北京导游词英语作文（精选9篇）
THE FORBIDDEN CITY(紫禁城)
(Infront of the meridian gate)
This is the palace museum; also know as the Purple Forbidden City. It isthe largest and most well reserved imperial residence inChinatoday. Under MingEmperor Yongle, construction began in 1406. It took 14 years to build theForbidden City. The first ruler who actually lived here was Ming Emperor Zhudi.For five centuries thereafter,it continued to be the residence of 23 successiveemperors until 1911 when Qing Emperor Puyi was forced to abdicate the throne .In1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizationrecognized the Forbidden City was a world cultural legacy.
It is believed that the Palace Museum, orZi Jin Cheng (Purple ForbiddenCity), got its name from astronomy folklore, The ancient astronomers divided theconstellations into groups and centered them around the Ziwei Yuan(North Star).The constellation containing the North Starwas called the Constellation ofHeavenly God and star itself was called the purple palace. Because the emperorwas supposedly the son of the heavenly gods,his central and dominant positionwould be further highlighted the use of theword purple in the name of hisresidence. In folklore, the term ”an eastern purple cloud is drifting” became ametaphor for auspicious events after apurple cloud was seen drifting eastwardimmediately before the arrival of anancient philosopher, LaoZi, to the HanghuPass. Here, purple isassociated with auspicious developments. The word jin(forbidden) isself-explanatory as the imperial palace was heavily guarded andoff-explanatoryas the imperial palace was heavily guarded and off-limits toordinary people.
The red and yellow used on the palace wallsand roofs are also symbolic. Redrepresents happiness, good fortune and wealth.Yellow is the color of the earthon the Loess Plateau, the original home of the Chinese people. Yellow became animperial color during the Tang dynasty, whenonly members of the royal familywere allowed to wear it and use it in their architecture.
The Forbidden Cityis rectangular in shape. It is 960 meters long from northto south and 750meter wide from east west. It has 9,900 rooms under a total roofarea 150,000square meters .A 52-meter-wide-moat encircles a 9.9-meter―high wallwhich enclosesthe complex. Octagon ―shaped turrets rest on the four corners ofthe wall.There are four entrances into the city: the MeridianGate to the south,the Shenwu Gate(Gate of Military Prowess) to the north, andthe Xihua Gate(Gateof military Prowess) to the north, and the Xihua Gate(Western Flowery Gate )tothe west ,the Donghua (Eastern Flowery Gate) tothe east.
Manpower and materials throughout thecountry were used to build theForbidden City.A total of 230,000 artisans and one million laborers wereemployed. Marble wasquarried from fangshan Country Mount Pan in Jixian County inHebei Province.Granite was quarried in Quyang County in Hebei Province. Pavingblockswere fired in kilns in Suzhou in southernChina. Bricksand scarletpigmentation used on the palatial walls came from linqing in Shandong Province.Timber was cut ,processed and hauled from the northwestern and southernregions.
The structure in front of us is the Meridian Gate. It is the main entranceto the forbidden City. It is also knowsas Wufenglou(Five-Phoenix Tower). Mingemperorsheld lavish banquets here on the 15th day of the first month of theChinese lunar year in hornor of their counties .They also used this place forpunishingofficals by flogging them with sticks.
Qing emperors used this building toannounce the beginning of the new year.Qing Emperor Qianglong changed the original name of this announcement ceremonyfrom ban li(announcement ofcalendar)to ban shou(announcement of new moon )toavoid coincidentalassociation with another Emperor` s name, Hongli, which wasconsidered a tabooat that time. Qing Dynasty emperors also used this place tohold audience andfor other important ceremonies. For example,when the imperialarmy returnedvictoriously from the battlefield ,it was here that the Emperorpresided overthe ceremony to accept prisoners of war.
(After entering the Meridian Gate andstanding in front of the Five MarbleBridges on Golden Water River)
now we are inside the Forbidden City.Beforewe start our tour, I would liketo briefly introduce you to the architectural patterns befour us .To completethis solemn, magnificent and palatial complex,a variety of buildings werearranged on a north-south axis, and8-kilometer-long invisible line that hasbecome an inseparable part of the Cityof Beijing. The Forbidden City coversroughly one ?third of this central axis. Most of the important building in theForbidden City weree arranged along this line. The designand arrangement of thepalaces reflect the solemn dignity of the royal courtand rigidly ?stratifiedfeudal system.
