颐和园英文解说.docx

题一：颐和园的宫廷区The Summer Palace is located on the northwest outskirts of Beijing. It is the best-preserved and largest imperial garden existing in China. The Summer Palace is formed mainly with Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake. The lake occupies three quarters of the whole area. It covers an area of over 290 hectares.The Summer Palace was first built as an imperial garden and palace at the beginning of 12th century in the Jin Dynasty, the construction continued to the Yuan and Ming dynasties and the palace was enlarged in the Qing Dynasty, thus, altogether lasting for more than 800 years. In the Jin Dynasty, the Golden Hill Hall was built here. In the Yuan Dynasty, the name of the hill was changed to Jar Hill because it was said that an old man had dug up a jar here. In the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhengde built the Wonderful Imperial Garden by the lake. In the Qing Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, large-scale construction of imperial gardens reached its culmination. The whole project was named the Three Hills and Five Garden of Clear Ripples. In 1860 the Anglo-French Allied Forces invaded Beijing and the Three Hills and Five Gardens were burnt down to ashes. In 1888 Empress Dowager Cixi diverted the funds for navy to restore the Garden of Clear Ripples and renamed it as the Summer Palace. In 1900 the Allied Forces of Eight Powers invaded Beijing and occupied the Summer Palace for more than a year. The Summer Palace was plundered by the invaders. They took away everything valuable and destroyed the buildings. Upon Empress Dowager Cixis return to Beijing, she ordered the garden to be rebuilt immediately. When reconstruction to Beijing, she ordered the garden to be rebuilt immediately. When reconstruction was completed, Empress Dowager Cixi came to live in this imperial garden from April to October every year for the rest of her life. In 1924 the Summer Palace was turned into a public park.The East Palace Gate is the main entrance to the Summer Palace. The central gate called the Imperial Gateway was for the emperor and the empress. The gates on either side were for princes and high-ranking officials. The plaque above the middle gate bears three big Chinese characters “The Summer Palace” in Emperor Guangxus handwriting.Entering the East Palace Gate, we will see the Gate of Benevolence and Longevity. Its the second gate in the palace area. Inside the gate, there is 3-meter-high giant rock. The rock serves as a decoration and it was transported from Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province, so it is called Taihu Rock. Now we have come to the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. The hall was the place where Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi held audience and handled state affairs when they were in the Summer Palace. In front of the hall stands a bronze mythical animal called Suanni. It is believed that the Suanni was able to distinguish the right from wrong. In the center of the hall there is a platform with a throne on it. The throne was carved with a nine-dragon design, symbolizing dignity of the emperor. There are four incense burners at each corner of the platform with a throne on it. The throne was held, sandalwood incenses were burnt in the incense burners, giving out fragrant smoke. There are two fans on both sides behind the throne which are made of peacock feathers. In front of the throne there are incense burners of dragon and phoenix shapes and candlesticks of crane shape. The two big mirrors on the left and right of the throne against the wall was for warding off evil spirits. There are two scrolls on the wall, one on each side, with a big Chinese character meaning longevity, in Empress Dowager Cixis handwriting and the 100 bats in the background of the scroll symbolize happiness.The Hall of Jade Ripples used to be the place where Qing Emperor Qianlong spent his leisure hours with his ministers. Later it was Emperor Guangxus pricate living quarters and also the place where he was once under house arrest after 1898.Walking along the corridor at the two side of the Hall of Jade Ripples, we will see the back word the Hall of Pleasing Rue where the empress Longyu lived.The Garden of Virtuous Harmony is also called the Great Theatre Building. It was the place where Peking Opera was performed for Empress Dowager Cixi. The building is a three-storey structure, 21 meters high and 17 meters wide on the lowest floor. There are trapdoors above and below the stage for “fairies” to descend from the sky and “devils” to rise up from the underneath. The Make-up Tower is connected with the stage. It was the place for the performers to make up and now it has become an exhibition hall.To the northwest of the Hall of Pleasing Rue is the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It was Empress Dowager Cixis residence. In the courtyard there is a huge rock named “Qing Zhi Xiu”。 It looks like a magic fungus, glossy with a greenish and smooth surface. In front of this hall there are pairs of bronze deer, bronze cranes, bronze cases and big water vats, symbolizing universal peace. In addition, there are many precious trees and flowers planed here, representing riches and honor, or wealth and prestige. The hall consists of four chanbers. The east out chamber was for her breakfast and tea. The east inner chamber was her dressing room. The west inner room was her bedroom and the west outer room was her reading room. A large table in the central hall served as a dinning table for Empress Dowager Cixi. A big porcelain jar on each side was used to contain fruits to produce fragrant smell. There are two embroideries in the central hall. One is of a peacock displaying its full plumage, the other is of a phoenix amony 100 birds. