庆祝春节的龙形灯笼，中国西安 Dragon Lantern for celebrating Spring Festival, Xi'an, China (© Pan Hong/Getty Images)

祝除夕团圆，新年顺遂！ Wishing you all the best in the New Year!

中国的除夕夜

除夕夜，街头的龙形灯笼正蜿蜒舒展，金鳞流转间仿佛蓄着时光的温度；而远处隐约响起的蹄声，恰似春风捎来骏马的问候——这是龙与马的相逢，是古老祥瑞与崭新朝气在岁月门楣的相会。

这座龙灯以腾跃之姿盘绕成家门前的守护，又以马踏青云的昂扬，将锦绣前程写入每扇温暖的窗棂。新的一年将至，让我们将龙马精神融入血脉，每一步都是光芒蜿蜒处，每一程皆有长风万里随。

蒙特雷湾的大翅鲸(座头鲸)，加利福尼亚州，美国 Humpback whales in Monterey Bay, California, USA (© Kiliii Fish/Cavan Images)

浪涛下的歌谣 Songs beneath the waves

世界鲸鱼日

世界鲸鱼日定于每年2月的第3个星期日，起源于20世纪80年代的夏威夷。当时，当地社区会庆祝座头鲸在迁徙季节重返近海。这一纪念日随后逐渐受到国际关注，尤其是在1986年国际捕鲸委员会通过商业捕鲸禁令之后，该举措成为全球鲸类保护的重要里程碑。

座头鲸修长的胸鳍格外醒目，而它们在繁殖季发出的复杂歌声，更为海洋增添了神秘回响。座头鲸的迁徙路线高度规律，常年沿岸而行，不仅成为季节更替的自然标志，也使其成为最早被关注和保护的鲸类之一。

鲸类保护不仅是禁捕，更关乎整个海洋环境。渔业、航运、噪音、塑料污染与海温变化，共同影响鲸的迁徙路径和觅食节奏。在蒙特雷湾，座头鲸的觅食依托于健康丰富的生态系统。猎物反哺海洋，营养滋养浮游生物，生命由此串联成完整的食物网。世界鲸鱼日，关注鲸鱼，也是关注海洋的未来。

World Whale Day

World Whale Day, observed on the third Sunday of February, began in the 1980s in Hawaii, where communities celebrated the seasonal return of migrating humpback whales. The day gained wider recognition after the International Whaling Commission's 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling, which marked a major milestone in international whale conservation.

Humpback whales are easily recognizable by their long pectoral fins and are known for their complex songs associated with breeding behavior. Their predictable migrations bring them close to shore, turning them into both a cultural marker of the season and a focal point for early conservation efforts.

Today, whale conservation extends far beyond hunting restrictions and includes how we use and manage the oceans more broadly. Fishing activity, major shipping routes, underwater noise, plastic waste, and rising ocean temperatures all influence whale movement and feeding patterns. Pictured here are humpback whales feeding cooperatively in Monterey Bay—a behavior that depends on healthy ecosystems and reliable prey availability. Whales also contribute to ocean systems by circulating nutrients that support plankton growth and marine food webs. World Whale Day highlights the ongoing importance of thoughtful ocean stewardship in maintaining balanced marine ecosystems.

连接老挝和泰国的第三座泰老友谊大桥 (© chaiyut samsuk/Getty Images)

为拉近距离而建 Built to bring closer

连接老挝和泰国的第三座泰老友谊大桥

在没有桥梁的年代，河流决定人们能走多远；而随着桥梁的建立，节奏掌握开始在人的手中。这种转变正是跨境基础设施的重要意义所在，比如连接老挝与泰国的第三座大桥泰老友谊大桥。桥梁结构多样，各有针对性：拱桥应对压力，悬索桥跨越长距离，混凝土箱梁桥则追求稳定与高效承载。这座桥选择箱梁设计，正是为应对湄公河宽阔水面与快速水流的现实需求。

2011年启用的第三座泰老友谊大桥旨在加强泰国那空帕农府与老挝甘蒙省他曲之间的交通联系。该项目由泰国出资建设，延续了此前连接廊开与万象、穆达汉与沙湾拿吉的跨境桥梁体系。全长4669英尺，双向两车道，既服务本地通勤，也承担长途货运任务，有效缓解交通拥堵，提升跨境通行的稳定性和可靠性，并进一步推动区域物流、旅游和跨境合作，重塑区域联系。

Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge connecting Laos and Thailand

Before bridges, rivers set the pace of travel. Now, with bridges, people do. That shift explains why cross-border links like the Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge connecting Laos and Thailand matter. Bridges come in many forms, each built to meet a specific challenge. Arch bridges manage compression, suspension bridges span long distances, and concrete box-girder bridges prioritize stability and load efficiency. This bridge uses the box-girder design, making it a practical choice for crossing the wide, fast-moving Mekong River.

