地坛公园秋日美景，北京，中国 Beijing autumn ditan park view beautiful fall (© by Wei/Adobestock)

金秋平分，地坛染黄 Golden leaves of the Autumn Equinox

地坛公园银杏大道，北京，中国

金色地毯通常只出现在童话世界里，但在金秋时节的北京，它们却铺展在你的脚下。地坛公园（方泽坛）著名的银杏大道汇聚了200多株历史悠久的银杏树。每当秋风掠过，数以万计的扇形金叶翩翩飘落，将这座古老的皇家坛庙铺垫成一片如梦似幻的金黄海洋。

地坛始建于明代嘉靖九年（1530年），曾是明清两代帝王在秋分时节祭祀“皇地祗”神明的地方。如今，当太阳直射赤道、昼夜再次平分，这座庄严的皇家坛庙不再只有岁月的肃穆，而是在光影与斑斓色彩中蜕变为自然与历史交融的避风港，静静诉说着古都数百年的时空变迁。

在清晨和煦的秋阳下，朱红的宫墙、古朴的黛瓦与熠熠生辉的金叶交相辉映，勾勒出绝美的高古意境。正如文学大师史铁生在《我与地坛》中所描绘的那样，地坛始终守护着这份宁静与包容，倾听着风吹落叶的沙沙响声，邀请每一位游人在喧嚣的现代都市深处放慢脚步，体味岁月留下的温润与悠长。

瓜兹曼山口附近的秋日山杨林，犹他州，美国 Fall aspen trees near Guardsman Pass, Utah, USA (© Danita Delimont/Shutterstock)

金色时节 The golden season

瓜兹曼山口，犹他州，美国

在犹他州瓜兹曼山口附近，季节的变化以金色写满山坡。为美国西部染上色彩的山杨中，有许多是美洲山杨——北美分布最广的本土树种。眼前看似由一棵棵独立树木组成的森林，往往有着截然不同的真相：许多山杨形成彼此相连的无性系群落，树干从共享的根系网络中长出，并与相邻树干拥有相同的遗传密码。

即使叶片变黄飘落，这个生物体仍有很大一部分在地下存活。山杨可以依靠根系熬过冬季，静静地为未来的生长做准备。秋分或许宣告夏季结束，但在这些非凡的林地中，生命从未真正停歇。

Autumn equinox

The autumn equinox marks a turning point in the Northern Hemisphere. Occurring each September, it is the moment when the sun crosses the equator heading south, and day and night are nearly equal in length. After this celestial balance, daylight gradually shrinks as the journey toward winter begins.

Near Guardsman Pass in Utah, the change is written across the mountainsides in gold. Many of the aspens coloring the American West are quaking aspens, the most widely distributed native tree species in North America. What appears to be a forest of individuals is often something else entirely: many aspens grow in connected colonies, with trunks emerging from a shared root network and carrying the same genetic code as their neighbors.

Even as their leaves turn yellow and fall, much of the organism remains alive below ground. Aspens can persist through winter via their root systems, quietly preparing for future growth. The autumn equinox may signal summer's end, but in these remarkable groves, life never truly pauses.

日落时分的埃菲尔铁塔，巴黎，法国 Eiffel Tower at sunset, Paris, France (© Alexander Spatari/Getty Images)

终获巴黎青睐的铁塔 The tower that won Paris over

法国巴黎日落时分的埃菲尔铁塔

几乎没有哪座城市像巴黎这样被赋予如此多的浪漫想象。然而，这座法国首都的历史并非始终像埃菲尔铁塔背后的落日霞光一样绚丽。铁塔为1889年世界博览会而建；这届世博会纪念法国大革命爆发一百周年，而铁塔最初计划作为博览会入口处的核心建筑。由工程师古斯塔夫·埃菲尔及其团队设计的这座钢铁地标，从战神广场拔地而起，高度接近1,000英尺，并成为当时世界上最高的建筑。

许多当地人曾批评这一大胆设计，但它很快便激发了公众的想象力。世博会期间，数百万人前来参观这座纪念建筑，并欣赏他们此前从未体验过的全景视野。

如今，游客可以沿塞纳河漫步，探访这座不断重塑自我的城市中的古老街区和各类博物馆。夜幕降临，埃菲尔铁塔在夜空下熠熠生辉，依然是法国创造力、雄心与韧性的有力象征。

Eiffel Tower at sunset, Paris, France

No other city is nearly as romanticized as Paris. Yet the French capital's history has not always been as rosy as the sunset glowing behind the Eiffel Tower. Built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, or the World's Fair, which marked the centennial of the start of the French Revolution, the tower was originally intended to serve as the fair's entrance centerpiece. Designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel and his team, the iron landmark rose nearly 1,000 feet above the Champ de Mars and became the tallest structure in the world at the time.

