The elements have carved their way through the soft limestone, and it is estimated to have taken 500 million years for these formations to develop within the bay.  The effect is an awesome display of islands, each one a different shape and all of varying sizes, scattered along the coastline of Vietnam, stretching for 120km to Bai Chay beach, a beautiful sandy beach which spans for over 500 metres and is an incredible 100 metres wide.

Halong Bay is located in the Quáng Ninh province, and is set amongst a collection of other islands, Bái Tử Long bay to the northeast, and Cát Bà islands to the southwest, which can be found not far from Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi, a popular destination for Vietnam Holidays.  Halong Bay is 170km northeast of Hanoi, and just over 150km by land, it is an area of intense ecological interest, and also one that is frequented by visitors on a Vietnam Tour who are interested in the diverse ecosystems found there.

Halong Bay is a popular area for Vietnam Holidays, with it’s collection of offshore coral reefs, as well as the beautiful tranquil mangroves and the freshwater lakes that are host to a range of species.  Many parts of the island display unique examples of biodiversity, with its tropical evergreen biosystem, it has 14 endemic species of flora as well as 60 endemic faunal species.

For anyone planning Vietnam Holidays, they can visit any of the islands, of which there are several, with their stunning natural rock formations, the cavernous grottos, and expansive caves with their unusual rocks and natural genesis, with forms that have been made over the centuries as the sea has carved it’s path through the soft limestone, making strange natural sculptures in the rock face.

A Vietnam Tour of Halong incorporates a cruise around the islands that are part of the beautiful bay area, where you can explore the areas of outstanding natural beauty and marvel at the limestone kasks on your journey.

After water, tea is the most consumed beverage in the world, and all tea comes from just one plant that is native to Asia, the Camellia Sinensis plant, which is now cultivated and grown all around the world in both tropical and subtropical areas.  Currently there are more than 3,000 different varieties, hence the Shanghai Tea Festival organisers have taken the opportunity to celebrate one of their most famous native exports with both visitors on Holidays in China as well as the local population.

From the health benefits of drinking tea, to the social impact that tea has had globally; for both British and Chinese populations alike, tea plays an important role in our daily life; and even our culture and identity.  For years now tea has been synonymous with British customs, with the quintessential appeal of the traditional tea party, afternoon cream tea, and a steaming pot of Earl Grey, the Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival showcases some of the staple favourites found in and around the UK, as well as introducing the obscure and lesser known brews that form part of both local and global tea culture in China, perfect for any tea connoisseur planning their China Vacations in April.

The festival is being held between 15th to the 18th April, for anyone planning Holidays in China who wants to take advantage of the opportunity to sample some of the 3,000 types of tea grown and produced around the world.  On your China Vacations to Shanghai, you can take some time out to learn more about the traditions, customs and culture behind one of the world’s most popular beverages.

The festival also includes a number of activities that are associated with tea culture, which have proved popular both at home and abroad, and has achieved international fame for the festivities devised in order to commemorate this traditional Chinese pastime, one that has been passed down the generations, and has now been adopted in countries across the world.

Anyone planning Cambodia Tours will find that this year Chaul Chnam Thmey will be celebrated on the 13th, 14th and 15th of April, with three days of festivities marking the start of a new year, which also coincides with the solar new year across parts of India, Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand, when people visit from all around the world on Cambodia Tours, to spectate and be a part of the historical and traditional celebrations, that take place in the towns and cities throughout these countries.

The first day of the new year Cambodia Holidays celebrations is known as Maha Songkran, a derivative of Maha Sankranti from Sanskrit, a traditional Indo-Aryan language used over the centuries in the Hindu, Jaina and Buddhist faiths.  The first day of the new year Cambodia Holidays marks the end of the year and the start of a new one, when Cambodians wear traditional vibrant colored costumes, and visit shrines to burn candles and incense, offering up prayers and thanks to Buddha.

The second day of the Cambodia Holidays is known as Virak Wanabat, when alms are given to the poor and those who are less fortunate.  Dedication ceremonies are held at the monasteries, where families go to reflect on the past and remember their ancestors.  The third day is known as Tngy Leang Saka when statues of Buddha are cleansed, representing the impending rainy season, and the prosperity that the rain will bring to the farmers over the coming year, and before the next harvests.

