波拉波拉岛及其泻湖, 南太平洋, 法属波利尼西亚 Bora Bora and its lagoon, South Pacific, French Polynesia (© Frederick Millett/Shutterstock)

生于烈火，拥于碧水 Born on fire, held by water

国际热带日

“国际热带日”于每年6月29日纪念，旨在聚焦北回归线与南回归线之间那片广阔的区域——在这里，温暖的气候与充沛的降水塑造着人们的日常生活。该区域虽仅占地球表面积的约40%，却承载了全球约80%的生物多样性，对于地球生态健康与人类文化而言至关重要。

在法属波利尼西亚，波拉波拉岛生动地展现了这种复杂性。这座岛屿是一座古老火山经侵蚀后留下的核心部分，其深色的玄武岩山峰——奥特马努山（Mount Otemanu）和帕希亚山（Mount Pahia）——从浅浅的绿松石色海水中拔地而起。随着火山岩体缓慢下沉而珊瑚礁向上生长，环绕岛屿的堡礁围合出一片平静的水域，形成了一处泻湖。该岛在塔希提语中被称为“Pora Pora”（意为“长子”），既见证了漫长的地质演变，也承载着鲜活的文化，体现了语言、海洋生态系统与地貌特征之间紧密的联系。

International Day of the Tropics

Observed each June 29, the International Day of the Tropics spotlights a vast region stretching between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, where warmth and rainfall shape daily life. This zone covers about 40% of Earth's surface area, yet supports around 80% of global biodiversity, making it central to planetary health and culture.

In French Polynesia, Bora Bora offers a clear snapshot of that complexity. The island is the eroded core of an ancient volcano, its dark basalt peaks—Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia—rising from shallow turquoise waters. Around it, a barrier reef encloses calm water, forming a lagoon as volcanic rock slowly subsides and the reef grows upward. Locally called Pora Pora in Tahitian, meaning 'firstborn,' the island reflects both geological time and living culture, where language, ocean systems, and landforms remain closely linked.

温德盖特山口附近的巨柱仙人掌, 麦克道尔山脉, 亚利桑那州, 美国 (© Eric Mischke/Getty Images)

看起来很精神

巨人柱仙人掌, 温德盖特山口, 麦克道尔山脉, 亚利桑那州

在索诺拉沙漠，作为生存大师的巨人柱仙人掌赋予了“坚守”（stick around）一词新的含义。这种巨型植物伸展着躯干与枝臂，向四面八方昂然挺立，已然成为美国西南部的标志性象征。

巨人柱是美国最高的仙人掌，仅分布于横跨亚利桑那州、加利福尼亚州和墨西哥的索诺兰沙漠。它们的高度可超过40英尺（约12米），重量可达6吨，寿命近200年。然而，它们的生长初期十分缓慢，最初几年仅长高1至1.5英寸（约2.5至3.8厘米）。大多数巨人柱需等待50到75年才会长出分枝（即“手臂”），而有些则终生保持着像“长矛”一样笔直无枝的形态。

巨人柱专为适应严酷环境而生，其褶皱状的树干能储存水分——雨后膨胀，干旱时收缩。它们的根系可向四周延伸长达100英尺，以便汲取短暂降雨带来的水分。幼株常在“护士树”的庇护下生长。植株长到35岁时便会开花；啄木鸟凿出的巢洞，随后会被猫头鹰和鹪鹩利用。巨人柱坚韧、耐性十足且浑身长满尖刺，它有力地证明了：在沙漠中生存绝非易事。

博尼亚德海滩上的漂流木, 亨廷岛, 南卡罗来纳州, 美国 Driftwood on Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina, USA (© Frances/Adobe Stock)

逐渐失去立足之地的树木 The trees that lost ground

博尼亚德海滩上的漂流木, 亨廷岛, 南卡罗来纳州

在美国南卡罗来纳州亨廷岛州立公园内的博尼亚德海滩，最先映入眼帘的是那些树木。紧接着，一个疑问便会浮现：为何一根根被海水漂白的树干和裸露的树根散落在沙滩上，仿佛一幕正在坍塌的景象被按下了暂停键？自20世纪80年代以来，亨廷岛一直面临严重的海滩侵蚀问题，其侵蚀速率位居美国东海岸前列。在部分区域，海岸线每年后退幅度最高可达约30英尺（约9米）。

