"Life of Pi" is a philosophical novel by Yann Martel that won the 2002 Booker Prize for Literature before a lush big screen adaptation won four Oscars in 2012, including best director for Ang Lee. The surreal survival story sees shipwreck survivors Pi Patel and misnamed Bengal tiger Richard Parker float adrift at sea on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean.

This opening line of "The Tyger" by English poet William Blake was part of his "Songs of Experience" collection, and is among the most recognizable in English poetry. It explores Christian religious paradigms, questioning how a God could have created an animal so ferocious as a tiger alongside gentler creatures like lambs. Pictured here is Blake's own writing and illustration.

In Rudyard Kipling's "Jungle Book," Shere Khan is a ferocious Bengal tiger who "hates man with a vengeance [...] because he fears man's gun and man's fire" and the threat to his alpha animal status in the jungle. Seen here is a still from the beloved 1967 animated Disney version where Shere Khan meets Mowgli, the "man cub" who he's determined to expel from his territory.

Not all tigers in literature have a bone to pick with man though. In A.A. Milne's beloved "Winnie the Pooh" children's book series, Tigger is Pooh's happy, energetic and sometimes troublemaking tiger friend. Tigger bounces around often to experience joy, sometimes even bouncing on others. He's also known to misspell English words like "ridicarus" for "ridiculous."

Often cited as the last great newspaper comic, cartoonist Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes," which ran from 1985 to 1995, follows the adventures of the mischievous boy Calvin and his best friend Hobbes — a tiger that may or may not actually exist. Named after 16th-century theologian John Calvin and 17th-century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes respectively, the strip celebrated imagination.

Italian author Emilio Salgari wrote this fictional tale of a 19th-century prince-turned-pirate, first published in 1883. The last of a dynasty of Borneo rulers, Sandokan avenges the murder of his parents by colonialists, and becomes known throughout the South China Sea as the "tiger of Malaysia." But the story and films (such as pictured above) are better known in Europe than in Malaysia.

The unmistakable opening riff of the Rocky 3 theme song has become a pop culture staple — especially when accompanying narratives of never-say-die type protagonists. Written and performed by the United States band Survivor, "Eye of the Tiger" has been used as an intro music by conservative US politicians. But the band has demanded that political campaigns cease using the song.

Another Booker Prize winner, "The White Tiger" is a novel by Arvind Adiga. Adapted into a film for Netflix in 2021, it tells the story of Balram Halwai, a poor Indian driver whose street smarts see him break free from serving his rich masters to become a "self-made entrepreneur." A visiting school inspector once called him the "white tiger" while noting his potential, despite his humble origins.

Run by Buddhist monks, the once popular Tiger Temple in Bangkok was open to paying tourists who could pet, feed or take pictures with the tigers for additional fees. Animals rights groups, however, had long alleged animal abuse and trafficking. It was shut down in 2016 after police raided the site and found 40 dead tiger cubs in the temple's kitchen freezer, along with other animal body parts.

A detail of the rug "Ode to the Tigers of Bandhavgarh" by Indian-born, London-based artist Raqib Shaw is seen here as part of the "Tomorrow's Tigers" project in 2019. Ten tiger-themed rugs by international artists were put up for sale at Sotheby's auction house in London. It was part of a World Wide Fund for Nature's project to raise funds and awareness to double wild tiger numbers by 2022.

If the title of the Netflix series doesn't make you question the legality of the business of big cat breeding in Florida, the shady characters might: Self-styled Joe Exotic breeds tigers for profit, while a "conservationist" tries to shut him down, Carole Baskin who runs Big Cat Rescue. In January 2022, a court upheld Exotic's 21-year sentence for plotting to kill Baskin — and for animal abuse.

The traditional lion dance is based on the myth of a monster called Nian. According to the legend, it attacked a village every year on New Year's eve. The villagers decided to make a puppet lion to scare off the beast. A dancer supports the head while the other moves the tail of the lion. Accompanied by drums, symbols and gongs, the lions battle each other. The dance brings good luck and fortune.

Yusheng is a radish salad with raw salmon. Yusheng means "raw fish" but the term is a homophone for "rise in abundance." While shouting celebratory phrases, the salad is tossed collectively using chopsticks. According to the belief, the higher it is tossed, the more abundance one will have. The ritual is practiced in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Meat consumption has been associated with the increasing wealth of the growing middle class. In China, people consumed an average of 22.7 kilograms of pork meat per person in 2020. Pork is an important ingredient in many Chinese New Year dishes, including dumplings — a symbol of wealth. The meat can also be roasted and braised to make other special Chinese New Year delicacies.

"Gao" in Chinese is a homophone for "cake," but also "high." "Nian gao" translates to "year high" and the Chinese believe that eating this sticky rice cake during Chinese New Year will increase their income, lead to a promotion at work or contribute to the financial growth of children. "Nian gao" brings the promise of a bright future. The desert has equivalents in Japan (mochi) and Korea (tteok).

The mandarin orange is a symbol for gold and money. Mandarines are presented as gifts during home visits as a sign of respect, courtesy and returning good favors. Since the Chinese believe that good things come in pairs, people give each other an even number of the oranges. They are also used as decoration.

Arguably the best part of Chinese New Year for all youths: receiving red envelopes of cash. Also known as "hong bao," or red packet, these envelopes contain anywhere between $3-15 each. Married people are obliged to give red packets and only un-married people are allowed to receive them. The closer one is to the giver, the more money they will receive. It pays off to have many married relatives!

A symbol of happiness and luck for the Chinese, the loud raucous of fireworks and firecrackers was traditionally meant to scare off Monster Nian and contributed to the festive atmosphere. However, due to the risks of injuries and death, fireworks have been banned in China during Spring Festival. According to statistics from 2018, they were banned in 444 cities, and restricted in many more.

The Chinese diaspora, counting their descendants, is estimated at about 60 million, according to the International Organization for Migration. Chinese New Year is a four-day public holiday in some countries like Singapore, where the Chinese make up 75% of the local population. Singapore celebrates Chinese New Year with festival lights and games against the backdrop of the Marina Bay skyline.