For anyone on a Cambodia Tour who wants to experience the historical and religious festivals, as well as their food and national dishes, the Chaul Chnam Thmey festivities are the best time to take advantage of the special dishes that are prepared as part of the celebrations, including a “kralan” cake of steamed sticky rice and beans with coconut, slowly roasted inside a bamboo stick.  Cambodia is known for it’s fragrant foods, and the Cambodia Holidays provide an excellent opportunity to experience the country in a bustle of preparation for the celebrations.

The purpose of the Beijing Arts Festival, since it’s inception in the year 2000, was to demonstrate the diversity of China’s cultural background, from both the traditional and historical, as well as the impact that overseas influences have had on Chinese art over the centuries, the festival opens a dialogue between the other countries that come to Beijing to participate.  By promoting an eclectic mix of diverse cultures from around the world, and showcasing the work of homegrown talent from across Asia, the festival provides a platform for both performing and visual artists to meet at the festival and present a wide range of performances, and exhibitions, from the professional to lesser known amateur artists.  For anyone on a holiday in China, the festival provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy the variety and diversity of the artists and their artistic influences, from onstage dances and performing arts shows, to the work that is exhibited as part of the festival, from the traditional, to popular culture, to the more thought-provoking and sophisticated performances.

On the 29th May it is the 60th anniversary of the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, and this year it will coincide with the Beijing Arts Festival’s closing ceremony, culminating in a celebration of China’s traditional and modern influences, with renowned Chinese stage actors participating in a performance of “Cai Wenji” the Han Dynasty poet and composer, for those enjoying China Holidays in April, the five week festival should not be missed.

Situated 195km east of Guiyang, which is the capital of Guizhou, is the city of Kaili, seen as the gateway to thousands of minority ethnic villages.  Kaili is the capital of the Southeast Guizhou Miao & Dong Nationalities Autonomous Prefecture, and over 65% of the population are minority groups, making it one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world.  The surrounding villages retain the influences of the histories and traditions of the people who live there, situated amongst beautiful countryside, with it’s terraced hillsides, picturesque towns and villages with wooden constructions. On China Holidays to the region you will have the chance to experience the everyday hustle and bustle, with the local people carrying out their daily business, dressed in their traditional vibrant costumes.

For China Holidays, Guizhou not only provides the opportunity to learn more about the histories and traditional customs of the indigenous population, and the varied cultures of the different ethnic groups, there are a number of other attractions to discover on a China Holiday to Guizhou, one of these is the Sister’s Meal Festival.

During the month of April, the Miao People in Guizhou celebrate the annual Sister’s Meal Festival, once enjoyed by villagers from the surrounding area, it was intended to provide an opportunity for the local Miao men and women of Guizhou to meet and instigate their courtship.  In more recent years the Sister’s Meal Festival has grown in popularity, with visitors on China Tours taking the opportunity to experience the wide range of ethnic communities, each with their own traditions and cultural backgrounds.

The festival not only attracts thousands of natives who travel for miles around to take part in the celebrations, but also visitors to the province on China Holidays. The festival provides a spectacular display of local dress and costumes, where the people gather to celebrate amidst the banging of drums, the sound of firecrackers, as well as taking part in the celebratory song and dance, Lusheng music performances, bullfighting and horse racing.

The Hùng temple, which forms the focal point of the festivities, is located within Phong Chau District in Phu Tho Province on the Nghia Linh Mountain, located in the Hy Lang Commune.  The festival is held every year on the tenth day of the third lunar month, and lasts for three days, from the 9th to the 11th of April, for anyone planning a Vietnam tour.

The main festivities commence on the 10th April, when a service is held at Throng Temple, where the Hùng Kings worshipped the deities, and the descendants of the Hùng Kings travel from across Vietnam in order to worship at the temple and offer incense.  The days worship commences with a flower ceremony, which takes place with the participation of state representatives, who dress in traditional costumes to represent the children of the Dragon and Fairy, an ancient creation myth that Vietnamese people are descended from a dragon and a fairy, and ends with a lavish five-fruit feast.

