Beyond the headlines: Asia News Network releases new e-book, Asia’s Hidden Heritage Treasures
Launched under the banner of "Bringing Asia Closer," the digital publication, titled ‘Inside Asia’s Hidden Heritage Treasures,’ aims to offer global and regional readers an authentic glimpse into the continent's shared identity.
SINGAPORE – The Asia News Network (ANN), a premier alliance of 20 leading news titles across the continent, has released a comprehensive new e-book dedicated to celebrating the cultural heritage, modern innovation, and enduring spirit of Asia.
Launched under the banner of “Bringing Asia Closer,” the digital publication, titled ‘Inside Asia’s Hidden Heritage Treasures,’ aims to offer global and regional readers an authentic glimpse into the continent’s shared identity. (You can download the e-book here.)
Designed as a definitive peek into the soul of Asia, the publication deliberately moves past the geopolitical headlines that frequently dominate international news cycles.
Instead, it explores the deeper spiritual, cultural, and historical threads that bind the world’s largest and most populous continent together.
Readers diving into the digital volume will discover a rich tapestry of content, ranging from time-worn civilisations to bustling cultural hubs steeped in history.
Expect an exploration of amazing Unesco heritage sites, tourism attractions both ancient and modern, Asia’s best-kept secrets and unique cultural treasures that would tempt any traveller looking for their next adventure.
Current ANN Chairperson and Malaysia’s Star Media Group Chief Content Officer, Datin Paduka Esther Ng, says the e-book celebrates Asia’s unique ability to rapidly modernise, while deeply honouring its roots.
“Asia is living proof of heritage and legacy living on and evolving,” Ng states, noting that the region seamlessly blends ancient legacies with ultra-modern facets and the fastest technology adoption in the world.
Ng highlights the e-book’s focus on Asia’s “winning factors” that foster global togetherness, and adds that the region has inherited a priceless form of heritage defined by endurance and survival — two traits that she views as the most accurate descriptions of the Asian experience.
The project also directly addresses a long-standing challenge in regional media: the historical reliance on Western perspectives to tell Asian stories.
Former ANN Chairman Mahfuz Anam, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of Bangladesh’s The Daily Star, recalls that the network was founded 27 years ago precisely to correct this imbalance, calling the new e-book an integral part of a “journey of rediscovery.”
“Our mutual understanding mostly depended on how foreign news agencies and globally reputed newspapers covered us,” Mahfuz explains, stating that said coverage tended to lend a problematic perspective.
“This awareness led 20 leading English-language dailies and a select number of national news agencies of Asia from Japan to Pakistan, covering most of the countries of Asia, to form a network to exchange news, views and features about ourselves for the reading and viewing of the general public of our respective countries,” he says.
To him: “The more we know about ourselves, the more we are at ease in dealing with others. It helps us appreciate our differences and, in turn, respect them.”
As regional cooperation transitions from a luxury to an absolute necessity in a globalised world, ANN is proud to share that a second e-book is already in development to continue uncovering the vast plethora of Asian culture.
The ANN e-books are produced in partnership with Lion Rock Group, a global leader in book printing and print management, trusted by the world’s top book publishers, education innovators, and creators across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. For more information, visit https://www.lionrock.hk/.
Visit the official ANN portal at https://asianews.network/ for more information.
