介绍北京的导游词十篇
各位游客大家好，接下来，我们将前往香山公园景区。首先，请允许简要地介绍一下景区的概况。香山公园位于海淀区，北京市西郊,是国家AAAA级景区，北京市精品公园，20_年通过ISO9001国际质量管理体系和ISO14001国际环境管理体系认证。景区占地180余公顷，是一座历史悠久、文化底蕴丰富、具有山林特色的皇家园林。
香山公园历史悠久，文物古迹众多,早在1186年就出现了人文景观。香山寺曾为京西寺庙之冠。
在辽代，这里是私人宅邸。当时有个中丞名阿勒弥者，见这里山青水秀，遂建宅舍。金世宗完颜雍大定二十六年(1186)，始在此山建大永安寺，亦叫甘露寺，即现在香山寺之前身。金章宗时，又在此建会景楼和祭星台建筑，从此皇家苑囿的规模初步形成。清乾隆十年(1745)，动用了大批人力、物力、财力，对香山进行了大规模建设，形成了盛清时期京西“三山五园”之一，即"静宜园"。此时园内景物非凡，建筑多样，各式的亭台楼阁、廊轩馆榭、牌坊、庙宇等分布在山峦坡坎之上，掩映在茂林绿荫之中。
香山四季美景不断。如果把北京西郊比作北京现代化大都市的"后花园"。那么,历史悠久的香山公园便以"春天山花烂漫,夏日清爽宜人,深秋红叶飘丹,冬林银妆素裹"的自然景观,成为北京西郊的绿谷"氧吧"。公园内树木繁多,森林覆盖率达96%，仅古树名木就有5800余株，占北京城区的四分之一，公园具有独特的"山川、名泉、古树、红叶"资源。香山红叶驰名中外，1986年被评为"新北京十六景"之一，成为首都秋季最靓丽的一道景观，每到深秋时节，数以万计的中外游客齐聚香山，共赏秋色。
也许各位会问，香山问什么叫做香山呢?大家不妨猜猜看。
(可能是五花八门的答案，也可能，是有人知道的)
其实，香山的得名原因有三种说法，其一是：香山海拔557米，最高峰顶有一块巨大的乳峰石，形状像香炉，晨昏之际，云雾缭绕，远远望去，犹如炉中香烟袅袅上升，故名香炉山，简称香山。
圆灵应现殿两侧各设罩子门一座。殿后高台之上，是“眼界宽”厂厅一座三间。正间外檐向东挂“眼界宽”匾一面，粉油蓝字，乾隆宝。眼界宽南北接出游廊，又似环爬山廊，曲折而上，与“青霞寄逸”楼相连。
青霞寄逸为两层歇山顶，上下各三间的楼一座。下层前檐向东挂“青霞寄逸”匾一面，青地金字，乾隆宝。第二层，楼外檐向东挂“鹫峰云涌”匾一面，青地金字，乾隆宝。]j_2PSJG
青霞寄逸楼下，靠壁建有“水月空明”殿一座三间。正殿外檐向东挂“水月空明”匾一面，绿地蓝字，乾隆宝。
水月空明殿前建有“詹卜香林”六方亭式楼一座三间。第一层，亭外前檐向东挂“詹卜香林”匾一面，粉油蓝字，乾隆宝。第二层，亭外前檐向东挂“无住法.轮”匾一面，粉油蓝字，乾隆宝。第三层，内隔断上挂“能仁妙觉”匾对一分，乾隆宝。亭外前檐向东挂“光明莲界”匾一面，粉油蓝字，乾隆宝。
双清泉
双清泉位于古老的香山寺脚下，为香山南山之水。根据《天府广记》记载:“丹砂井在香山下，相传为葛稚川丹井。二井，一泉水上涌，一泉水横流，味及甘甜。”乾隆皇帝在香山静宜园休息时，品尝泉水，觉得清凉甘甜，连声叫好，赐名为“双清”，御笔题名命人刻在石壁上。双清泉从双清下流知乐濠、过璎珞岩、流入带水屏山(静翠湖)，流入园外。
佳日亭
佳日亭是香山公园内结构最复杂的仿唐式亭台建筑，它位于位于眼镜湖南侧，最初是拍摄电视剧《唐明皇》的时候搭建的一个道具，因其与周围景致极为协调，许多游人在此争先合影留念，而后改建为“佳日亭”。
