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Dragon dance performed in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China
Dragon dance performed in Chenzhou, Hunan Province, China
This bird’s-eye view of a traditional Chinese dragon dance shows how teams of performers use poles to manipulate the long figure of a dragon, weaving its body in different positions in time with music and loud drumming. Dragons are associated with good luck in China, and dragon dance performances like this are common during Lunar (aka Chinese) New Year festivities, which begin on the first day of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar, or February 16 this year. This will be the Year of the Dog, according to the Chinese zodiac.Desktop Version
World Migratory Bird Day
World Migratory Bird Day
For World Migratory Bird Day, we"re looking at a flock of black-tailed godwits in the Netherlands. These shorebirds breed in parts of Europe and Russia, and then migrate to areas in Western Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. A large percentage of the godwit population breeds in the Netherlands, which is why the country voted to make it the national bird in 2015. It"s also captured in paintings by Dutch artists Vermeer and Rembrandt, making the black-tailed godwit as "Dutch as they come," according to the Dutch newspaper Trouw.Desktop Version
I m here! Take a look at me!
I m here! Take a look at me!
Spring is lekking season for the black grouse. In the early morning, the male birds, like this fancy fella in Finland, gather on lek sites, often a patch of open ground, to put on a show for the ladies in the audience. The guys flash their white tail feathers, utter cooing and hissing noises, flutter-jump, and pick fights with each other—all to demonstrate their dominance to the watching hens. (Hens are smaller and have gray-brown feathers.) When a hen picks out the male she likes, the two fly off to mate and then go their separate ways. Love connections are brief in the black grouse world.Desktop Version
A cliffside harbor in Sardinia
A cliffside harbor in Sardinia
The mining industry in Sardinia, Italy, was booming in the early 20th century, as European nations looked to reconstruct from the damage of World War I. But Sardinians faced myriad logistical issues trying to export the zinc, lead, and other minerals that were in high demand. Miners on the island were using modern techniques to extract more and more ore, but it wasn"t until 1924, when engineer Cesare Vecelli designed and built the mining infrastructure along the cliffs in Porto Flavia, that getting ore off the island matched their ability to extract it.Desktop Version
Hey, you two in the front!
Hey, you two in the front!
For World Teachers" Day, we"re taking you to a class of emperor penguin chicks getting a lesson from a couple of wise adults—at least that"s how it looks to us. All kidding aside, the celebration has a special significance this year. Educators dedicate their lives to engaging the minds of young and old alike, all the while sparking curiosity about the world around us. But with in-person classes widely curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many teachers have had to adapt their instruction methods by shifting to remote learning. More than ever we"re grateful for their efforts, including their support to parents who are contributing at home.Desktop Version
Too awesome to be a planet
Too awesome to be a planet
Pluto was first spotted on this day in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, a 23-year-old astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Because it"s so far away—about 40 times as far from the sun as Earth is—scientists knew relatively little about Pluto until the New Horizons spacecraft reached it in 2015. In a flyby study, the craft spent more than five months gathering detailed information about Pluto and its moons. What did they find out? There’s a heart-shaped glacier, blue skies, spinning moons, mountains as high as the Rockies, and it snows—but the snow is red.Desktop Version
Mossy Grotto Falls, Oregon
Mossy Grotto Falls, Oregon
Mossy Grotto Falls is a tiny 20-foot waterfall in Oregon"s Columbia River Gorge, home to around 90 waterfalls. This winsome waterfall became popular in recent years after several renowned photographers snapped it following its discovery in 2006. Waterfalls around the world draw our attention and inspire emotions (and even themes for pop songs). In contrast to the serene, burbling Mossy Grotto Falls, Angel Falls in Venezuela is the tallest in the world, where water plunges 2,648 feet before reaching the ground. This roaring wonder is awe-inspiring and one of the top tourist-draws in the country. If you need a moment of reflection, we recommend searching for the nearest waterfall and taking a trip to connect with nature.Desktop Version
At the foot of Dubrovnik s Gibraltar
At the foot of Dubrovnik s Gibraltar
The stairs in today"s photo lead to Fort Lovrijenac, an 11th-century fortress jutting out into the Adriatic Sea just outside the western wall of Dubrovnik, Croatia. "Game of Thrones" fans will recognize these doors as entrances to a dwelling in the fictional city of King"s Landing. Legend claims that when the fort was built on this rocky coastal outpost, it took just three months to construct. The locals of what was then Ragusa knew they had limited time before their rivals, the Venetians, would arrive to build their own outpost and rule over them. According to "The Chronicles of Ragusa," the plan worked—the fort was completed just as the surprised Venetians arrived in ships heavy with supplies.Desktop Version
Hello, harbinger of spring
Hello, harbinger of spring
Welcome back, little mountain bluebird. Although this bright fellow may be enduring the last of this year"s snow in Yellowstone National Park, his presence means winter will soon be ending. The bluebird is a symbol of happiness and a welcome sign of spring in many cultures. Soon other migratory birds will arrive in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—an 18-million-acre tract that includes Grand Teton National Park and surrounding national forests. It"s the world"s largest intact ecosystem in the northern temperate zone. What exactly does that mean? Since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone 25 years ago, all the animal species that were first documented by European explorers can still be found here.Desktop Version
A river runs through it
A river runs through it
To kick off National Park Week, which begins today, we"re visiting America"s newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, in West Virginia. This incredible view is of the New River Gorge Bridge, which, when completed in 1977, was the world"s highest bridge carrying a regular roadway. It held that distinction for 24 years and is now a popular attraction for BASE jumpers and rappelers.Desktop Version
Travel Sunday: Liverpool
Travel Sunday: Liverpool
We approach Liverpool, our Travel Sunday destination, by the River Mersey. And to hear natives of Liverpool tell it, the Mersey is the only river that matters. The Mersey helped build Liverpool into a powerful port city during the 19th century as industrialization really took hold. Today, you may know Liverpool by some of the famous musicians—Beatles, cough—that got their start in a city once called ‘the New York of Europe.’Desktop Version
Where do those colors come from?
