Asian Cultural Facts

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is the most important among the traditional Chinese festivals. The origin of the Chinese New Year festival can be traced back to about 3500 years ago. 
Chinese New Year has evolved over a long period of time and its customs have undergone a long development process. 

Like all traditional festivals in China, Chinese New Year is steeped with stories and myths. One of the most popular is about the mythical beast Nian (nyen), who ate livestock, crops and even people on the eve of a new year. To prevent Nian from attacking people and causing destruction, people put food at their doors for Nian.
It’s said that a wise old man figured out that Nian was scared of loud noises (firecrackers) and the colour red. So, then people put red lanterns and red scrolls on their windows and doors to stop Nian from coming inside. 
Crackling bamboo was lit to scare Nian away, but would later be replaced by firecrackers.

Chinese New Year has enjoyed a history of about 3500 years. Its exact beginning is not recorded. Some people believe that Chinese New Year originated in the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), when people held sacrificial ceremonies in honour of gods and ancestors at the beginning or the end of the year.

Seollal (Lunar New Year), is one of the traditional Korean calendar’s most important holidays, with the autumn harvest festival, ‘Chuseok’ being equally as revered.
Although its origins are unclear, many say the rituals go back as far as the 6th Century. It was during Ancient Korea’s Three Kingdoms period, when the Lunar Calendar was adopted. 

Today, several Asian Countries, including China, Mongolia and Vietnam, all celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday. Chinese New Year is undoubtedly the most well-known celebration of the lunar holiday, but that doesn’t make Korea’s expression of the celebration any less interesting!

The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States.
The conflict was intensified by the ongoing Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. More than 3 million people (including over 58,000 Americans) were killed in the Vietnam War and more than half of the dead were Vietnamese civilians. 

‘Operation Wandering Soul’ was a propaganda campaign and large scale psychological warfare attempt exercised by US Forces during the Vietnam War. U.S Forces hoped that the operation would weaken the morale of the Viet Cong and prey on the fears of many Vietnamese. 
Like many others, the Vietnamese culture includes beliefs and rituals that show respect for the dead. For example, the Vietnamese culture calls for a proper burial and it is believed that if this does not occur, the soul of the deceased continues to wander the earth thus becoming a ‘Wandering Soul.’ 
The US used this to their advantage and tried to trick the Viet-Congs into leaving by playing the audio recording of their dead friends wandering around.
US engineers spent weeks recording eerie sounds and altered voices, which pretended to be killed Viet Cong, for use in the operation with the intended purpose of instilling a sense of turmoil within the enemy.
The extent of the operation’s success is unknown. The Viet Cong usually returned fire upon encountering the recordings, thus nullifying the intended outcome of the operation.