Japan - Ōita Prefecture - Yufuin

Yufuin at daybreak.

Sent by Sakiko from Hyogo, Japan.

Yufuin (湯布院町, Yufuin-chō) was a town located in Ōita District, Ōita Prefecture, Japan. Yufuin is now a district (町) within the city of Yufu. Its elevation is approximately 400 meters above ground.

As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 11,342 and density of 88.77 persons per km². The total area was 127.77 km².

On October 1, 2005, Yufuin, along with the towns of Hasama and Shonai (all from Ōita District), was merged to create the city of Yufu. This controversial decision resulted in the recall of the mayor and a snap election in which he regained office.

Located in a green valley beneath the spectacular Mount Yufu (由布岳, Yufudake), a short walk from the town centre is a mix of paddy fields, housing and upmarket ryokan, with a few temples. Mount Yufu, or Yufu-dake, can be hiked in about 90 minutes. Although still connected to its rural roots, Yufuin is a tourist town and a popular destination for coach tours, especially among Korean, Chinese, Thai, and Taiwanese tourists. There is the picturesque Lake Kinrin and rivers flow down and across the valley. Some hotels have outdoor baths called rotenburo with a view of Mount Yufu (read more).

The Bahamas - The Flamingo of Bahamas

The Flamingos Of The Bahamas.

Sent by Melony from The Bahamas.

One of the Caribbean’s greatest conservation success stories began in the early 1950s, when ornithologist Robert Porter Allen, Audubon’s first director of research, arrived in the Bahamas’ southernmost islands to discover only a scant hundred or so flamingos—one of the last breeding colonies of American Flamingo. Thanks to the efforts of Allen and others, the Bahamian government preserved roughly half of Great Inagua as a national park, and the island’s flamingo population now tops 80,000—outnumbering human residents by more than 80 to 1 (read more).

Malaysia - Negeri Sembilan - State Museum

Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

State Museum.

Sent by myself during my three-day visit in Negeri Sembilan.

Negeri Sembilan State Museum is located at the Crafts & Cultural Handicraft Complex and is located along Jalan Sungai Ujong, Seremban. If you are in this state capital and is keen to learn more about the history of this state as well as appreciate the many artifects here, plan to spend an hour or so here.

Students of Malaysia history will appreciate this museum as the building itself was built using the Minangkabau architecture.

The building known as Teratak Pepatih Building was previously used as a location for the National Al-Quran Recitation Competition. Due to its Minangkabau architecture, it was renovated and officially declared as the new location of the state museum on 14 July 1986 (read more). 

Malaysia - Negeri Sembilan - Cape Rachado Lighthouse

Cape Rachado Lighthouse (Rumah Api Tanjung Tuan)

It is believed to be the oldest lighthouse in Malaysia. Named by the Portuguese, meaning Broken Cape, the lighthouse in an exclave of the state of Melaka, adjecent to the town of Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

The lighthouse was first built by the Portuguese in 15th century and later rebuilt by the Dutch. The present lighthouse was constructed in 1863, during Malacca's status as a British-ruled Straits Settlement, and remain active.

Sent by myself during my three-day visit in Negeri Sembilan. 

The Cape Rachado Lighthouse (Malay: Rumah Api Tanjung Tuan) is a lighthouse located at Cape Rachado (Malay: Tanjung Tuan), in Alor Gajah District, Malacca, Malaysia. The lighthouse is believed to be the oldest in the country, its history allegedly dating back to Portuguese rule of Malacca during the 16th century, although the present structure is a 19th-century construction.

The early history of the lighthouse remains largely unverified, with unofficial accounts by locals tracing the lighthouse's history back to a period following the conquest of Malacca by Portugal in 1511. The Portuguese government in Malacca vested interest in the construction of a lighthouse to guide its ships through the narrow Straits of Malacca, completing the first iteration of the structure on Cape Rachado (a name given by the Portuguese, meaning "Broken Cape") in the 16th century. Possession of the lighthouse was handed over to the Dutch VOC, alongside Malacca in entirety in 1641, and a second version of the building was claimed to have been built in 1817, during temporary rule by the British under William Farquhar, seven years before Malacca's total changeover to the British in 1824.

