Serene scenery jacky naegelen

Grapes worth their weight in gold

More than 160 years after the gold rush that drew the Chinese to California by the thousands, a modern generation of Chinese fortune hunters is descending on the Golden State.

Alsace 'revolution' creates new challenge to Burgundy wines

Long known for its top-of-the-range white wines, the northeastern French region of Alsace has begun touting its reds, which are rapidly becoming worthy rivals to the great Burgundies.

From taboo to modern art

Getting a tattoo is no longer associated with triads and the violent underworld as more youngsters are seeking to get inked

Determined to be original

As a veteran tattooist who used to work with Paul Booth - a world renowned tattoo master from the United States - Shen Weiguo has established himself as one of the best in Shanghai with his bold and exquisite designs.

Treasures from the past

For those interested in the evolution of Chinese history, Shanxi is a place to go

With beijing as his canvas

Rare street artist places his work on abandoned buildings

For graffiti artists, a recent, surprise welcome

Once vilified by the authorities and threatened with jail, Taiwan's graffiti artists are now being encouraged to get out their spray cans to revive urban areas.

Street artists give Kiev colorful makeover

In a mural splashed across a four-story building in central Kiev, a small boy nonchalantly throws paper planes.

Snow the secret ingredient for making wine

At the world's northernmost winery, winter temperatures and the strong spring sun are the wild cards

Near DC, Virginia's Middleburg offers wine country getaway

Virginia is home to more than 250 wineries, from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. The state's Middleburg area, in Loudoun County, has two dozen wineries alone, and it's so close to Washington that it calls itself "DC's Wine Country".

Wild ice cream

Snow-capped Andean peaks, palm-fringed Caribbean beaches and verdant tropical rainforest may still be Colombia's top attractions for most tourists, but one should not miss this little emerald treasure hidden in its third largest city Cali that used be a center of the drug trade. Founded in 1970, Cali Zoo is intersected by the Cali River and is home to about 1,000 animals distributed across 170 species, 80 percent of which, such as the spectacled bear, are native to Colombia. The zoo has an aquarium with salt and freshwater species, and a butterfly garden with 800 species of butterflies.