见心斋
见心斋位于公园内北门内西侧，是园中之园。始建于明嘉靖年间(1522-1566)颇具江南特色的园林庭院，清嘉庆年间续建。传说是皇帝鉴证大臣是否对他忠心的地方，故名见心斋。院内半圆形水池三面环以围廊彩画，正殿见心斋正对知鱼亭，斋后为正凝堂，鱼池内1000多尾红鲫锦鲤畅游，使这别致的小院充满了生机。
昭庙
宗镜大昭之庙，又称“昭庙”，始建于乾隆四十五年(1780)七月。它是为迎接班禅六世来京向乾隆皇帝祝贺七十大大寿而建的，故世称之为班禅行宫。乾隆四十五年九月十九日，宗镜大昭之庙开光。六世班禅额尔德尼于乾隆四十五年九月二十日来到香山静宜园，在其行宫内游览休息。乾隆四十五年十一月初三日，班禅额尔德尼由于身染痘症，系毒火太盛，于戌时圆寂于西黄寺内。
双清别墅
香山双清别墅位于香山公园南麓的半山腰，环境幽雅，以其苍翠的竹林、遮天蔽日的银杏、挺拔的松柏、古朴的建筑引人前往。然而真正使这个地方闻名天下的并不是她的秀丽风光，而是因为这里曾是毛主席住过的地方，曾是中共中央的指挥中心，曾发生过扭转中国命运决定中国前途的大事。党的七届二中全会在西柏坡胜利闭幕后，以农村包围城市为战略思想的毛泽东，实现了他的夙愿，提出要大踏步地前进，到北平去!毛泽东主席风趣地说：“走啦，咱们这是进京赶考!”1949年3月25日中共中央从西柏坡迁入香山双清。在双清别墅，毛泽东主席指挥了渡江战役，在这里筹备了新政协，筹建了新中国，在这里写下了《人民解放军占领南京》等脍炙人口的不朽诗篇。1994年，双清别墅被命名为“北京市青少年教育基地”。这里有毛泽东当年生活工作过的原状陈列;有毛泽东与爱子亲切交谈的地方----六角红亭。有记录一代伟人的《毛泽东在双清活动展览》……。《毛泽东在双清活动展览》由《从西柏坡到北平香山》、《毛泽东在双清》、《领袖生活在香山》三部分组成，集中反映了毛泽东等老一辈无产阶级革.命家运筹帷幄决胜千里之外的军事才能，反映了老一辈无产阶级革.命家艰苦奋斗的革.命历程。
双清别墅是广大青少年进行爱国主义和革.命传统教育的校外课堂，是企事业单位、学校组织过主题党日、团日、队日活动的好场所。香山公园也充分利用这一资源，通过“我为双清站一岗”、“爱北京，爱博物馆”征文等形式开展形式多样的爱国主义教育活动，公园在双清别墅设立了有关毛泽东的图书和纪念品专柜，增加播放“毛泽东在双清”专题片和相关史料宣传片。
碧云寺
碧云寺创建于1331年，至今已有近720_年的历史，是国家级文物保护单位。碧云寺原为元代开国元勋耶律楚材舍宅修建，原名碧云庵，据说当初在修建时，正值碧空如洗，白云出岫，可谓“碧色净如云”，于是命名。后经明清两代多次修缮扩建才形成今天的规模，并于明正德年间改名为“碧云寺”。1920_年，孙中山先生在京病逝，灵柩在碧云寺停放，直到1920_年才移至南京的中山陵，为了永久缅怀一代伟人，寺内设有孙中山纪念堂和孙中山先生衣冠冢。
碧云寺整组建筑以排列在中轴线上的六进院落为主体，南北各配一组院落，层层殿堂依山势迭起，由山门至金刚宝座塔，高度相差100余米，总体布局采用迥旋串连引人入胜的建造形式，每进院落各具特色，给人以层出不穷之感，院内香气弥漫，钟磬声悠，幡幢微荡。
据史料记载，1748年，乾隆皇帝对碧云寺进行了大规模的修建，在保存原有寺院的基础上，修建了金刚宝座塔、罗汉堂和水泉院，由于原有建筑无较大变动，因此碧云寺建筑和文物基本保留了明代风格。乾隆皇帝曾经在游历碧云寺时题写了“西山佛寺累百，惟碧云以宏丽著称……”的诗句(摘自《乾隆御制碧云寺碑文》)，由此可知，碧云寺在京西寺庙中具有很高的地位。
