The city that has reinvented itself across dynasties has no shortage of new must-see attractions in 2026. Here’s how to see the best of Beijing, from the Forbidden City to its hidden courtyards and alleyways.

Read Mark Jenkins’s previous “Navigations” essays. “They escaped into the jungle,” says Marvin, lifting his paddle from the hazel water and pointing toward the tangle of verdure. “Just running and running. Not knowing where to go. Not knowing what to eat. Lost and day by day starving and cut all over from the thorns, and…

For more than a decade, a team of intrepid researchers have been exploring the river systems of southern Africa, one paddle stroke at a time. Here’s how the work led to the discovery of a lifetime.