The Forbidden Cityis divided into an outer and an inner count.We are nowstanding on the southern most part of the outer count. In front of us lies theGate of supreme Harmony .The gate is guarded by a pair of bronze lions,symbolizing imperial power and dignity. The lions were the most exquisite andbiggest of its kind.The one on the east playing with a ball is a male, and ballis said to represent state unity. The other one is a female. Underneath one ofits foreclaws is a cub that is considered to be a symbol of perpetual imperialsuccession. The winding brook before us is the Golden Water River. It functionsbothas decoration and fire control .The five bridges spanning the riverrepresentthe five virtues preached by Confucius :benevolence, righteousness,rites,intellence and fidelity. The river takes the shape of a bow and thenorth-southaxis is its arrow. This was meant to show that the Emperors ruled thecountryon behalf of God.
(In front of the Gate of Supreme Harmony)
The Forbidden Cityconsists of an outer countyard and an inner enclosure.The out count yardcovers a vast space lying between the Meridian Gate and theGate of HeavenlyPurity. The “three big halls” of Supreme Harmony, CompleteHarmony and Preserving Harmony constitute the center of this building group.Flanking themin bilateral symmetry are two groups of palaces: Wenhua (ProminentScholars)and Wuying (Brave Warriors) . The three great halls are built on aspacious“H”-shaped, 8-meter-high, triple marble terrace, Each level of thetripleterrace is taller than the on below and all are encircled by marblebalustradescarved with dragon and phoenix designs. There are three carved stonestaircases linking the three architectures .The hall of supreme Harmony is alsothetallest and most exquisite ancient wooden-structured mansion in all ofChina.From thepalace of Heavenly Purith northward is what isknown as the inner court,which is also built in bilaterally symmetrical patterns. In the center are thePalaceof Heavenly Purity, the Hall of Unionand Peace and Palace of EarthlyTranquility, aplace where the Emperors lived with their families and attended tostateaffairs. Flanking these structures are palaces and halls in whichconcubinesand princes lived. There are also three botanical gardens within theinnercount, namely, the imperial Garden, Caning garden and Quailing garden. Aninner Golden Water Riverflows eastwardly within the inner court. The brook windsthrough three minorhalls or palaces and leads out of the Forbidden City.It isspanned by the White Jade Bridge.The river is lined with winding, marble ?carvedbalustrades.
Most of thestructures within the Forbidden City haveyellow glazed tileroofs.
Aside from giving prominence to thenorth-south axis, other architecturalmethods were applied to make every groupof palatial structures unique in termsof terraces, roofs, mythical monstersperching on the roofs and colored, drawingpatterns. With these, the grandcontour and different hierarchic spectrum of thecomplex were strengthened.Folklore has it that there are altogether 9,999room-units in the Forbidden City. Since Paradiseonly has 10,000 rooms, the Sonof Heaven on earth cut the number by half aroom. It is also rumoured that thishalf ?room is located to the west of the Wenyuange Pavilion (imperial library).As a matter of fact, although the Forbidden City has more than 9,000 room-units,this half-room is nonexistent.The Wenyuange Pavilion is a library where “Si KuQuan Shu”- China `s first comprehensive anthology-was stored.
(After walking past the Gate of SupremeHarmony)
Ladies and Gentlemen, the great hall we are approaching is the Hall ofSupreme Harmony, the biggest and tallest of its kingin the Forbidden City. Thisstructure covers a total building space of 2,377 square meters, and is know forits upturned,multiple counterpart eaves . The Hall of Supreme Harmony sits on atriple“H”-shaped marble terrace the is 8 meters high and linked by staircases.The staircase on the ground floor has 21 steps while the middle and upperstairways each have 9.
The construction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony began in 1406. It burneddown three times and was severely damaged onceduring a mutiny. The existingarchitecture was built during the Qing Dynasty.On the corners of the eaves aline of animal-nails were usually fastened to thetiles. These animal-nails werelater replace with mythical animals to ward offevil spirits. There arealtogether 9 such fasteners on top of this hall. The number nine was regarded bythe ancients to be the largest numeral accessibleto man and to which only theemperors were entitled.
There was a total of 24 successive emperorsduring the Ming and Qingdynasties who were enthroned here. The ball was alsoused for ceremonies whichmarked other great occasions: the Winter Solstice,The Chinese Lunar New Year,the Emperor` s birthday, conferral of the title ofempress, the announcement ofnew laws and policies, and dispatches of generalsto war .On such occasions, theEmperor would hold audience for his courtofficials and receive theirtributes.
This area is called the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square, which covers atotal of 30,000 square meters, Without a single tree or plant growing here, thisplace inspires visitors to feel its solemnity and grandeur. In themiddle of thesquare there is a carriageway that was reserved for the Emperor.On both sides ofthe road the groud bricks were laid in a special way sevenlayers lengthwise andeight layers crosswise, making up fifteen layers in all.The purpose of this wasto prevent anyone from tunneling his way into thepalace. In the count yard thereare iron vats for storing water to fight fires.In the whole complex there arealtogher 308 water vats. In winter time, charcoal was burned underneath the vatsto keep the water from freezing .