孙中山纪念堂
孙中山纪念堂座落在香山碧云寺内，自1977年10月1日正式对游人开放以来，成千上万的社会各界人士纷纷前来瞻仰参观，是革.命传统教育和爱国主义教育的重要基地。纪念堂内正中安放着中国国民党中央委员会暨全国各地中山学校敬献的中山先生汉白玉全身塑像，左右墙壁上镶嵌着用汉白玉雕刻的孙中山先生所写的《致苏联遗书》，正厅西北隅陈列着1920_年3月30日苏联人民送来的玻璃盖钢棺，堂内还陈列着孙中山先生的遗墨、遗著。
正厅两侧的中山先生纪念堂展览室集中反映了孙中山先生革.命的一生，为人们更好地了解中山先生的生平、生活暨革.命业绩提供了珍贵、丰富的教材。第一展室内容分为六个部分：求学立志、致力革.命、推翻帝制、创建民国、讨袁护法、伟大转折。概括了中山先生为了追求真理，振兴中华，经过艰苦卓绝的斗争，推翻了大清王朝，结束了封建帝制，开创了中国乃至亚洲民主共和的新纪元，将中国革.命推向了一个新的阶段。第二展室分五个部分：抱病北上、病逝北京、暂厝香山、移灵南下、缅怀伟人。介绍了中山先生为了国家的和平统一，毅然抱病北上，直至生命的最后一息。
伟大的爱国者和革.命先行者孙中山先生，深受世界炎黄子孙崇敬和爱戴，党的_大称颂他是“中国百年巨变的第一位伟人。”毛泽东曾说：“他全心全意地为了改造中国而耗费了毕生的精力，真是鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已。”孙中山先生为了祖国的和平和统一，四处奔走，直到生命的最后一刻。他癌魔缠身，不顾自己的安危，累死在北京、暂厝香山的过程就是集中的体现。1920_年10月，冯玉祥发动北京政变，电邀孙中山先生北上共谋国是。为了国家能和平统一，中山先生发表了《北上宣言》，召开国民会议重申反对帝国主义和封建军阀，废除不平等条约。11月13日，中山先生毅然抱病由广州北上。由于长途劳累，他的肝病发作，到达北京时，病情急剧恶化已是生命垂危。临终之前，他立下了《国事》、《家事》、《致苏联政府》三个遗嘱;弥留之际，他仍支撑精神挣扎着留下“和平……奋斗……救中国 ”的遗言。
1920_年3月12日上午9时10分，孙中山先生在北京与世长辞。19日中山先生的灵榇停放在中央公园(现中山公园)，社会各界隆重公祭后，于4月2日灵榇移至香山碧云寺金刚宝座塔石券门内暂厝。1920_年5月，南京中山陵落成。5月22日，宋庆龄及亲属、医、卫，在这里为中山先生敛服，复大敛于待奉移之铜棺，将更换出的中山先生的衣帽，放回原敛之楠木棺中，封入金刚宝座塔石塔内。在碧云寺普明妙觉殿(现纪念堂)设灵堂，举行了庄重的灵榇奉移典礼。5月26日移灵南下，6月1日，中山先生的遗体于南京中山陵奉安礼成。为纪念中山先生遗体暂厝之地，时“国民政府”在普明妙觉殿立“总理纪念堂”，在金刚宝座塔石券门石塔立“总理衣冠冢”。新中国成立以后，人民政府重修碧云寺后复命名为“孙中山纪念堂”(宋庆龄题写)和“孙中山先生衣冠冢”，以为后人瞻仰。
为人类社会进步作出贡献的人永远会活在人们的心中;而一切逆历史潮流的人都没有好下场，正如中山先生题词的那样“世界潮流浩浩荡荡，顺之则昌，逆之则亡。”我们希望祖国早日统一，实现中华民族的伟大复兴，以慰籍中山先生的赤胆忠心!
