Asia - Far East Webcams

Asia (/ˈeɪʒə/ AY-zhə, UK also /ˈeɪʃə/ AY-shə) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44,000,000 km2 or 16,988,495 square miles, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of the Earth's total surface area. The continent, which has long been home to the majority of the human population, was the site of many of the first civilizations. Its 4.7 billion people constitute roughly 60% of the world's population. It is bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean, on the south by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Arctic Ocean, and to the west by Europe. Asia is a region where various independent cultures coexist rather than sharing a single culture, and the boundary between Europe is somewhat arbitrary and has moved since its first conception in the classical era.

Many of our webcams on this page come from Asia's Far East. The Far East is used to refer to all the countries of Eastern Asia, including China, Japan, North and South Korea, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Some say the term is inaccurate, as "East" is a direction and not a location. I can't help but think that's ridiculous, since I myself grew up in a U.S. town that had "East" in it's name and it was just a name and not being used as a direction. That's a fact all over the world, heck, many cities and countries have "East' in their names! Others claim that the problem with the name isn't "east", but "far" since the name/term originated with Europeans who considered the region to be "far" from Europe in terms of travel time. In modern times, the term has fallen out of use since with today's air travel, nothing is really far away. Okay then, should we also changed the name of New Delhi in Asia, to just "Delhi" since it isn't new anymore?

Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth, at 8,849 meters (29,032 feet). Its capital is Kathmandu and its population was 29.69 million (in 2023). It is a landlocked country bordered by China to the north and India to the south, east, and west. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It is the oldest nation-state of South Asia and is generally considered a poor country, particularly when compared to many other nations. While it has experienced economic growth, it remains a low-income nation with a significant portion of its population living below the poverty line.

Hinduism is the predominant religion of the country, yet in the middle of the first millennium BC, Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was born in Lumbini, in southern Nepal. Parts of northern Nepal are intertwined with the culture of Tibet. The country was never colonized but served as a buffer state between Imperial China and British India. Parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1951 but was twice suspended by Nepalese monarchs, in 1960 and 2005. The Nepalese Civil War in the 1990s and early 2000s resulted in the establishment of a secular republic in 2008, ending the world's last Hindu monarchy. The Constitution of Nepal was adopted in 2015, affirms the country as a federal parliamentary republic divided into seven provinces.

Nepal is of roughly trapezoidal shape, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) long and 200 kilometers (120 miles) wide, with an area of 147,516 km2 (56,956 sq. mi). It is divided into three principal physiographic belts known as Himal–Pahad–Terai. Himal is the mountain region containing lots of snow and situated in the Great Himalayan Range; making up the northern part of Nepal. Pahad is a mountain region that does not generally contain snow. The mountains here vary from 800 to 4,000 meters (2,600 to 13,100 feet) in altitude, with progression from subtropical climates below 1,200 meters (3,900 ft.) to alpine climates above 3,600 meters (11,800 ft.). The Tarai region, is in the Lower Himalayan Range, reaching 1,500 to 3,000 meters (4,900 to 9,800 ft.), and is the southern limit of this region, with subtropical river valleys and "hills" alternating to the north of this range.

Nepal's climate is highly variable due to its extensive range in altitude and geographic location. It experiences distinct seasons, including spring, monsoon/summer, autumn, and winter, each with unique weather patterns. The Tarai region in the south experiences subtropical monsoon conditions, while the mid-mountain areas have a warm temperate climate, and the higher Himalayan regions have cool temperate to alpine climates. At altitudes above 4,877 meters/16,000 feet, the temperature is always below freezing and with the surface covered by snow and ice. Rainfall is ample in the eastern portion of the Tarai (which receives from 1,800 to 1,900 millimeters/70 to 75 inches a year at Biratnagar) and in the mountains, but the western portion of Nepal is drier (where 851 millimeters/33.5 inches a year fall at Mahendranagar).