The present lighthouse was constructed in 1863, during Malacca's status as a British-ruled Straits Settlement, and remains active as of 2008. In 1990, a concrete tower was built by to the original lighthouse to house a MEASAT radar (read more).

Malaysia - Negeri Sembilan - Army Museum

Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

Army Museum (Muzium Tentera Darat).

Sent by myself during my three-day visit in Negeri Sembilan.

Approximately a 20-minute drive from Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson, The Army Museum, which is also known as Muzium Tentera Darat or Army Museum PD by area residents, is located in the district of Sirusa. Being the one and only military museum in Malaysia, the Army Museum in Port Dickson is a major attraction for locals and tourists alike.

The Army Museum Port Dickson is also considered one of the most modern museums in the country and it won the Merit Award in the category of ‘Best Tourist Attraction on National Identity (Heritage) 2005/2006’ by Tourism Malaysia.

Approximately 12.6 kilometres away from Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson, the Army Museum Port Dickson is managed by Malaysian Royal Armed Forces. It houses the nation’s military achievements, memorabilia, uniforms and weapons throughout decades of history (read more).

China - Jiangsu - Nanjing Fuzimiao

The Confucius Temple.

Sent by superqq87 from China.

Nanjing Fuzimiao (Chinese: 南京夫子庙) or Fuzimiao (Chinese: 夫子庙; lit. 'Confucian Temple'), is a Confucius Temple and former site of imperial examination hall located in southern Nanjing City on banks of the Qinhuai River. It is now a popular tourist attraction with pedestrian shopping streets around the restored temple buildings.

Nanjing Confucius Temple is located in Qinhuai District, Nanjing City, on the north bank of the Qinhuai River Gongyuan Street, Jiangnan Gongyuan west, located in the Confucius temple Qinhuai scenery belt core area, namely Nanjing Confucius Temple, Nanjing Confucian Temple, Wenxuanwang Temple, for the place of worship and sacrifice of Confucius, It is the first national highest institution of learning in China, one of the four major temples of literature in China, the hub of ancient Chinese culture, the place where Nanking history and humanities gather and is not only the cultural and educational centre of Nanjing in the Ming and Qing dynasties but also the cultural and educational architectural complex that ranks first in the southeastern provinces.

In first year of Jianwu reign of the Jin dynasty (CE 317), Nanking Imperial University was founded, initially on northern bank of Qinhuai River, and in the third year of Xiankang (CE 337) the campus extended to southern bank. Temple of Confucius was firstly constructed in the national school in the ninth year of Taiyuan (CE 384). The place was later destroyed. It was destroyed by fire during the Jianyan years of the Southern Song dynasty. In the first year of Jingyou during the Song dynasty (CE 1034), Confucius Temple was newly constructed on former site of imperial university, and was called Fuzimiao area along with Nanking Fuxue. The place became Imperial University again in 1365 in the early year of the Ming dynasty, and sixteen years later recovered to be the campus of Fuxue. During the Qing dynasty, there were two Xianxue (county schools of Shangyuan and Jiangning) in Fuzimiao area. In the end of Qing a primary school jointly sponsored by counties of Nanjing (Jiangning Fu) was established there. The current buildings date from the 19th century, in the Qing dynasty, with additions made since then. The temple lost all financial support by the state as a result of the revolution of 1911. During the late 1920s to 1931 and again in 1932 it was used as army barracks for troops the KMT regime and left in a dilapidated state. Some halls were used as picture gallery. In 1985 Fuzimiao area was restored (read more).

Mexico - Sayulita

SAYULITA STREET VIEW

This street is a sample of the pictoresque and relaxed style of Sayulita.

Sent by Natalia from Fortín de las Flores, Mexico.