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling of the hall were presented by the Germans. It was the first electric light in China and electric light has been used since then.题二：颐和园万寿山山前景区The Front Hill Area（前山景区）To the south of the Hall of Dispelling Clouds is the Gate of Dispelling Clouds positioned in the middle of the Long Gallery to divide the gallerys eastern and western sides. On each side of the gate lie bronze lions symbolizing protection, and twelve stone statues of the Chinese zodiac animals - rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.Long Corridor（Changlang 长廊）The long corridor actually is a long covered walkway. It starts from the gate of the greeting the moon in the east and ends the marble boat in the west. It is 728 meters long with 273 sections, so it is called long corridor. The long corridor lies in front of the longevity hill with the gate of dispelling clouds in the center. It was first built in 1750 by emperor Qianlong for his mother to enjoy the rainy scenery on Kunming lake and to keep off the sunshine in summer. There are totally 14,000 pictures painted on the beams and crossbeams of the long corridor. These colorful paintings can be divided into 4 kinds: landscapes and scenic spots, beautiful flowers and birds, Chinese architecture and human figures. The beautiful flowers and birds and landscapes were copied from the scenery of West Lake. In 1990,the long corridor was listed in the Guinness world records as the longest painted corridor in the world. Like most of the summer Palace, the Long Corridor was severely damaged by fire which Anglo-French allied forces laid in 1860 during the Second Opium War. It was rebuilt in 1886. As a part of the Summer Palace, the Long Corridor was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in December, 1998. There are four octagonal pavilions with double eaves, two on each side of the Cloud-Dispelling Gate. The pavilions symbolize the four seasons（spring, summer, autumn, winter）and are named（from east to west）： Liu Jia （留佳 “retaining the goodness”）， Jin Lan （寄澜；“living with the ripples”）， Qiu Shui（秋水 “autumn water”）， and Qing Yao （清遥 “clear and far”）。The name of the hall of Dispelling Clounds derivers from a verse by the poet Guo Pu（276-324） in the Jin Dynasty “in such a splendid hall, supernatural beings will emerge.” It is situated on the central axis of Longevity Hill and is the heart of a succession of buildings used for celebrations. Built on the site of Daxiong Hall （Hill of Sakyamuni or Main Shrine Hall）， it was the place to celebrate Empress Dowager Cixis birthday. On her birthday, October 10 of the Chinese lunar year, with Emperor Guangxu leading the troops, all ranks kowtowed to her as she sat on the “Nine-Dragon Throne” to receive greetings and rare gifts. With red pillars and yellow tiles, the Paiyundian contains 21 rooms. Although the treasures on display inside are fewer than those in the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity, some of the are more valuable.Although this is the most magnificent architectural complex of the Summer Palace, CIxi used the hall only once a year on her birthday.Tower of Buddhist Incense（佛香阁）As the symbolic structure, the Tower of Buddhist Incense tops the high grand towers of both the Summer Palace and the“ three mountains and five gardens” （Longevity Hill, Jade Spring Mountain , and Fragrant Hill; Garden of Clear Ripples, Garden of Everlasting Spring, Garden of Perfection and Brightness, Garden of Tranquility and Brightness, and Garden of Tranquility and Pleasure）。 Set up on the 21-meter-high（68.9-foot-high）base steps of the front slope of Longevity Hill and towering to a high of 41 meters（134.5 feet）， it can be seen from throughout the area. Facing Kunming Lake southward, backing on the Hall of the Sea of Wisdom, it was flanked by symmetrical building. With eight porticos, three levels and four layered eaves, the front part imitates the Yellow Crane Tower in Hubei Province. It is the elite tower among treasured ancient structures.A nine-level pagoda at the towers location was planned which Emperor Qianlong（1711-1799） ordered to be dismantled during the construction of the eighth level. After the unfinished pagoda, there stood the Tower of Buddhist Incense instead in 1758. Unfortunately, it was ruined by Anglo-French forces in 1860; then rebuilt during1891-1894, at a cost of 780,000 taels of silver. Inside is a gilded statue of the thousand-handed Kwan-yin. Set off by eight, it glows with sacred beauty. On the first day and fifteenth day of the lunar month, the Empress Dowager Cixi would go there to pray and burn joss sticks. In 1989,the Tower of Buddhist Incense was opened to the public. It is now undergoing reconstruction, the largest such project in modern China, costing 50,000,000 yuan with a planned completion date in 2006.Standing on the third story, visitors can see forests as well as Kunming Lake reflecting the picturesque landscapes.Hall of the Sea of Wisdom（智慧海）Grand Buddha stably sitting in the Hall of the Sea of Wisdom, Summer Palace, Beijing Built on the pinnacle of Longevity Hill, The Hall of the Sea of Wisdom is designed to stand at the upper end of an axis stretching from the Kunming Lake to the summit. When initially built during made entirely of colored glaze bricks, without any timber beams, and was also known as “No Beam Hall”。 