In Kathmandu Valley, average temperatures range from 10°C (50°F) in January to 26°C (78°F) in July, and the lowest and highest temperatures recorded have been -3°C and 37°C (27° and 99°F). The average annual rainfall is about 1,397 millimeters/55 inches, most of which falls in the period from June to September. At Pokhara the temperature ranges from 4°C (40°F) in January to approximately 38°C (100°F) in June, just before the monsoon. In winter, temperatures during the day rise to 21°C (70°F), creating pleasant conditions, with cool nights and warm days. Because warm rain-bearing monsoon winds discharge most of their moisture as they encounter the Annapurna range, rainfall is quite heavy (about 2,540 mm/100 in) in the Pokhara Valley. As far as snowfall and the weather in general at Mount Everest, it receives a significant amount each year, with the summit's snowpack varying greatly from 1.5–6 meters (5–20 feet). The snow depth on the summit is estimated to be around 9.5 meters (31.1 feet) on average. However, this depth fluctuates, with the snow level being highest in September after the monsoon and lowest in May after being depleted by winter winds. In addition to being the highest place on Earth, the peak of Mount Everest is the windiest and also bitterly cold. Hurricane-force winds can batter the summit, creating wind chill temperatures as low as -70°C/-90°F. This is cold enough to cause frostbite on exposed skin almost instantly. The warmest recorded temperature on the summit of Mount Everest is -16°C (3°F). July is the warmed month here, when the average daytime temperature on the summit can be around -2°F (-19°C). However, temperatures can drop significantly during the coldest months, like January, with average temperatures of -36°C (-33°F) and potentially as low as -60°C (-76°F).

Bay Beach Resort, Choeng Mon Beach, Koh Samui, Thailand
(From The Real Samui)

Koh Samui (or Ko Samui) (Thai: เกาะสมุย, pronounced [kɔ̀ʔ sā.mǔj]), often locally shortened to Samui, is Thailand’s second largest island, with an area of 228.7 square kilometres (88.3 sq mi), and located in the Gulf of Thailand off the east coast of the Kra Isthmus. It's known for its palm-fringed beaches, coconut groves and dense, mountainous rainforest, plus luxury resorts and posh spas. Samui's elevation is as low as sea level to as high as 635 m (2,083 ft). The landmark 12m/39ft-tall golden Big Buddha statue at Wat Phra Yai Temple is located on a tiny island connected to Ko Samui by a causeway. The island is believed to be first inhabited about 15 centuries ago and settled by fishermen from southern China. It appears on Chinese maps dating back to 1687, under the name Pulo Cornam.

Ko Samui has a tropical monsoon climate, and is warm and humid for most of the year. It receives about 1,960 mm (77.2 in) of rain per year. It's population as of 2019 was 70,059.

Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about 331,000 square kilometres (128,000 sq. mi) and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's fifteenth-most populous country. One of two Marxist–Leninist states in Southeast Asia, Vietnam shares land borders with China to the north, and Laos and Cambodia to the west. It shares maritime borders with Thailand through the Gulf of Thailand, and the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia through the South China Sea. Its capital is Hanoi and its largest city is Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon).

Da Nang is a coastal city in central Vietnam known for its sandy beaches and history as a French colonial port. This live webcam overlooks Nguyễn Văn Linh, a busy financial route in Hải Châu district, in central Vietnam. This busy street takes you to the Dragon Bridge (Cầu Rồng) across the Hàn River, which you have a glimpse in the background, and a stretch of APEC Park (Công viên APEC Vietnam 2017), on the right-hand side of the image. Da Nang is the fifth most populated city in Vietnam as well as a commercial and educational hub in the central region of Vietnam.

Da Nang has a tropical monsoon climate with two seasons: a typhoon and wet season from September to December and a dry season from January to August. Temperatures have an annual average of around 26°C (79°F). Cold waves can occasionally occur, although they are of short duration. Temperatures are highest between June and August with mean temperatures of 28 to 30°C (82 to 86°F), and lowest between December and February (mean temperature of 18 to 23°C (64 to 73°F). Highest temperature ever was set in May at 41.5°C (106.7°F). Coldest was reached in December at 9.2°C (48.6°F). Precip wise, this area sees a lot of rain, with the average per year being 2,205mm (86.81 inches) over 139 days.

東京新宿歌舞伎町ライブ２/Shinjuku Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan
(From Kabukicho Live Channel II)

お台場・レインボーブリッジ - 首都高　ライブカメラ　Rainbow Bridge - Tokyo, Japan
　(from FNNプライムオンライン)

Tokyo (/ˈtoʊkioʊ/; Japanese: 東京, Tōkyō, [toːkʲoː]), is the capital of Japan, and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of over 14 million residents as of 2023 and the second-most-populated capital in the world. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes Tokyo and parts of six neighboring prefectures, is the most-populous metropolitan area in the world, with 41 million residents as of 2024. It's located at the head of Tokyo Bay, and is part of the Kantō region on the central coast of Honshu, Japan's largest island.