Many locals criticized the bold design, but it quickly captured the public's imagination. During the World's Fair, millions came to see the monument and enjoy panoramic views unlike any they had experienced before.

Today, visitors can stroll along the Seine and explore old neighborhoods and museums throughout a city that continues to reinvent itself. As evening falls and the Eiffel Tower glows against the night sky, it remains a powerful symbol of French creativity, ambition, and resilience.

温纳茨山口，峰区国家公园，英格兰 Winnats Pass, Peak District National Park, England (© Daniel_Kay/Getty Images)

穿越山口腹地 Through the heart of the pass

英格兰峰区国家公园温纳茨山口

在英格兰峰区，一条蜿蜒的长路从已有3亿多年历史的岩石间穿过。如此漫长的地质时间尺度本就令人惊叹，而这条路还穿越了温纳茨山口：这是一道狭窄的石灰岩峡谷，高耸的峭壁展现出远古海洋曾经覆盖英国这一地区的痕迹。

然而，温纳茨山口只是英国首座国家公园——峰区国家公园的亮点之一。在这里，葱郁的石灰岩谷地逐渐过渡为一望无际的砂岩荒原，山丘下还隐匿着洞穴系统。游客可以沿壮观的山脊徒步，探索曾由铅矿工开采的地下洞窟，也可以漫步于卡斯尔顿和贝克韦尔等风景如画的社区。英格兰很少有地方能在一片景观中汇聚如此丰富的地质多样性和户外探险体验。无论从狂风劲吹的山顶远眺，还是身处洞窟深处，峰区都是一个每次转弯都会展现新景象的地方。

Winnats Pass, Peak District National Park, England

A long, winding road cuts through rocks more than 300 million years old in England's Peak District. As if that geological timescale were not remarkable enough, the road passes through Winnats Pass, a narrow limestone gorge whose towering cliffs reveal the ancient seas that once covered this part of Britain.

Yet Winnats Pass is only one highlight of the Peak District National Park, Britain's first national park. Here, green limestone valleys give way to sweeping gritstone moorlands, while hidden cave systems run beneath the hills. Visitors can hike along dramatic ridges, explore underground caverns once worked by lead miners, and wander through picturesque communities such as Castleton and Bakewell. Few places in England pack so much geological diversity and outdoor adventure into a single landscape. Whether viewed from a windswept hilltop or from the depths of a cavern, the Peak District is a place where every turn reveals something new.

桑特奈葡萄酒产区葡萄园中的索林风车，伯恩丘，勃艮第，法国 Sorine windmill and vineyards, Santenay wine region, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France (© Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images)

为丰收举杯 A toast to the harvest

桑特奈葡萄酒产区，伯恩丘，勃艮第，法国

每年夏末秋初，法国最令人期待的传统之一——“vendanges”葡萄采摘季——如期而至。采摘时间因葡萄酒产区而异，并取决于天气状况、日照以及果实的成熟度。对许多葡萄园而言，采收仍主要依靠人工，工作人员会仔细挑选一串串葡萄，用于酿造法国一些最负盛名的葡萄酒。

在勃艮第伯恩丘南端的桑特奈，这一景象格外壮观。正如今天的画面所示，一排排葡萄藤沿起伏山丘铺展，山坡上方矗立着索林风车；这座修复后的19世纪地标俯瞰着周围的乡野和葡萄园。

几个世纪以来，葡萄采收一直塑造着法国人的生活。它的重要性甚至在法国共和历中留下回响：共和历以收获葡萄来命名其第一个月份，提醒人们葡萄酒酿造与法国历史交织得何等深厚。随着篮筐渐渐装满、葡萄园披上秋日色彩，农业、传统遗产与庆典在这个季节交融为一种独具法国特色的仪式。

Santenay wine region, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France

Each year, late summer and early fall bring one of France's most anticipated traditions: the 'vendanges,' the grape-picking season. The timing varies from one wine region to another and depends on weather conditions, sun exposure, and the ripeness of the fruit. For many vineyards, harvest is still a hands-on effort, with teams carefully selecting bunches destined for some of the country's most celebrated wines.

The scene is especially striking in Santenay, at the southern end of Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. Here, rows of vines stretch across rolling hills beneath the Sorine windmill, a restored 19th-century landmark that overlooks the surrounding countryside and vineyards, as seen in today's image.

Harvesting grapes has shaped French life for centuries. Its importance even echoes in the French Republican calendar, which named its opening month after the gathering of the crop—a reminder of how deeply winemaking is woven into the nation's history. As baskets fill and the vineyards glow with autumn color, the season blends agriculture, heritage, and celebration into a uniquely French ritual.