Why so vast asquare? It was designed to impress people with the hall` sgrandeur andvastness. Imagine the following scene. Under the clear blue sky, theyellowglazed tiles shimmered as the cloud-like layers of terrace, coupled withthecurling veil of burning incense, transformed the hall of supreme Harmony intoafairyland. Whenever major ceremonies were held, the glazed,crane-shapedcandleholders inside the hall would be it, and incense and pinebranches burntin front of the hall. When the Emperor appeared, drums were beatenand musicalinstrument played. Civilian officials and generals would kneel knowinsubmission.
The last Qing emperor Puyi assumed the throne in 1908, at the age of three,His father carried him to the throne. At the start of the coronation, thesuddendrum-beating and loud music caught the young emperor unprepared .He wassoscared that he kept crying and shouting,"I don’t want to stay here."
Beijing is a national historical and cultural city with a history of 3000years. Beijing used to be the capital of Six Dynasties in history. In more than20__ years since the state of Yan, many magnificent palace buildings have beenbuilt, making Beijing the city with the largest number of imperial palaces,gardens, temples and tombs and the richest content in China. Among them, theImperial Palace in Beijing was called the Imperial Palace in the Ming Dynastyand the Forbidden City in the Qing Dynasty. It used to be the imperial palace ofthe Ming and Qing Dynasties, and lived in 24 emperors. The magnificent buildingsperfectly reflect the traditional Chinese classical style and Oriental style. Itis the largest existing palace in China and even the world, and is a preciouscultural heritage of the Chinese nation. The temple of heaven is famous both athome and abroad for its reasonable layout and exquisite construction
Siheyuan is the general name of the traditional northern houses with themain house, inverted seat house and east-west wing house around the middlecourtyard. Beijing siheyuan, originated from the courtyard style houses of YuanDynasty, is the most important residential building in old Beijing. The narrowalleys between the green tile and grey brick quadrangles are the famous oldBeijing Hutong.
The religious temples in Beijing are all over the capital. The existingfamous ones are: Fayuan temple, Tanzhe Temple, Jietai Temple, Yunju temple,Badachu temple, etc. The White Cloud View of Taoism. Beijing Niujie worshipTemple of Islam, etc. Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism), such as the Yonghe temple, theCatholic Xishiku Catholic Church, Wangfujing Catholic Church, etc. There aremany Christian churches, such as gangwa city church and Chongwenmen church.
The central axis of Beijing refers to the central axis of Beijing in yuan,Ming and Qing Dynasties. The urban planning of Beijing has the characteristicsof symmetry with the palace city as the center. The central axis of Beijingstarts from Yongdingmen in the South and ends at Zhonggulou in the north, about7.8 km long. From south to north are Yongdingmen, Qianmen Jianlou, Zhengyangmen,Zhonghuamen, Tiananmen, Duanmen, Wumen, Forbidden City, shenwumen, Jingshan,Di'anmen, houmenqiao, Gulou and bell tower. From Yongdingmen, the south end ofthe central axis, there are Tiantan, xiannongtan, Taimiao, sheji altar,Donghuamen, xihuamen, Andingmen and Deshengmen, which are symmetricallydistributed along the central axis. Mr. Liang Sicheng, a famous Chinesearchitect, once said: "the unique magnificent order of Beijing is produced bythe establishment of this central axis." Yongdingmen, Zhonghuamen and Di'anmenwere demolished after the founding of the people's Republic of China. In recentyears, Yongdingmen tower has been rebuilt.
Beijing is our capital city which is famous for its long history. Now wehave a one-day tour plan for you.
In the morning, you can start the day at the Great Wall. It's one of thegreatest wonders in the world. It's so magnificent that you can't go to Beijingwithout visiting the Great Wall. At noon, you can go to the Summer Palace. Thereare so many interesting sites, such as Wanshou Mountain, Kunming Lake, SuzhouStreet, and some other ancient palaces. So you can climb Wanshou Mountain first.The view on the top is so wonderful. Next, you can go boating on Kunming Lake,and then, walk on Suzhou Street to enjoy the life of regions south of theYangtze River. In the afternoon, you can go to have a long walk on TiananmanSquare, in order to see the city well, and then you can visit the Palace Museum.There you can see different objects of different periods. They are of greatvalue. In the evening, the Front Gate Walking Street is a good place to go whereyou can buy various kinds of souvenirs and clothes. Most buildings there havethe traditional Chinese styles. Maybe you can know some history of ancientBeijing.