The majority of Tokyo lies in the humid subtropical climate zone, with hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters with occasional cold spells. The region, like much of Japan, experiences a one-month seasonal lag. The warmest month is August, which averages 26.9°C (80.4°F). The coolest month is January, averaging 5.4°C (41.7°F). The record low temperature was −9.2°C (15.4°F) on January 13, 1876. The record high was 39.5°C (103.1°F) on July 20, 2004. The record highest low temperature is 30.3°C (86.5°F), on August 12, 2013, making Tokyo one of only seven observation sites in Japan that have recorded a low temperature over 30°C (86.0°F). Annual rainfall averages nearly 1,600 millimeters (63.0 in), with a wetter summer and a drier winter. The growing season in Tokyo lasts for about 322 days from around late-February to early January. Snowfall is sporadic, and occurs almost annually. Tokyo often sees typhoons every year, though few are strong. The wettest month since records began in 1876 was in October 2004, with 780 millimeters (30 in) of rain.

Sapporo (札幌市, Sapporo-shi, [sapːoɾo ɕi]) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city in Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city in Japan with 1,959,750 residents as of July 31, 2023.

Sapporo is ranked first in the attractiveness ranking of cities in Japan. The annual Sapporo Snow Festival draws more than 2 million tourists. It also hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics, the first Winter Olympics ever held in Asia, and the second Olympic games held in Japan after the 1964 Summer Olympics. It has a humid continental climate, with a wide range of temperature between the summer and winter. Summers are generally warm and humid, but not oppressively hot, and winters are cold and very snowy, with an average snowfall of 480 cm (189 inches) per year. Sapporo is one of few metropolises in the world with such heavy snowfall, enabling it to hold events and festivals with snow statues. The city's annual average precipitation is around 1,100 mm (43.3 in), and the mean annual temperature is 8.5°C (47.3°F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Sapporo was 36.3°C (97.3°F) on August 23, 2023. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −28.5°C (−19.3°F) on 1 February 1929.

Matsumoto Castle (松本城, Matsumoto-jō), originally known as Fukashi Castle, is one of Japan's premier historic castles. Current structures date from 1594; 431 years ago. The Castle maintains its original wooden interiors and external stonework. It is listed as a National Treasure of Japan, and is one of the twelve surviving tenshu in Japan. The Japanese Alps Range (日本アルプス, Nihon Arupusu Range) are seen in the distance on clear days.

Hong Kong's city scape cam. The city has 7.5 million residents (as of 2024) of various nationalities in a 1,104-square-kilometre (426 sq. miles) territory. Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from that of mainland China under the principle of one country, two systems. It's highest elevation is at Tai Mo Shan, at 957 meters (3,140 feet), with it's lowest spot being sea level at the China Sea.

Hong Kong has a very humid subtropical climate, characteristic of southern China, despite being located south of the Tropic of Cancer, although closely bordering on a tropical climate. Historic temperature extremes show the highest and lowest recorded temperatures are 39.0°C (102°F) at Wetland Park on 22 August 2017, and −6.0°C (21.2°F) at Tai Mo Shan on 24 January 2016. Winters are short, mild and usually sunny until around February when the most cloud cover days occur. Snowfall is extremely rare in Hong Kong; the last reported instance was in Tai Mo Shan in 1975.

Sanxiantai Island is a scenic island located on Taiwan‘s eastern coast. It used yo be connected to Taiwan until gradual erosion cut the neck that connected the 2 lands, thus becoming an offshore island. Years ago, tourists who used to visit this island could only reach it during low tide. Then in 1987, the government completed the eight cross-sea arch bridge that crosses over to the island. It was designed in the shape of waves, like a prostrate sea dragon and connects Sanxiantai with Taiwan Island. It has become the most famous landmark on the East Coast.

Davao City, on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, is a coastal commercial center near the 2,954 meter/9,692 feet high Mount Apo, a large dormant volcano, and the country’s highest peak.

The city has a total land area of 2,443.61 km2 (943.48 sq mi), making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of land area and the third-most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 1,776,949 people. Davao has a hot, tropical rainforest climate, with little seasonal variation in temperature. Average daily high temp is around 32°C (90°F) yet the area has never seen a 100 degree day in it's weather history. Rain wise, Davao City sees a lot of rainsdrops fall, with a yearly rainfall average of 1,836 mm (72.3 in) with 136 days a year of measuable rain.