November 2026’s New Round-Ups

A new place to read, a familiar shrine restored, an airport designed for a growing city: this issue’s travel news offers several reasons to look again at destinations across Asia, Australia and Europe. These six updates bring together cultural openings, heritage projects and places where nature takes center stage.

KNOWLEDGE AND NATURE

Taichung, Taiwan

In a glass pavilion set among trees, reading feels like time spent in a quiet forest. Taichung Green Museumbrary (Tue-Sun, closed Mon), designed by Pritzker Prize-winning studio SANAA, and just an hour south of Taipei by highspeed rail, is Taiwan’s first and largest library-museum complex: a place where the boundaries between culture, art, and nature seem to dissolve. True to its motto – “a library in a park, an art museum in a forest” – it houses half a million books and hosts innovative exhibitions, while its soaring glass halls and staggered pathways make for a dynamic urban green space.

Pair a visit to Taichung’s library and museum with a journey through Taiwan. Fly to Taipei with Thai Airways!

TALK OF THE TOWN

London, United Kingdom

Every great city needs a place where its whole story is told. The London Museum (free admission) will be opened a new branch in the grand Victorian halls of Smithfield, the old meat market in November 2026. Two thousand years of the city live here, from Roman remains to a Banksy artwork and the silk vest believed to have been worn by King Charles I at his execution. Beyond the galleries, it is a social space too, complete with events, food, and late-night gatherings.

Make London’s museums part of your next city break. Fly to London with Thai Airways!

A NEW LANDMARK RISES

Sydney, Australia

Australia has not built a cultural landmark this ambitious since the Sydney Opera House. Powerhouse Parramatta rises on the riverbank in western Sydney, marking the country’s largest cultural project in half a century. It debuts with major exhibitions and thousands of objects spanning art, design, science, and technology, a grand stage for big ideas at the vibrant heart of the west.

Explore Sydney’s cultural scene beyond the harbour. Fly to Sydney with Thai Airways!

SACRED RESURRECTION

Fukuoka, Japan

The great shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the scholar honored as Japan’s deity of learning, has undergone its first full renovation in 124 years. Dazaifu Tenmangu (Daily: 06:30-18:30) has renewed the cypress-bark roof and vivid lacquer work of its Momoyama-era main hall, a cultural site of national importance. Built over his resting place, it still draws students nationwide to pray for exam success beneath its legendary tobiume (flying plum tree).

Discover Fukuoka’s shrines and traditions on your next visit. Fly to Fukuoka with Thai Airways!

LIVING SCULPTURES

Chiang Mai, Thailand

These treasures are centuries old, and every one of them is still alive. At Changthong Heritage Park (Daily: 09:00-19:00) – Thailand’s first ancient-tree museum – landscape architect Bunrak Thanacharoenrot has gathered some 2,000 rare native trees. Refusing to let magnificent specimens be cleared or burned for charcoal, he spent two decades rescuing and nursing them back to grandeur. The collection’s highlight is a wild almond whose base spreads wide, like the foot of a stupa.

Spend time among northern Thailand’s remarkable trees. Fly to Chiang Mai with Thai Airways!

XIAMEN’S NEW GATEWAY

Xiamen, China

As the existing airport serving the Chinese city of Xiamen has reached its capacity, the new Xiang’an International Airport – located 25 km from the city – will streamline arrivals to this charming destination. Designed to accommodate 45 million travelers annually, it will provide a state-of-the-art welcome and quick transits for visitors looking to experience Xiamen’s blissful coastline and the nearby island of Gulangyu, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

Plan a coastal escape to Xiamen and nearby Gulangyu. Fly to Xiamen with Thai Airways, starting from 1 December 2026!