#culture

Bundles of dyed incense sticks fanned out to dry

3 Nov 20261 min readPhoto Essays

Incense, smoke and fire

From dyed bamboo sticks drying in the sun to the smoke rising in a temple: a short essay on incense.

An alley in Taiwan with old buildings and greenery

15 Oct 20262 min readTaiwan

Taiwan, seen from Vietnam

Close on the map and familiar in many ways, Taiwan still surprises Vietnamese visitors. A look at the island through a Vietnamese lens: what feels like home, and what does not.

A woman in a conical hat among peach blossoms

26 Sept 20261 min readLife

Peach blossom season

In northern Vietnam, Tết does not really begin until the peach branches arrive.

4 Sept 20261 min readJapan

Shrines and temples in Japanese daily life

Japan has two great religious landscapes, Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, and many people move between them without contradiction. A gallery of gates, lanterns and quiet details from that shared world.

Performers in painted faces and ornate headdresses at a temple festival

10 Jul 20262 min readPhoto Essays

Temple festivals and painted faces in Taiwan

Painted faces, firecrackers, dragons on the roof. A short essay on Taiwan's temple festivals, where religion is loud, public and shared by the whole neighbourhood.

25 Mar 20262 min readLife

Temple festivals and the goddess of the sea

Taiwan's folk temples are loud, colourful and close to everyday life. An introduction to temple festivals, processions and Mazu, the sea goddess.

Rows of red lanterns strung across a space in Kaohsiung

14 Jan 20262 min readLife

One Lunar New Year, two ways: Tết and Taiwan

Vietnam and Taiwan celebrate the same Lunar New Year with many shared roots and plenty of small differences. A side-by-side look.

Lotus flowers, a teapot and fresh vegetables on a wooden table

6 Aug 20252 min readLife

Tea in a Vietnamese home

In Vietnam, tea is less a drink than a gesture. Notes on green tea, lotus tea and the cup of iced tea on the pavement.

1 Aug 20251 min readPeople

Temple festival performers in Taiwan

Painted faces and ornate headdresses at a temple festival, with the lanterns, carved roofs and offerings that surround them.

20 May 20252 min readPhoto Essays

Lanterns across Asia: one light, many meanings

Silk lanterns in Hội An, rows of red lanterns in Kaohsiung, a single red lantern outside a Japanese bar. The same object carries very different messages.

14 Mar 20252 min readPhoto Essays

Gates without walls: torii and the idea of a threshold

A torii does not keep anything out. It simply tells you that you are crossing from one kind of space into another. A short essay on gates, tunnels and thresholds.