Sayulita is a small town in Mexico along the Pacific Ocean at the southern end of the state of Nayarit and north of Banderas Bay. It has a population of approximately 5,000 inhabitants.

According to information collected by the historian of Sayula, Jalisco, the name Sayulita was given by Mr. Don Lauro González Guerra to honour his hometown, Sayula. The word Sayulita is a diminutive of Sayula, which in Nahuatl comes from Tzaulan, meaning "place where flies abound," which in turn derives from zayolin, the Nahuatl word for fly.

Early inhabitants of Sayulita were drawn to the area to work on coconut palm ranches, where coconut oil was extracted from the palm species Attalea cohune. During the coconut oil boom, many people died of lung diseases caused by inhaling the dust that the coconuts gave off when split. The hacienda grew, and in addition to oil production, it soon became an important livestock emporium. In 1936, the livestock were sold and the land donated to the port workers with the intention to continue producing, leading to the formation of the Sayulita ejido (read more).

Malawi - Lilongwe

The prominent building with the red roof is the Old Town Mall, which is located in the Old City part of Lilongwe.

Sent by Emmanuel from Lilongwe, Malawi.

Lilongwe (UK: /lɪˈlɒŋweɪ/, US: /-wi, lɪˈlɔːŋweɪ/,) is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It has a population of 989,318 as of the 2018 Census, up from a population of 674,448 in 2008. In 2020, that figure was 1,122,000. The city is located in the central region of Malawi, in the district of the same name, near the borders with Mozambique and Zambia, and it is an important economic and transportation hub for central Malawi. It is named after the Lilongwe River.

Lilongwe was first set up as a boma by the local leader Njewa around 1902, and later became an administrative centre in 1904. In the 1920s, its location at the junction of several major roadways increased its importance as an agricultural market centre for the fertile Central Region Plateau.

As a trading post, Lilongwe was officially recognized as a town in 1947. After gaining independence, it increasingly developed into an important trading centre in Malawi's central region.

In 1965, Malawi's first president, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, selected it as an economic growth point for northern and central Malawi.

Lilongwe became the capital of Malawi in 1975, replacing the previous capital, Zomba. The last government offices were relocated to Lilongwe in 2005.

Development projects of the 1970s and 1980s included the construction of Lilongwe International Airport, which serves the city; rail connections to Salima to the east and the Zambian border to the west; industrial areas in the northern part of the city; and an agricultural program for the fertile tobacco lands of the Central Region Plateau Lilongwe's population continues to experience rapid growth.

The city's population is increasing rapidly, with an annual growth rate of 4.3% (read more).

Japan - Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

Historic village of Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, during a winter snowfall. The houses shown are a type of traditional farmhouse known as gassho-zukuri.

Sent by Eiichi from Tokyo, Japan.

The Gassho-style houses found in the Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are rare examples of their kind in Japan. Located in a river valley surrounded by the rugged high-mountain Chubu region of central Japan, these three villages were remote and isolated, and access to the area was difficult for a long period of time. The inscribed property comprises the villages of “Ogimachi” in the Shirakawa-go region, and “Ainokura” and “Suganuma” in the Gokayama region, all situated along the Sho River in Gifu and Toyama Prefectures. In response to the geographical and social background, a specific housing type evolved: rare examples of Gassho-style houses, a unique farmhouse style that makes use of highly rational structural systems evolved to adapt to the natural environment and site-specific social and economic circumstances in particular the cultivation of mulberry trees and the rearing of silkworms. The large houses have steeply-pitched thatched roofs and have been preserved in groups, many with their original outbuildings which permit the associated landscapes to remain intact. 

The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama are outstanding examples of traditional human settlements that are perfectly adapted to their environment and their social and economic raison d’être (read more).

Philippines - Iloilo - Miag-ao Church

ILOILO, Miag-ao, Philippines

Miag-ao Church officially known as Santo Tomas de Villanueva is a prime example of Philippine rococo style. Church resembling fotress dates back to 1787 and is included in the UNESCO's wold heritage list as Baroque Churches of the Philippines (in 1993).

