Asia

Music & Culture

World's Most Popular Film Industry Turns 100

11:30am December 21, 2013

Bright colors, intricate dance sequences, melodramatic plots and great music are hallmarks of India's movie industry, which got its start 100 years ago. NPR's Scott Simon explores the Indian cinema with Rajinder Dudrah, aka Doc. Bollywood.

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William Wong (standing) poses with his parents and nephew in an old family photo. Wong's mother immigrated to the U.S. from China as his father's "sister" to bypass the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

Chinese-American Descendants Uncover Forged Family Histories

12:30am December 18, 2013

by Hansi Lo Wang

The Chinese Exclusion Act, designed to prevent Chinese laborers from entering the country, prompted tens of thousands of people to use forged papers to enter the U.S. The law was repealed 70 years ago, but many Chinese-Americans are still piecing together their ancestors' true identities.

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Blasting through powder on wooden, horsehide-bottomed skis, with a single pole for balance, an Altai skier shows off the skills and equipment his distant ancestors perfected.

Deep In China, 'Cowboys' Have Skied For Thousands Of Years

10:21am December 16, 2013

by NPR Staff

On wooden skis, the Tuvan people of Central Asia have been traversing the snow for at least 4,000 years. Travel writer Mark Jenkins went to the region for National Geographic, where he joined a group of lasso-wielding men on skis tracking elk.

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LA's Filipinos Grieve For Loved Ones Abroad By Taking Action

12:31pm December 07, 2013

by Sam Sanders

In Southern California, the largest Filipino community in the U.S. has mobilized relief efforts to aid the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. They are praying in solidarity, donating money and supplies, and volunteering their services while they wait for news of family and friends.

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Chinese naval soldiers stand guard on China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning as it travels toward a military base in Sanya, Hainan province, in this undated picture made available on Nov. 30.

China's Military Buildup Reignites Worries In Asia, Beyond

12:18pm December 06, 2013

by Tom Bowman

China's leaders hope to be able to fight and win two regional conflicts by 2020, according to the Pentagon in a report that highlights the East China Sea, site of recent tensions with the U.S. and Japan. The showdown over air space is the latest example of what the Pentagon sees as a resurgent Chinese military.

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U.S. and Philippine navy personnel patrol the seas off a naval base west of Manila in June as part of joint exercises.

World News

China's Latest Territorial Moves Renew Fears In Philippines

9:24pm November 28, 2013

by Frank Langfitt

China has declared a sprawling air defense identification zone that covers disputed islands controlled by Japan. It also sent its lone aircraft carrier for trials in the South China Sea. The moves are being closely watched in the Philippines, a key U.S. ally that has seen its own territorial dispute with China.

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A View From China, India On Carbon Dioxide Emissions

1:28pm November 26, 2013

In the coming decades, carbon dioxide emissions from China, India and other rapidly developing countries are expected to grow rapidly. China and India have said they won't commit to controlling their carbon dioxide emissions. So how are international concerns about climate change viewed in China and India?

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Hollywood's version of Iron Man 3 shown in China played down the rather unfortunately named baddie, The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley.

Hollywood's New Strategy: Supporting Chinese-Made Blockbusters

1:11pm November 25, 2013

by Neda Ulaby

American studios are working hard to play well in China's gigantic — and growing — movie market, all while negotiating complex rules and competing with popular domestic films.

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World News

Old Political Feud In Philippines Fuels Rage Over Typhoon Response

7:21pm November 22, 2013

by Anthony Kuhn

There's increasing anger in the Philippines that the rescue and recovery work following Typhoon Haiyan has been disrupted by the bitter rivalry between the country's political clans.

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A Filipino woman prays at morning Mass at Santo Nino church, which was damaged by Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, Philippines, on Sunday.

World News

Catholics In Philippines Turn To Church To Cope With Typhoon

5:03pm November 18, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

On Sunday, people made their way to church through the rubble and debris caused by Typhoon Haiyan. Parishioners say that in the days after one of the world's most powerful storms crashed into Tacloban, the church has been a focal point for the community, a place to be together and to mourn.

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