在岛屿南端的博尼亚德海滩上，这一自然演变过程清晰可见：饱经风霜的浮木，以及活橡树和棕榈树的残骸，沿岸错落分布。这些树木曾是滨海森林的一部分，但随着海岸侵蚀和风暴导致海岸线变迁，它们的生存空间逐渐丧失。如今留下的景象，既像是一堂生动的地质课，又宛如一座露天画廊。这里记录了超过200种鸟类；近海常有宽吻海豚出没，附近的沙滩上也有红海龟筑巢产卵。每逢退潮，最宽阔的滩涂便显露出来，供人探索；每一次造访，这里的景致都各不相同，独具风貌。

Driftwood on Boneyard Beach, Hunting Island, South Carolina

At Boneyard Beach within Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina, the first thing you notice is the trees. Then comes the question: why are bleached trunks and exposed roots scattered across the sand like a scene paused midway through collapse? Since the 1980s, Hunting Island has experienced major beach erosion, with some of the highest rates along the US East Coast—reaching up to 30 feet per year in certain areas.

On the island's southern end, Boneyard Beach shows this process clearly: weathered driftwood and the remains of live oaks and palmettos line the shore. Once part of a maritime forest, these trees gradually lost ground as coastal erosion and storms shifted the shoreline. What remains is part geology lesson, part outdoor gallery. More than 200 bird species have been recorded here; bottlenose dolphins are often seen offshore, and loggerhead sea turtles nest on nearby beaches. At low tide, the widest stretch opens to explore, and no two visits look exactly the same.

泰晤士河, 伦敦, 英格兰 The River Thames, London, England (© Daniel Lange/Getty Images)

时事 Current affairs

泰晤士河, 伦敦, 英格兰

议会大厦、钟楼和巨型摩天轮有什么共同之处？它们都矗立在泰晤士河畔，仿佛伦敦为了营造戏剧性效果而精心布局了这些标志性建筑。

右侧矗立着作为英国政府所在地的威斯敏斯特宫，它在1834年的一场大火后以哥特式风格重建。大本钟——即伊丽莎白塔内那口大钟——自1859年起便开始报时，其钟声悠扬，传遍城外。河对岸，郡政厅沿岸延伸；而伦敦眼则在缓慢的旋转中，为人们提供了独特的观景视角。

从水面上望去，眼前的景象仿佛经过了精妙绝伦的布局与选角，宛如天成。然而，这份功劳主要应归于泰晤士河。公元43年之后不久，罗马人在此建立了伦底纽姆（Londinium）；之所以选址于此，是因为这条河既极具利用价值，又难以被彻底掌控。自那时起，它便承载着贸易往来、流言蜚语、权势更迭以及种种世界观。商人依它为生，君王沿它航行，艺术家为它赋予浪漫色彩。至于伦敦这座城市——它历经数世纪，向高空、向四方不断延展，但始终紧依着这条河流而生。

The River Thames, London, England

What does a parliament, a clock tower, and a giant wheel have in common? They all stand beside the River Thames as if London had carefully staged its icons for dramatic effect.

On the right, the Palace of Westminster rises as the seat of British government, rebuilt in Gothic style after the fire of 1834. Big Ben—the bell inside the Elizabeth Tower—has kept time since 1859, its chimes carrying far beyond the city. Across the river, County Hall stretches along the bank, while the London Eye offers perspective, one slow rotation at a time.

From the water, today's scene feels improbably well cast. But the Thames deserves most of the credit. Shortly after AD 43, the Romans founded Londinium here because the river was useful yet difficult to dominate. Since then, it has borne trade, rumors, power, and entire worldviews. Merchants depended on it, kings navigated it, artists romanticized it. London? It grew upward, outward, and across centuries—but always beside it.

