Asia Insight

An in-depth portrait of Asia today, covering its dynamism as a center of growth as well as its traditions tossed around by the advance of globalization

Asia is the most mountainous continent on earth. From the tropical south to its barren centre, its highest places are home to some of our planet's most remarkable wildlife.

As most parts of Shanghai become more modernized, one district retains its pre-war landscape. TianZi Fang, which used to be a French settlement before World War II, maintains an international feel. Its old-fashioned narrow alleyways are fi…

500-year-old Vietnamese Nha Nhac court music was recently recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage and is undergoing a revival. Including Nha Nhac, there are currently 12 World Cultural Heritage Sites and Intangible Cultural Heritages…

When Hong Kong was returned to mainland China from the U.K. in 1997, it was promised 50 years of autonomy and different political, judicial and economic systems than mainland China. This gave freedom of speech to mainland writers as well b…

More and more people from rural areas are moving to the slum district of Mongolia's capital, in search of a better life. Migrant children are often forced to give up school and work collecting garbage to support their families. This episod…

A new group of writers is capturing the hearts of young readers these days. The so-called "80's writers" are those born in the 1980s. These writers and their readers have a different perspective on their country compared with older generat…

About one third of population of Indonesia lacks access to electricity, especially in rural areas. A social entrepreneur has started cooperative projects that involve residents in building and managing their own small-scale hydropower plan…

Nepal is developing the use of alternative energy sources such as biogas and solar power due to a chronic electricity shortage that has plagued the nation. The government has instigated a long-term comprehensive solution to exploit the ric…

The number of college graduates has been increasing steadily in China. But the nation known as "the world's factory" needs manual laborers. Managers are needed only a handful. This is making it extremely difficult for college graduates to …

2012 is the year of the dragon. This is triggering a baby boom in China. More than 17 million babies are expected to be born this year, an increase of 1 million compared to last year. Would-be parents believe that giving birth during this …

Dance has always been an integral part of Philippine culture and Filipinos love to dance. Now it is being used as a way to rehabilitate inmates serving time in prison. Being part of a dance troupe gives inmates a sense of belonging and acc…

In Guangzhou, a group of university students have formed a choir and are singing about their discontent with society. But what would normally be considered a mild form of protest in most countries could be a radical social movement in Chin…

South East Asia's Golden Triangle used to be notoriously known as the world's largest opium producing region. For some time now authorities have been trying to halt the cultivation and trade of this deadly narcotic. The Thai royal family w…

Some 80% of students now go on to college in South Korea, but many graduates are struggling to land jobs. To alleviate the problem, the government is implementing programs to help budding entrepreneurs. Some universities have even started …

The free market economy continues to grow vigorously in China but at the cost of traditional values. In cities, residents feel a sense of indifference to each other as greed and materialism takes over. In a bid to revive ethical behavior a…

Thailand is increasingly accepting into society transgender women or "ladyboys" as they are commonly known around the country. One school has created separate washrooms for transgender students because nearly 20% of its male population is …

In the Greater Mekong Subregion, the bordering countries of China, Thailand, Laos Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar are working hard to stimulate and increase trade. Asia Insight will devote three episodes to measures implemented by nations as…

In the Greater Mekong Subregion, the bordering countries of China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Myanmar are working hard to stimulate and increase trade. Asia Insight will devote three episodes to measures implemented by nations …

In this program in the Greater Mekong Subregion series, we focus on the economic strategies of Cambodia. We highlight the country's endeavors to develop infrastructure and construct special economic zones as it attempts to make the transit…

These days, more and more Korean kids are setting their sights on becoming pro golfers. There are now over 3000 young golfers, from elementary school to high school students-double the number of just ten years ago. In this episode, we tell…

Traveling handymen, who live and work from their vans, travel from town to town to fix leaking roofs and ceilings when called upon. This used to be a common profession in China about 20 years ago but as the country gets more developed and …

In the Philippines, brightly coloured housing complexes are springing up all over the country. This is due to the efforts of a non-governmental organization that is providing slum dwellers with new homes in a bid to help them rebuild their…

10 years after gaining independence from Indonesia, East Timor is slowly rebuilding itself but basic infrastructure is still largely unestablished. A severe shortage of doctors and nurses is resulting in alarmingly high mortality rates for…

In the Philippines in recent years, merchant seaman has been gaining popularity as a profession among young people, adding to the thousands of Filipino workers already working overseas. This is good news for the rest of the world, which de…

A social enterprise in Vietnam is giving deprived children the opportunity to become professional chefs. It offers them free culinary training, accommodation and ultimately a route out of poverty. The organization is developing a business …

The Kingdom of Thailand has managed to get through recent economic crises and continue to enjoy steady growth. But with the country facing a chronic labor shortage, workers from neighboring Myanmar have been flooding into the country to ta…

Singapore faces a declining birth rate that could threaten the stability of the nation.