北京长城英文版导游词.doc

北京长城英文版导游词 TheGreatWall,likethePyramidsofEgypt,theTajMahal(1)inIndiaandtheHangingGardenofBabylon(2),isoneofthegreatwondersoftheworld.StartingoutintheeastonthebanksoftheYaluRiverinLiaoningProvince,theWallstretcheswestwardsfor12,700kilometerstoJiayuguanintheGobidesert,thusknownastheTenThousandLiWallinChina.TheWallclimbsupanddown,twistsandturnsalongtheridgesoftheYanshanandYinshanMountainChainsthroughfiveprovinces-Liaoning,Hebei,Shanxi,Shaanxi,andGansu-andtwoautonomousregions-NingxiaandInnerMongolia,bindingthenorthernChinatogether. HistoricalrecordstracetheconstructionoftheoriginoftheWalltodefensivefortificationbacktotheyear656B.C.duringthereignofKingChengoftheStatesofChu.ItsconstructioncontinuedthroughouttheWarringStatesperiodinthefifthCenturyB.C.whenducalstatesYan,Zhao,Wei,andQinwerefrequentlyplunderedbythenomadicpeopleslivingnorthoftheYinshanandYanshanmountainranges.Walls,then,werebuiltseparatelybytheseducalstatestowardoffsuchharassments.Laterin221B.C.,whenQinconqueredtheotherstatesandunifiedChina,EmperorQinshihuangorderedtheconnectionoftheseindividualwallsandfurtherextensionstoformthebasisofthepresentgreatwall.Asamatteroffact,aseparateouterwallwasconstructednorthoftheYinshanrangeintheHanDynasty(206BC-1644BC.),whichwenttoruinthroughyearsofneglect.Inthemanyinterveningcenturies,sueedingdynastiesrebuiltpartsoftheWall.ThemostextensivereinforcementsandrenovationswerecarriedoutintheMingDynasty(1368-1644)whenaltogether18lengthystretcheswerereinforcedwithbricksandrocks.itismostlytheMingDynastyWallthatvisitorsseetoday.TheGreatWallisdividedintotwosections,theeastandwest,withShanxiProvinceasthedividingline.Thewestpartisarammedearthconstruction,about5.3metershighonaverage.Intheeasternpart,thecoreoftheWallisrammedearthaswell,buttheoutershellisreinforcedwithbricksandrocks.ThemostimposingandbestpreservedsectionsoftheGreatWallareatBadalingandMutianyu,notfarfromBeijingandbothareopentovisitors.TheWallofthosesectionsis7.8metershighand6.5meterswideatitsbase,narrowingto5.8metersontheramparts,wideenoughforfivehorsestogallopabreast.Thereareramparts,embrasures,peep-holesandaperturesforarchersonthetop,besidesgutterswithgargoylestodrainrain-waterofftheparapetwalk.Two-storiedwatch-towersarebuiltatapproximately400-metersinternals.Thetopstoriesofthewatch-towerweredesignedforobservingenemymovements,whilethefirstwasusedforstoringgrain,fodder,militaryequipmentandgunpowderaswellasforquarteringgarrisonsoldiers.Thehighestwatch-toweratBadalingstandingonahill-top,isreachedonlyafterasteepclimb,likeclimbingaladdertoheaven.Theviewfromthetopisrewarding,hoverer.TheWallfollowsthecontourofmountainsthatriseonebehindtheotheruntiltheyfinallyfadeandmergewithdistanthaze.Asignalsystemformerlyexistedthatservedtomunicatemilitaryinformationtothedynasticcapital.ThisconsistedofbeacontowersontheWallitselfandonmountaintopswithinsightoftheWall.Attheapproachofenemytroops,smokesignalsgavethealarmfromthebeacontowersinthedaytimeandbonfiredidthisatnight. Emergencysignalscouldberelayedtothecapitalfromdistantplaceswithinafewhourlongbeforetheinventionofanythinglikemodernmunications.Therestand14majorpasses(Guan,inChinese)atplacesofstrategicimportancealongtheGreatWall,themostimportantbeingShanghaiguanandJiayuguan.YetthemostimpressiveoneisJuyongguan,about50kilometersnorthwestofBeijing.KnownasTianXiaDiYIGuan(TheFirstPassUnderHeaven),ShanghaiguanPassissituatedbetweentwosheercliffsforminganeckconnectingnorthChinawiththenortheast.Ithadbeen,therefore,akeyjunctioncontestedbyallstrategistsandmanyfamousbattleswerefoughthere.ItwasthegateofShanghaiguanthattheMinggeneralWuSanguiopenedtotheManchuarmytosuppressthepeasantrebellionledbyLiZichengandsosurrenderedthewholeMingempiretotheManchus,leadingtothefoundationoftheQingDynasty.(1644-1911)JiayuguanPasswasnotsomuchastheStrategicpassUndertheHeavenasanimportantmunicationcenterinChinesehistory.Cleftbetweenthesnow-cappedQilianMountainsandtherollingMazongMountains,itwasontheancientSilkRoad.ZhangQian,thefirstenvoyofEmperorWuDioftheWesternHandynasty(206B.C-24A.D),crosseditonhisjourneytothewesternregions.Later,silkflowedtothewestthroughthispasstoo.Thegate-towerofJiayuguanisanattractivebuildingofexcellentworkmanship.Ithasaninnercityandanoutercity,theformersquareinshapeandsurroundedbyawall11.7metershighand730metersincircumference.Ithastwogates,aneasternoneandawesternone.Oneachgatesitsatowerfacingeachother.thefourcornersofthewallareoupiedbyfourwatchtowers,oneforeach.Juyongguan,agatewaytoancientBeijingfromInnerMongolia,wasbuiltina15-kilometerlongravineflankedbymountains.ThecavalrymenofGenghisKhansweptthroughitinthe13thcentury.AtthecenterofthepassisawhitemarbleplatformnamedtheCloudterrace,whichwascalledtheCrossing-StreetDagoba,sinceitsnarrowarchspannedthemainstreetofthepassandonthetopoftheterracethereusedtobethreestonedagobas,builtintheYuanDaynasty(1206-1368).Atthebottomoftheterraceisahalf-octagonalarchgateway,interestingforitswealthofdetail:itisdecoratedwithsplendidimagesofBuddhaandfourcelestialguardianscarvedonthewalls.Thevividnessoftheirexpressionsismatchedbytheexquisiteworkmanship.suchgrandioserelicsworks,withseveralstonespiecedtogether,arerarelyseeninancientChinesecarving.Thegatejambsbearamulti-lingualBuddhistsutra,carvedsome600yearsagoinSanskrit(3),Tibetan,Mongolian,Uigur(4),HanChineseandthelanguageofWesternXia.Undoubtedly,theyarevaluabletothestudyofBuddhismandancientlanguages.Asaculturalheritage,theWallbelongsnotonlytoChinabuttotheworld.TheVenicechartersays:Historicalandculturalarchitecturenotonlyincludestheindividualarchitecturalworks,butalsotheurb