地肤田，中国 Field of kochia plants, China (© lingqi xie/Getty Images)

坚韧在此扎根 Where toughness takes root

地肤田，中国

在今天的画面中，中国大地上铺展着绿色与深红色的地肤。地肤原产于欧亚大陆部分地区，19世纪末作为观赏植物和制作扫帚的材料来源被引入美国。它耐旱、耐热、耐盐碱土壤和少雨环境的能力，帮助其扩散至美国大平原及美国西部大部分地区。

地肤由种子迅速生长，单株在一个生长季内便可长到数英尺高，并产生数千粒种子。幼株可用作牲畜饲料，尤其是在其他植被稀少的干旱地区。地肤因醒目的色彩和顽强的生命力而受人欣赏，但农民也将它视为一种难以治理的耐性杂草。从美国大草原到画面中中国色彩绚丽的田野，它始终是自然适应能力的非凡例证。

Field of kochia plants, China

In today's image, kochia plants spread across the landscape in China in shades of green and deep red. Native to parts of Eurasia, kochia was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s as an ornamental plant and a source of material for broom making. Its ability to withstand drought, heat, saline soils, and low rainfall helped it spread across the Great Plains and much of the American West.

Growing quickly from seed, a single plant can reach several feet tall in one season and produce thousands of seeds. Young plants have been used as forage for livestock, particularly in dry regions where other vegetation is scarce. While admired for its striking colors and resilience, kochia is also known to farmers as a hardy weed that can be difficult to control. From American prairies to the vibrant fields seen here in China, it remains a remarkable example of nature's adaptability.

米苏里纳群峰，多洛米蒂山脉，威尼托大区，意大利 Cadini di Misurina, Dolomites, Veneto, Italy (© Vithun Khamsong/Getty Images)

高处的珊瑚礁 A reef above its station

米苏里纳群峰，多洛米蒂山脉，威尼托大区，意大利

画面捕捉了意大利东北部威尼托大区米苏里纳群峰日出时的锯齿状天际线。前往附近三峰山的游客，往往本为那条著名路线而来，却发现自己的目光被米苏里纳群峰吸引。作为多洛米蒂山脉的一部分，这些针状山峰最高处超过9,300英尺，仿佛专为营造戏剧效果而雕琢。出人意料的是，它们最初是古老的珊瑚礁。

大约2.5亿年前，这一地区位于温暖的热带海洋之下。随着非洲板块与欧亚板块碰撞，海床被抬升到数千英尺高空；昔日由鱼儿游过的悬崖中，至今保存着贝壳及其他海洋化石，如今则由徒步者探索。

日出和日落时分，多洛米蒂山脉在被称为“恩洛萨蒂拉”（enrosadira）的高山奇观中闪烁着粉色与橙色的光芒，让这些古礁石仿佛由内而外被点亮。如今，这处联合国教科文组织世界自然遗产保存着地质学上最不可思议的故事之一。从珊瑚礁到耸立的天际线，鲜少有地方经历过如此漫长而巨大的沧桑巨变。

Cadini di Misurina, Dolomites, Veneto, Italy

The image captures the jagged skyline of Cadini di Misurina at sunrise in Veneto, northeastern Italy. Visitors heading toward nearby Tre Cime di Lavaredo often come for the famous route only to find their attention hijacked by the Cadini. Part of the Dolomites, these needle-like peaks reaching more than 9,300 feet at their highest point seem sculpted for drama. The twist? They started out as ancient coral reefs.

Around 250 million years ago, this region lay beneath a warm tropical sea. As the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, the seabed was thrust thousands of feet into the sky, preserving shells and other marine fossils in cliffs now explored by hikers instead of fish.

At sunrise and sunset, the Dolomites glow pink and orange in the Alpine phenomenon known as 'enrosadira,' making these former reefs appear almost lit from within. Today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site preserves one of geology's most improbable stories. From coral reef to mountain skyline, few places have traveled farther.

滨海自由城，法国里维埃拉，法国 Villefranche-sur-Mer, French Riviera, France (© StockByM/Getty Images)

地中海风情尽显 A patchwork from above

滨海自由城，法国里维埃拉

九月，法国里维埃拉沐浴在更柔和的光线中，地中海植被也逐渐恢复生机。山丘间弥漫着阿勒颇松、迷迭香和野百里香的芳香。内陆地区，百年橄榄树和山顶村庄讲述着一个由希腊、罗马和普罗旺斯影响共同塑造的故事。

沿着海岸步道，冬青栎和草莓树经受住夏季干旱，无花果树则仍结满成熟果实。在滨海自由城等海滨城镇的海湾中，帆船和游艇优雅地滑行于海天之间；埃斯泰雷勒山地的红色岩石，与深绿色的地中海灌木丛形成鲜明对比。