布鲁塞尔大广场上的建筑群, 比利时 Buildings on Grand-Place Square in Brussels, Belgium (© Vladislav Zolotov/Getty Images Plus)

在广场中感受历史 Square up to history

布鲁塞尔大广场上的建筑群, 比利时

在比利时，很少有哪个广场能像大广场那样承载如此丰富的历史。广场周围的建筑，正如照片所示，最初都是行会会所，每座会所都由特定的行业出资兴建。酿酒师、面包师、商人和工匠们将建筑视为一种语言，通过浮雕、纹章和大量的金箔，将工作、地位和竞争关系凝结于石头之上。各种建筑风格在此交融碰撞，毫不拘束。哥特式的垂直线条与巴洛克式的曲线并肩而立，而市政厅——这座比周围建筑更古老、造型大胆不对称的建筑——则将整个建筑群和谐地连接起来。

然而，这种团结是在压力下铸就的。如今屹立的大部分建筑都建于1695年之后，当时法国的炮火摧毁了中世纪的中心城区。这座城市迅速而大胆地重建，将毁灭转化为精心编排的城市复兴。生活很快恢复：集市、公共庆典、皇家仪式、节日以及著名的花毯都曾在此上演。几个世纪过去了，广场依然充满活力。联合国教科文组织将其列为世界遗产。布鲁塞尔称其为家园——也是这座城市最自信的自我写照。

Buildings on Grand-Place Square in Brussels, Belgium

Few squares in Belgium wear history as well as the Grand Place. The surrounding buildings, seen here, began as guild houses, each funded by a specific trade. Brewers, bakers, merchants, and craftsmen treated architecture as language, translating work, status, and rivalry into stone through reliefs, coats of arms, and generous gold leaf. Styles meet without caution. Gothic verticals rise beside Baroque curves, while the Town Hall, older than its neighbors and unapologetically asymmetrical, holds the composition together.

That unity, however, was forged under pressure. Most of the structures standing today rose from the ashes after 1695, when a French bombardment erased the medieval center. The city responded by rebuilding quickly and boldly, turning destruction into a tightly choreographed urban reply. Life returned quickly: markets, public spectacles, royal ceremonies, festivals, and the famous flower carpet have all taken their turn here. Centuries later, the square keeps its civic pulse. UNESCO calls it heritage. Brussels calls it home—and its most confident self portrait.

本州岛上的富士山, 日本 Mount Fuji on Honshu Island, Japan (© phutthiseth thongtae/Getty Images)

天际线上的印记 Signature on the horizon

本州岛上的富士山, 日本

富士山是日本最高峰，海拔12,389英尺（约3700米），耸立于本州岛，位于东京西南约60英里（约97公里）处。这座近乎完美的锥形山峰是一座火山——自1707年12月最后一次喷发后便一直处于休眠状态，但仍被归类为活火山。那次大规模喷发被称为宝荣喷发，火山灰和其他火山碎屑喷涌而出，席卷日本东部，甚至远至江户（今东京）。除了地质学意义之外，富士山长期以来被视为神圣的景观和朝圣登山的目的地，这体现了日本自然、宗教和日常生活的交融。这种经久不衰的文化魅力也是它于2013年被联合国教科文组织列为世界遗产的原因之一，被誉为“神圣之地和艺术灵感的源泉”。众所周知，在晴朗的日子里，富士山从远处就能清晰可见，但这并非必然——云层可能在几分钟内将其遮蔽。无论您是徒步攀登，还是只是从火车车窗瞥见它，它依然是日本地平线上的标志性景观。

Mount Fuji on Honshu Island, Japan

Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain, rises to 12,389 feet on Honshu Island, about 60 miles southwest of Tokyo. Its near-perfect cone is a volcano—dormant since its last eruption in December 1707 yet still classed as active. That last major event is known as the Hōei eruption. It blasted ash and other tephra across eastern Japan, reaching Edo (today's Tokyo). Beyond geology, Fuji has long been treated as a sacred landscape and a destination for pilgrimage climbs, reflecting how nature, religion, and daily life overlap in Japan. That enduring cultural appeal is one reason it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 as 'a sacred place and source of artistic inspiration.' Fuji is famously visible from far away on clear days but never guaranteed—clouds can hide it in minutes. Whether you hike it or just catch a glimpse from a train window, it still feels like Japan's signature on the horizon.