National delicacies such as Vietnamese Banh cHùng (square sticky rice cakes) and banh giay (round sticky rice cakes) and glutinous rice dumplings are served, as a reminder to the people of the Lang Lieu Legend, the 18th Hùng King who is credited as being the inventor of these rice cakes, and the history of the Hùng Kings who taught the people how to farm and grow rice.

The festival includes a number of processions, anyone on Vietnam tour will be treated to a vibrant display of colour, at the elephant and palanquin marches, which are hosted in villages across Vietnam including Tien Cuong, Hy Cuong, Phuong Giao, and Co Tich.  Bamboo elephants and wooden horses are carried through the villages to denote the surrender of animals to the Hùng kings.  These traditional processional marches are then followed by a classical Xoan song performance in the Thuong Temple in the northern province of Ha Nam, and the classical opera “Ca Tru” is also performed in the Ha temple.

The Hùng Temple Festival attracts visitors from all around the world on a Vietnam Tour, visitors can participate in traditional activities, and get a rare insight into the history and culture of the area, providing the perfect opportunity for anyone on a Vietnam holiday to be a part of the sacred national festival, and learn more about Vietnamese culture.

Although the festival has officially ended, the program will continue into April, with performances of ‘The Truth About Lying’ and the epic ‘Titus Andronicus’ which are both due to be made next month, as the celebrations for the 40th Hong Kong Arts Festival continue to extend into 2012, anyone planning a China Tour in April can book tickets to these events from the official festival website.

With over 1,500 artists taking part in performances which had never been seen anywhere else in the world, with a number of world and Asian premieres, as well as exclusive festival commissions, including masterclasses, talks and lectures, workshops and “meet-the-artist” sessions.

Some of the most popular performances included the scaled down play readings and rehearsal observations, as well as the large scale theatrical performances.  The grass-roots ‘About Dance’ series attracted global attention, with choreographers introducing their work, and giving insights into the pieces performed, as well as the Monte-Carlo Ballet’s interpretation of  the Shakespeare classic ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.  A number of visitors on a China Tour incorporated the festival as part of their itinerary, taking in the cultural influences that had impacted on the festival program and performances, with audience members given the opportunity to meet the numerous local and also international artists, who featured in the many diverse and innovative plays, dances and music shows.

For visitors on a China Holiday, the festival provided it’s own iPhone app, to give audiences all the relevant information about performances, ticket availability and locations, making it even easier for visitors to plan their trip and which events to attend on their China Tour, incorporating the festival performances as part of their visit.  Work has already begun on the program for next year’s 41st festival, with the American Ballet Theatre confirmed to perform the classic Shakespeare tragedy Romeo and Juliet, advanced bookings will be taken in October of this year, for anyone planning their China holiday, the Hong Kong Arts Festival in February 2013 promises to be another cultural and diverse performing arts extravaganza.

Celebrated across different parts of the country, each region marks Makha Bucha with it’s own unique and distinct customs, indigenous to the area, which makes it the perfect time for anyone on a Thailand Tour to take advantage of the opportunity to witness the traditional celebrations, and the local customs that mark Makha Bucha day.

The festivities centre around the Buddhist ceremonies that mark two separate events; both of which are deeply significant in the Thai Buddhist tradition, and the name Makha Bucha comes from the Buddhist Pali language, ‘Makha’ being the name of the third lunar month, and ‘Bucha’ which means to venerate or to honor, and so Makha Bucha Day marks the veneration of Buddha, as well as his teachings and the two significant ceremonies where Buddha delivered them to his followers, on the full moon day of the third lunar month.

During Buddha’s lifetime two and a half thousand years ago, seven months after Buddha originally began his teachings, 1,250 monks or ‘Arahata’ came from all over Thailand to meet, without being called, and were taught the principles of Buddhism by Buddha himself, also known as the Ovadhapatimokha, which were communicated to the crowd who gathered.  All were ordained by Buddha himself and recognised as the ‘Enlightened Ones’.  Fourty-five years later, on the day of a full moon during the third lunar month, Buddha again conveyed his teachings to the crowds, not long before his death, and so both events came to be celebrated on the Buddhist holy day of Makha Bucha.

To mark their reverence of Buddha, worshippers gather together at their nearest temples, and walk around them three times, the candlelit procession is known as the wian tian (literally translating to circle candle), each clockwise circuit around the temple represents the Three Jewels, comprising The Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and the focus of the holy day is to do only good, purify the mind, and not to commit sin.

