Unlike China and Japan, which had varying degrees of interaction with the west by the early 20th century, Korea was little known in international circles at that time, in part because of its unique history. In 1897, the Korean Empire (which included what’s now North Korea, as well as South Korea), was formed by Emperor […]
Vietnam, along with Thailand, is one of the most historically significant parts of Southeast Asia. Due to its geographic location, Vietnam was subjected to Chinese imperial rule for over a millennium, before the rise of its own royalty, which lasted through the medieval years. The French put that to an end when they colonized both […]
Taiwan, an island nation located off the coast of mainland China, has a history that goes back to the 17th century, when it was divided between settlements established by the Dutch, the Spanish, and the local Kingdom of Middag. In 1683, the mainland’s Qing Dynasty took possession of Taiwan (then known as the time as […]
The central Asian country of Bhutan is located in the eastern Himalaya Mountains and surrounded by Tibetan China to the north, India and Tibet to its west, and India to its east and south. Bhutan is one of Asia’s landlocked countries, and has been united under Buddhist rule since the 17th century. The country may […]
Thailand, located in Southeast Asia and sharing borders with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (formerly Burma), and Malaysia, is a monarchy ruled by the Chakri Dynasty (in power since the 18th century). This fascinating Buddhist country, whose land is dotted with temples, statues and other historical sites, is populated mainly by the Tai people (who arrived in […]
This Indian Ocean country, like its northern neighbor India, is rich in history that goes back thousands of years (much of it rooted in the Buddhist religion – whose founder, Buddha – a.k.a. Siddhartha Gautama, was born in Nepal in the 6th century BC). This island’s countryside is laden with reminders of the locals’ ancient […]
Hong Kong, which is not just a city-state, but one of the world’s major trading centers, began to grow in prominence when it became a British colony in 1842. In 1860, this colony grew from Hong Kong Island to the Kowloon Peninsula, and again into the New Territories in 1898. Hong Kong went through Japanese […]
Even though the area now known as Dubai bore archeological evidence suggesting that settlements there went back to the Bronze Age, this trading hub as it’s known today got its humble beginning in the early 19th century. In 1833, some 800 members of the Bani Yas tribe, led by the Maktoum Family, settled at the […]
Bus Service – foreigners are unlikely to brave Cairo’s chaotic-looking bus system (mainly due to language barriers). For those who choose this transportation option anyway, the large red, white and blue public buses go through the entire city and are cheap, but are always crowded. There are the similar buses (with air-conditioning) that charge […]