卓锡泉
碧云寺卓锡泉是香山北源之水。卓锡泉在明代就很有名了。《长安客话》载:“水自寺后，石岩出，喷薄入小渠，人以卓锡明之。”卓锡泉得名传说是一得道高僧，口渴至极，用带锡制小环的禅杖，一卓(卓即点击的意思)底下的石头，石头间涌出清泉，故名。有诗“跟深连地脉，溜曲绕珠寺”真切地描述了泉水折流寺院的情景。卓锡泉水点缀了“天水一色”，流入“能仁寂照”金鱼池，出碧云寺至眼镜湖西坡上，小部分流如眼镜湖，主流到见心斋，经昭庙方河，绕土山到勤政殿遗址后到月牙河，流入园外。
你们看，我们来到了雄伟的故宫，故宫又称紫禁城，是明清两代的皇宫;故宫是世界上规模最大最完整的古代木结构建筑群，为我们国家最大的古建筑群。它使建于明永乐(公元14XX年)，XX年才完工呢，有24位皇帝在此登基。“好了，我们现在准备去大殿里，请游客朋友们跟上队伍，千万别掉队，否则走丢了，就找不到我们了!”好，现在跟随我进入大殿，故宫有三座大殿：太和殿，中和殿和保和殿。大殿建在汉白玉砌成的8米高的台基上，远望犹如神话的琼宫仙阙。太和殿是最富丽堂皇的建筑，俗称“金銮殿”，是皇上举行大典的地方，这座殿高28米，东西63米，西北35米，有直径达1米的大柱92根，其中6根围绕御座的沥粉金漆的潘龙柱。御座设在殿内高2米的台上，前有造型，美观的仙鹤，炉，鼎，后面精雕细刻的围屏。整个大殿装饰得金碧辉煌，庄严绚丽。中和殿是皇上去太和殿举行大典前稍事休息和演习礼仪的地方，保和殿是每年除夕皇帝赐宴外潘王公的场所。游客朋友们先休息一下，观赏下这三个大殿，可以摸一摸，等下我们去内延，以乾清宫，交泰殿，坤宁宫为中心，东西两翼有东六宫和西六宫，是皇上平日办事和妃子居住的地方。“好，今天的活动到此结束!祝大家玩得开心”
圆明园位于北京西郊，海淀区东部。原为清代大型皇家园林，占地约5200亩。旧颐和园建于清乾隆年间，被称为万园园。其占地面积与故宫面积相同，水域面积相当于一座颐和园。
历史上，旧颐和园是由旧颐和园、长春园和奇春园(万春园)组成的。这三座花园相互毗邻，被称为颐和园。占地5200多亩(约350公顷)，比整个颐和园面积大近1000亩。它是清代封建皇帝150多年来，建立和经营的一座大型皇家园林。雍正帝、乾隆帝、嘉庆帝、道光帝和咸丰帝都在圆明园生活了多年，在那里举行了法庭会议。此外，它也是当时的国家政治中心。
圆明园最初是康熙皇帝给殷臻(后来的雍正帝)的一个花园，是皇帝的第四子。到1707年，花园已经成形。同年十一月，康熙皇帝参观了圆明园。雍正帝1723年即位后，对原有的园林进行了扩建，在园林南面修建了更多的正大光明殿和秦政殿，并在军事局设置了内阁、六个部室和各种价值室，以“避公共和政治事务”。乾隆帝即位60年，颐和园旧址年复一年建设，每日修缮瓷器，疏浚石头，飞银千万。除了对旧颐和园进行部分增建外，他还在东部新建了长春花园，并将其并入东南部的奇春花园。到乾隆三十五年(1770年)，元明三园已经形成。嘉庆年间，祁泉园主体进行了改扩建，使其成为主要的园林场所之一。道光年间，国家衰落，财力不足。然而，最好去掉万寿、象山和玉泉的“三山”摆设，以避免热河的暑热和木兰的狩猎，仍然不放弃三元和明园的重建和装饰。
旧颐和园不仅以园林闻名，而且还是一座收藏丰富的皇家博物馆。雨果曾经说过：“即使把我国(法国)圣母院的所有珍宝都加在一起，也无法与这座宏伟的东方博物馆相比。”这座花园装饰精美，收藏了大量艺术珍品。据看过颐和园的西方人说，“这是欧洲人无法描述和想象的”。千家万户的皇家别墅里，积攒着各种珍贵的珍宝，“精美的紫檀木雕纹家具，精美的古裂纹珐琅瓷瓶灯，织锦银锦，地毯，皮具，镀金纯正法式钟，总平面布置，典雅的皇宫宝石狩猎图形嵌入式系统、栩栩如生的山水人物牌匾等各种精美产品，是国内外奇形怪状的装饰品，名副其实。
旧颐和园是一座规模宏大、风景秀丽的大型人工园林。山水平坦，园林建设精细，种树种花。有断断续续的山峦、蜿蜒曲折的水榭、弯弯曲曲的廊道、岛屿、桥梁等，将广阔的空间划分成百余个大小由山川环绕、趣味各异的风景组团。花园里的水约占三个花园总面积的十分之四。大、中、小水面均在平地上人工开挖。花园里有250个大大小小的土堆。结合水系，水随山而转，山随水而动，形成了多丘、多层次的园林空间。使整个园林像江南水一样模糊，像燕水一样模糊，可以说：虽被人所知，万自天开。
旧颐和园体现了中国古代园林建筑艺术的精髓。乾隆帝说过：“真正的尧宝帝陵地区，皇帝御佑，无非此。”而且在世界园林建筑史上也占有重要地位。它的名声传到欧洲，被称为万园之园。伟大的法国作家雨果在1861年评论道：“你可以想象这是一座像月亮城堡一样吸引人的建筑。
he Ming Tombs are 40 kilometers north of Beijing City on the southernslopes of Tianshou Mountain. They are the burial grounds of 13 Ming Dynastyemperors. In July 20___ the site was designated a world cultural heritage siteby UNESCO.