Sent by Justine from Central Luzon, Philippines.

Santo Tomás de Villanueva Parish Church, commonly known as Miagao Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Jaro. The church was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993, together with San Agustin Church in Manila; Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; and San Agustin Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte under the collective title Baroque Churches of the Philippines, a collection of four Baroque Spanish-era churches.

Miagao was formerly a visita (a locality served by a visiting priest) of Oton until 1580, Tigbauan until 1592, San Joaquín until 1703 and Guimbal until 1731. It became an independent parish of the Augustinians in 1731 under the advocacy of Saint Thomas of Villanova. With the establishment of the parish, a church and convent was built on land near the sea called Ubos. Father Fernando Camporredondo served as the town's first parish priest in 1734. When the town experienced frequent Moro invasion in 1741 and 1754, the town moved to a more secure place. From there, a new church was constructed in 1787 through forced labor under the supervision of Fray Francisco Gonzales, parish priest and Spanish gobernadorcillo Domingo Libo-on. It was built on the highest point of the town to guard from invaders called Tacas. After ten years, the church was completed in 1797. It was designed with thick walls to serve as protection from invaders. It was severely damaged during the Spanish revolution in 1898 but was later rebuilt, fire in 1910, the second World War and earthquake in 1948. The present church is the third structure built since its establishment in 1731. To preserve the church, it underwent restoration in 1960. This was completed in 1962. The church was declared a national shrine by President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree No. 260 on August 1, 1973 (read more).

Malawi

Malawi real life in the warm heart of Africa. Showcase of Malawian culture, which is rich in traditions, music, and dance.

Sent by Emmanuel from Lilongwe, Malawi.

Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km² (45,747 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 22,224,282 (as of July 2025). Lilongwe is its capital and largest city, while the next three largest cities are Blantyre, Mzuzu, and Zomba, the former capital.

The part of Africa known as Malawi was settled around the 10th century by the Akafula, also known as the Abathwa. Later, the Bantu groups came and drove out the Akafula and formed various kingdoms such as the Maravi and Nkhamanga kingdoms, among others that flourished from the 16th century. In 1891, the area was colonised by the British as the British Central African Protectorate, being renamed Nyasaland in 1907. In 1964, Nyasaland became an independent country as a Commonwealth realm under Prime Minister Hastings Banda, and was renamed Malawi. Two years later, Banda became president by converting the country into a one-party presidential republic. Banda was declared president for life in 1971. Independence was characterized by Banda's highly repressive dictatorship. After the introduction of a multiparty system in 1993, Banda lost the 1994 general election. Today, Malawi has a democratic, multi-party republic headed by an elected president. According to the 2024 V-Dem Democracy indices, Malawi is ranked 74th electoral democracy worldwide and 11th electoral democracy in Africa. The country maintains positive diplomatic relations with most countries, and participates in several international organisations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the African Union (AU).

Malawi is one of the world's least developed countries. The economy is heavily based on agriculture, and it has a largely rural and growing population. Malawi has experienced progress in the economy, education, and healthcare in recent years.

Malawi has a low life expectancy and high infant mortality. HIV/AIDS is highly prevalent, which both reduces the labour force and requires increased government expenditures. The country has a diverse population that includes native peoples, Asians, and Europeans. Several languages are spoken. The population is predominantly Christian and the majority are Protestant. Identification with a shared Malawian nationality has strengthened in recent decades (read more).

Togo - Monument Independence

(Monument de l'Indépendance) Monument of Independence in Lomé, Togo.

Sent by my friend Taouvik Boukari of Togo.

The Independence Monument (French: Monument de l'Indépendance) in Lomé, the capital of Togo, was built as a tribute to the country's independence from France on 27 April 1960. It features a white bust of a woman holding up a cooking pot, in front of a silhouette of a figure holding up their arms as if they were breaking chains that shackled them together. The sides of the silhouette bear a number of inscriptions, including one which says in French: "People of Togo, because of your faith and sacrifice, the Togolese nation was born." Another side bears the national motto and the following inscription: "Proclamation of the independence of Togo, 27 April 1960. Work, Liberty, Homeland." It is located near the Palais des congrès de Lomé [fr], which houses the Togo National Museum. Paul Ahyi, a renowned Togolese artist who designed the country's national flag, was a contributor to the monument (read more).