Wish you a nice trip.
Beijing is located at 39 ° 56 ′ N and 116 ° 20 ′ E. It is located at thenorthwest end of the North China Plain, in the west, North and northeast. It issurrounded by Taihang Mountain (West Mountain), Jundu mountain and Yanshanmountain, which makes it look like a "bay", so it has been called "Beijing bay"since ancient times.
Beijing, the capital of the people's Republic of China, is the center ofpolitics, culture, transportation, tourism and international exchanges. The cityconsists of 11 districts and 7 counties. The total area is 16800 squarekilometers, of which the urban area covers 1040 square kilometers. Thepopulation is 11.5 million. Beijing is the first of the four municipalitiesdirectly under the central government in China.
Beijing has a north temperate continental monsoon climate with fourdistinct seasons. Spring flowers, autumn moon, summer rain and winter snow arethe different characteristics of each season. No matter when you come to Beijingfor sightseeing, you will have charming wind colors. Beijing has shorter springand autumn, longer summer and winter. January is colder, the average temperatureis - 4.7 ℃, July is slightly hot, the average temperature is 26.1 ℃. The averageannual rainfall is 650 mm and the frost free period is 180 days. It has aprominent geographical location, magnificent mountains and rivers, fertile landand rich products, so it has always been regarded as the treasure land ofChina.
Beijing has a written history of more than 3000 years and a long history ofurban construction. As far back as 700000-500000 years ago, this is thebirthplace of human ancestors, and Peking man has been breeding in Zhoukoudianand other places in southwest Beijing. In 586 BC, the state of Yan, the Marquisof the Zhou Dynasty, established its capital here, named "Ji". From then on, thename of "Yanjing" has been passed down to the present. After the third centuryB.C., it was an important northern town in the Qin, Han, Sui and Tang Dynasties.At the beginning of the 10th century, the Qidan people in Northeast Chinaestablished the Liao Dynasty and took it as the capital, Nanjing. In 1125, theNuzhen nationality rose, destroyed the Liao Dynasty and built the Jin Dynasty.It officially established its capital, named Zhongdu, and built 36 luxuriouspalaces. The central capital was in the area of Guang'anmen today, but it wasdestroyed in 1215. In this year, the Mongols in the north of China movedsouthward, successively destroyed the Jin Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty,which avoided Hangzhou, and unified China. In 1267, the Yuan Dynasty rebuilt thecapital city with the JinDynasty Daning Palace (now Beihai Park) as the center,and renamed it Dadu, which is the predecessor of today's old Beijing city. In1368, the peasant uprising army led by Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan Dynastyand established the Ming Dynasty. The capital of the Ming Dynasty was located inNanjing, which was renamed Beiping. In 1403, Zhu Di won the throne, moved hiscapital to Peking, and changed its name to Beijing. After 15 years ofconstruction, the Forbidden City was completed in 1420 and the capital wasofficially moved to Beijing in 1421. In 1644, the Qing army entered the pass,the Ming Dynasty perished, and the Qing Dynasty also established its capital inBeijing. Each dynasty has established its capital here for more than 800 years.After the founding of new China in 1949, the old Beijing gained a new life andwas determined as the capital of new China.
The ancient city of Beijing, after the great creation of the working peopleof the past dynasties, has left a splendid culture of the Chinese nation. Thearchitectural layout of the whole city takes the Forbidden City as the centerand runs through an 8 km long central axis from south to north. Before and afterthe dynasty, zuozu and YouSHE (Taimiao and sheji altar); the streets arevertical and horizontal, the temples are brilliant; the temples are magical, thegardens are magnificent; the rivers and lakes are winding, the scenery ispicturesque. The whole city has both plane layout and three-dimensional shape,which is not only a model of Chinese ancient capital, but also occupies a veryimportant position in the history of world urban construction. Beijing hasalways been famous for its rich places of interest and charming natural scenery.Here are the world's wonders of the Great Wall, the world's most imperial palacecomplex, beautiful classical gardens, as well as magnificent temples,mausoleums, pagodas, stone carvings and so on. Moreover, Shidu, Songshan,Longqing gorge, Shihua Cave and other natural landscapes, as well as manyhistorical sites such as the May 4th Movement in 1919, are all touristattractions that people can enjoy and forget to return.
Is the bIrthplace of ChInese CIvIlIzatIon and one of the sIx ancIentcapItal cItIes In ChIna. DurIng the last 3000 years It served as a capItal forseveral dynastIes. It Is the second largest cIty In ChIna wIth a populatIon ofmore than 11 mIllIon. Is neIther cold In wInter nor very In summer. The bestseasons In are SprIng and Autumn. BeIjIng Is Indeed an Ideal place to vIsIt allround the year.
Temple of Heaven In the southern part of BeIjIng Is ChIna`s largestexIstIng complex of ancIent sacrIfIcIal buIldIngs. OccupyIng an area of 273hectares, It Is three tImes the area of the ForbIdden CIty. It was buIlt In 1420for emperors to worshIp Heaven. The prIncIple buIldIngs Include the Altar ofPrayer for Good Harvests, ImperIal Vault of Heaven and CIrcular Mound Altar.
ForbIdden CIty, so called because It was off lImIts to commoners for 500years, Is the largest and best-preserved cluster of ancIent buIldIngs In ChIna.It was home to two dynastIes of emperors -the MIng and the QIng - who dIdntstray from thIs pleasure dome unless they absolutely had to.
Great Wall of ChIna, Also know n to the ChInese as the 10,000 LI Wall, theGreat Wall of ChIna stretches from ShanhaIguan Pass on the east coast toJIayuguan Pass In the Desert. Standard hIstorIes emphasIze the unIty of thewall.
Beijing, the ancient capital of Six Dynasties in China, has a long historyand a relatively complete architectural pattern. Beijing, the capital of thepeople's Republic of China, is the center of China's politics, culture andinternational exchanges. Therefore, Beijing has a rich and colorful ancient andmodern cultural landscape and profound cultural heritage.
Beijing covers an area of 16807.8 square kilometers, with Jundu mountain inthe north and Xishan Mountain in the West. Dongling Mountain at the junction ofHebei Province is 2303 meters above sea level, the highest peak in Beijing.There are Miyun reservoir, Huairou reservoir and Ming Tombs Reservoir in theterritory; there are five other rivers, namely Chaobai River, Beiyunhe River,Yongding River, Juma River and Tanghe River.
Beijing's climate is temperate continental monsoon climate with distinctseasons: a little sandstorm in spring and low temperature. Summer is hot withshowers. In autumn, the weather is sunny, mild and crisp, which is the goldenseason for tourism; but in late autumn, it is cooler in the morning and evening,and hot at noon. In winter, the climate is dry and cold with less snow.
When you come to Beijing for sightseeing, you can't miss the snacks withBeijing characteristics and the famous food with a long history. Famous dishesinclude Beijing roast duck, instant boiled mutton and court dishes.
Beijing's specialties are: Wang Mazi scissors, Angong Niuhuang Pill, Qiulipaste, preserved fruit, Poria cocos cake, Liubiju pickles. Local products are:Jingbai pear, Gaishi, Liangxiang chestnut, hawthorn, walnut, Miyun jujube,apricot.
北京,是中国六朝古都,历史源远流长,保存着较为完整的古代建筑格局。北京,是中华人民共和国的首都,简称京,是中国的政治、文化和国际交往的中心,由此北京有着丰富多彩的古代、现代的人文景观,有着博大精深的文化底蕴。
北京全市面积16807.8平方公里,在北面有军都山,西面有西山,与河北交界的东灵山海拔2303米是北京市的最高峰。境内有密云水库、怀柔水库和十三陵水库;其他还有潮白河、北运河、永定河、拒马河和汤河五大河。
北京的气候属于温带大陆性季风性气候,季节分明:春季略有风沙,气温偏低。夏季炎热,有阵雨。秋季天气晴朗、温和,天高气爽,是旅游的黄金季节;但深秋早晚较凉,中午较热。冬季气候干燥、寒冷,雪较少。
来北京观光旅游不能错过具有北京特色的风味小吃和悠久历史的名吃。名吃有北京烤鸭、涮羊肉、宫廷菜。
北京的特产有:王麻子刀剪、安宫牛黄丸、秋梨膏、果脯蜜饯、茯苓夹饼、六必居酱菜。土产有:京白梨、盖柿、良乡板栗、山楂、核桃、密云小枣、杏。
Tian’anmen( the Gate of Heavenly Peace), is located in the center ofBeijing. It was first built in 1417 and named Chengtianmen( the Gate of HeavenlySuccession). At the end of the Ming Dynasty, it was seriously damaged by war.When it was rebuilt under the Qing in 1651, it was renamed Tian’anmen, andserved as the main entrance to the Imperial City, the administrative andresidential quarters for court officials and retainers. The southern sections ofthe Imperial City wall still stand on both sides of the Gate. The tower at thetop of the gate is nine-room wide and five –room deep. According to the Book ofChanges, the two numbers nine and five, when combined, symbolize the supremestatus of a sovereign.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Tian’anmen was the place where stateceremonies took place. The most important one of them was the issuing ofimperial edicts, which followed these steps:
1) The Minister of Rites would receive the edict in Taihedian( Hall ofSupreme Harmony), where the Emperor was holding his court. The minister wouldthen carry the decree on a yunpan( tray of cloud), and withdraw from the hallvia Taihemen( Gate of supreme Harmony)
2) The Minister would put the tray in a miniature longting( dragonpavilion). Beneath a yellow umbrella and carry it via Wumen( Meridian Gate), toTian’anmen Gate tower.
