Rich in culture and rooted in tradition, winter in Budapest here not only feels like a fairytale, it looks like one, too. Here are four top things to do in Budapest during the winter.

Budapest’s City Park Ice Rink is by far the most famous skating destination in the region. Skaters flooded to the rink each winter between late November and mid February. First opened in 1870, this ice rink is one of the oldest and largest in Europe. It’s filled up with water during the summer months. It serves as a boating lake for tourists looking to bike around while bathing in the sun.

Budapest is quite rightly nicknamed the “City of Spas”. The baths of here are astonishingly beautiful, which are famous for their relaxing and medicinal benefits Taking a dip in the famous baths during winter is an experience like no other. Jumping from one indoor pool to the outside bathing area is a memorable and pleasurable experience.

The Hungarian State Opera House is closed for renovations (翻新). However, visitors can still see parts of it via (通过) guided tours. The Hungarian State Opera House, which was completed in 1884, remains exactly the same as that when it was constructed. Each year thousands of visitors arrived in Budapest to take in the sheer (十足的) beauty of the opera house, while the lucky ones are able to secure a ticket for a show.

Shopping in Budapest during winter is a magical experience. Andrassy Avenue and Fashion Street are two of its most popular tourist destinations at any time of year. Covered with thousands of lights, the tree-lined avenue comes to life during the winter months, offering up many attractions. The shops here are usually open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the winter months.

Kayabuki no Sato, a small village in Kyoto famous for its traditional thatched (茅草的） roof houses, features a hidden sprinkler (洒水器） system that turns the whole place into a water fountain.

Known as Miyama’s Thatched Village, Kayabuki no Sato has a higher percentage of thatched roof farmhouses than any other place in Japan. This makes it very popular with tourists, who love walking among the over 40 traditional thatched roof houses and even spending the night in one of them, but it is also easy for the houses to catch fire. Local officials realized this in the year 2000, when a fire burned down the archive (档案） centre, so apart from asking people to be alert at all time, they decided to install a special sprinkler system to cover the whole village. They test it twice a year, usually in May and December, and people from all over Japan and beyond come to see the powerful sprinklers in action.

You might think that dozens of automated sprinklers dotting a traditional Japanese village would be an eyesore, and you would be right. That is why local authorities decided to maintain the picturesque look of Kayabuki no Sato by hiding the 62 metal sprinklers in small wooden houses similar to the authentic ones. When the system is activated, the roofs of these houses open up like tiny transformers, clearing the way for sprinklers inside to shoot jets of water high into the sky.

The testing of the sprinkler system is such an impressive event that it has become known as the Kayabuki no Sato water hose festival. Strong jets of water are shot into the air by all 62 strategically-placed sprinklers, at the same time, to cover all the thatched roof houses. And if that isn’t an impressive enough sight, on sunny days, the sprinklers also create rainbows over the village.

So if you’re ever in Kyoto during the months of May and December and want to see something truly unique, head over to Kayabuki no Sato, in the Miyama rural area, for the water hose festival. You won’t regret it!

Are we human beings the only creatures in the world with a moral sense? Most experts in behaviour believe that morality is a uniquely human quality — yet I’m convinced that many animals can distinguish right from wrong. Decades spent watching animals have persuaded me that species living in groups often have a sense of fair play built on moral rules of conduct that strengthen their social relationships.

My studies of baby dogs and wolves reveal that they use a special signal to prevent misinterpretation of playful actions. They perform a “bow” — lowering the forelimbs (前肢) closer to the ground while keeping the back upright — when starting play, or in association with unfriendly actions such as biting, to convey their original intention. And role exchange is common, so that during play a dominant animal will often allow a physically weaker animal to have the upper hand. Such behaviors reduce inequalities in size, strength and dominance between playmates, promoting the cooperation that is essential for social play to occur. Indeed, on some occasions when an animal says “Let’s play” and then beats up an unsuspecting (无戒备的) animal, the “criminal” usually finds itself ostracized (排斥) by its former playmates.

What does this tell us about human morality? We should stop seeing ourselves as morally superior to other animals. True, our big brains give us a highly complicated sense of what’s right and wrong, but they also give us a much greater ability to benefit from immoral behaviour. In that sense, animal morality might be “purer” than our own. We should accept our moral responsibility towards other animals, and that means developing and enforcing more restrictive rules governing animal use. While animal minds may vary from one species to another, they are not so different from our own, and only when we accept this can we truly be moral in our relations with nature as a whole.

There’s been growing concerns about the damaging impact of human travel on the environment in recent years. Irresponsible tourism is a main cause of environmental destruction. The destruction of the natural environment is an urgent matter as it directly affects everyone’s well-being.     16     As a student passionate about travel, you should leave as little carbon pollution as possible wherever you visit.

Avoid takeaways as many as possible

Buying “food to go” seems logical when you are in a rush. Though convenient, this kind of take-out packaging often uses disposable(一次性的) plastic boxes and bags, which can contribute significantly to environmental pollution if not properly disposed of.     17     You can, instead, eat out in a restaurant while enjoying a scenic atmosphere. If you have to take away something like coffee, use a reusable cup.

Go for train or bus when traveling nationally

Transportation accounts for nearly a third of all greenhouse gases produced in the environment. Flying and driving, in particular, are major contributors to carbon emissions(排放) within the transportation sector, with domestic flying emitting more carbon than driving.     18    

Stay on designated roads and foot paths

Responsible tourism is about having as minimum physical interaction with the wild as possible. We not only protect the fragile ecosystems around us but also ensure our own safety.     19     If you stray away from designated(指定) paths, you risk damaging plants and the natural habitat for animals.

Pick up trash after yourself and others

    20     Instead of dropping trash, why not pick it up? You can significantly impact the environment by picking up trash along trails when hiking or backpacking for proper disposal.

In conclusion, responsible tourism is traveling with awareness, respect, and consideration for the places you visit. It’s about ensuring that your travel experiences enrich not only your own lives but also contribute positively to the destinations you explore, leaving them better than you found them.