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Thailand rides on Songkran festival to boost soft power

STORY: Thailand rides on Songkran festival to boost soft power SHOOTING TIME: April 15, 2024 DATELINE: April 16, 2024 LENGTH: 00:04:06 LOCATION: Bangkok CATEGORY: CULTURE/ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Songkran festival celebrations in Ayutthaya 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Thai): Thai citizen 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): WANG SHAOHONG, Chinese tourist 4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Thai): ITTHIPHAN KHAOLAMAI, Manager of Ayutthaya Elephant Palace 5. various of the Songkran festival celebrations in Bangkok 6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): MA HUIZHEN, Thai-Chinese singer 7. various of the Songkran festival celebrations in Bangkok STORYLINE: Getting drenched in water fights, splashing water with elephants, or enjoying cultural performances, revelers embrace Songkran festivities throughout April across Thailand as the country rides on its traditional new year to boost "soft power." Songkran, usually held from April 13 to 15 in Thailand, is also celebrated in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. Known as the Buddhist new year, the holiday is tr

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists take part in a water splashing event at Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists take part in a water splashing event at Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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Big Buddhist Temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 13, 2024 - Tourists visit Mengle Big Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 13, 2024.

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he Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - The Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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he Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - Tourists visit The Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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he Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - Tourists visit The Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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he Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - Tourists visit The Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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he Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - The Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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he Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - Tourists visit The Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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he Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - Tourists visit The Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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he Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - The Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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he Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - The Great Pagode Temple of Jinghong in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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Zong Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - Tourists visit the Zong Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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Zong Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - Tourists visit the Zong Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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Zong Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - A general view of the Zong Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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Zong Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - A general view of the Zong Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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Zong Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna

XISHUANGBANNAN, CHINA - JANUARY 11, 2024 - A general view of the Zong Buddhist temple in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, China, Jan 11, 2024.

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Chinese dance drama tells stories of ancient Silk Road

STORY: Chinese dance drama tells stories of ancient Silk Road DATELINE: Jan. 3, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:39 LOCATION: URUMQI, China CATEGORY: CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the dance drama 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI ZHIHAN, Audience 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): KANG QI, Dancer STORYLINE: Chinese dance drama The Legend of Dunhuang was staged in Urumqi, the capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region during the New Year holiday. It tells the exchanges between China and foreign countries along the ancient Silk Road. It also features the splendid culture of Dunhuang, home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the millennia-old Mogao Grottoes which houses a vast collection of Buddhist artworks, including more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of murals in 735 caves. Since its debut in 1979, the dance drama has traveled to more than 40 countries and regions with nearly 4,000 shows performed. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LI ZHIHAN, Audience "I am very happy to see such a performance

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Summer holiday exodus peaks

TOKYO, Japan - Photo taken Aug. 13, 2014, shows a shinkansen platform at JR Tokyo station in Tokyo, Japan, crowded with travelers heading for their hometowns for the Buddhist Bon holidays. The return rush will come on Aug. 16 and 17.

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Summer holiday exodus peaks

TOKYO, Japan - Photo taken Aug. 13, 2014, shows a shinkansen platform at JR Tokyo station in Tokyo, Japan, crowded with travelers heading for their hometowns for the Buddhist Bon holidays. The return rush will come on Aug. 16 and 17.

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Summer holiday exodus peaks

TOKYO, Japan - Photo taken Aug. 13, 2014, shows a shinkansen platform at JR Tokyo station in Tokyo, Japan, crowded with travelers heading for their hometowns for the Buddhist Bon holidays. The return rush will come on Aug. 16 and 17.

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SRI LANKA-COLOMBO-BUDDHIST FESTIVAL-POYA DAY-CELEBRATION

(220117) -- COLOMBO, Jan. 17, 2022 (Xinhua) -- People celebrate the Full Moon Poya Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Jan. 17, 2022. Poya day is a monthly holiday in Sri Lanka, marking the full moon. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

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SRI LANKA-COLOMBO-BUDDHIST FESTIVAL-POYA DAY-CELEBRATION

(220117) -- COLOMBO, Jan. 17, 2022 (Xinhua) -- People celebrate the Full Moon Poya Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Jan. 17, 2022. Poya day is a monthly holiday in Sri Lanka, marking the full moon. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

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SRI LANKA-COLOMBO-BUDDHIST FESTIVAL-POYA DAY-CELEBRATION

(220117) -- COLOMBO, Jan. 17, 2022 (Xinhua) -- People celebrate the Full Moon Poya Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Jan. 17, 2022. Poya day is a monthly holiday in Sri Lanka, marking the full moon. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

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SRI LANKA-COLOMBO-BUDDHIST FESTIVAL-POYA DAY-CELEBRATION

(220117) -- COLOMBO, Jan. 17, 2022 (Xinhua) -- People celebrate the Full Moon Poya Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Jan. 17, 2022. Poya day is a monthly holiday in Sri Lanka, marking the full moon. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

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Summer holiday exodus peaks in Japan

Children get off a shinkansen bullet train that arrived at JR Shin-Osaka Station in the western Japanese city of Osaka on Aug. 12, 2015. The summer exodus peaked that day as many travelers headed for their hometowns and resorts for the Buddhist Bon holidays. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Summer holiday exodus peaks

A shinkansen bullet train platform is crowded with passengers at JR Tokyo Station in the Japanese capital on Aug. 12, 2015. The summer exodus peaked that day as many travelers headed for their hometowns and resorts for the Buddhist Bon holidays. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Summer holiday exodus peaks in Japan

Travelers board a shinkansen bullet train at JR Shin-Osaka Station in the western Japanese city of Osaka on Aug. 12, 2015. The summer exodus peaked that day as many travelers headed for their hometowns and resorts for the Buddhist Bon holidays. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Cold beer with "geisha" girls marks start of hot Kyoto summer

"Geisha" female entertainers and their "maiko" apprentices serve guests at a beer garden on its opening day on July 1, 2015, at the Kamishichiken Kaburenjo theater in Kyoto, western Japan. The annual beer garden opens in the evenings through Sept. 5, except for the midsummer Buddhist "bon" holiday period of Aug. 14-16. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Disco Bon dance at Tokyo shrine

Women across generations and nationalities dance to disco music and Japanese anime songs during a "Bon" midsummer dance festival at Kanda Myojin Shrine in Tokyo on July 20, 2019. The event, called BON DISCO, combines Japan's traditional Bon Odori dance, performed as a Japanese Buddhist custom during the Bon holiday season, with western-born disco. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Disco Bon dance at Tokyo shrine

People across generations and nationalities dance to disco music and Japanese anime songs during a "Bon" midsummer dance festival at Kanda Myojin Shrine in Tokyo on July 20, 2019. The event, called BON DISCO, combines Japan's traditional Bon Odori dance, performed as a Japanese Buddhist custom during the Bon holiday season, with western-born disco. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo