Articles

Bright Moon, Warm Earth?

GRAND PRIZE WINNER A tribal birth in India Purulia, India • Photographed August 2007 Six days after Betka Tudu's birth, female relatives and neighbors in the West Bengal village of Purulia gathered to bless him and "to protect him from harm's way," says Dey. Born into the Santhal tribe, Betka "unknowingly drew his distant kin closer than ever." — Abigail Tucker

5th Annual Photo Contest Winners and Finalists

See the winning photos from our 2007 contest

Where thousands of soldiers ferried supplies toward the front, a new road swings through Quang Tri Province

Revolutionary Road

Efforts to turn Ho Chi Minh Trail into a major highway have uncovered battle scars from the past

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Rebel with a Cause

With their reputed healing powers, Japan's onsen, or volcanic hot springs, have attracted the weary since the days of the samurai

Springs Eternal

In rural Japan, stressed workers and tourists seek geothermal ease

Tradition and change coalesce (young monks at a religious festival sport trendy shades, masks and a swastika—for Buddhists, a symbol of good fortune) in the remote, majestic country its citizens call Druk Yul or "Land of the Thunder Dragon."

The Changing Face of Bhutan

As the last Himalayan Buddhist kingdom cautiously opens itself to the world, traditionalists fear for its unique culture

Doors to the Hall of Middle Harmony have nine rows of nine knobs because the number nine is prized in Chinese numerology

Forbidden No More

As Beijing gets ready to host its first Olympics, a veteran journalist returns to its once-restricted palace complex

Bangkok's Songkran New Year festival washes away bad luck

Highlights and Hotspots

Celebrations, ceremonies and competitions sure to delight even the most seasoned traveler

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Letters

Readers Respond to the January Issue

"Renegades" says a former Indiana motorcycle-shop owner of bikers he knew, such as Sparky (Charles Ritter, left) and CowBoy (irvin Dunsdon), in 1965

Two for the Rogues

Sparky and CowBoy were fast friends, but Danny Lyon was able to keep up with them

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From the Castle

Tapestries

Rogone (in a San Bernadino hospital) says "my babies' motivated the inventions.

A Neonatal Niche

Medical companies ignored the needs of premature infants, inspiring a nurse to become an entrepreneur

Cover of the "Singing for Life" album.

Jukebox

Songs to Live By

Evel Knievel

Daredevil

Evel Knievel took risky behavior (and showboating) to new heights

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John Alexander

A retrospective of artist John Alexander's work debuted at the American Art Museum in December and travels next to Houston's Museum of Fine Arts

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Making History

Mystery Illuminated

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What's Up

Jones (sporting Frank Sinatra's ring) has a hand in the Beijing Olympics as well as ongoing music and movies

The Arranger

From bebop to hip-hop, nobody alive has done more for American music than Quincy Jones

In 1907, recordings were interred in metal urns at the Palais Garnier, to be reopened in 100 years

A Record Find

How The Phantom of the Opera led me to a long-lost musical treasure in Paris

Chocolate truffles

A Brief History of Chocolate

Uncover the bittersweet story of this ancient treat and watch a video

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