Where do those colors come from?
As National Park Week continues, we"re turning our attention to the vivid colors of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. Its intense rainbow hues are formed by cycles of hot water rising, cooling, and falling—creating rings of distinct temperatures inside the spring. The clear, blue center is the hottest part, with almost nothing living in it. But the other rings are home to various microorganisms that produce bands of distinct colors ranging from green to orange to red.Desktop Version
Red skies at Ruby Beach
Red skies at Ruby Beach
Our National Park Week virtual tour comes to a close at sunset on Ruby Beach, one of the many stunning corners of Olympic National Park in Washington state. A few miles from the shore is Destruction Island, where birds such as rhinoceros auklets may stop and rest after a day of gobbling up krill and squid in the cold Pacific waters. While the park includes miles of colorful Pacific coastline, it"s also famous for the Hoh Rainforest, an inland temperate forest notable for its towering old-growth hemlock and spruce trees.Desktop Version
It’s Giving Tuesday
It’s Giving Tuesday
By giving his mate some prime nesting materials, we think this gentlemanly Atlantic puffin makes a fine mascot for Giving Tuesday, which is recognized today. The event was established in 2012 to encourage acts of generosity during the holidays, when consumerism seems to be the focus for so many. Giving Tuesday was started by a small nonprofit on the East Coast and with the help of social media campaigns, it"s grown into a global movement, perhaps observed even here at the Skomer Island nature reserve in Wales. In 2018, Giving Tuesday participants in the US raised $400 million. Of course, you don"t have to give money to participate. Organizers urge folks to volunteer or take a cue from our homepage puffins, and simply show kindness to one another. Now that"s something we can all get behind (seabirds included).Desktop Version
Italy s submerged village
Italy s submerged village
A 14th-century church tower peeking above the water offers a clue to the past here at Lake Reschen, in northern Italy. Until the mid-20th century, this site in the Italian Alps was home to the village of Graun, which included some 163 homes. But then in 1939, an electric company announced plans to build a dam and an artificial lake here, which would submerge Graun and part of the town of Reschen. Despite public outcry and delays due to World War II, the towns were eventually submerged in 1950 (with everyone safely removed, of course). These days, the remaining church steeple draws tourists, especially in winter, when the lake is frozen over and visitors can walk across.Desktop Version
A willowy welcome to spring
A willowy welcome to spring
With winter officially over, we"re weeping for joy right alongside this willow tree, its wispy new boughs signaling a healthy year of growth to come. About 400 species of willow grow across the globe in water-rich, seasonally chilly spots like here in Minnesota. With some willows soaring up to 70 feet tall and wide, cultures around the world have bestowed deep symbolism on the formidable trees, associating them with refuge, wisdom, or plenty—if not with ghosts, demons, or the spirit world. One thing all traditions can agree on: When a willow sprouts bright green wisps like this, it"s a welcome symbol of spring"s arrival.Desktop Version
It s a good day to be green
It s a good day to be green
For St. Patrick"s Day, we"re featuring an image of the Knowth passage grave, part of Brú na Bóinne, or the Boyne Valley tombs, about an hour"s drive north of Dublin. In addition to Knowth, this UNESCO World Heritage site is home to the Newgrange and Dowth passage graves, henges, standing stones, and a significant portion of Western Europe"s megalithic art. Knowth, the largest passage grave in the complex, is a 40-foot-high mound with a diameter of 220 feet; two east-west passages run under it that lead to separate burial chambers. The structures predate St. Patrick by nearly 4,000 years, and their original purpose is unclear—but on this day dedicated to celebrating all things Irish, they show off the engineering capabilities of the area"s ancient population as well as the natural green beauty of the Irish countryside.Desktop Version
Oh, to sleep under the northern lights
Oh, to sleep under the northern lights
Perhaps there"s no better place to watch the northern lights dance above you than curled up in bed under the glass dome of a heated igloo here in Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland. There are other glass-domed hotels to choose from in Lapland, but the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, shown here, is the most famous. Visitors come to view the aurora borealis, or northern lights, and for various outdoor sports. There"s cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing, dogsledding, and even reindeer-drawn sleigh rides to keep you entertained during the short winter days. Evenings are spent dining (yes, reindeer may be on the menu), warming up in the sauna, and for some, sleeping under the stars and the swirling, hypnotic northern lights.Desktop Version