Opened in 2011, the Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge was developed to strengthen transport links between Nakhon Phanom Province in Thailand and Thakhek, in Khammouane Province, Laos. Thailand funded much of the project, continuing a pattern set by earlier crossings such as the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge between Nong Khai and Vientiane and the Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge linking Mukdahan and Savannakhet.

Measuring about 4,669 feet, the bridge comprises two traffic lanes, serving local commuters and long-haul freight alike. This has helped ease congestion at other crossings and made cross-border movement more reliable. Beyond transport efficiency, the bridge supports logistics, tourism, and cross-border cooperation, showing how infrastructure can quietly reshape regional connections without demanding attention.

死亡谷国家公园恶水盆地的盐滩, 加利福尼亚州, 美国 Salt flats in Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California, USA (© Jim Patterson/TANDEM Stills + Motion)

对比之谷 The valley of contrasts

死亡谷国家公园周年纪念

死亡谷国家公园颠覆人们对沙漠的想象，横跨加利福尼亚州与内华达州，总面积约340万英亩，是美国面积最大的国家公园。盐沼、火山丘陵、流动沙丘与覆雪山峰交错分布，构成极端而多变的地貌。从海拔11000英尺的望远镜峰，到低于海平面282英尺的恶水盆地，这里呈现出鲜明且震撼的对比。

罕见暴雨唤醒山谷，野花短暂盛放，隐秘绿洲为野生动物提供栖息之所，近1000种植物在极端环境中顽强生长。恶水盆地是北美洲海拔最低点，广阔盐滩在天际线上裂解出几何纹理，呈现出近乎超现实的景观。早在1849年，廷比沙肖松尼人便在这片山谷中安居生活。

鉴于其独特且极端的地貌景观，1933年，时任美国总统赫伯特·胡佛正式将死亡谷指定为国家纪念地。1994年，《加州沙漠保护法案》进一步将其升格为国家公园，面积扩大一倍以上，使这片极端沙漠得以长期保存。

Death Valley National Park's Anniversary

Death Valley National Park challenges first impressions. Spanning more than 3.4 million acres across California and Nevada, it is the largest national park in the contiguous United States. Across this vast expanse, salt flats, volcanic hills, sweeping sand dunes, and distant snowcapped peaks create a landscape shaped by time and extremes. From the soaring heights of Telescope Peak, which rises over 11,000 feet above the desert floor, to the depths of Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level, the park is a study in contrasts.

Rare rainstorms can trigger brief bursts of wildflowers across parts of the valley, while hidden oases sustain wildlife and more than 1,000 plant species thrive against the odds. At Badwater Basin, pictured here, the land sinks to its lowest point in North America. Its blinding white salt flats stretch to the horizon, fractured into geometric patterns that make each step feel surreal. Long before it earned its foreboding name in 1849, the Timbisha Shoshone people called this valley home.

Recognizing its unique landscapes, President Herbert Hoover designated Death Valley a national monument on this day in 1933. That protection expanded in 1994, when the California Desert Protection Act elevated it to national park status and more than doubled its size, ensuring the preservation of this extraordinary desert for generations to come.

埃斯韦德拉岛和埃斯韦德拉内尔岛，伊维萨岛，西班牙 Islets of Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell, Ibiza, Spain (© L. Apolli/Getty Images)

海妖歌唱之处 Where the Sirens sing

埃斯韦德拉岛和埃斯韦德拉内尔岛,伊维萨岛, 西班牙

在西班牙伊维萨岛西南海域，矗立着两座无人居住的小岛——埃斯韦德拉和埃斯韦德拉内尔。它们属于受保护的自然保留区，以独特的生态价值和震撼的视觉效果闻名。埃斯韦德拉几乎垂直从海中升起，高约1300英尺，陡峭的石灰岩峭壁宛如一座孤立的山脉。不远处的埃斯韦德拉内尔轮廓锋利，因形似伏卧的巨龙而被称为“沉睡的巨龙”，与主岛的高峻挺拔相互映衬。

看似荒凉的礁岛之上，生态却格外丰饶。本土植物在岩缝间生长，海鸟栖息其上，伊维萨壁蜥等特有物种与众多适应峭岩环境的无脊椎动物共同维系着脆弱而精密的生态网络，也因此使这片区域始终处于严格保护之中。

