New Year is celebrated across much of Asia in April. In Thailand it is known as Songkran; Chaul Chnam Thmey in Cambodia; Pi Mai Lao in Laos and Thingyan in Myanmar. Also Xishuangbanna in China’s Yunnan Province holds celebrations to mark the occasion. It is known worldwide for its joyous festivities and the splashing of water. New Year generally falls on around 13 - 16 of April.
The Qingming Festival (April 5) in China is a time for the Chinese people to honor their ancestors and pay respect to the dead by cleaning tombs of the deceased while burning offerings at the site. Qingming is also observed in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore.
In Vietnam they celebrate one of the most important holidays, Hung Kings Commemoration Day (April 25), with many events centered about ancestor worship.
Takayama Matsuri takes place from April 14 – 15. It is one of Japan’s most visually striking festivals to celebrate the coming of Spring.
ANZAC Day falls on 25 April 2018 and is marked in a poignant ceremony at Sandakan Memorial Park, Malaysia, the starting point of the infamous Death Marches.
Golden week in Japan (April 28 – May 6) is an extremely popular time for domestic travel. Festivities run from April 30 (Showa Day) which honors the memory of the previous Emperor, to May 5, 2018 (Children’s day) and includes the adjacent weekends.
Join 40,000 spectators at the Hong Kong Sevens (6 - 8 April 2018) for one of the world's most electrifying rugby events. Following on from the Hong Kong Sevens and next on the rugby circuit is the Singapore Sevens (28 & 29 April 2018), held at Singapore’s National Stadium in the heart of the city.
Since its first edition in 2004, the Shanghai Grand Prix has worked its way up in order to become one of most exciting races of the season. It takes place in 2018 from 12 - 15 April.
The Singapore International Jazz festival (April 6 – 8) features a stunning line up of more than 250 artists, including international Grammy Award Winners and the very best from the world of jazz, soul and blues.
April is the best time to visit Japan and the island of Langkawi in Malaysia. In Vietnam it is the colorful fruit season which sees all sorts of colorful fruits picked and sold around the Mekong Delta. Further north in Sapa, the peach blossom creates stunning scenery and breathtaking vistas. Changes in the weather patterns toward the end of the month make Indonesia more favorable while China’s average temperatures also rise.
