An elderly Vietnamese woman sitting on a stone step outside a house in Hoi An, selling small clay figurines and head sculptures on two large yellow boxes, with a blue wall and a green door in the background.

Asian Cultural Heritage: Stories, Traditions & Field Notes

Read curated stories, field notes, and records of the traditions, crafts, and people that define our cultural identity. Discover our ongoing documentation across:

  • China (Chengdu, Guizhou) | Taiwan

  • India (Amritsar, Delhi, Varanasi, Kashmir) | Maldives

  • Vietnam (Hoi An, Sapa) | Malaysia | Singapore | Indonesia (Lombok, Sumba)

  • Uzbekistan | Kazakhstan

  • Oman | United Arab Emirates

Cultural Shock in Oman: What Nobody Tells You About the Nizwa Market

Arriving as early as 6:00 AM is the only key to getting the most authentic glimpses into the real lives of Omanis. Unlike the gentle haggling you might find in a European farmer's market, the men here shout their prices directly at the buyers…

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In this project, a disappearing culture is defined as a community whose traditions such as rituals, tool use, celebrations, and recipes, as well as its way of life, social structures, or ancestral lands, are under threat. These losses often stem from globalization, climate change, forced displacement, or the lack of transmission of knowledge to younger generations.

What are Disappearing Cultures?