3) A courtier would be invested to proclaim the edict. The civil andmilitary officials lining both sides of the gateway beneath the tower wouldprostrate themselves in the direction of the emperor in waiting for the decreeto the proclaimed.
4) The courtier would then put the edict in a phoenix-shaped wooden box andlower it from the tower by means of a silk cord. The document would finally becarried in a similar tray of cloud under a yellow umbrella to the Ministry ofRites.
5) The edict, copied on yellow paper, would be made known to the wholecountry.
Such a process was historically recorded as “ Imperial Edict Issued byGolden Phoenix”.
During the Ming and Qing dynasties Tian’anmen was the most importantpassage. It was this gate that the Emperor and his retinue would go through ontheir way to the altars for ritual and religious activities.
On the Westside of Tian’anmen stands ZhongshanPark( Dr. Sun Yat-sen’sPark), and on the east side, the Working People’s Cultural Palave. The Park wasformerly called Shejitan( Altar of Land and Grain), built in 1420 for offeringsacrificial items to the God of Land. It was opened to the public as a park in1914 and its name was changed in 1928 to the present one in memory of the greatpioneer of the Chinese Democratic Revolution.
The Working People’s Cultural Palace used to be Taimiao( the SupremeAncestral Temple), where tablets of the deceased dynastic rulers were kept.
The stream in front of Tian’anmen is called Waijinshuihe( Outer GoldenRiver),with seven marble bridges spanning over it . Of these sevenbridges,historical records say the middle one was for the exclusive use of theemperor and was accordingly called Yuluqiao( Imperial Bridge). The bridgesflanking it on either side were meant for the members of the royal family andwere therefore called Wanggongqiao( Royal’s Bridges). Farther away on each sideof the two were bridges for officials ranking above the third order and werenamed Pinjiqiao( ministerial Bridges). The remaining two bridges were for theuse by the retinue below the third order and wre called Gongshengqiao( commonBridges). They anr the one in front of the Supreme Ancestral Temple to the eastand the one in front of the Altar of land and Grain to the west.
The two stone lions by the Gate of Tian’anmen, one on each side were meantas sentries. They gaze toward the middle axis, guarding the emperor’s walkway.In front of the gate stands a pair of marble columns called Huabiao. They areelaborately cut in bas-relief following the pattern of a legendary dragon.Behind the gate stands another pair of similar columns. The story of Huabiao maybe traced to a couple of sources. One of the versions accredits its invention toone of the Chinese sage kings named Yao, who was said to have set up a woodenpillar in order to allow the ordinary people to expose evil-doers, hence it wasoriginally called a slander pillar. Later it ws reduced to a signpost, and nowit serves as an ornament.
The beast sitting on the top of the column is called” hou”, a legendaryanimal, which is said to have been a watcher of an emperor’s behaviour. He wasdoing such duties as warning the emperor against staying too long outside thepalace or indulging in pleasure and urging him to go to the people for theircomplaints or return in due time. Therefore, the two pairs of beasts were giventhe names” Wangjunhui”( Expecting the emperor’s coming back) and “ wangjunchu”(Expecting the emperor’s going out) respectinvely.
In the old days, Tian’anmen, as a part of the Imperial City, was meant forimportant occasions. The two rows of chaofang( antechamber), on the sides behindthe main gate, wre reserved for civil and military members of the governmentwaiting for imperial audience and in front of the gate, were offices of imperialadministration.
On October 1, 1949, chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed on Tian’anmen Rostrumthe founding of the People’s Republic of China. Since then Tian’anmen has beenthe symbol of New Chine\a. Chairman Mao’s portrait is hung above the centralentrance, flanked by two slogans:” Long Live the Great Unity of the Peoples ofthe World”. Today , the splendour of Tian’anmen attracts million of visitorsfrom all over the world. The Rostrum on its top was opened in 1988 to the publicfor the first time in its history. It offers a panoramic view of the Square andthe city proper.
