Interesting culture and places in Hong Kong; as featured in the sixth episode of The Amazing Race Asia (TARA) season 3.
Central
Central is the major business district and also the administrative centre of Hong Kong; the area probably has the highest concentration of skyscrapers in Asia.
Interesting culture and places in Taipei, Taiwan; as featured in the fourth and fifth episode of The Amazing Race Asia (TARA) season 3.
Ximending, Taipei
Ximending is one of the most bustling area in Taipei, Taiwan, with a mixture of new and old culture.
You can find the latest hype and trends in this area… fashion, books, entertainment, cosplay, games etc; and on contrary also home to some of the oldest shops and restaurants in Taipei.
Ximending is also a popular place for celebrities to held fans meeting or small concerts.
Interesting culture and places in Hue, Vietnam; as featured in the third episode of The Amazing Race Asia (TARA) season 3.
Hue City
Huế is a historic city in central Vietnam and was the imperial capital of Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). Hue is located about 1100km from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s capital city. It took about 25 hours of bus ride to travel from HCMC to Hue.
Complex of Hue Monuments
The Complex of Hue Monuments is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites; the complex comprises of 16 historic monuments from the Nguyen Dynasty. Among the monuments that featured in The Amazing Race Asia were the Khai Dinh Tomb, Minh Mang Tomb and Hue Citadel (the pitstop).
Interesting culture and places in Chiangmai, Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; as featured in the second episode of The Amazing Race Asia (TARA) season 3.
Mae Kompong
Mae Kompong is a village in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. Once a poppy growing area, but now home to a small community of forest dwellers who cultivate tea and coffee plantations.
Mae Kompong is also home to the Treetop eco-tourism village where visitors can take an exhilarating flight through a 1500 year-old rainforest high above the forest floor with the “Flight of the Gibbon” adventure (video below)…
The Amazing Race Asia (TARA) season 3 has premiered on AXN-Asia on September 11.
I know most of the regulars here are not watching this show (or not able to), thus I’m not going to bore you with the details… but will share some Asian cultures and places that are featured in the race instead.
Tuk-Tuk
The race started in Bangkok… and the first feature that came onto the screne was the famous auto-rickshaws commonly known as ‘Tuk Tuk’ in Thailand.
Similar auto-rickshaws can also be found in other South Asian countries, but Thai’s Tuk Tuk is probably the most iconic version. Little known fact though, is that Tuk Tuk was originated from Japan and was brought into Thailand in late 1950s. Most of the Tuk Tuk these days are local made.
The third season of The Amazing Race Asia (TARA) is set to premier on September 11 on AXN Asia. The franchisee of the popular US reality TV show is gaining popularity among Asians since making its debut in late 2006 and is back for good.
Thai TV commercials for Canon products, featuring Thai actress-model Paula Taylor who was a participant at the second season of reality TV show “The Amazing Race Asia”.