埃斯韦德拉同样笼罩在传说之中，人们常将它比作地中海的百慕大三角，相传这里坐落于神秘的磁场区域，指南针失准、诡异光影的传闻由此而来。在希腊神话中，这座岩岛被视为塞壬女妖的居所，她们曾诱惑奥德修斯；也有人相信，这里是亚特兰蒂斯文明残存的一角。荒凉、野性且神秘，这两座岛屿会在你离开很久之后，仍会悄然浮现在脑海。

Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell, Ibiza, Spain

Just southwest of Ibiza, Spain, lie the uninhabited islets of Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell. Part of a protected nature reserve, these dramatic rock formations are admired for their ecological value and visual impact. Es Vedrà rises around 1,300 feet straight from the sea, its sheer limestone cliffs resembling a mountain range. Nearby, the jagged outline of Es Vedranell has earned it the nickname 'sleeping dragon,' appearing to guard its larger sibling.

Despite their stark appearance, the islets support a surprisingly rich ecosystem, including native flora, marine birds, endemic species such as the Ibiza wall lizard, and numerous invertebrates adapted to the rocky terrain. This fragile biodiversity is one of the reasons public access is tightly restricted.

Es Vedrà is also steeped in legend. Often compared to the Bermuda Triangle, it is said to lie within a powerful magnetic zone, inspiring stories of faulty compasses and strange lights. In Greek mythology, the islet is linked to the Sirens who lured Odysseus, while others believe it to be a remnant of the lost city of Atlantis. Wild and enigmatic, Es Vedrà and Es Vedranell are the kind of places that stay with you long after you've left.

科孚岛的夜晚, 希腊 Corfu at night, Greece (© whitewizzard/Getty Images)

从宁静的夜晚到充满冒险的白天 From quiet nights to adventurous days

科孚岛的夜晚, 希腊

夜幕降临，希腊科孚岛展现出一种安静却耐人寻味的气息。温暖的路灯洒在石质立面上，古老的堡垒在夜色中勾勒出清晰的轮廓，狭窄的街巷层层延展，像一座仍在呼吸的迷宫老城。这里不仅保存着悠久的历史，也承载着真实的生活气息——多元文化在岁月流转中交叠，夜晚的节奏变得缓慢而从容，岛屿的生活气息，也在暗色中悄然浮现。

走出历史老城，科孚岛的景色开始变得更加生动而开阔。崎岖的岩石沿着海岸铺展，在风与海浪的雕琢下形成富有张力的线条，晨光落上去，轮廓愈发鲜明。林木覆盖的山丘一路延伸至碧蓝海湾与隐秘小港，色彩在一天之中不断加深、明亮。岛屿腹地，温泉与富含矿物的水域隐匿于绿意之中，为这座岛屿留下片刻远离喧嚣的安静角落。

回到被列入世界遗产名录的科孚老城，街巷间交融着威尼斯、法兰西与英伦印记，最终沉淀出独特的希腊气质：石质拱廊、城堡轮廓、柔和的马卡龙色建筑，还有咖啡香溢出的广场与小巷。壮丽的海岸线、天然温泉与历史悠久的老城，共同勾勒出科孚岛从静谧夜晚过渡到鲜活白昼的完整体验。

Corfu at night, Greece

The island of Corfu, Greece, meets you at night with a quiet kind of intensity: stone facades catching warm lamplight, fortress walls rising in sharp outline, and narrow lanes unfolding like a lived-in labyrinth. The Old Town doesn't just look historic—it feels inhabited, shaped by centuries of shifting cultures and the slow rhythm of island life after dark.

Move beyond the historic center and Corfu shifts into a more dynamic landscape. Rugged rock formations edge the coastline, carved by wind and sea into dramatic shapes that catch the morning light. Forested hills roll toward turquoise bays and secluded coves, where the colors deepen and brighten throughout the day. In the interior, warm springs and mineral-rich waters offer a serene pause, tucked into pockets of green that feel removed from the bustle of the harbor.

Returning to Corfu's Old Town, the UNESCO-listed streets blend Venetian, French, and British influences into a uniquely Greek character—stone arcades, fortress walls, pastel buildings, and lively squares where cafés spill into narrow lanes. Together, Corfu's dramatic coastlines, natural springs, and storied Old Town create an island experience that transitions beautifully from quiet evenings to vivid, adventurous days.

