202603 Wallpaper Collection

Paradise Cave makes a powerful first impression the moment visitors step inside. This vast limestone cavern lies deep within Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam, a region marked by rugged mountains and countless hidden caves. Stretching over 19 miles, Paradise Cave is one of Asia's longest dry caves, and its scale is immediately apparent. High ceilings rise above the walkways, and layered patterns formed by mineral-rich water over millions of years line the walls.

The demoiselle crane is a small yet striking migratory bird found across Central Asia, from its breeding grounds in the steppes of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and northern China, to their wintering grounds in India, Nepal and parts of Africa. With its elegant appearance—slender neck, long legs and beautiful plumage—it is often considered one of the most graceful crane species. They are known for their intricate courtship dances, during which pairs engage in synchronised movements and calls, creating a beautiful spectacle.

At 1 a.m. today, time performs a magic trick. Blink, and it's 2 a.m. That missing hour marks the start of British Summer Time (BST), when the clocks in the United Kingdom move forward to make the most of longer spring and summer days.

The African buffalo, a powerful and imposing creature, roams the savannas and wetlands of Tanzania, particularly within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). Known for their large, curved horns and massive size, they are one of Africa's 'Big Five' (buffalo, elephant, leopard, rhino, lion) and are widely respected for their strength and resilience. The NCA, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a dramatic and ecologically rich setting for observing these formidable herbivores.

At first glance, there's no doubt that the interior of Radio City Music Hall pulls you in and cranks up the excitement. It feels like stepping straight into the sun in the middle of New York City, United States—an Art Deco fever dream of how the 1930s imagined the future. This rush of awe is celebrated every 27 March as World Theatre Day.

Running along the remote southwest coast of Vancouver Island in Canada, the West Coast Trail is one of the country's most legendary hikes. Located in British Columbia's Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, the trail stretches about 47 miles through rainforest, beaches and rocky shoreline. It was established in 1907 as a lifesaving route for shipwreck survivors along what sailors once called the 'Graveyard of the Pacific.'

Manatees may seem slow and sleepy, but they have some surprising tricks under the surface. For starters, they are one of the few mammals that constantly replace their teeth. As old molars wear down from chewing gritty seagrass, new ones slowly roll forward like a conveyor belt—handy for an animal that eats for up to eight hours a day.

From above, East Lake Cherry Blossom Park in Wuhan, China, looks like a soft lilac cloud settled gently over the land. Thousands of cherry trees bloom at once, their pale petals forming a living canopy around a golden five-storey pagoda at the park's heart. The pagoda rises in calm symmetry, its tiered rooflines glowing against the delicate pastels of spring.

The strength of nature is nowhere more evident than in powerful storms. Scary? Yes. Fascinating? Even more so. Learning to understand and respect these forces helps humanity live more safely.

Today is World Water Day, declared by the UN in 1992 and first observed the following year. Humanity could no longer drift along—we had to safeguard the very currents that keep us alive. Few places capture that urgency like Lake Tanganyika, in the Great Rift Valley of eastern Africa. From space, it's a roughly 420‑mile ribbon linking Tanzania, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. At the shoreline, it's a 10-million-year-old rift basin, formed as the Earth's crust slowly pulled apart.

If Earth had a maintenance crew, forests would be spearheading it. They absorb carbon emissions, reduce soil erosion, safeguard biodiversity, influence rainfall and help maintain clean water supplies. They still cover about 31% of the world's land area, yet their continued decline shows how vulnerable these natural systems have become. Vast stretches continue to be cleared for agriculture, infrastructure and resource extraction, weakening ecosystems at an alarming rate.

A white snowdrop is spring's quiet debut. No confetti, no countdown—just a delicate flower appearing as the spring equinox balances day and night. Snowdrops are among the first to bloom, often pushing through cold soil before winter fully packs up. Their drooping, bell-shaped flowers may look delicate, but they're built for early arrival. Special antifreeze proteins in their cells help them tolerate frost, making them well suited to unpredictable late-winter weather.

