Travellers on the China-Tibet railway will have plenty of time to consider the long, complex relationship between the two places, says Gary Bowerman

CNN’s Beijing correspondent John Vause wonders how Olympic preparation, wrecking balls and etiquette training will change the city’s landscape

Angus Begg discovers a resurgent and diverse tourism sector in Rwanda

The Sharjah Biennial 8 used artworks to focus on the realities of climate change, as James Bennett discovers

The Central African Republic is a forgotten corner of Africa at risk of imminent crisis. Marcus Prior reports

The giant carved stone heads of Easter Island and the civilisation behind them are one of the World’s great unsolved mysteries, says Teresa Levonian Cole

The famously rose-red Jordanian city of Petra is one of the favourites to make it on to the New Seven Wonders of the World list. Dan Hayes reports

After 50 years spent on a Cold War front line, the people of the Kinmen Islands are ready to share their experiences. Mark Stratton reports

Duncan Rhodes shares the inside track on Poland’s beautiful Baltic city

Slovakia’s Thermia Palace Hotel and Irma Spa has been restored to their original art nouveau grandeur. Lucy Mallows tests the healing waters