From Wikitravel

This article is an itinerary.

If you wish to see the stark contrasts between the developed and the developing world, East Asia is your best choice. Nowhere else is the difference so evident in a single region. It consists of some of the world's most affluent economies like Japan and Hong Kong while at the other end of the spectrum, one can also find the world's poorest economies like Timor-Leste and Laos. Of course, there are also those in between such as Malaysia and China. As a bonus, you can indulge yourself in East Asia's rich history and heritage, and see the remants of what were once powerful kingdoms and among the world's most powerful countries just a couple of centuries ago.

[edit] Understand

[edit] History

East Asia was once home to some of the world's most powerful empires. A very obvious example was China, which was one of the centres of the earliest civilisations along with Egypt, India and Mesopotamia. China's influence can be seen in neighbouring cultures, whose traditional cultures have been heavily influenced by Taoism and Confucianism and later, Mahayana Buddhism. These influences are most evident in Korea and Vietnam, and to a slightly lesser extent, Japan.

In Southeast Asia, with the exception of Vietnam the cultures seem to have been influenced more by India than China. Nevertheless, its geographic position has seen it absorb both Chinese and Indian influences as well as incorporating it with its traditional culture. Some of the powerful empires that used to exist in Southeast Asia include the Funan, the Srivijaya, the Majapahit and the Melaka Sultanate.

Despite all the former glory, much of East Asian has been subject to the negative influences of colonialism. While China, Japan and Thailand have never been formally colonised, European powers had forced them to sign humiliating unequal treaties granting their citizens special privileges. Japan was the first to emerge in the modern era and modernised rapidly after the Meiji Restoration, eventually becoming a colonial power itself, gaining control of Korea and Taiwan. However, rampant corruption slowed the modernisation process in China and for the rest of East Asia, exploitation by colonial powers; the British in Myanmar, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, the Dutch in Indonesia, the Americans in the Philippines, the French in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam as well as the Portuguese in Timor-Leste and Macau left very little chance for them to modernise.

World War II devasted much of East Asia, large parts of which were conquered by Japan. The shocking brutality of the Japanese troops as well as the defeat of the European powers finally convinced their people that it was time for independence. Japan was also heavily bombed by the Americans during World War II, leaving its economy in tatters at the end of the war. Japan was also forced to give up its colonial possesions of Taiwan and Korea, returning Taiwan to the Chinese and letting Korea regain its independence. One by one, other East Asian states gained their independence from the Western powers, with the Philippines leading the way in 1946 and ending with Brunei in 1984.

However, during this period, civil wars ravaged much of East Asia, most notably the Korean War, the Chinese Civil War and the Vietnam War. It was only towards the 1980's that peaced was restored in most of East Asia. Despite being devastated by bombings including the famous atomic bomb attacks during World War II, Japan was the first to rise from the ashes and became the world's leader in consumer technology and the world's second richest country after the United States. Modernisation was then followed by the East Asian Tigers of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore who rose from the ashes of poverty and war, achieving rapid growth on an unprecedented scale to become among the world's richest countries. Much of the rest of East Asia though, is still coming to grasps with poverty with slums and unsanitary conditions all too common.

Since then, East Asia has finally seen the end of European colonialism, with the British returning Hong Kong to China in 1997, followed by the Portuguese returning Macau to China is 1999. Finally, Timor-Leste gained formal independence from Portugal in 2002 after many decades of brutal Indonesian occupation. Today, East Asia is considered a region with tremendous growth potential, particularly China, though whether it can attain the past glories of the Han and Tang Dynasties remains to be seen.

[edit] Religion

East Asia is religiously diverse. In Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, Islam is the dominant religion though tribal religions are still practised in parts of Malaysia, and Indonesia has pockets of Hindu and Christian communities. Christianity, particularly Roman Catholicism is dominant in Timor-Leste and the Philippines, though Mindanao in the Philippines has a large Muslim community. Most of the rest of East Asia is Buddhist with widely varying practices. In Nothern Southeast Asia, Theravda Buddhism dominates with the exception of Vietnam, where Mahayana Buddhism dominates. China is officially atheist, but many people practise a mix of Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism. In Japan, there is a mix of Mahayana Buddhism and Shintoism while in Korea, Christianity, particularly Protestantism has made significant inroads and is the dominant religion in urban areas. However, in more rural parts of Korea, people practise a mix of Mahayana Buddhism and Shamanism.

[edit] Get In

East Asia is home to some of the world's busiest airports with good connections to other Asian cities as well as other parts of the world. If you are planning to start in Southeast Asia, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Manila would be good options or if you are willing to pay a bit more, you can consider Singapore too. For Northeast Asia, some of those with better intercontinenal connections include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo and Osaka.

Alternatively, you can arrive by ship if you can manage to get yourself Asia is home to some of the world's busiest ports. Some possible places to land are Singapore, Port Klang, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kaohsiung, Keelung, Incheon, Busan, Yokohama and Kobe.

[edit] Get Around

[edit] By land

Land transport is certainly a viable option when getting around continental East Asia. Buses and trains run between major cities of most East Asian countries. Renting a car might also be possible, but in general, driving habits are atrocious. Unless you are used to extremely chaotic driving conditions, driving should be avoided in less affluent countries except maybe Malaysia. Even if you have enough confidence to drive, it is not advisable to drive at night in poorer countries as highway robberies are relatively common. In Malaysia, highway robbers are known to even rob entire coaches of passengers so while it's relatively safe to drive in the day in Malaysia, try to stop in one of the cities for the night.