An egg-laying mammal. No teeth. Reptilian gait. Built-in body armour. If the short-beaked echidna sounds like a checklist of contradictions, that's because it is—and it owns it. Native to Australia, Tasmania and parts of New Guinea, it's one of the few surviving monotremes, or mammals that lay eggs. Despite the headlines, it still qualifies as a mammal: it has fur, produces milk and is warm-blooded. The twist? Milk is released through specialised skin patches rather than nipples, leaving the young to lap it up.

Spring break on Vancouver Island looks a little different. In Canada, the Pacific Rim Whale Festival celebrates the annual spring migration of thousands of grey whales as they pass close to the island's west coast. Created by local communities in the 1980s, the festival marks the whales' return north from breeding lagoons in Baja California, Mexico.

St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Roman Britain around the late 4th or early 5th century. According to legend, at 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and brought to Ireland as a slave. After escaping, he returned home and later became a missionary, spreading Christianity across the island. He is famously associated, according to later tradition, with using the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity. His legacy of faith has made St Patrick's Day a global celebration.

With their black-and-white coats and gentle demeanour, pandas have become global symbols of conservation. Observed on 16 March, National Panda Day highlights this iconic species and the conservation challenges it still faces. Giant pandas are native to China and have faced a high risk of extinction due to habitat loss and low birth rates. Thanks to global conservation efforts, their population is slowly recovering, but more work is needed.

Before the kettle boils on Mothering Sunday, a robin is already at work. Spring is its busiest season, and parenting is in full swing. This bird may look small, but it runs a tight family operation. The female selects the nest site and builds a cup of moss and leaves. She incubates the eggs, staying put while life develops beneath her. Meanwhile, the male plays provider, delivering insects to keep her fuelled. Once the chicks hatch, both parents feed them every few minutes. No snooze button, no packed lunches—just beaks full of worms.

Long before pi had a name, people were drawn to its mystery. Every year on March 14, Pi Day highlights one of math's most recognisable constants. The date reflects the first three digits of pi (π), the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter: 3.14. Pi's infinite, nonrepeating decimal has fascinated thinkers for a long time. The modern celebration began in 1988, when physicist Larry Shaw marked the day with a fitting tribute: serving pie.

Under the vaulted ceiling of Notre-Dame de Bon-Port in Les Sables-d'Olonne, a seaside town in western France, the stone ribs still guide the gaze upward. Construction of the soaring vaults began in 1646. The church—officially recognised as a French historic monument since 1993—stands on the site of a 13th-century chapel, a reminder of deep-rooted spiritual life on the Atlantic coast.

High in Ecuador's cloud forests, a young sunbittern spreads its wings in an early display, casting flashes of orange, black and white through the filtered green light. The sudden contrast cuts through the moss‑covered branches and leaf‑shadowed understorey, offering a snapshot of the species' dramatic wing patterns. Adult sunbitterns most often show these bold markings during defensive displays, briefly transforming an elusive bird into a striking spectacle.

Spring hits differently in Cieza. It doesn't gently unfold—it erupts with colour. Between February and March, this small city in Spain's Murcia region is the epicentre of 'La Floración,' the flowering of peach trees. In a matter of days, more than 12,000 acres (5,000 hectares)—Spain's largest municipal peach production—transform into the sea of colour we see in today's image.

Have you ever wondered what happens when fire, ice and time negotiate the same territory? Iceland's Hveravellir geothermal field has the answer. In this highland hotspot, energy from the Earth's interior meets the icy surface, triggering a volatile dialogue between pressure, temperature and stone. Fumaroles hiss, steam curls into the air, and the ground paints itself with sulphur whites, rust reds and ochre yellows—not only artistry, but chemical reactions driven by extreme heat. In today's image, Bláhver, a natural hot spring, dazzles in electric blue. Its colour comes from mineral- and silica-rich waters that reflect light on the surface.

