大理喜州英语导游词

1、大理喜州英语导游词afteraneight-hourrideinthenighttrainwearrivedatthedalitrainstation,whichisinthesuburbofthenewcityofdali.wehadmadehotelbookingstostayinolddali,aniceandquietoldtownaboutfourteenkilometersnorthofnewdali.ittookusthirtyminutesbybustogettoourhotel.itwasstillquiteearlyinthemorning.wecheckedin,hada

2、shower,andthenwentoutsidetotrysomelocalsnackforbreakfast.sincewehadmanagedtogetsomesleeponthenighttrainwewereallreadyforthedaysevent.aroundninethirtywecaughtalocalbusandsetoutforourdestination,thesmalltownofxizhou.xizhouisabaitownseventeenkilometersnorthofolddali.thisplaceiswell-knownforitsmanyold,p

3、rotectedhousesandcourtyardsthatsurvivedfromthelatemingandtheqingdynasties.thebaipeopleinxizhouareaspecialbreedofthebaicommunity.theyhavebeenconstantlyreferredtoasthejewsofthebai,alabelwhichalltownsfolkhappilytaketobeanhonorforitisreallyarecognitionoftheirgiftandskillsinmakingsuccessfulbusinessdeals,

4、nowandinthepast.from1920sto1949,thereexistedabout400familiesin1/5xizhou,allengagedinrunningsomesortofprivatebusinesses.itwassaid200ofthefamilieskeptshopslocallyorinotherpartsofyunnan,whiletheother200traveledacrossthecountrytobuyandsell,andsomepowerfulfamiliesevenmadetheirwayasfarasthewholeofsoutheas

5、tasiaandthesubcontinentofindia.theytradedinavarietyofthings:gold,silver,pearls,jade,cotton,silk,naturalminerals,medicinalherbs,tobacco,opium,andsoon.overafewdecades,themerchantsfromxizhouhadbuiltupagreatfameandwealthwithwhichtheyalsobuiltnicehouseswithopencourtyards.bywhatthelocalssaid,thereweretheg

6、reatfour,middleeight,andminortwelvefamilies,allwerewell-establishedbigmerchantfirmsinthepast.thetoponeofthegreatfour,theyansfamily,imported2,000americandodgecarsatonegointhelate1940s.attheendof1949,thecommunistgovernmentcameintopoweranddemandedtocomeintopartnershipswiththemerchantfirms,soassessments

7、weremadeofalltherichfamiliesandfirms.allthepropertyoftheyansfamily,bothathomeandabroad,amountedtobeoverthirty-twobillionyuanatthattime.dalihasbeenfrequentlyhitbyearthquakesinhistory,so2/5thebaipeoplehadlearnttobuildtheirhousesintwo-storiedstructures.themostpopularlayoutofaresidentialbuildingisanopen

8、courtyardwithhousesonthreesidesandawhite-washedscreenwallonthefourthside.eachsideofthebuildingistwo-storied,withthreeroomsupstairsandthreeroomsdownstairs.themiddleroomdownstairsisthelivingroom,wherethehostseestheirvisitorsandguests,havingacupofteaandsmokingapipeoveranicechat.sealedupandinvisibleatth

9、erearofthatroomisastairwayleadingtothemiddleroomupstairs,inwhichthefamilyancestralshrinesarekept.therestoftheroomsareusedthenasbedrooms.atthefourcornersofthebuildingcomplexthereareusuallyanotherfourcornercourtyards.thesearemuchsmalleronesusedmainlyasspaceforstorageorthekitchen.oneofthecornercourtyar

10、dswouldbesparedtofunctionasthefirstgate,whichopensuptotheoutsidelaneoralleyway.forthesakeofprivacythesecondgateshouldbeopenedonadifferentwallofthesamecornercourtyard,thusnopassers-bycanpeerdirectlyintothelifeinthebigcourtyard.alltheopencourtyardsarepavedwithstoneslates,thetoppartofthewallselaboratel

11、ydecoratedwithniceink3/5paintings,woodendoorscomewithcarvingofauspiciousmotifsandsymbols.whatimpressedusthemostwerethemanypottedflowers.itseemedallthefamiliesarehappytohaveflowersintheircourtyardandtheytrytopickupspecificspeciesthatwouldrespectivelycomeinbloomindifferentseasons.wevisitedthecourtyard

12、ofoneofthemiddleeight,thehouseofthezhaos.a200-meterwindingalleywaytookustoitssecludedpremises.thiscomplexconsistsoftwoparts,fourconnectingcourtyardstotheleftwingwhichwerebuiltintheqingdynasty,andasinglerowofconnectingroomstotherightwingwhichweredoneinthemingdynasty.eachcourtyardisinrectangularshapew

13、ithhouseserectedintheqingdynastyonthreesides,whilethemingpartstandstothefourthside.theshelteredcorridorundertheeavesofthemingroomslinksupwithleftwingandservesasanarchedpassagewayleadingtoeachofthecourtyards.thisisalovelyquiteisolationinwhich,webelieve,allresidentscouldenjoythetranquilityandliveuptoa

14、dvancedages.itwaspastmiddayafterwehavevisitedfouroldcourtyardsandspentmuchtimehavingachatwiththefamilies.thoughtherestillremainedalotmorewewantedtoknowaboutthis4/5placewedecidedtogiveitamissandgoforlunchinthevillagesquare.wehadxizhoubabababaisalocalwordforcakeorbreadtosatisfyourhunger.thelocalsrolloutthepastryandputtheminlargeflatcookingpans,andthenheatthemupwithcharcoalfiresfromunderneathandabove.thebabatakes