Tian’anmen Square
Situated due south of Tian’anmen, the Square has an area of 44 hectares(109 acres) that can accommodate as many as one million people for publicgatherings. It has witnessed may historical events in China’s modern history andis a place for celebrations on such festive days as international Labour Day onMay 1st and national Day on October 1st.
Around the Square are several famous buildings:
1 The Great Hall of the People
This is one of the largest congressional buildings in the world. Built in1959, the hall consists of three parts: a 10,000-seat auditorium in the center,a banquet hall in the north wing facing Chang’an Street, with a seating capacityof 5,000, and offices for the Standing Committee of the National Peoples’Congress of China in the south. In addition, thirty-four reception chambers arenamed after various provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directlyunde the Central Government, plus Hong Kong and Macao. Each is different fromthe other in decoration and furnishings to stress their local features.
2 The Museum of Chinese History and the Museum of the ChineseRevolution
These two museums were also built in 1959. the museum of Chinese Historyhouses a permanent exhibition in four parts, covering the entire process ofChinese history spanning from 1.7 million years ago to 1919:
1) The Primitive Society( 1.7 million years ago to the 21st centuryBC);
2) The Slave Society(21st century BC to 476 BC.);
3) The Feudal Society(475 BC. To 1840 AD.);
4) The Semi-Colonial and Semi- Fedual Society(1840 to 1919.)
The Museum of the Chinese Revolution covers the period from 1919 to1949.
3 The Monument to the People’s Heroes
the monument was built in memory of thousands of martyrs who died for therevolutionary cause of the Chinese people. Its construction began on August 1,1952 and was not completed until 1958. in the form of an obelisk, the Monumentas made of more than 17,000 pieces of tranite and white marble. The purple pieceinlaid in the front of the Monument was brought from Qingdao, Shandong Province.It is 38 meters(124ft 8 in) high, the loftiest of its kind ever seen in thecountry. Not only is it an historic memorial for immortal heroes, but also it isan artistic work of excellent architectural value.
On the front side of the Monument is an engraved inscription in Chinesecharacters written by Chairman Mao Zedong, which reads” Eternal Glory to thePeople’s Heroes!”. On the back of the Monument is an article written by ChairmanMao, but in Chinese calligraphy by the late Premier Zhou Enlai.
At the top of the Monument are eight gigantic carved wreathes of suchflowers as peony, lotus and chrysanthemum, symbolizing nobility, purity, andfortitude. At the base of the monument are eight marble reliefs depicting theChinese historic events since 1840. They are:
1) The Burning of Opium in 1840:
2) The uprising of 1851 in Jintian, Guangxi;
3) The Revolution of 1911;
4) The May Fourth Movement of 1919;
5) The May 30th Movement of 1925;
6) The Uprising of 1927 in Nanchang, Jiangxi;
7) The War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression from 1937 to 1945;
8) The Victorious Crossing over the Yangtze River by the Peoples’sLiberation Army in 1949. This relief is flanked by two smaller ones—“ Supplyingthe Front” and “ Greeting the P.L.A.”.
4 Chairman Mao’s Mausoleum
Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Pepublic of China, passedaway on Sepember 9, 1976. In commemoration of this great man, a mausoleum beganto be constructed in November 1976, and was completes in August the followingyear. The Mausoleum was officially opened on September 9, 1977.
Respected tourists:
It seems that everyone is very energetic. Today we are going to visit theGreat Wall. Please be prepared. The Great Wall is the longest building in China.It is also the most famous building in China. Its length reaches more than 13000Li. We often call it the Great Wall.
First of all, we came to the foot of the Great Wall. You see, the the GreatWall is so tall and strong that it uses huge stones and brick. The top of thecity wall is paved with square tiles. It is very smooth. Like a wide road, fiveor six horses can be parallel.
Do you see a hole in the tooth, a small square, and a fortress? Let me tellyou what the three things are for? That hole like a tooth! It's called a look. Ithink you must know why it calls it? I'll tell you, when the war was, the eightuncle came to see the situation, that small square. The shape is called anarchery. It is used for archery. That fort is used for city platforms to echoeach other.
Everyone is tired, is it hungry? Can I eat a bit of food, I send you a bagfor garbage, remember not to throw rubbish, I'll tell you a story about theGreat Wall: Qin Shihuang fought a lot before, and then he thought of buildingthe Great Wall, so he took all the men of Qin State To catch the the Great Wall,Qin Shihuang was afraid that the men would run away, so he tied the feet of themen together. How many laboring people's sweat and wisdom is the only way toform the the Great Wall that has never seen before or after.
