{ publisher’s note }
“If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely
acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have
it at the beginning.”
Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948)ASIAN Geographic can be found on board and
at the following locations:Inspiration allows one to transcend normal situations to accomplish the
extraordinary. Think Mahatma Gandhi for example: He is a great icon of
humanity today, but at the beginning, as an ordinary person, he had the vision
of not only rising above his circumstances but also changing the world.
More recently, in May 2018, the entrepreneur Jack Ma, upon receiving his
doctorate from the University of Hong Kong, also spoke of the importance of
having a vision: “People like us [...] believe in the future, we have dreams. [We]
[...] never give up.”
We were also moved by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s speech
to the graduating cohort at the Royal University of Bhutan in June 2018. He
underlined the fact that the country’s tremendous achievements since 1949 had
leveraged on the Bhutanese values of integrity, responsibility and providence.
He also encouraged them to “evolve, adapt and upgrade”.
In this issue of Asian Geographic, our feature stories put the spotlight
on impressive people. In “Astonishing Asians”, we are inspired by 100 of the
region’s most outstanding personalities across several industries (pg 42).
In “En Plein Air”, we speak to talented artists in several Asian cities to
understand their passion for on-location drawing (pg 72). In “Picture Perfect”, we
interview the veteran Asian photographer Michael Yamashita and share his awe-
inspiring photographs of Singapore (pg 12).
We hope you enjoy reading this issue of Asian Geographic.
John Thet
PHOTO © SHUTTERSTOCKairlines & loungesclubs & societiestourism boardsother asian geographic magazines pte ltd publications & events:newsstand distribution
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japan Keiichi ARANTANI • [email protected]hoco escafés & restaurantsattractionsErratum:
In the previous edition of Asian Geographic (Issue 3/2018, No. 131, p.94),
we inadvertently stated that the majority of people in Brunei are Buddhists.
It should, of course, have been Muslims. We are sorry for the error.philippines82%
v etnam81%popula ton104
96.4 main belief systemsinbuddh stasean
muslroman catholicim
indigenous/irreligious