This sleeping grey seal, spotted along Scotland's coast, is here to remind us that rest matters. These marine mammals are strategic sleepers. Instead of one long snooze, they nap in short bursts that suit their surroundings. In the water, they sleep lightly so they can surface to breathe. On quiet beaches and rocky islands, they stretch out for deeper rest.

Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a 36-acre (15-hectare) urban oasis along the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon in the United States, is one of the city's most beloved green spaces. Each spring—typically from mid-March to early April—it transforms into a sea of soft pink and white as cherry blossoms bloom. These vibrant trees along scenic walking paths offer a peaceful escape in the heart of the city. The park also features notable landmarks like Salmon Street Springs, an interactive fountain with numerous water jets and the Portland Saturday Market, a favourite local destination.

Imagine reaching the Brocken in Harz National Park, Germany, as clouds slide across the ridge. With the sun behind you, mist ahead—then a giant, haloed shadow forms. Ever wondered why climbers once feared this sight? The phenomenon, called the Brocken spectre, is an eerie natural optical effect that occurs when sunlight projects a person's shadow onto cloud or fog. Rising about 1,141 metres, the Brocken is the highest peak in northern Germany and has long inspired folklore, including tales of witches gathering here during Walpurgis Night.

Architecture blends art and technology, expressed through the built form. While many designs focus primarily on function, some buildings give equal weight to visual impact. A strong example is The Wave building complex in Vejle, Denmark, where sculptural design and practical housing come together seamlessly.

As evening settles over the town of Göreme in the heart of the Cappadocia region of Türkiye, dusk reveals a landscape forged by nature and centuries of human presence. This scene is part of Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1985 for its exceptional combination of early cultural history and geological formations. These formations, often called 'fairy chimneys' or hoodoos, began as layers of volcanic ash that hardened into soft stone following eruptions of ancient Anatolian volcanoes. Over time, wind and water carved the pillars, ridges and valleys that define the region today.

As winter's grip on the Rila Mountains of southwestern Bulgaria begins to loosen, crocuses push through the thinning snow, signalling the arrival of spring in the country's highest mountain range. These early bloomers use stored nutrients to quickly grow in cold conditions, completing much of their life cycle before taller plants emerge. Their clustered blossoms unfurl over alpine meadows in sweeping purple ribbons, creating a striking contrast with bright snowfields and crisp morning light.

Today is World Wildlife Day, a United Nations observance that invites us to reflect on our well-being's deep connection to the natural world. This year's theme focuses on medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs)—species used in traditional healing, modern medicine, cosmetics and food. The UN estimates that between 50,000 and 70,000 MAP species are harvested globally, with 70-95% of people in many developing countries relying on them for primary health care. However, many of these plants face mounting threats from habitat loss, overharvesting and illegal trade, making sustainable use essential for their future.

Do not be fooled by how simple Ko Samui's longtail boats look from a distance; decades of local ingenuity have shaped their slender frames. These vessels, known in Thailand as 'ruea hang yao,' emerged in the early 20th century, when fishermen repurposed vehicle engines to navigate shallow waters that larger boats couldn't reach. Handcrafted plank by plank, each boat reflects generations of skill. Their hulls burst with bold, striking colours, while decorative cloth and flowers often crown the bows—Buddhist blessings meant to safeguard both the boat and its crew.

1 March is the day Wales politely clears its throat and makes its point. No fireworks, no fanfare—just hymns, dragons and a nation confidently wearing vegetables. Saint David's Day celebrates Welsh identity with quiet pride and a good sense of humour. Saint David was a 6th-century preacher and monastic founder whose advice to 'do the little things' still does the rounds on banners, mugs and moral compasses.

Moloka'i, often called the most Hawaiian of the islands, offers a slower rhythm shaped by nature and strong community ties. Formed by volcanic activity more than a million years ago, the island covers about 260 square miles and rises from the Pacific Ocean in long ridges and broad valleys. Unlike its busier neighbours, Moloka'i has resisted large-scale development, preserving a strong sense of local cohesion where families, traditions and stewardship of the land encapsulate central values. Life here focuses on the ocean, the land and stories passed down through generations.