Beijing is a national historical and cultural city with a history of 3000years. Beijing used to be the capital of Six Dynasties in history. In more than20__ years since the state of Yan, many magnificent palace buildings have beenbuilt, making Beijing the city with the largest number of imperial palaces,gardens, temples and tombs and the richest content in China. Among them, theImperial Palace in Beijing was called the Imperial Palace in the Ming Dynastyand the Forbidden City in the Qing Dynasty. It used to be the imperial palace ofthe Ming and Qing Dynasties, and lived in 24 emperors. The magnificent buildingsperfectly reflect the traditional Chinese classical style and Oriental style. Itis the largest existing palace in China and even the world, and is a preciouscultural heritage of the Chinese nation. The temple of heaven is famous both athome and abroad for its reasonable layout and exquisite construction
Siheyuan is the general name of the traditional northern houses with themain house, inverted seat house and east-west wing house around the middlecourtyard. Beijing siheyuan, originated from the courtyard style houses of YuanDynasty, is the most important residential building in old Beijing. The narrowalleys between the green tile and grey brick quadrangles are the famous oldBeijing Hutong.
The religious temples in Beijing are all over the capital. The existingfamous ones are: Fayuan temple, Tanzhe Temple, Jietai Temple, Yunju temple,Badachu temple, etc. The White Cloud View of Taoism. Beijing Niujie worshipTemple of Islam, etc. Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism), such as the Yonghe temple, theCatholic Xishiku Catholic Church, Wangfujing Catholic Church, etc. There aremany Christian churches, such as gangwa city church and Chongwenmen church.
The central axis of Beijing refers to the central axis of Beijing in yuan,Ming and Qing Dynasties. The urban planning of Beijing has the characteristicsof symmetry with the palace city as the center. The central axis of Beijingstarts from Yongdingmen in the South and ends at Zhonggulou in the north, about7.8 km long. From south to north are Yongdingmen, Qianmen Jianlou, Zhengyangmen,Zhonghuamen, Tiananmen, Duanmen, Wumen, Forbidden City, shenwumen, Jingshan,Di'anmen, houmenqiao, Gulou and bell tower. From Yongdingmen, the south end ofthe central axis, there are Tiantan, xiannongtan, Taimiao, sheji altar,Donghuamen, xihuamen, Andingmen and Deshengmen, which are symmetricallydistributed along the central axis. Mr. Liang Sicheng, a famous Chinesearchitect, once said: "the unique magnificent order of Beijing is produced bythe establishment of this central axis." Yongdingmen, Zhonghuamen and Di'anmenwere demolished after the founding of the people's Republic of China. In recentyears, Yongdingmen tower has been rebuilt.
北京是有着三千年历史的国家历史文化名城。北京在历史上曾为六朝都城，在从燕国起的20__多年里，建造了许多宏伟壮丽的宫廷建筑，使北京成为中国拥有帝王宫殿、园林、庙坛和陵墓数量最多，内容最丰富的城市。其中北京故宫，明朝时叫大内宫城，清朝时叫紫禁城，这里原为明、清两代的皇宫，住过24个皇帝，建筑宏伟壮观，完美地体现了中国传统的古典风格和东方格调，是中国乃至全世界现存最大的宫殿，是中华民族宝贵的文化遗产。天坛以其布局合理、构筑精妙而扬名中外，是明、清两代皇帝“祭天”
四合院是以正房、倒座房、东西厢房围绕中间庭院形成平面布局的北方传统住宅的统称。北京四合院源于元代院落式民居，是老北京城最主要的民居建筑。一座座青瓦灰砖的四合院之间形成的窄巷，就是著名的老北京胡同。
北京的宗教寺庙遍布京城，现存著名的有：佛教的法源寺、潭柘寺、戒台寺、云居寺、八大处等。道教的白云观等。伊斯兰教的北京牛街礼拜寺等。藏传佛教(喇嘛教)的雍和宫等，天主教西什库天主堂、王府井天主堂等。基督_的缸瓦市教堂、崇文门教堂等。
北京中轴线是指元、明、清时的北京城的中轴线，北京的城市规划具有以宫城为中心左右对称的特点。北京的中轴线南起永定门，北至钟鼓楼，长约7.8公里。从南往北依次为，永定门，前门箭楼，正阳门，中华门，天安门，端门，午门，紫禁城，神武门，景山，地安门，后门桥，鼓楼和钟楼。从这条中轴线的南端永定门起，就有天坛、先农坛;太庙、社稷坛;东华门、西华门;安定门，德胜门以中轴线为轴对称分布。中国著名建筑大师梁思成先生曾经说：“北京的独有的壮美秩序就由这条中轴线的建立而产生。”永定门、中华门、地安门都在中华人民共和国成立后被拆毁，而近年来又重新修建了永定门城楼。