanted to give eternally to his beloved wife: his crown and an unique palace.

The beauty of this monument is based on architecture of curious symmetries. The luxury materials it is made of, show that nothing was enough to the love that emperor  felt to her loved wife: fine marble of Jodhpur, carried by elephants, jade and Chinese crystal, Tibet turquoises, Yemeni agates, Afghan lapis lazuli, Ceylan sapphires, Persian amethysts, Arabian coral, Russian malachite, Himalayan quartz, Golconda diamonds and amber from the Indic ocean.

All the team of Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa, know that all is not enough to our guests, so, we do our best to make your stay like being on a luxury Asian Palace.

ASIAN UMBRELLAS, MORE THAN JUST AN ACCESSORY

As you know, the 5-star luxury hotel Asia Gardens is a temple of peace and well-being for us. It is in fact in Asia, where people look after their health and looks the most.

In Japan, is where it is more evident that people look after themselves, they have always cared for their skin and have done their best to stay looking young.

One of the most outstanding characteristics of the ideal of beauty in Japan is having a pale and perfect complexion, which is quite difficult to achieve as their skin has more melanin than the skin of western people and they actually get tanned more easily.

Pale skin has always been associated with aristocrats and people of higher social classes who did not have to work the fields daily exposed to the sun.

This search for aesthetic perfection and caring for their skin has caused many women to use parasols and umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. Thus, this accessory has become a true ally for women and an essential element in their lives and in Asian fashion.

In the past, the “kasa”, Asian parasol or umbrella used to be made of colour silk or resistant paper, but nowadays they are made of stronger materials like plastic or nylon.

Asian umbrellas are normally handmade by a craftsman, they consist of 5 parts: the top, the handle, the “ribs”, the decorated paper (silk, plastic and nylon among others), and other ornaments.

Currently, the use of Asian style umbrellas is seen all over the world, and it does not seem strange to see many of them in fashion magazines or being used by celebrities, as this item is becoming a “must have”.

Many important labels have already included it to their collections as an indispensable item. Its success is such, that the “Billionaire Couture’s London boutique” has made the most expensive umbrella in the world, its price circa $50,000 (around €38,000).

As we can see, this Asian tradition has become, like many times before, a trend for many manufacturers.

If you want to be in with the latest fashion, Asia Gardens Hotel & Thai Spa is also a trend that inspires. Come and enjoy the Asian beauty that surrounds our resort. Our “kasas” are at your disposal.

THE FORBIDDEN CITY

The Asia Gardens hotel is not only a magnificent 5-star luxury Hotel & Thai Spa, for us it is also a palace where you can find peace and well-being. We like our guests to feel like true Asian emperors.

There is a place with very similar features when it comes to its impressive architecture and degree of luxury, the famous Chinese Imperial Palace in the centre of Peking, the Forbidden City which was home to several dynasties, from the Ming right up to the Qing dynasty.

The city is called the “Forbidden City” because in ancient times, ordinary people could not enter without permission, only heads of state and court staff had the right to access it. Even the emperor could not leave the city unless for very specific reasons, as the palace supposedly covered all his needs.

It consists of 980 palaces built from 1406 to 1420 and it takes up 72 hectares. It is the largest group of palaces still standing, almost intact even after many wars. It can currently be visited as it has become an Imperial Museum.

It has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1987. Only 20% of the palace is open to the public, and even so it is one of the most visited places in the world.

The Forbidden City, whose real name is “Purple Forbidden City”, without a doubt symbolizes China.

Here is some data to help you comprehend the size and grandeur of this palace: it has 9,000 rooms, the largest collection of ancient wooden structures, 340,000 pieces of china, 50,000 paintings, although a part of this collection was lost over the years, 10,000 pieces of bronze, mainly ceremonial objects, and 30,000 pieces of jade, among other objects from ancient palaces.

Also, the city has three important imperial gardens with two lakes and two sanctuaries where the emperor used to worship the spirits of his ancestors.