Empress Xu died in the 5th year of Yongle (1407). Zhu Di sent
Zhao Hong, secretary of the Ministry of Rites and a geomancer----LiaoJunqing along with many others to Beijing in search of an auspicious place forthe tombs. It is said that this group of people first selected the area of TuJia Ying, which means slaughter-house, and as such, it couldnt be used as theburial ground. Next they selected the foot of Yangshan Mountain, Changping.However, since the surname of the emperor (Zhu) is a homophone for pig andbecause a village named wolf mouth ravine was located there, they decidedagainst using that area. Later, they found Yan-jiatai west of Beijing. Again,since Yanjia was the homonym of the death of the emperor, it was also deemedunsuitable. It was not until the 7th year of Yongle (1409), that they finallychose the present Heavenly Longevity Mountain as their cemetery grounds.
The whole area covers 40 square kilometers. It has mountains to its east,west and north, and Dragon Mountain and Tiger Mountain are on either side of itssouthern entrance. The 13 tombs go from north to south. They are arranged in themanner of the Imperial Palace, with the administration area in the front andliving quarters in the rear. In front of the tombs are divine passes, stonearchways and steel towers. The Precious City and Ming Tower stand over theUnderground Palace.
There were 16 emperors during the Ming Dynasty. Buried in the Ming tombs,are 13 Ming emperors and 23 empresses, as well as many concubines, princes,princesses and maids. The other 3 emperors, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yunwenand Zhu Qiyu are buried in other locations.
The founder of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, established his capital inpresent day Nanjing where he was buried after his death. His tomb is calledXiaoling (Tomb of Filial Piety).
The body of the second emperor of the Ming, Zhu Yunwen, is missing. Somesaid that he died in a fire, while others said that he went to a temple andbecame a monk. There is no final conclusion yet.
The seventh Ming Emperor Zhu Qiyu, was buried as a prince by his elderbrother Zhu Qizhen at Jinshankou, a western suburb of Beijing, because in theTumubao Upheaval, Emperor Zhu Qizhen became a captive and the younger brother ofZhu Qizhen. Zhu Qiyu was chosen as the new emperor, but later Zhu Qizhen wasback and proclaimed his re-enthronement in the Seizing Gate Upheaval.
The Memorial Arch was built in the 19th year of Jiajing (1540) as a symbolof the Ming Tombs. It is 14 meters high and 28. 86 meters wide, and has 5 archessupported by 6 pillars with beautiful bas-relief carvings of lions, dragons andlotus flowers. The Memorial Arch is the biggest and the most exquisite stonearch preserved in the country today. The major designs of dragon and clouddecorations reflect the character of imperial architecture. In addition, it alsodemonstrates the skillful artistry of the Ming craftsmen.
The Big Palace Gate is the front gate of the Ming Tombs, and is morecommonly known as Big Red Gate. Facing south, there are three arch entrances tothe gate, the main inlet to the Ming Tombs. Flanking the gate are two stonetablets, inscribed with orders for the emperor, officials and other people todismount, before entering into the tomb area. If they did not obey, they wouldbe punished for their disrespect. The rules governing the Ming Tombs in the MingDynasty, stipulate that one who sneaks into the tomb area to pick firewood andbreak twigs would be flogged. Those who came to fetch dirt and stone would bebeheaded. Those who entered arbitrarily into the tomb area would be flogged ahundred times.
The Tablet House was built in the 10th year of Xuande (1435), and standsabout 10 meters high with two tiers of eaves. A huge tablet stands in the middleof the Tablet House. The front side bears an inscription by Emperor Renzong forChengzu. The reverse side is a poem by Qing Emperor Qianlong recording in detailthe conditions of the broken Changling, Yongling, Dingling and Xiling. On theeast side is the record of expenditures for repairing the Ming Tombs by the Qinggovernment. On the west side is an epitaph by Qing Emperor Jiaqing. It waswritten in the 9th year of Jiaqing (1804) describing the cause of the fall ofthe Ming Dynasty.