玻利维亚乌尤尼盐湖 Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia (© Abstract Aerial Art/Getty Images)

在盐沼与天空之间，万物静谧 Salt, sky, and the stillness between

玻利维亚乌尤尼盐湖

玻利维亚的乌尤尼盐沼并不会循序渐进地展开视野，它仿佛一道由光线构成的地平线，瞬间闯入眼帘。这里是世界上最大的盐沼，面积约4000平方英里，海拔接近12000英尺。景观会随季节剧烈变化：雨季来临时，地面被薄薄的积水覆盖，化作一面巨大的天然镜子，天空与大地在倒影中融为一片耀眼的光面。

环绕盐沼四周，景观忽然变得丰富起来。经风沙与时光雕刻的岩石从荒漠中拔地而起，宛如抽象艺术品般扭曲而高耸，几乎让人觉得是刻意设计的造型。不远处，冒着热气的温泉与清冷的高原空气形成鲜明对比，在广袤荒野中营造出一片温暖而宁静的角落。

盐沼周围，泻湖与富含矿物的湖泊装点着大地，在洁白世界中骤然绽放色彩。火烈鸟成群掠过，为静谧画面添上一抹流动的生机。不远处，玻利维亚采矿时代遗留下来的荒废城镇散落其间，静静伫立在无垠的白色大地边缘，带着一丝神秘气息，诉说着这片土地的往昔。

Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia doesn't ease you in—it erupts into view like a horizon made of light. It's the world's largest salt flat, stretching across roughly 4,000 square miles at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. The landscape dramatically shifts with the seasons: when the rain arrives, the surface floods just enough to become an enormous mirror, so perfectly reflective that sky and ground melt into a single glowing plane.

Around the salar, the landscape turns surprisingly varied. Rock formations sculpted by wind and time rise from the desert like abstract artwork—twisted, towering shapes that look almost deliberate. Not far away, steaming hot springs offer a soothing contrast to the crisp high‑altitude air, creating warm pockets of calm in the middle of the wilderness.

The surrounding lagunas and mineral‑rich lakes burst with unexpected color, and flocks of flamingos add flashes of motion to the stillness. Scattered nearby, ghost towns from Bolivia's mining era sit quietly against the vast white expanse, recalling the region's history with an air of mystery.

贾乌山口的拉古塞拉峰, 在科尔蒂纳丹佩佐附近, 意大利 Ra Gusela peak at Giau Pass, near Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy (© Tomasz Podolski/Getty Images)

拉古塞拉——奥运赛季的巅峰 Ra Gusela—peak of the Olympic season

2026年冬季奥运会

2026年冬季奥运会于今日正式拉开帷幕，而多洛米蒂山脉几乎完美诠释了这届赛事的精神。在吉奥山口上方陡然拔起的拉古塞拉峰，海拔达8514英尺，呈现出极具冲击力的高山景观，这正是米兰—科尔蒂纳2026冬季奥运会的标志性气质。这届奥运会由米兰与科尔蒂纳丹佩佐联合主办，将都市活力与深厚的阿尔卑斯山地传统融为一体。

2月6日至22日，来自世界各地的运动员将在意大利北部赛场展开角逐。冰上项目以米兰为核心，而速度感十足、肾上腺素飙升的雪上赛事，则在科尔蒂纳著名的高山赛道上演。这座阿尔卑斯山城上一次举办冬奥会，还是在1956年。如今，它不仅再度见证女子高山滑雪回归，也将迎来滑雪登山项目的奥运首秀——在这片天生属于攀登与俯冲的山地中，冬奥精神再次被点燃。

当全球观众隔屏观赛，拉古塞拉峰在雪域牧场上空巍然映入眼帘，瞬间点明这届冬奥会的独特之处：运动员的力量与韧性，在意大利阿尔卑斯山纯粹而原始的冬日景色中被无限放大。

2026 Winter Olympics

The 2026 Winter Olympics begin today, and few settings capture their spirit better than the Dolomites. Rising sharply above the Giau Pass, the 8,514-foot Ra Gusela peak delivers the kind of dramatic alpine scenery that defines the Milano-Cortina 2026 Games—a joint edition hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, blending metropolitan energy with deep alpine heritage.

From February 6 to 22, athletes from around the world will compete across northern Italy, with ice sports centered in Milan and the fast, adrenaline-filled mountain events unfolding around Cortina's renowned slopes. Cortina last hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956 and will again welcome women's alpine skiing and the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering, a fitting addition in a landscape built for big climbs and breathtaking descents.

As viewers tune in from home, scenes like Ra Gusela rising over snowy pastures offer a glimpse of what makes these games so special: a celebration of athletic skill, resilience, and the raw beauty of winter in the Italian Alps.