在一处幽静海湾周围，蝉鸣渐渐淡去，气氛也愈发宁静。法国里维埃拉远不只是一幅明信片般完美的风景：这里是自然、遗产与生活艺术的和谐交融，地中海在此占据绝对主导。

奥尔韦拉航拍图，安达卢西亚，西班牙 Aerial view of Olvera, Andalusia, Spain (© Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images)

俯瞰大地拼图 A patchwork from above

奥尔韦拉航拍图，安达卢西亚，西班牙

你是否想过，安达卢西亚为何是西班牙最著名的地区之一？弗拉门戈、塔帕斯、摩尔式建筑和广阔的橄榄林都功不可没。在那些名城之外，还有奥尔韦拉这样的历史古镇。这座村庄被200多万棵橄榄树环绕，作为战略边境聚落发展而来，并在数百年的变迁中成形。奥尔韦拉城堡依然俯瞰着全镇，下方的化身圣母教堂则主导着天际线。前往拉西利亚文化中心，可以了解奥尔韦拉的中世纪历史与传统。

饿了吗？可以尝尝“gazpacho”冷番茄汤、西班牙著名的“jamón ibérico”伊比利亚火腿，或酥脆的“torta de aceite”橄榄油薄饼。若想散步或骑行欣赏风景，可前往塞拉山绿色之路——一条由旧铁路线改造而成的热门步道。在陡峭的鹅卵石街道上要留心脚下：相机也许端得稳，脚步可未必！正如俗语所说，“poco a poco”——慢慢来。放慢脚步，随意漫步，让奥尔韦拉一点点展现自己。

Aerial view of Olvera, Andalusia, Spain

Ever wondered why Andalusia is one of Spain's best-known regions? Flamenco, tapas, Moorish architecture, and extensive olive groves all play a part. Beyond its famous cities, you'll find historic places like Olvera. Surrounded by more than 2 million olive trees, this village developed as a strategic frontier settlement shaped by centuries of change. The Castle of Olvera still watches over the town, while the Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation dominates the skyline below. Visit La Cilla Cultural Center to discover Olvera's medieval history and traditions.

Hungry? Try 'gazpacho,' a chilled tomato soup; 'jamón ibérico,' Spain's famous cured ham; or the 'torta de aceite,' a crisp olive oil biscuit. For a scenic walk or bike ride, head to the Vía Verde de la Sierra, a former railway line turned popular trail. Watch your step on the steep cobbled streets—your camera might stay steady, but your footing may not! As the saying goes, 'poco a poco'—little by little. Slow down, wander, and let Olvera reveal itself.

安科拉附近的加比特凯尼海滩，卡纳塔克邦，印度 Gabit Keni Beach near Ankola, Karnataka, India (© Amith Nag Photography/Getty Images)

印度西海岸的生活 Life on India's west coast

安科拉附近的加比特凯尼海滩，卡纳塔克邦，印度

提到印度南部，人们常会想到香料贸易路线、古典音乐、民间舞蹈，以及数百年来连接印度与世界的海岸线。沿着这条海岸向西进入卡纳塔克邦，便会抵达安科拉附近一处更宁静的停靠点：加比特凯尼海滩。这里的生活围绕阿拉伯海展开，渔船在黎明前出海，载着当天的渔获归来。

这片海滩以加比特渔民社区命名。探索北卡纳达县时，这里是个轻松顺路的停靠点，尤其适合与戈卡尔纳、卡尔瓦尔和历史悠久的米尔詹堡一同游览。观鸟者可能在溪流附近看到海岸鸟类，摄影者则常在清晨光线更柔和时驻足。何不尝尝当地美食？安科拉周边餐馆里，新鲜鱼咖喱、炸鱿鱼和鲜虾菜肴都很受欢迎。离开之前，不妨留出时间享用一顿新鲜海鲜；它或许会和这片海滩一样令人难忘。

Gabit Keni Beach near Ankola, Karnataka, India

When people think of South India, they often picture spice trade routes, classical music, folk dances, and a coastline that has connected India with the world for centuries. Follow that coastline west into Karnataka and you'll reach a quieter stop near Ankola: Gabit Keni Beach. Life here revolves around the Arabian Sea, with fishing boats setting out before dawn and returning with the day's catch.

The beach is named after the Gabit fishing community. It's an easy stop while exploring the Uttara Kannada district, especially alongside Gokarna, Karwar, and the historic Mirjan Fort. Birdwatchers may spot coastal birds near the stream, while photographers often stop by during the softer light of early morning. Why not sample local cuisine? Fresh fish curries, squid fry, and prawn dishes are popular at eateries around Ankola. Before you leave, make time for a fresh seafood meal—it may end up being as memorable as the beach itself.