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Travel

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

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

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

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

Sunrise lit Landscape Arch in Arches National Park.

Points of Interest

This month’s guide to notable American destinations and happenings

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Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Discover one of the country’s oldest winter festivals—Saranac’s Winter Carnival

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Bound and Determined

Reflecting on resistance

The massive neoclassical market is divided into rows of icy seafood stalls and, in the attached building, kiosks filled with cuts of meat and butcher blocks.

Snapshot: Athens Central Market

More than 30,000 people mingle every day at Dimotiki Agora, the city’s busiest markets

Oxford is a "baffling jumble of structures . . . with no obvious center to them," says the author.

Among the Spires

Between medieval and modern, Oxford seeks equilibrium

Amazon Rain Forest

Exploring the Amazon Rain Forest

With an ecosystem under siege, every moment in this wild wonderland is one to savor

Aurora Borealis

Gaze at the Aurora Borealis

One of the best reasons to head to Canada for vacation is to catch the beautiful Northern Lights

Tikal

The Mystery of Tikal

An ancient Mayan city, once hidden by overgrown jungle, evokes a childlike sense of wonder

One of the "seven wonders" of the ancient world, Ephesus was almost four times larger than the Parthenon in Athens.

Exploring Ancient Ephesus

Ruled over the centuries by Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, there is much to see of the city’s former splendor

Easter Island

The Statues of Easter Island

A riddle of engineering hasn’t stopped archaeologists from debating how the giant carved stones were transported around the island

Mesa Verde

In the Cliffs of Mesa Verde

Climb into the Colorado cliff dwellings and imagine what life was like for the Ancestral Pueblo Indians who lived there

Pompeii

A Glimpse of Old Pompeii

Preserved under the volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius are the everyday goings-on of ancient Roman life

Petra

Guarding Petra

Balancing tourist access and the preservation of the sandstone city may be a tough call

Yangtze River

Navigating the Yangtze River

Dubbed “the wildest, wickedest river,” this 4,000-mile-long waterway has played a major role in Chinese civilization

The Pyramids of Giza

Ponder the Pyramids of Giza

The ongoing debate about how the pyramids were built is a testament to the brilliance of its makers

Taj Mahal

Restoring the Taj Mahal

This year, millions of tourists will visit the marble monument—and the Indian government is restoring it for millions more

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