戈佐岛上的盐田, 马耳他 Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta (© Marius Roman/Getty Images)

困在网格里 Stuck in a grid

戈佐岛上的盐田, 马耳他

马耳他戈佐岛的什韦尼湾，总有一种魔力，能让海水、岩石与阳光呈现出一种宁静而有序的美感，令人不由得放慢脚步细看。几个世纪前，当地居民在石灰岩上开凿出层层盐池，形成数百个用来蓄海水的盆地。海水进入池中后，在阳光照射下逐渐蒸发，最终结晶成天然的地中海海盐。由于石灰岩海岸易于塑造，加上夏季温暖干燥，戈佐岛逐渐发展成重要的制盐地。每年五月左右，第一批盐晶生成，采盐季随即开始。工人们手工耙盐、清扫、堆放晾晒，最后装袋并储存在洞穴中。

游客可以顺着海岸一路走到盐池旁，不过要注意避开标有“禁止进入”的区域。如果你在夏天造访，说不定还能看到工人们正在耙盐、晒盐的场景，不妨停下来欣赏一下眼前的景色。返程之前，也可以去马耳他各地的美食商店，挑一份盐味十足的纪念品带走。

Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta

Xwejni Bay in Gozo, Malta, has a way of making everyday elements look like a quiet choreography between sea, stone, and sun. You can't help but pause and look closer, right? Centuries back, families began carving these limestone pans, shaping hundreds of basins that trap seawater with each wave. Once the water settles in, the sun's heat does the rest, slowly evaporating it into natural Mediterranean salt. Gozo became a salt-making hub because its limestone coast is easy to shape, and its warm, dry summers keep the crystallization process steady. The first crystals form around May, marking the beginning of the harvesting season. Workers rake the salt by hand, sweep it with brooms and brushes, gather it into small piles to dry for another day, then bag it and store it in the caves.

Visitors can walk right up to the pans along the shore but look out for 'no trespassing' signs. If you swing by in the summer, you might spot active raking and drying. Take a moment to enjoy the view, and before you head back, consider collecting a salty souvenir from one of the many gourmet shops around Malta.

翡翠湾和范内特岛, 太浩湖, 加利福尼亚州, 美国 Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California, USA (© Bill Stevenson/Cavan Images)

太浩湖视觉盛宴 Tahoe serving views

翡翠湾和范内特岛, 太浩湖, 加利福尼亚州

当一个地方同时被地质学家、电影镜头和民间传说反复提及，它必定不只是一处风景。横跨加州与内华达州的太浩湖，正是这样一片承载故事的水域。它诞生于冰河时代，断层活动与冰川雕琢造就了深不见底的湖盆，如今已成为美国最深的淡水湖之一。很久以前，瓦绍族人世代栖居湖畔，随季节更替捕鱼、采集。几个世纪后，矿工的脚步踏入此地，汽船划破湖面，太浩湖也由资源中心，转变为四季皆宜的休闲度假地。

今日画面中的翡翠湾，是太浩湖最上镜的角落之一。因水域较浅，湖水在这里呈现出更为明亮的碧色。水面之下，旧时的游艇与驳船静静躺卧，无声地讲述着湖泊的历史。位于湖心中央的范内特岛上，有一座小巧的石制“茶屋”，建于20世纪20年代，出自慈善家洛拉·奈特之手，她同时还主持兴建了附近的维京斯霍姆。故事并未止步于此，当地传说中提到的“太浩特西”，为这片湖水增添了一丝神秘感。也许某个不经意的水波，就会让你多看一眼，浮想联翩。

Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California

You know a place holds stories when geologists, filmmakers, and local folklore all claim it for different reasons. Lake Tahoe, straddling the border between California and Nevada, fits that bill perfectly. Formed during the Ice Age, the lake was shaped by faulting and glacial carving that created its deep basin. It is now one of the deepest freshwater lakes in the United States. For generations, the Washoe people lived around these clear waters, fishing and gathering seasonally. Centuries later, miners arrived, steamboats crossed the water, and Tahoe shifted from a resource hub to a year-round retreat.

Emerald Bay, seen in today's image, became one of its most photographed corners. Because the bay is shallower than the main lake, its water takes on a lighter hue. Beneath the surface rest old launches and barges, now preserved within Emerald Bay State Park. In the middle, Fannette Island rises with a small stone 'Tea House,’ a 1920s structure built by philanthropist Lora Knight, who also commissioned Vikingsholm nearby. And the story doesn't end here. Local stories mention 'Tahoe Tessie,' the lake's mythical creature. You never know—maybe you'll catch a ripple that makes you look twice.