Of balloons and lost pantaloons
Of balloons and lost pantaloons
We all fly by the seat of our pants now and then, but how about flying with no pants at all? That was the plight of Jean-Pierre Blanchard and John Jeffries, who on January 7, 1785, made history over these chalk cliffs with the first aerial crossing of the English Channel. When their hydrogen-filled balloon dropped altitude due to overloading, the two tossed all the cargo they could into the drink below, britches included. Reaching France in their underpants, the undoubtedly chilly pilots still received a warm welcome.Desktop Version
Marine Day in Japan
Marine Day in Japan
In Japan, the third Monday in July is Marine Day (also known as Ocean Day), a day to show appreciation for the seas and oceans. Other nationalities have similar observances, but as inhabitants of an island nation, people in Japan can claim a particularly strong connection to the waters that surround them. The modern holiday also serves as an official start of summer in Japan, and many folks hit the beach to celebrate the end of tsuyu, the rainy season. The holiday started as Marine Memorial Day in 1941 to mark the anniversary of the return of the Meji Emperor from a voyage in 1876, but it wasn"t observed as a national holiday until 1996. Some also mark Marine Day with environmentally friendly activities. In Okinawa, people throw EM (effective microorganism) mudballs into the sea—these contain bacteria and yeast targeted at eliminating sludge and slime. Other areas host beach cleanups and aquariums host special Marine Day events.Desktop Version
A dying breed of tree thrives in an American park
A dying breed of tree thrives in an American park
We"re standing on the Mall of New York City"s Central Park, in the middle of fall foliage season. When Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed this quarter-mile walkway, they were inspired by Europe"s public spaces. They envisioned a "grand promenade" where people of all backgrounds, from the city"s monied elite to those of lesser status, could come together and mingle.Desktop Version
Montreux, Switzerland, and all that jazz
Montreux, Switzerland, and all that jazz
We’re looking at Montreux, Switzerland, where the Montreux Jazz Festival begins today. Despite its name, the festival isn"t just about jazz. It highlights different styles of music across multiple venues over two weeks. This year"s lineup includes three farewell-tour stops (Elton John, Anita Baker, Joan Baez) and big names in jazz (Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin), as well as young artists representing a variety of genres. The festival began in 1967 at the original Montreux Casino, which famously burned down during a December 1971 Frank Zappa performance. The fire was memorialized by Deep Purple in their hit "Smoke on the Water." A monument commemorating the band and their song can be found next to the rebuilt casino.Desktop Version
The Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic
The Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic
Welcome to Acadia National Park on Maine"s rocky, scenic coast. The 49,075-acre park covers about half of Mount Desert Island, smaller nearby islands, and a section on the mainland. The oldest national park east of the Mississippi River and the only one in Maine, Acadia packs a lot of geographical variety into its relatively small size. You"ll find miles of craggy coastline like the shore in our homepage image, woodlands, wetlands, and mountains. The park"s Cadillac Mountain is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard and a great spot to take in the sunrise.Desktop Version
Hallstatt, Austria
Hallstatt, Austria
This tiny, snow-dusted village is Hallstatt, in Austria"s mountainous Salzkammergut region, sandwiched between the shore of Lake Hallstatt and the slopes of the Dachstein Mountains. The salt mines here are thought to be among the oldest in the world and were once the backbone of Hallstatt"s economy. Today they"re a popular tourist attraction—this little village draws in so many visitors that it is considered an area of over-tourism. Hallstatt has sought to limit the number of people who can visit each day.Desktop Version
Think deep thoughts
Think deep thoughts
Some of you Navy vets—and fans of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "The Hunt for Red October," or "Das Boot"—might get a familiar wave of claustrophobia from today"s picture. For National Submarine Day, we"re in the forward engine room of the USS Drum, a historic US Navy submarine displayed at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama. The Drum was the first deployed of the Gato-class subs—the line of boats that, with variations, made up most of the US submarine force during World War II. Decommissioned shortly after the war, the submarine is now in dry dock and open for public tours.Desktop Version