Austria - Kunsthaus Graz

Kunsthaus Graz, an art museum in Graz, Austria, known for its unique "Friendly Alien" architecture.

Sent by Lisa-Marie from  Graz, Austria.

The Kunsthaus Graz, Grazer Kunsthaus, or Graz Art Museum was built as part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2003 and has since become an architectural landmark in Graz, Austria. Its exhibition program specializes in contemporary art from the 1960s onwards.

Kunsthaus Graz was designed by Colin Fournier and Sir Peter Cook. According to The Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London, the Kunsthaus' design sought to be deliberately provocative, innovate museum design by offering a less "institutional" approach to organising exhibition spaces and employs new materials and manufacturing techniques. The building is an example of blob architecture, and has a skin made of iridescent blue acrylic panels that also double as photovoltaic panels. Owing to its shape contrasting with its surroundings, it is known in local vernacular as the "Friendly Alien". or rather as the black tumor.

The building incorporates the façade of the Eisernes Haus, an iron-framed structure built in 1848 (read more).

Czechia - Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec (2)

Kutná Hora

City of Kutná Hora, a UNECO World Heritage Site in Czech Republic. The city is known for its historical architecture, including the Cathedral of Our Lady and the St. Barbara's Church.

Sent by Jiri from Brno, Czech Republic

Kutná Hora (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkutnaː ˈɦora]; German: Kuttenberg) is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants. The history of Kutná Hora is linked to silver mining, which made it a rich and rapidly developing town. The centre of Kutná Hora, including the Sedlec Abbey and the Sedlec Ossuary, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 because of its outstanding architecture and its influence on subsequent architectural developments in other Central European city centres. The historic town centre is also protected as an urban monument reservation, the fourth largest in the Czech Republic.

The large concentration of monuments and its inclusion on the UNESCO list make Kutná Hora a significant tourist destination. The town's sacral monuments are among the most important and most visited monuments in the Czech Republic. In addition to tourism, the town's economy also includes industry, which is represented by production of tobacco products and the electrical engineering industry (read more).

Denmark - Aalborg

Images of Aalborg, a city in the North Jutland Region of Denmark.

Sent by Fie Elise from Aalborg, Denmark.

Aalborg or Ålborg (/ˈɑːlbɔːrɡ/ AHL-borg, US also /ˈɔːl-/ AWL-; Danish: [ˈʌlˌpɒˀ]) is Denmark's fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalborg had a population of 221,082, making it the third most populous in the country after the municipalities of Copenhagen (capital) and Aarhus. Eurostat and OECD have used a definition for the metropolitan area of Aalborg (referred to as a "functional urban area"), which includes all municipalities in the province (Danish: landsdel) of North Jutland (Danish: Nordjylland), with a total population of 594,323 as of 1 July 2022.

By road Aalborg is 64 kilometres (40 mi) southwest of Frederikshavn, and 118 kilometres (73 mi) north of Aarhus. The distance to Copenhagen is 412 kilometres (256 mi) if travelling by road and not using ferries.

The earliest settlements date to around AD 700. Aalborg's position at the narrowest point on the Limfjord made it an important harbour during the Middle Ages, and later a large industrial centre. Architecturally, the city is known for its half-timbered mansions built by its prosperous merchants. Budolfi Church, now a cathedral, dates from the end of the 14th century and Aalborghus Castle, a royal residence, was built in 1550. Today, Aalborg is a city in transition from a working-class industrial area to a knowledge-based community. A major exporter of grain, cement, and liquors, its thriving business interests include Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Alfa Laval, and Aalborg Portland. These companies have become global producers of wind turbine rotors, marine boilers, and cement (read more).