2024年2月

中国舞狮，大年初一 Chinese lion dance, Spring Festival, China (© SENEZ/Getty Images)

福起新岁，万事顺意 Happy Chinese New Year!

龙年春节

炮竹声中辞旧岁，烟花满天迎新春。从年初一开始便进入迎禧接福、拜祭神祖、祈求丰年主题。在春节期间，全国各地均有举行各种庆贺新春活动，带有浓郁的各地地方特色。中国民俗传统，认为舞狮可以驱邪辟鬼。故此每逢喜庆节日，都喜欢敲锣打鼓，舞狮助庆，长盛不衰，历代相传。新的一年，喜气洋洋，万事胜意！

Happy Lunar New Year!

Celebrating the first new moon of the lunar calendar, an estimated 2 billion people gather worldwide to usher in the Lunar New Year with vibrant celebrations and family reunions. The festivities, also known as the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, last for 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival. From envelopes to lanterns, red is the dominant color, symbolizing luck and prosperity. Streets come alive with the rhythm of drums as the dragon dance takes center stage. Our homepage today shows a bird's-eye view of the dragons—elongated puppets with shimmering scales, animated by a team of dancers. Lunar New Year is a popular time for families to reunite and is said to be responsible for the world's largest annual human migration. Each year is linked to one of the 12 zodiac animals and 2024 heralds the Year of the Dragon, a symbol of nobility, power, and success.

灯光秀点亮夜幕中的西安城墙，中国春节 Lighting show at ancient city wall for celebrate Chinese spring festival, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China (© Eastimages/Getty Images)

准备好庆祝了吗？ Are you ready to celebrate?

除夕夜

几乎每一年的春节，西安城墙都被装扮得光彩动人，让这座千年古都彰显着更为浓郁的传统中国春节的韵味。而西安城墙的灯会更是给人们带来了绝美的体验感。当百米长灯点亮古城，烟火气息回归，现代城市与古老城市似乎打破了时空感，在夜幕降临以后，灯光璀璨之时，同时展现在眼前。置身其间的人们，似是穿越于古今两个时代，体会着千年的沧桑与繁华。

中国的每个地方，在新春佳节这一晚皆有璀璨夜色，浓烈的年味，这是沸腾的中国年。祝大家春节快乐，新的一年，万事胜意！

胡德山，俄勒冈州，美国 Mount Hood, Oregon (© Inigo Cia/Getty Images)

沉睡的巨人 A sleeping giant

胡德山，俄勒冈州

胡德山以其白雪皑皑的山尖装点着俄勒冈州的天际线。这座高约11,250英尺的休眠火山是俄勒冈州最高的山，吸引着众多冒险者和自然爱好者前来探险。这里有12座已被命名的冰川以及众多雪原，全年都是“冰雪乐园”。除了有冰雪之美，胡德山还拥有多种多样的生态系统，并孕育了古老的森林，是美洲狮和狼等野生动物的天堂。在过去的1800年里，这座火山喷发过3次。地质学家称，这座火山目前主要处于休眠状态，但仍有可能在将来的某一天再次喷发。

Mount Hood, Oregon

Mount Hood graces Oregon's skyline with a pointed, snow-capped peak. At nearly 11,250 feet high, this dormant stratovolcano is the tallest mountain in the state, drawing adventurers and nature aficionados alike. With 12 named glaciers and numerous snow fields, Mount Hood offers a wintry playground all year round. It also nurtures ancient forests and provides a haven for wildlife, including cougars and wolves. Over the past 1,800 years, the volcano has erupted three times. While considered dormant, there is still a chance that it could erupt one day.