Owing to its timber-free frame, it survived the fire set by the Anglo-French allied force in 1860. However, the holy statue of Amitayus Buddha, as well as 1008 smaller engraved Buddhas surrounding it, was destroyed.It is a holy building, with its name,“ the Sea of Wisdom” which comes from the sutra, symbolizing the mighty force and the infinite wisdom of Tathagada Buddha. A visitor who connects the three characters on the architraves of the hall and the glazed memorial archway will find that form the Buddhists chant.Purple Cloud Gate Tower（紫气东来）This two-story tower structure, on the east slope of the Longevity Hill, was built during Emperor Qianlongs reign（1736-1795）。 The inscriptions on both sides of the tower were written by Emperor Qianlong.The inscription on the north gate-tower “Chichengxiaqi” means “the rosy clouds rising in Chicheng Mountain.” Chicheng is the name of a place in Zhejiang province. This phrase describe the gate-tower shining from the morning sunshine.The four Chinese characters on the south gate-tower, “Ziqidonglai” means “the purple clouds come from the east.” This phase comes from a story about an ancient Chinese philosopher named Laozi, who was trying to get through a major military pass named Hangu Pass. It was said that Ling Yin, a military official in this pass, saw a wisp of purple clouds coming gently from the east. He knew that this good omen meant that a saint was coming. Than he took a bath and put on his new clothes, getting everything ready to welcome the saint. The next day he really saw LaoZi riding slowly to the pass on a black ox. Later, a famous post Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty wrote this story in his poem.The Hall for Listening to Orioles（听鹂馆）The Hall for Listening to Oriole used to be a Two-story stage built by Emperor Qianlong for his mother Emperor Dowager Niugulushi to enjoy Peking opera and performances. The stage was later used by Empress Dowager Cixi.Oriole is a kind of bird, and it has very sweet voice and pleasing sound; ergo, the stage is named “Hall for Listening to Oriole.” After the Garden of Virtuous Harmony was complete, the hall became a residence for imperial concubines. Now it is a very nice restaurant for both Chinese and foreign tourists.题三：颐和园昆明湖景区Kunming Lake covers an area of 220 hectares; three quarters of the while Summer Palace. The name of the lake came from “Kunming Pool” in Changan, made by Emperor Wu Di in the Han Dynasty （206BC-220AD）for training his solders. Qing Emperor Qianlong just followed the example of Han Wu Di and gave the name Kunming Lake.Western Bank（西堤）Lying west of the Kunming Lake, the Western Bank was built to imitate the Su Bank in Hangzhou, Zheijang Province, and visitors strolling along the bank often feel as though they are beside the West Lake in Southern China. The bank has been created to adorn the lake it surrounds, making it even more lovely and enchanting. Its most distinctive features are its six bridges, which, ranging from north to south, are: Jiehu Bridge（Lake-Bound Bridge）， Binfeng Bridge, Jade-Belt Bridge, Jing Bridge（Mirror Bridge）， Lian Bridge（White-Silk Bridge）and Liu Bridge （Willow Bridge）。 Its picturesque setting, at once tranquil and elegant, made it a popular retreat for such historical figures as Emperor Qianlong（1711-1799）and Empress Dowager Cixi.As the entry point to Kunming Lake, Jiehu Bridge forms the boundary between the Front and Back Lakes. It is a cross-shaped stone bridge with three arches. With its square kiosk, Binfeng Bridge has been built in the style of bridges in the countries of Southern China. Jade -Belt Bridge, the most renowned and beautiful of the bridges, is made of white and black marble. Its fluid contour lines are woven graciously together, hence its name-seen from afar, it resembles a jade belt. Its high arches enabled the Emperor Qianlong to pass under it in a dragon boat. Jing Bridge（Mirror Bridge） gets its name from the artistic vision of poet Li Bai（701-762）-two clear rivers like mirrors, two crossing bridges like double rainbows. Lian Bridge takes its name from the line “limped and serene, the river seems to be white silk” and the Willow Bridge from the line “beneath the sunshine, willows feather flying beside the bridge”。Then East Bank（东堤）The main scenic sports in the East Bank are: the 17-Arch Bridge, the spacious Paclion, the Bronze Ox, the Heralding Spring Pavilion, the Yelu Chucai Temple, the Wen Chang Belvedere, the Hall of Jade Ripple, the Lodge of Propriety of weeding , etc.Seventeen-Arch Bridge（十七孔桥）Connecting the eastern shore of Kunming Lake in the east and Nanhu Island in the west, the Seventeen-Arch Bridge was built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong（1711-1799）； with a length of 150 meters（164 yards） and a width of 8 meters （8.75 yards）。 It is the longest bridge in the Summer Palace. The unique scenery is but one of the stunning landscapes in the Summer Palace. With the styles of Lugou Bridge in Beijing and Baodai Bridge in Suzhou, Zhejiang Province, Seventeen Arch Bridge looks like a rainbow arching over the water. On the column of the parapets are 544 distinctive carved white marble lions. On each end of the bridge is a carved bizarre beast. With the biggest arch in the midst of the bridge flanked by eight others, visitors can coun