奎诺尔特雨林, 奥林匹克国家公园, 华盛顿州, 美国 Quinault rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington state, USA (© Chris Moore/Tandem Stills + Motion)

一个郁郁葱葱的王国 A lush kingdom

世界雨林日

6月22日是世界雨林日，这是一个全球性的日子，也是全年呼吁人们保护世界剩余雨林的行动。这些生态系统并非地图上的点点星罗棋布。它们遍布热带地区及其他地区，却仅覆盖地球表面约6%的面积。想想南美洲的亚马逊雨林、非洲的刚果盆地以及东南亚的森林吧。

位于华盛顿州奥林匹克国家公园的奎诺特雨林是一片原始的温带雨林。雨水和雾气滋养着它，使每一根树枝都成为鲜活的生命之源。仔细观察，你会发现这里郁郁葱葱，湿润丰饶：西加云杉和西部铁杉，披着苔藓和蕨类的大叶枫，以及倒下的参天大树上萌发新芽的“保育原木”。森林地面是真菌、昆虫和两栖动物的柔软实验室。如果你要来这里游览，可以从奎诺特雨林护林站出发，沿着枫树林步道走一小段，就能与森林平视相望。6月22日提醒我们行动起来。让我们每天都为森林挺身而出，守护那些依然屹立的生机。

World Rainforest Day

June 22 is World Rainforest Day, a global moment and a year-round call to protect the world's remaining rainforests. These ecosystems aren't just dots on the map. They thrive across the tropics and beyond yet cover only about 6% of Earth's surface. Think of the Amazon in South America, the Congo Basin in Africa, and the forests of Southeast Asia.

Quinault, in Olympic National Park in Washington, is a primeval temperate rainforest. Rain and fog keep it growing, turning every branch into a living surface. Look closer and you'll see lush, damp abundance: Sitka spruce and western hemlock, bigleaf maples dressed in mosses and ferns, and 'nurse logs' where new trees germinate on fallen giants. The forest floor is a soft laboratory of fungi, insects, and amphibians. If you're visiting, start at the Quinault Rain Forest Ranger Station and take the short Maple Glade Trail to meet the forest at eye level. June 22 is a reminder to act. Let's show up for forests every day and protect what's still standing.

漂浮在南极半岛西部海域的拱形冰山, 南大洋 Arched iceberg floating off the western Antarctic Peninsula, Southern Ocean (© Steven Kazlowski/Nature Picture Library)

海洋中冰封的大教堂 An ocean's frozen cathedral

南极半岛西部，南大洋，拱形冰山

在南极半岛沿岸，一道冰雕般的拱形结构从南大洋拔地而起，而南极半岛是地球上变暖速度最快的地区之一。这道拱形结构最初是由积雪压实而成，历经数千年演变为冰川。最终，冰川或漂浮冰架的一部分断裂脱落——这一过程被称为冰崩——形成了漂浮的冰山。

冰山按大小和形状分类。要符合冰山的定义，冰山的高度必须超过海平面约16英尺（约4.9米），但其近90%仍隐藏在水面之下。顶部平坦的“板状”冰山在南极洲很常见，而像图中这种拱形冰山则属于不规则的非板状冰山。

这些看似荒芜的漂浮巨物，实则孕育着生命。藻类附着在它们的底部，为成群的磷虾提供食物，而磷虾又为鱼类、海豹和鲸鱼提供养分。随着冰层融化，释放出的营养物质滋养着周围的水域，使这些冰雕变成了移动的生态系统。

Arched iceberg, western Antarctic Peninsula, Southern Ocean

A sculpted arch of ice rises from the Southern Ocean along the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth. This formation began as compacted snow that turned into glacial ice over thousands of years. Eventually, part of a glacier or floating ice shelf fractured and broke free—a process known as calving—creating a drifting iceberg.

Icebergs are classified by size and shape. To qualify, a mass must tower more than about 16 feet above sea level, yet nearly 90% of it remains hidden below the surface. Flat-topped 'tabular' forms are common in Antarctica, while eroded features like this arch fall into irregular, non-tabular categories.

Though seemingly barren, these floating giants support life. Algae cling to their undersides, feeding swarms of krill, which sustain fish, seals, and whales. As ice melts, it releases nutrients that fertilize surrounding waters, turning these frozen sculptures into mobile ecosystems.

萨克赛瓦曼遗址俯瞰图，库斯科，秘鲁 Aerial view of the ruins of Sacsayhuamán, Cusco, Peru (© Creative-Family/Getty Images Plus)

坚如磐石的奇观 A rock-solid marvel

萨克塞华曼遗址俯瞰图在库斯科，秘鲁

萨克塞华曼（Sacsayhuamán）坐落于秘鲁库斯科的高处，通过石材展现了印加帝国的宏大雄心。这座宏伟的建筑群始建于15世纪，曾是印加帝国神圣都城的一部分。从高空俯瞰，其布局清晰呈现：梯田、开阔的广场以及塔楼遗迹，共同构成了一座经过精密规划的卫城。其中最为壮观的墙体由巨型石块砌成，至今依然屹立不倒。部分石材高度超过 27 英尺（约 8.2 米），且在未使用灰浆的情况下实现了极度精确的无缝拼接，这使得该结构历经数百年的地震仍完好无损。

