分类必应美图下的文章

埃克斯穆尔国家公园斯托克佩罗公地，英国英格兰 Stoke Pero Common, Exmoor National Park, England, UK (© David Noton/Alamy)

The wild romance of Exmoor

Welcome to Exmoor National Park, a patchwork of landscapes covering 267 square miles of south-west England. Here, grassy open moorland and heather-covered hills nestle up against wooded valleys, streams, waterfalls, farmland and some of the highest sea cliffs in the country – scenery which inspired RD Blackmore's 1869 historical romance novel Lorna Doone.

From Exmoor's highest point on Dunkery Hill – pictured in today's image - visitors can get sweeping views stretching from Dartmoor in the south up to the Bristol Channel and beyond on a clear day, while at night, Exmoor offers one of the best stargazing spots in the UK as an International Dark Sky Reserve.

The park is also home to a large variety of wildlife including Exmoor ponies - which roam freely on the moor – rare butterflies, otters and wild red deer, a nod to Exmoor's past as an ancient royal forest. But keep your eyes peeled for the legendary Beast of Exmoor, a huge puma or panther-like creature which some claim to have spotted roaming the moors.

赖格莱兴的Wachsenburg城堡，德国图林根州 Wachsenburg Castle, Drei Gleichen, Thuringia, Germany (© Raimund Linke/Masterfile)

One of "Drei Gleichen“

The first leaves have already fallen, the temperatures in the morning are steadily decreasing and from today it is official: autumn has begun. With this idyllic shot of the Wachsenburg in Thuringia we would like to tune you to the golden season, which is at the same time the most beautiful for many people.

The Veste Wachsenburg looks back on a centuries-old and varied history. Its origins date back to the year 930, and in the following period the summit castle was destroyed several times and rebuilt or expanded. The Wachsenburg is part of a medieval castle ensemble called "Drei Gleichen".

一排冲浪板 Surfboards in a row (© plainpicture/Tony Arruza)

Surfing through history

Is there anything more quintessentially Australian than the sand and surf? We didn't think so either, so with the weather continuing to heat up, there's no better time to spotlight the humble surfboard. Yet as much as we Australians adore catching waves, surfing's roots originally lie in pre-modern Hawaii and Polynesia. It is here that the sport was practiced by both men and women within all social classes, including royalty and commoners.

By the early 20th century, the increasingly popular sport had found its way to our shores, thanks largely to Hawaiian Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku. Considered by many to be the father of modern surfing, it is Kahanamoku who gave the first demonstration of surfboard riding on Christmas Eve, 1914, at Sydney's Freshwater Beach - all with a heavy, finless board he'd crafted himself. Described at the time as 'the human motor boat from Honolulu', the legend was so influential it led to the creation of 'Duke's Day' - a two-day festival celebrated by the Freshwater Surfing Community.

Drones light up the sky over Shenzhen, China (© Liang Weiming/VCG via Getty Images)

The 'moon' rises for Mid-Autumn Festival

Shenzhen, China—seen in our photo today—is a drone manufacturing hub. So, when this city celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival, a synchronized fleet of drones took to the skies over Shenzhen Talent Park and lit up in a crescent-moon shape to celebrate the lunar holiday. At other times in the performance, the drones created the shape of Chinese characters reading 'Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!' So, what is the Mid-Autumn Festival? It's a harvest celebration that's been observed by Chinese and other Asian peoples for thousands of years. The date of the celebration changes each year on our Gregorian calendar, falling on the first full moon of the harvest season, which arrives today. One major feature of the lunar holiday? A sweet pastry called 'mooncake.' Let it be known that we fully embrace any holiday that includes cake.

中秋 (© VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

在犹他州峡谷地国家公园中看到的银河 The Milky Way seen from Canyonlands National Park in Utah (© Cavan Images/Offset)

Astrotourism at its finest

Stay in Canyonlands National Park until after sundown so you can appreciate one of the park's most distinct features—a night sky so free of human-generated light that it's been designated a Gold-Tier International Dark Sky park. Here's another way of understanding what that means: When you're in the city you may see up to 500 stars in a moonless night sky, but here in Utah's Canyonlands, you can see more than 15,000. Many of the stars (and planets) sparkle in the Milky Way, our galactic home in the universe. It's a big reason why astrotourists and photographers visit at night, to see the light show above. But for those who follow the sun, daytime is perfect for hiking and camping, wildlife viewing, and discovering rock drawings and peckings left behind by prehistoric peoples.

Today we celebrate 55 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson made Canyonlands a national park—the largest park in all of Utah. Maybe it's coincidence, but as a native-born son of the Lone Star State of Texas, perhaps President Johnson might have had an affinity for a place big enough to see the sprawling night sky.

鸟瞰雨林和丹特里河，澳大利亚 Aerial view of rainforest and Daintree River, Australia (© Peter Adams/Offset)

An Attenborough-approved stunner

With the country having now officially welcomed back the springtime, landscapes abundant with gorgeous greenery, like today's image of the World-Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest, will become more commonplace. A two-hour drive north of Cairns, the Daintree is positively ripe with adventure. Adrenaline junkies, for example, can zipline through the rainforest canopy, while those with a keen eye can cruise the waterways on the lookout for saltwater crocodiles. Regardless, covering 1200 square kilometres, the forest is said to present one of the most complex ecosystems on our planet. In fact, the scenery here is so beautiful that James Cameron reportedly drew inspiration from it for his hit movie ‘Avatar', while Sir David Attenborough called it “the most extraordinary place on earth.” That's good enough for us!

A toast to California!

Today we're celebrating the 169th anniversary of the golden state's admission into the Union with an appropriately golden image of a central coast winery and landscape. In 1850, just 14 months after the peace treaty to end the Mexican-American War ceded California, along with a large portion of western territory, to the US, this former self-proclaimed Republic became the 31st state. California is one of only six states admitted to the Union without first being recognized as a US territory. Some link this to the Gold Rush which began in January 1848 and increased the population by more than 1,000% in that same time frame.

Cloudy with a chance of enlightenment

While it didn't become a UNESCO World Heritage Site until 2018, Mount Fanjing (also known as Fanjingshan) has been a sacred and tranquil site for Buddhists for centuries. At 8,430 feet, Mount Fanjing is the highest peak of the Wuling mountain range in southwest China's Guizhou province. The mountain is believed to be a place in which one can reach their spiritual enlightenment. While many of the Buddhist temples built here have been destroyed, several remain, including the Temple of the Buddha and the Temple of Maitreya. Those two temples, linked by a small bridge, are located on top of Red Cloud Golden Peak, the rocky 'thumb' we're looking at here. In addition to the area's history, the mix of cloud, fog, and light, create a calming atmosphere and an air of mystery.

The old guard at Old San Juan

This photo shows a different side of Castillo San Felipe del Morro on the coast of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. Spanish colonists had the fortress built to control entry to the harbor of the settlement they called 'Ciudad de Puerto Rico’'—which, translated to English, means 'rich port city.' Castillo del Morro was held by Spain from 1539 to 1898, when the United States seized control after the Spanish-American War. Today it's a World Heritage Site and a major attraction for visitors to this, the oldest part of one of North America's oldest capital cities.

In September 2017, Puerto Rico was devasted by the landfall of Hurricane Maria, which wreaked havoc the landscape, people, and livelihoods of this US territory. One thing the people of Puerto Rico have encouraged since that terrible natural disaster is to come visit. With an economy based heavily on tourism, it's a way to rebuild the island's economy and to see some amazing colonial sites, as well as the bounty of its tropical Caribbean environment.

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