At the Emerald Buddha Temple (regarded as the most significant of the Buddhist temples) located in the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, also a popular destination on a Thailand Tour, the King of Thailand himself presides over the religious rites, and leads a procession by candlelight around the walls of the temple.

This year, new years day will fall on Friday the 13th April, and will last for three days, anyone visiting the country on a Cambodia Tours during this period will be privileged enough to witness traditional Cambodia Holidays celebrations, with the indigenous population marking the end of the harvesting season, a time when farmers traditionally take time out, celebrate the end of the Cambodian lunar calendar year, and enjoy the fruits of their year round labours, before the rainy season begins.

As part of the Cambodia Holidays new year festivities, the Cambodian people will participate in a number of traditional Khmer games, designed to test mental and physical ability and dexterity, such as the ‘Bas Angkunh’ or ‘seed throwing’, Chaol Chhoung ‘twisted-scarf throwing’, Leak Kanséng ‘twisted-scarf hide’, as well as a number of other games enjoyed by the large groups who gather to take part in the festivities, including tug of war and shuttlecock kicking.

As well as hosting games to mark the Cambodia Holidays start of the new year, neighbors, friends and family will meet and take part in vibrant traditional dances, from the historical Khmer forms, known by natives as the Ran Vong, Ram Kbach, Saravan, and Lam Leav.

Mounds of sand or hillocks are built in the grounds of temples, as part of the religious ceremonies celebrating the start of the Khmer new year, the mounds, often formed out of sand, represent sakyamuni satya, the stupa at the realm of Tavatimsa, believed to be the heavenly abode of the thirty-three gods, and the place where Buddha’s hair is enshrined and diadem buried.  Around the primary Stupa, a further four are built, intended to represent the stupas of the Buddha’s favorite disciples: Sariputta, Moggallana, Ananda, and Maha Kassapa.

As well as much dancing and game playing, Cambodia Holidays new year celebrations also include the preparation of special Cambodian delicacies, such as kralan, a cake which is made by steaming rice, which is then mixed with beans or peas, grated coconut and coconut milk, this mixture is then stuffed inside bamboo, and then slowly roasted.

Cambodia Tours during mid April are the perfect time for anyone visiting the country to experience true Cambodian culture, their festivities, games and cuisine, which all culminate in a vibrant display of three-day long festivities and new years celebrations.

The eclectic line-up of performing artists includes twelve brand new works from around the world, as well as ten premieres from Asian artists. With fables and fantasy inspiring performers and creators showcasing their talent at the 40th Hong Kong Arts Festival, which will feature over 160 productions, all staged across just 17 venues around the city; making this an unmissable event for anyone on a China holiday throughout the month of February.

One of the main events enjoyed by audiences so far, was Hamburg ballet’s performance of Gustav Mahler’s Third Symphony, choreographed by John Neumeier, which was immediately followed by his signature performing arts piece ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’.

At the end of last month, organisers reported that this year’s Arts Festival has continued to receive support globally, attracting a number of international visitors on a China holiday, with more than 116,000 tickets sold as of 31^st January; more than 85% of all seats for the event have been filled.  An additional six performances have been added to the programme by the event’s organisers in recognition of the impressive ticket sales, anyone visiting the country for a China holiday can contact the organisers for further information about performances or ticket availability; tickets will remain on sale throughout February.

According to the New York Times a must see of the festival is ‘The World of Wearable Art’ which includes a seventy-minute showcase of cutting edge design and costumes created by designers from New Zealand:

“Fantasy and fashion come together in ‘The World of Wearable Art’ a New Zealand production that is making its international debut in Hong Kong.  Each year, ‘The World of Wearable Art’ showcases more than 150 costumes by New Zealand designers in a two-hour theatrical extravaganza.”

Another of the festivals highlights includes a play written by the esteemed Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian, entitled: “Of Mountains and Seas,” heavily influenced by the ancient myths of Chinese classical texts, Lin Zhaohua the Chinese director of the Xingjian’s play, takes inspiration from elements of Nuo opera, a traditional form that is deeply rooted in the religious histories of China.