考古学家认为，萨克塞华曼遗址兼具祭祀与战略双重用途，既是举办祭祀印加太阳神“因蒂”（Inti）等集会与仪式的场所，也承担着俯瞰并守卫下方城市的作用。其名称源于克丘亚语（Quechua），通常译为“心满意足的猎鹰”，体现了猛禽在安第斯信仰中的重要地位。如今，这处遗址仍是印加工程技术的有力见证——其设计、象征意义以及庞大的规模，从任何角度审视都令人叹为观止。

Aerial view of the ruins of Sacsayhuamán, Cusco, Peru

Set high above Cusco in Peru, Sacsayhuamán reveals the ambition of the Inca Empire in stone. Built in the 15th century, this vast complex once formed part of the sacred capital of the Incas. From above, the layout becomes clear: terraces, open plazas, and the remains of towers forming a carefully planned citadel. The largest walls, built from enormous blocks, still stand strong today. Some stones rise more than 27 feet tall and were fitted together so precisely—without mortar—that the structure has endured centuries of earthquakes.

Archaeologists believe Sacsayhuamán served both ceremonial and strategic purposes, hosting gatherings and rituals dedicated to Inti, the Inca sun god, while also overlooking the city below. Its name comes from Quechua, often translated as 'Satisfied Falcon,' reflecting the importance of birds of prey in Andean belief. Today, the site remains a powerful reminder of Inca engineering—where design, symbolism, and sheer scale continue to impress from every angle.

特雷莫拉公路在圣哥达山口，艾罗洛，瑞士 Tremola Road on the Saint Gotthard Pass in Airolo, Switzerland (© Sandro Bisaro/Getty Images)

蜿蜒而上 Twist your way up

特雷莫拉公路在圣哥达山口，艾罗洛，瑞士

沿着那如丝带般盘旋的连续弯道，您将领略到瑞士最具传奇色彩的驾驶路线之一：特雷莫拉公路（Tremola Road）。它是位于艾罗洛（Airolo）上方、通往圣哥达山口（Saint Gotthard Pass）的历史悠久的南坡入口。该公路始建于 19 世纪初期，并在 1951 年的重建中基本定型，被公认为瑞士最长的历史道路建筑纪念碑。其最引人入胜的一段路程在短短 2.5 英里（约 4 公里）内爬升了约 980 英尺（约 300 米），在花岗岩鹅卵石铺就的 24 个著名发卡弯中盘旋而上，路缘筑有坚固的挡土墙。全路段长约 7 英里（约 11 公里），总计 37 个弯道。请减速慢行——每一处曲线都像是一场穿越时空的旅行，虽然牺牲了车速，却能换取壮丽的山地景观，并俯瞰上勒文蒂纳山谷（upper Leventina Valley）的广阔视野。无论您是驾驶、骑行还是停车拍照，都请留意那个以此标志性“之”字形道路为背景的“瑞士环游之路”（Grand Tour of Switzerland）摄影打卡点。

探险建议：请尽量选择晴朗干燥的天气前往——因为鹅卵石路面带来的震动感本身就是这种惊险刺激体验的一部分。

Tremola Road on the Saint Gotthard Pass in Airolo, Switzerland

Follow the glowing ribbon of switchbacks and you'll find one of Switzerland's most legendary drives: Tremola Road, the historic southern approach to the Saint Gotthard Pass, above Airolo. Built in the early 1800s and largely shaped by a 1951 reconstruction, this route is celebrated as Switzerland's longest monument to historic road construction. Its showstopper stretch climbs about 980 feet in just 2.5 miles, curling through 24 named hairpin bends on granite cobblestones, with sturdy retaining walls edging the way. Overall, it runs about 7 miles and features 37 bends in total. Take it slow—every curve feels like a step back in time, trading speed for sweeping mountain scenery and big views toward the upper Leventina Valley. Whether you're driving, cycling, or pulling over for photos, look for the Grand Tour of Switzerland photo spot framing those iconic zigzags.

Adventure tip: Aim for clear, dry conditions—the cobbles are part of the thrill.