Festival Performers, JapanFestival Performers, JapanPhotograph by Benoit Hardy-ChartrandPhotograph by Benoit Hardy-Chartrand

(National Geographic Photo Contest Images)

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Wintry WaitPhotograph by Johnny Haglund 2

Seagulls, AlaskaSeagulls, AlaskaPhotograph by Court LevePhotograph by Court Leve

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Gothic Quarter, BarcelonaPhotograph by Jordi Boixareu 4

Lake Carezza, ItalyPhotograph by Antonio Chiumenti 5

Eastern Screech OwletsPhotograph by Graham McGeorge 6

Lighthouse, PortugalLighthouse, PortugalPhotograph by Veselin MalinovPhotograph by Veselin Malinov

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Skateboarders, San FranciscoPhotograph by Matthieu Moors

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Seaside Park, JapanPhotograph by Hideyuki Katagiri

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Reflection, HungaryPhotograph by Zsolt Szabo

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Landscape, LatviaPhotograph by Mihails Ignats 11

Deer, Richmond ParkPhotograph by Prashant Meswani 12

Cabin, CroatiaPhotograph by Marin Suöli

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Tree Canopy, BerlinTree Canopy, BerlinPhotograph by Kevin ConnollyPhotograph by Kevin Connolly

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Bride, KosovoBride, KosovoPhotograph by Nita ZeqiriPhotograph by Nita Zeqiri 15

Skógafoss, IcelandPhotograph by Jorunn Sjofn Gudlaugsdottir 16

Sunbathing Cows, AndalusiaPhotograph by Andrew Lever

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Above the Namib DesertPhotograph by Chris Schmid 18

Monastery in MandalayPhotograph by Marcelo Salvador 19

Aflutter Along the IguazuPhotograph by Daniel Pinheiro 20

Imperiled RhinoPhotograph by Richard Young

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The Blessed ManPhotograph by Yosuke Kashiwakura

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The Saidai-ji Eyo festival, considered one of the three strangest festivals in Japan, is a Buddhist ritual in which

9,000 men compete to grab just a pair of sacred wooden batons to decide who will be the "blessed man" for

the year. The over 500-year-old tradition of Eyo is based on an underlying understanding of the state of

human life, greater than the ideals and trends of a single generation, and this idea has been cherished and

passed down through the centuries.

日本岡山市的西大寺觀音院舉行的裸祭節為日本的三大“奇祭”之一。在寒冷的 2 月，只穿著兜襠褲的男子們奮力爭奪據說可以帶來福氣的木棒“寶木”。“寶木”兩根為一對，長約 20厘米，並經過了 14天的祈禱。當天晚 10點，西大寺的住持從高約 4 米的正殿的窗戶將寶木扔下。用冷水清洗過身體，“熱氣騰騰”的數千人開始了一場“肉搏”戰。經過激烈的搶奪競技之後，搶到寶木的男子們就可以進行下一步儀式－受封為「福男」。

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Frosted Tamarack SwampPhotograph by Adam Dorn 24

There's Always OnePhotograph by Yashani Shantha

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A Shepherd's FlockPhotograph by Juan Aguilar 26

Shy Sea LionPhotograph by Ron Watkins 27

Street Colors, Hong KongPhotograph by Brian Yen

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Burnt Trees, YellowstonePhotograph by Chaoying Zhao 29

The White Cliffs of IturupThe White Cliffs of IturupPhotograph by Alexey KharitonovPhotograph by Alexey Kharitonov

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31Pink MorningPhotograph by David Köster

Frosty GlancePhotograph by Sandor Csudai

12/31/2013 王文堯 Kaohsiung Taiwan R.O.CAll photos were taken from National Geographic

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