If you believe the experience of visiting a luxurious palace to be magical, we recommend you come to Asia Gardens, a 5-star resort where you shall be able to relax walking through the gardens and Asian surroundings. At the Asia Gardens, we do not “forbid” you to come in, we shall in fact be pleased to welcome.

Asia-Gardens

HALONG, THE BAY OF DREAMS

One of the things we like the best at our luxury hotel Asia Gardens is that all our guests leave having made a dream come true, delighted with their experience and the services of the resort. That is why we would like to dig deeper into the bay of dreams.

Halong Bay also known as “Along Bay”, includes some 2000 islands located in the north of Vietnam, it has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1994, and since November 2011 one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

It is said that Halong Bay smells of fire, salt and wind, mesmerizing tourists who visit its peaceful waters. It is said that its beauty, magic and charm make the trip an indispensable tourist destination.

Etymologically, “Ha Long” means descending dragon, taken from a local legend.

Like in all special places, there is a story behind it that mixes dream and reality. Legend has it that many years ago, a dragon and its family answered to Emperor Jade’s calling. The Chinese invaded Vietnamese soil and the emperor wanted their help to defend his territory.

One night, when the Chinese were near Halong, 20 fabulous dragons exhaled fire on the sky. However, the Chinese being near the water, managed to defend themselves and the dragons had to find another way to attack them.

Legend has it that in order to defeat the Chinese, the dragons had to exhale jewels and jade, and those became the islands and islets which now form the bay and a great wall to keep invaders away. In doing so, they managed to keep the Chinese away and their boats sank.

In these karst rock islets, there are also beautiful caves that can be visited. The most popular one is “Hang Sung Sot” or Surprise Cave, which is lit on the inside and can be accessed through a wooden bridge over the sea.

The best way to visit Halong Bay is on a cruise. There are several boats in the country offering overnight trips, they are called: “sampán”. On these trips you can enjoy the majestic landscape and wish to stop time when you are there.

If you would also like to stop time, relax and dream, we suggest you pay us a visit. Come to the best luxury hotel Asia Gardens and enjoy an unforgettable experience.

Asia-Gardens

LOY KRATHONG: THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS IN THAILAND

Today, our 5-star luxury hotel Asia Gardens gets filled with lights because we love Asian traditions, especially when it comes to festivals as beautiful as the Loy Krathong.

The festival is celebrated annually in Thailand when there is a full moon on the twelfth month of the traditional lunar calendar. In the west it generally coincides with the month of November, this year it falls on 17th to 21st. The celebrations start a few days before and after the full moon.

The Loy Krathong festival pays tribute to “Mae Khongkha”, goddess of the water, throwing thousands of krathongs to the water. The festival also celebrates the cleansing of spirits to help get rid of anger and resentment, hence the krathongs being thrown to the air as people ask for a wish.

In addition, during the festival there are also firework displays, music and dance, fashion shows and traditional Thai food.

The term Loy Krathong, comes from “Loi” which means to float, and “Krathong” which is a small raft traditionally made out of banana tree trunk, and decorated with the leaves of the same tree, flowers, small lamps and incense.

It is said that this is a festival of lights because the cities are lit on the ground, rivers and even up in the air with thousands of small lamps holding the wishes of so many people.

The festival originates from the kingdom of Sukotai. Many historians think that the festival comes from a Hindu tradition which gives thanks for the harvest and abundant rainfall, hence the creation of this ritual to express gratitude to the spirits of the water.

However, like in all Asian traditions, there is always a legend. The legend has it that a young courtesan girl made the first krathongs in the 13th Century and threw them in the river. The king was impressed by the beauty of the display of lights and made all his subjects pay tribute to the spirits the same way.

This tradition is so special that we wanted to share it with you at the 5-star hotel Asia Gardens. We have been celebrating the Loy Krathong for three years at our resort. Come and enjoy at our luxury hotel.

 Asia-Gardens

Older posts Newer posts

© 2025 Asia Gardens

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