甘肃概况的英语导游词ASurveyofGansu.doc

1. A Survey of Gansu(甘肃概况)Gansu lies in the heart of China. It has a total area of about 455,000 square kilometers and a population of 20.41 million. Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu, is the geographical center of China. The distance from Lanzhou to the eastern boundary of China is almost the same as that to the western. The outline of Gansu is shaped liked a dumbbell. It is very long from east to west (1655km); but, at the narrowest place, the north-south distance is only 25km; the “Hexi Corridor”(More than 1,000kilometers Long) in Gansu has long been known as the major artery of east-to-west communications in China. In the past, its important geographical position made Gansu a key junction in ancient Silk Road; today, Gansu is the strategic passage in the modern Silk Road-the “Urasian Bridge” and a link and supporting base in the developing the whole of Northwestern China.Roll on mighty rivers, rich in hydropower resources.（大河奔流，水力充沛）“The Yellow River comes from the heavens” wrote Li Bai, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty of ancient China. Gansu is on the upper reaches of the Yellow River which traverses 486 kilometers through the province, where the river experiences a precipitous(险峻的) drop in elevation. The Yellow River and other rivers provide Gansu with abundant waterpower resources. Large hydropower stations are dotted here and there like bright stars, the most famous of which are at Liujiaxia, Yanguoxia, and Bapanxia. They produce electrical power day and night for the development of Gansus economy. The estimated potential power generated by these resources is 14.26 million kw. Up to now, 2.10 million kw of power has been developed. There are many favourable conditions for waterpower development such as good geological structure, less inundation, convenient transportation, comparatively low investment costs, and shorter time for return on the investment.Grand plateaus(高原) and mountains rich in mineral resources(高原雄伟，深山藏宝)Gansus great plateaus and mountains have plentiful mineral resources. These treasure are widely spread over the province in large quantities of high grade and good quality. The mining conditions are also favorable.Coal mines are mainly located in Huating, Jinyuan, and Lanzhou. The Huating area coal deposit is estimated at 3,200 million tons, which makes up more than half of the provincial total resources. Most of the coal in these areas is high quality, long-flame coal with low sulphus(硫磺) low ash content, low viscosity（粘性）, and high caloric value.Petroleum resources are chiefly distributed in the Changqing and Yumen Oilfields.Jinchuan, a newly developed industrial city, is about 380 km northwest of Lanzhou. It is called the “Nickel Capital of China”. The nickel deposits in Jinchuan are second only to a similar mine in Canada. Besides nickel, Jinchuan is also rich in copper, cobalt, uranium, gold, silver, iron, aluminum, lead（铅）, antimony（镁）, fluorite gypsum, asbestos, quartzite, marble, and dolomite.Some other mining products common in Gansu are cement rock, gypsum(石膏), marble, sulphurous iron ore(as a chemical material), serpentine and mirabilite（米拉比来铝合金） (as fertilizer production materials), iron ores, and magnesite (as metallurgical materials). Prosperous agriculture forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries In Gansus vast (454,000 square kilometers),there are diverse topographical features such as river valleys, hills, plains, grasslands, and deserts. These features, together with various climatic and soil conditions, can meet the manifold needs for the development of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, and farming. Besides, food products such as wheat, corn, kaoliang(Chinese sorghum), potatoes, broom corn millet and various vegetables, Gansu, has many native products which have their own unique qualities and enjoy a good reputation all over the world.Culture and Religion Gansu has a long history. In ancient times, especially in the Han and Tang Dynasties, Gansu, as an important passageway, made great contributions to the cultural exchange and commercial trade between China and western countries. Along the Silk Road can still be seen many ancient grottoes, structures and other historic or cultural relics. Up to now, more than one thousand such relics have been found belonging to different historic periods. Religion was an important part of ancient cultural exchanges. After it was introduced into ancient China, Buddhism(佛教) quickly permeated Chinese philosophy, linguistics, art and other social and cultural fields. Buddhism, Taoism(one of the chief religions of old China) and Confucianism (孔教/儒教) influenced each other. As a result, Buddhism with distinctive Chinese features was formed and, in turn, spread out together with Chinese culture. Aritists throughout the ages tried their best to depict with their consummate skill the basic ideas of Buddhism, which could be summed up in the following “four Noble Truths”: 1.suffering exists everywhere; 2.the cause of suffering is wrongly directed desire; 3.the cure is eliminating such desires; 4.this can only be done by following the “Noble Eightfold Path” of Right Views, Right Motive, Right Speech, Right Acts, Right Livelihood, Right effort, Right concentration, Right “Samadhi” which leads to enlightenment. Northern Grottoes, Southern Grottoes, and especially, the Mogao Grottoes are all good examples depicting these basic ideas. It is these ancient sacred places of Buddhism that form the distinguishing features and essence of todays tourism in Gansu.Scenic spotsGansu is a province with a vast territory, a varied topography and diverse landforms: the magnificent Qilian Mountain Range with its expanse of white snow; beautiful pastures where one can see herds of (许多) cattle and sheep amidst luxuriant grasses bending in the wind, the boundless Gobi Desert rising and falling like sea waves, clear-blue highland lakes which look like fairylands. Traveling in Gansu, you can see sheepskin rafts(羊皮筏子) afloat on the Yellow River; verdant Stone Gate towering above the forest-covered hills, beacon tower at old passes facing the scarlet setting sun; murals and sculptures such as in Dunhuang which induce people to ponder the remote(遥远的) past. How interesting it is!Gansu is a province where there are 41ethnic groups to include the Han, Hui, Tibetan, Mongol, Manchu, Uighur, etc. Dongxiang, Bonan, and Yugur are native minorities peculiar to Gansu. Diverse local customs add more charm and interest to sightseeing.Among the more than 1,000 historic relics discovered, seven are officially protected by the state and 230 (看不太清)by the province. Taking Lanzhou as the sightseeing center, three main touring routes stretch out to the east, west, and south. The east route includes Shuiliandong Cave in Wushan, Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Tianshui, Kongtong Moutain in Pingliang, the Northern Grottoes in Xifeng, and many other scenic spots. The western route, which is the “cadenza”(华彩乐段)of the whole Silk Road tour, includes the famous Culture Temple in Wuwei the first large city met when entering the “Hexi Corridor”, the Giant Buddha Temple in Zhangye, the