圣詹姆斯潮汐池，开普敦，南非 St. James Tidal Pool, Cape Town, South Africa (© AmazingAerialAgency/Adobe)

海浪中的避风港 Sanctuary in the surf

圣詹姆斯潮汐池，开普敦，南非

圣詹姆斯海滩坐落在开普敦海岸线上，是一个隐蔽的小海滩，因其一排排色彩缤纷的维多利亚式海滩小屋而备受欢迎。在蔚蓝大海的映衬下，这些海滩小屋呈现出万花筒般的色彩。这里的环境非常适合悠闲漫步，一边沐浴着温暖的阳光，一边欣赏潮起潮落，十分惬意。不过，圣詹姆斯潮汐池才是这里最引人注目的景点，这是一个受保护的游泳区域，有许多小型海洋生物在此繁衍生息。它建在崎岖的岩石之间，池水清澈见底，为游客提供了宁静的游泳体验。与外面的海水相比，潮汐池的水更温暖，您也无需担心水流过急，这里非常适合玩水上漂浮，是孩子和成人的安全水上乐园。

St. James Tidal Pool, Cape Town, South Africa

St. James Beach is a small, sheltered beach on Cape Town's coastline, where vibrant Victorian bathing boxes sit side by side against an azure ocean backdrop. However, it's the St. James Tidal Pool, pictured on our homepage, that steals the spotlight. This protected bathing area, built between rugged rocks, offers crystal-clear waters for a tranquil swimming experience. The pool is warm compared with the ocean, teems with small marine life, and is perfect for floating around without worrying about strong currents. For those who like to stay dry, the beach is perfect for leisurely strolls, soaking up the sun, and observing the rhythmic ebb and flow of the tides.

盆景岩，太浩湖，内华达州，美国 Bonsai Rock, Lake Tahoe, Nevada (© Jim Patterson/Tandem Stills + Motion)

天然盆景 Nature's bonsai

太浩湖，内华达州

这是北美最大的高山湖泊和美国第二深的湖泊——太浩湖，湖中的盆景岩及其周边地区则是内华达山脉的一个热门旅游景点。盆景岩上的四棵树从巨大的花岗岩中生长出来，这一奇特的景象激发了人们的灵感，便将其命名为盆景岩。而传统的盆景也只包含一棵树或一小丛品种相同的树，因此这个名字非常适合这个景点。盆景可以引发人们思考和冥想，如果您去参观盆景岩，不妨找个安静的地方，沉浸式体验冥想的乐趣。

Bonsai Rock, Lake Tahoe, Nevada

This serene scene shows Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America and the second-deepest lake in the US. Peeking out of those misty waters is Bonsai Rock, the unlikely home of four small trees that have taken root in its cracks. Its name was inspired by the Japanese art of growing miniature trees, which are kept in small containers and pruned to control their size. The trees on Bonsai Rock are naturally restricted by the lack of space and nutrients, so no pruning is required. Part of the purpose of bonsai is to provide an opportunity for contemplation, and this tranquil spot high in the Sierra Nevada is the perfect place to relax and explore your thoughts. It is also popular with photographers, especially at sunset.

从奥索伊尼察观景点看日出时的布莱德湖，斯洛文尼亚 Lake Bled from Osojnica viewpoint at sunrise, Slovenia (© Rasica/Getty Images)

唤醒沉睡的湖泊 Awake to the lake

布莱德湖，斯洛文尼亚

布莱德湖邀请您走进童话般的风景中！这个占地358英亩的美丽湖泊，就坐落在斯洛文尼亚朱利安阿尔卑斯山脉之中。这里的主角是一个散发着传奇与浪漫魅力的小岛——布莱德岛。让我们跳上当地传统的普莱特纳船，前往岛上的圣地。这种平底船是布莱德岛独有的，只有23艘，由技术娴熟的浆手驾驶着它们在湖上航行，而浆手这个职业自1740年以来就在当地世代相传。岛上还有一座17世纪的圣母升天教堂，里面有一口特别的钟，传说这口钟可以让人愿望成真！如果您向岸边望去，就能看见俯瞰着广阔湖面的布莱德城堡。它坐落在湖西北岸的布莱德镇上方的悬崖上，是斯洛文尼亚最古老的城堡之一。

德弗塔什卡洞, Devetaki村庄，保加利亚 Devetashka Cave, Devetaki, Bulgaria (© Jasmine_K/Shutterstock)

