Tags / East Asia

Female students stroll along a street in Surigao, Mindanao, Philippines.

In Taiwan, it is traditional in Taoist belief to celebrate the birthday of deities according to the lunar calendar date. Today was the birthday of Tian Du Yuanshuai (meaning Marshal 'paddy field' Du), who's divine role is to be protector of Chinese regional opera. Many members of opera troupes in Taiwan revere him.
According to the legend, Marshal Tian Du was abandoned in a paddy field as a baby. Chinese mitten crabs came to his aid, saving his life by feeding him saliva through bubbles. For this reason, he is often depicted with a crab symbol on his forehead and his devotees will not eat crab out of respect.
These celebrations for gods and deities last for the day of the birthday and are usually accompanied by the unmistakeable brash, shrill sound of the suona wind instrument; a sound which is punctuated by the resounding thud of firecrackers being set off en masse. A figurine of the deity who is enjoying their birthday will be carried through the street, sometimes firecrackers are set off under the figure and followers may deliberately expose themselves to the searing force of the firecrackers as a sign of their devotion.

Recent torrential rains and flash flooding in Kunming have caused over 84 million Yuan ($13.6 million) in damage to the city, with one person missing, according to initial reports from the Yunnan Provincial Department of Civil Affairs. The flood affected over 77,000 Kunming residents, while testing the city’s drainage system and its infrastructure. The north and east of the city appeared to be two of the worst impacted areas which faced major traffic standstills after the flooding. This year, the Yunnan province has experienced historically high rainfall levels, causing dozens of fatalities and millions of dollars in damage.

A man assesses the damage inside his flooded apartment complex.

Shopkeepers try to save some of their inventory amidst rising waters.

A view up Beijing Road, where the under-construction subway was completely submerged.

Two businessmen make their way through the flood waters.

A soldier makes his way up Beijing Road.

A traffic police officer shares his island with stranded pedestrians.

People standing out the front of a Bank of China.

Emergency workers arrive on the scene.

An injured man is carried away by Emergency workers.

A young woman is driven away in the back of a tricycle.

Although people attempted to drive, water around the city ultimately brought traffic to a standstill.

A young man helps an elderly man navigate the floodwaters on Beijing Road.

A view up Beijing Road, one of the areas where the flood was most critical.

A bird's eye view of emergency workers trying to clear water from an underpass at the city's North Railway Station. At its highpoint, water was roughly four meters deep in the underpass

Two friends make their way through a flooded intersection on a tricycle.

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Scenes from the demilitarized border zone between North and South Korea.

South Korean soldiers boarded a bus in Busan bound for their base near Jinju, South Korea, on April 7, 2013. Tensions on the peninsula remain high amid threats from North Korea and ongoing joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.

A mother takes a picture of her son, a soldier in the Republic of Korea Armed forces, as he waits aboard a bus headed to his base near Jinju, South Korea, on April 7, 2013.Tensions on the peninsula remain high amid North Korea and the ongoing joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.

A South Korean soldier said goodbye to his girlfriend and his mother before boarding a bus in Busan headed to his base near Jinju, South Korea.Tensions on the peninsula remain high amid North Korea and the ongoing joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.

South Korean soldiers boarded a bus in Busan headed to their military base near Jinju, South Korea, on April 7, 2013. Tensions on the peninsula remain high amid North Korea and the ongoing joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.

Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

Photo taken on April 6 shows a campaigner writing "Justice" on the street to mark the completion of 100 days of Occupy Baluwatar.
Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

Photo taken on April 6 shows a campaigner writing "Justice" on the street to mark the completion of 100 days of Occupy Baluwatar.
Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

Photo taken on April 6 shows campaigners writing "Justice" on the street to mark the completion of 100 days of Occupy Baluwatar.
Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

Photo taken on April 6 shows a campaigner writing "Justice" on the street to mark the completion of 100 days of Occupy Baluwatar.
Occupy Baluwtar, a campaign protesting violence against women, completed 100 days on April 6, 2013.
On 28 December 2012 the campaign began, seeking justice for Sita Rai, a migrant worker who was robbed by officials at TIA and raped by a policeman, according to media reports.
Every day from 9 am to 11 am, a group of people join the protest in front of the prime minister’s office in Baluwatar.
They have been protesting against the alleged murder of Saraswati Subedi, the disappearance of Chorimaiya Maharjan, and killings of Shiva Hasmi and Bindu Thakur.

A North Korean soldier watching the South Korean border

Female Militia training in Kim Il Sung Square, Pyongyang

Children at Mansudae School in North Korea.

The World Heritage site Bouddhanath Stupa was lit blue to celebrate World Autism Awareness day and also to raise awareness on the condition of autistic children in Nepal.

The World Heritage site Bouddhanath Stupa was lit blue to celebrate World Autism Awareness day and also to raise awareness on the condition of autistic children in Nepal.