Asia is the largest continent, land mass, in the world. It stretches from the Ural mountains in the north-east of Europe and the middle-east regions of Afghanistan and Iran to the east of the Mediterranean Sea, all the way through to the island nations of Japan and Taiwan beyond its east coast. Asia has produced culturally advanced civilizations since the dawn of history.

More people live in Asia than the rest of the world combined. There are 47 countries, including both sovereign states and dependencies, recognized by the United Nations as existing as part of Asia. How many ethnicities actually live in Asia is not clear, primarily due to conflicting and often turbulent disputes resulting from extremely long term historical disagreements, usually political in today’s world, but still occasionally military.

As would be clear to anyone that has traveled beyond their geographical comfort zone, the manners and etiquette extant in Asia is extensive, and varies depending on the particular ethnicity and cultural heritage of the specific local community. Such heritages can extend back for thousands of years into the past, even in seemingly remote and backward localities. Quite simply, Asia is far too vast and varied a land to have the slightest possibility of encompassing the cultural mannerisms of its peoples in many, let alone a single article.   

So is there anything that can be applied to Asia as a whole with regards to manners and etiquette?
Possibly not, but some things can probably be said to be true or at least predominant in most.

Many, possibly most, Asian cultures have a powerful and dominant heroine, either in their mythology or stated history. Yet their cultures are for the most part patriarchal, men dominate as the decision makers of their communities. Gender roles tend to be significant, there is work that is traditionally done by women and work that is the providence of men.

This is hardly surprising. The same was true for Western societies before World War II and probably still would be if that six year event had not taken so many men away from industry at the same time that increased production was needed to meet the war’s requirements. Employing women in production roles became essential and the concept of sexual equality proceeded from that. Although, even today in Western society there is legitimate debate on whether such equality has actually arrived yet.  

In many larger urban areas of Asia this sexism has been polluted by capitalist economic attitudes, leading to women, and in some places children, being considered sexual property rather than people. Or simply tools to produce goods, readily available and therefore to be tossed aside when they “break”. An attitude that has far too often been not only tolerated but used by Western multi-national corporations, unless it becomes well publicized in the Western nations where they make their profits.
    
This human functional dimorphism is far more benevolent the further removed an ethnic community is from Western influence. With community decision making perhaps still appearing to be the providence of the men from the outside, but the men’s decisions being strongly influenced if not outright decided by their wives and mothers.

The other, most significantly obvious, cultural factor that increases due to distance from Western capitalist influence is generosity. In today’s Asian cities everything has its price; in most you can literally buy anything at all, but not a single soul will give you anything for free. At the other extreme are the remote communities, where someone they don’t know, let alone someone ethnically distinct from themselves, is an event for celebration. With a large amount of persuasion most will probably accept a gift or gifts from you, but none will actually expect anything from you for the food, shelter and welcome they simply presume you are entitled to. Although tales of the world beyond through your translator will most assuredly be abundantly appreciated.

Manners and etiquette are for the most part, far more complex in small, seemingly primitive, rural communities throughout the vast expanse of Asia, than they are in the majority of Western nations. It is, however, extremely doubtful that any of these communities would be less welcoming to a stranger than the friendliest community in any Western nation. Unless that stranger, through arrogant self-conceit, repeatedly insults their decency and generosity.