雄伟的天然穹顶 The skylights are a nice touch

德弗塔什卡洞，保加利亚德韦塔基

走进德弗塔什卡洞穴深处，在保加利亚自然奇观中穿越时空。不过，这次探险有一个条件：你不能害怕蝙蝠！大约有3万只这种会飞的哺乳动物在此栖息。这个岩溶洞穴是碳酸盐岩被水溶解后形成的，现在属于公园的一部分。德弗塔什卡洞穴中的人类活动可以追溯到公元前7万年左右的早期石器时代，另外这里还发现了公元前6000—4000年的新石器时代手工艺品。洞中的几个大开口将自然光引入洞室，为摄影师和自然爱好者提供了更好的照明效果。

Devetashka Cave, Devetaki, Bulgaria

Step through time and into the cavernous depths of Devetashka Cave in Bulgaria, a sprawling prehistoric complex which humans called home for tens of thousands of years. These days, it is home to bats, about 30,000 of them, as well as rare birds and reptiles. This karst cave was formed by erosion and is now part of a public park. Humans are thought to have sought shelter here as far back as the Early Stone Age, about 70,000 years ago, and many Neolithic artefacts from 6000-4000 BCE have been discovered. Several large openings in the cave cast natural light into the chambers, offering better illumination for photographers and nature lovers alike.

伪装的日子 Days of disguises

威尼斯狂欢节

戴上精美的面具，穿上华丽的服饰，隐入威尼斯狂欢节的无边人群去狂欢吧！这是一个拥有数百年历史的节日，充满了神秘和美丽。这个一年一度的冬季庆典将狂欢与匿名结合在一起，这要归功于面具，而且这些面具通常会遵循特定的人物原型。在节日期间，成千上万的人身着仿17世纪威尼斯传统服饰的精美华服走上街头。狂欢节期间，游行派对活动层出不穷，还有音乐会和街头表演，这些活动一直持续到今年2月13日的“忏悔星期二”。在街上狂欢时，你可能会路过圣玛丽亚德拉安康教堂，在今天图片展示的远处可以看到，这是一座巴洛克式的大教堂，供奉的是圣母玛利亚——威尼斯共和国的保护神。

Carnival of Venice

Don your tricorn hat and gilded disguise, it's time to visit the Carnival of Venice. This centuries-old festival combines revelry with anonymity, thanks to the masks traditionally worn by attendees, from the classic square-jawed Bauta mask to the Colombina eye mask, with roots in Italian theater. Costumed rowers take part in a parade of traditional boats on Venice's famous Grand Canal while thousands of people wearing elaborate costumes enjoy the carnival atmosphere. Parades, parties, concerts, and performances will fill the streets until festivities end on Shrove Tuesday, which falls on February 13 this year. Visitors might pass by the Santa Maria della Salute, seen toward the back of today's image, a baroque basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who is considered to be the protector of the city.

发光的雪塔 Glowing snow tower

萨斯尼茨灯塔，吕根岛，梅克伦堡-前波美拉尼亚州

吕根岛是德国最大的岛屿，当如诗如画的景色被皑皑白雪覆盖时，这里就会变成一个冬日仙境。如果您想远离城市的喧嚣，吕根岛是理想的度假胜地。过去，许多艺术家都曾来到这里尽情挥洒他们的创造力，巍峨的白垩悬崖就曾激发了历史上著名的德国画家卡斯帕·大卫·弗里德里希的创作灵感。

萨斯尼茨灯塔是这片冬日绝景的见证者和守护者。这座灯塔建于19世纪，巍然屹立在岛上，帮助水手们在波涛汹涌的海面，以及大雾暴雨和其他恶劣天气条件下安全航行。仔细看一看，你不觉得灯塔很浪漫吗？它们威严地矗立在那里，知晓数百年来关于海洋的秘密，虽然它们是没有生命的建筑物，但却是人类最忠实的朋友和守护者。

你了解集邮吗？如果你有集邮的经历，可能知道我们在说什么。如果不知道，那这里有一个鲜为人知的事实想说与你听。这座灯塔于1975年5月13日首次出现在东德邮票上，不过它并不是唯一的一个，你还知道其他的灯塔吗？

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