[edit] By boat

Ferries and cruises run between major ports in East Asia and are widely used as a form of transport. However, the safety standards tend to be questionable in the poorer countries, in particular Indonesia. Before you board a ferry, try and give it a visual inspection such that it does not look too old, and do not try to board a ferry if it looks overcrowded. Many fatal accidents in the water occur because of overloading

[edit] By air

With the recent boom in budget airlines, air travel has become cheaper than ever, though safety standards for domestic routes remain questionable in many Southeast Asian countries. Some of the airlines with better safety records in recent times included AirAsia of Malaysia and Cebu Pacific of the Philippines. In other countries, it might be better to stick with the national airline instead. While it costs more, it may well be the difference between life and death. Safety is not much of a problem for international flights as airlines typically use newer aircraft on international routes. In Northeast Asia, due to more stringent enforcement, safety standards are generally slightly better.

[edit] Destinations

While a detailed itinery is not possible due to the sheer size, here are the list of countries and dependencies in East Asia. Individual destinations are covered in their respective country articles.

[edit] Southeast Asia

• Malaysia - One of Southeast Asia's more affluent countries, it is a good mix of culture with ethnic Malays dominating, tribal practices still going strong in the jungles of East Malaysia, as well as sizeable ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, and of course good food.
• Thailand - The top tourism destination in Southeast Asia, it has practically everything from pristine beaches and majestic historical sites to polluted urban landscapes. Also a top destination for food and shopping.
• Indonesia - The largest Muslim-majority nation in the world, it is culturally very diverse and various communities still preserve some of their former Hindu tradtions despite being Muslims. Poverty is very real here and slums are common in cities.
• Philippines - One touted to be "the next Japan", corruption and mismanagement have reduced what was once Asia's second richest country to poverty. It's not all bad though, and being a Roman Catholic majority country, has some very nice churches.
• Vietnam - A country whose traditional culture has been strongly influenced by that of China, its historical architecture is in contrast to the Indian-influenced ones of the rest of Southeast Asia.
• Brunei - An oil rich state that is relatively affluent. This small country is a remnant of what was once a more powerful sultanate.
• Laos - Southeast Asia's only landlocked country, it boast several grand but relatively unknown historical monuments. Also known for it's laid back lifestyle in contrast to the rest of the region
• Cambodia - A country recovering from the damage done by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime. Home to the famous Angkor Wat.
• Myanmar - Ruled by a military junta, one can see the poverty the general population lives in contrast to the extravagant lifestyle of its generals. Nevertheless, it is also rich in culture for those who are willing to seek it out.
• Timor-Leste - The world's youngest independent country, it has been plagued by violence since independence and is struggling to achieve stability. The situation is under control though, since Australian troops moved in to enfore law and order.
• Singapore - One of the world's wealthiest nations, it sticks out like a sore thumb from the poverty that has plagued the rest of Southeast Asia. Dominated by ethnic Chinese with sizeable ethnic Malay and Indian minorities, it is a melting pot of different cultures which has given rise to its legendary cuisine.

[edit] Northeast Asia

• China - Once among the world's most powerful civilisations during the Han and Tang Dynasties, it has become a shadow of its former self. The Cultural Revolution may have wiped out many traditional customs, though majestic historical sites remain and its people are slowly beginning to rediscover their tradional culture. It is now the one of the world's fastest growing economies and is touted to reach superpower status and rival the United States in a few decades.
• Hong Kong - A Special Administrative Region(SAR) of the People's Republic of China(PRC), this affluent former British colony is where East truly meets West. While the population is mainly ethnic Chinese, British influences are often seen in its contemporary culture. On the other hand, traditional Chinese practices are largely retained. Famous for its food and shopping
• Macau - Another SAR of the PRC, this former Portuguese colony is considered to be the Las Vegas of Asia with its many grand casinos. As the first and last European colony in Asia, its colonial past is very evident in its architecture. It is also a place to have good Portuguese food, albeit with local Chinese influences.
• Taiwan - Claimed by the PRC but administered by the Republic of China(ROC), 50 years of colonial Japanese rule have shaped its contemporary culture and infrastructure. Traditional Chinese culture still dominates though in this relatively affluent island, in what is arguably its purest form.
• South Korea - A gem of East Asian tourism largely undiscovered by Western tourists, thousands of years as a Chinese protectorate have seen its traditional culture heavily influenced by that of China, though it still retains many native elements that make it unique. It has risen from the ashes a bloody civil war that devastated the country and today is one of the world's richest countries.
• North Korea - George Orwell's worst nightmares coming true, this totalitarian state can only be visited on a guided tour. Though plagued by famine, guided tours ensure you do not get to see the poverty in the country.
• Japan - The world's longest reigning monarchy and second richest country, it is a country of contrasts, with ancient traditions still being preserved alongside ultramodern futuristic gadgets. A combination of strong native beliefs and heavy influence from traditional Chinese culture have given rise to this county's unique traditional culture.