2 . The Enchanting Scenery of Zhangjiajie

Located in China’s Hunan province, Zhangjiajie offers a unique and breathtaking landscape with nature’s unbound creativity. This region, famous for its rock formations and deep gorges (峡谷), is a popular destination for travelers to see the nature’s wonders.

Tianmen Mountain, the tallest peak in Zhangjiajie, stands tall at 1,518 meters. Its most famous Tianmen Cave, a natural arch which spans over 100 meters wide, offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains. There is also a challenging glass walkway, offering visitors a thrilling walk above the clouds.

This park is a shelter for nature lovers, with over 2,400 species of plants and animals. Its highlights include the “Avatar” Hallelujah Mountains, which were a filming location for the popular movie “Avatar”. The park’s hiking trails offer visitors the chance to explore its thick forests and breathtaking valleys.

Known for its traditional Tujia architecture, Huangshi Village offers a look into the rich cultural heritage of the local community. Visitors can enjoy the village’s peaceful atmosphere, admire the unique stone houses, and taste the delicious local cuisine.

This beautiful lake, surrounded by lush green hills, offers a peaceful escape. Boating on the lake, one can appreciate the reflections of the surrounding mountains, creating a picture-perfect scene.

3 . Abstract painter Harold Cohen had represented Britain at important festivals with his oil paintings and was seeking a new challenge by the end of 1960s. “Maybe there are more interesting things going on outside my studio than inside it,” he thought. Cohen turned from the canvas to the screen, using computers to find new ways of creating art. In the late 1960s, he created a program that he named Aaron. It was the first artificial intelligence software in the world of fine art, and Cohen first presented Aaron in 1974 at the University of California.

Now, with AI dominating the headlines, a new exhibition at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art, “Harold Cohen: Aaron,” running through June 2024, draws attention to Cohen’s pioneering work. The Whitney is offering something deeper than most previous Aaron exhibits: a real-time experience, in which visitors can watch the software produce art.

Cohen seeded Aaron with all sorts of knowledge: about basic objects, physics, and fundamental techniques of drawing. Aaron uses this knowledge to follow instructions, complete tasks, and make decisions like human beings — a very different approach from today’s generative AI art programs, which don't draw from scratch (从零开始) but rather rely on databases of images. Versions of Aaron still generate output, but anything done after Cohen’s death in 2016 is not considered genuine.

The Whitney is showcasing two versions of Cohen’s software, along with the art that each produced before Cohen died. The 2001 version, Aaron KCAT, generates images of figures and plants and projects them onto a wall more than ten feet high, while the 2007 version produces jungle-like scenes. The software will also create art physically, on paper, for the first time since the 1990s. “It is absolutely thrilling,” said Christiane Paul, the museum’s director of digital art, “to have one of those remarkable treasures of digital art in the collection.”

4 . Jungle Cruise

Jungle Cruise hits Disney’s streaming service alongside its arrival at cinemas. As such, you’ll have to pay $30 on top of your subscription fee to see it — a high price for a solo viewing, but a great deal for a family session. That’s good news, because this really is a winner of a family movie, thanks to the production values you’d come to expect from a Disney blockbuster (大片) and the chemistry between Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.

Inside Out

Just when we thought Pixar was on the decline, it released Inside Out, one of its most thoughtful and powerful movies. Featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling, Inside Out made over $850 million at the box office upon its 2015 release. It wasn’t just a commercial success, as it scored 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Free Solo

Free Solo is one of the best documentaries ever made. Telling the story of Alex Honnold, the first man to “free solo” El Capitan, it’s a character study of a man who makes the impossible look almost ordinary; an Oscar-winning story that culminates (到达极点) — quite literally — in a close-up view of one of humanity’s wildest achievements.

Aladdin

You can agree or you can disagree, but I believe that Aladdin has the best song lineup of any animated movie that Disney has ever produced. A Whole New World, Prince Ali, Friend Like Me, Arabian Nights — banger after banger (一部接一部). That’s reflected in the critical response: Aladdin is one of the best-rated Disney movies ever, with a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.