On the north side of the Tablet House, stands a group of stone carvings (36in all). Behind the house, there are two stone pillars. Beyond the pillars arestone animals and other statues. Lions, Xie Zhi, camels, elephants, and Qi Linhorses .All of the animals are in two pairs. Two stand, while the other twokneel. It is followed by the statues of military officers, civil officials andofficials of merit, four in each group. These stone animals and statues weremade in the 10th year of Xuande (1435). They reflect the imperial power when hewas alive and the imperial dignity after he was deceased. The animals andstatues were created using whole blocks of stone weighing a couple of tons andeach was delicately and masterfully carved.
Here stands Ling Xing Gate, also known as the unique Dragon and PhoenixGate, with the meaning of the Gate of Heaven. The gate is pierced with six doorleaves, attached to three archways. The top of the central section of the threearchways is decorated with flames and precious pearl, so it is also known as theFlame Archway. To the north of the Dragon and Phoenix Gate there lays aseven-arch marble bridge, leading to the gate of Changling. To the east of theseven-arch bridge stands an old five-arch bridge, which was the original site ofthe seven-arch bridge.
Actually we are standing on the axle line of the Ming Tombs, otherwiseknown as the Sacred Way or the Tomb path. We passed the Memorial Arch, the BigPalace Gate, the Tablet House, Sacred Way, stone animals and statues, and LingXing Gate. This seven-kilometer long sacred pathway leads from south to north,all the way to the Gate of Changling.
Now, we are moving to Chang Ling. Changling is the first tomb built in theMing Tombs area, covering 10 hectares and containing Emperor Zhu Di and hisempress Xu.
Zhu Di (Chengzu) of the Ming Dynasty was the fourth son of the firstEmperor Zhu Yuanzhang, born in 1360. Zhu Di was conferred the title of theprince of Yan in the 3rd year of Hongwu (1370). He was appointed at Beiping.After the death of Zhu Yuanzhang (the first Ming Emperor), Zhu Di used thepretext of eliminating evil officials at the side of Emperor Jianwen to lead anarmy expedition down south to Nanjing. He seized the throne in the 4th year ofJianwen (1402) and ascended the throne in June inside the Hall of AncestralWorship in Nanjing. Zhu Di was an emperor of outstanding accomplishment in theMing Dynasty. As soon as he became the prince of Yan, he led the generals out tobattle. He had great achievements in calming down the north. After he took overhis nephews power and became the emperor, he still went out to battle throughoutthe country and consolidated the rule of the Ming Dynasty. He made the importantdecision to move the capital to Beijing. During the rule of Zhu Di, magnificentdevelopments were made in the economy, culture and in diplomacy. In terms ofculture, Zhu Di successively sent Grand Academician Xie Jin, Yan Guangxiao andothers to compile the Yongle encyclopedia. The book has become the largest bookever complied in Chinese history. For expanding external exchanges and trade,Zhu Di selected eunuch Zheng He to lead a large fleet filled with precious gold,silver, silk and satins to sail to southeast Asia and Africa seven times in theearly years of Yongle.
Empress Xu was buried together with Emperor Zhu Di in Changling. EmpressXushi was the eldest daughter of Xu Da who was one of the founding fathers ofthe Ming Dynasty. Throughout her lifespan, Xu Shi complied 20 articles ofinternal lectures and a book advising to be good, so as to cultivate peoplesminds. She was the very first one to be buried in Changling and in the Ming Tombarea.
The Hall of Eminent Favor in Changling is the best preserved among thethirteen tombs. It is a valuable relic of ancient Chinas wooden structures. Itis nine rooms wide and five rooms long, a hall size rarely seen in China. Theroof is made of top-class double eaves and there are multiple rooms covered withyellow glazed tiles. The hall is supported by 60 thick Nanmu pillars, the middlefour in the hall are the thickest, the diameter of each one can reach over onemeter. It is known as the best Nanmu (phoebe) hall in the country.
Now we are going to Dinging. Dingling is located at the east foot of DayuMountain. Buried here are the 13th Ming Emperor Wanli (Zhu Yijun) and his twoempresses Xiaoduan and Xiaojing. Zhu Yijun was the longest on the throne of theMing Emperors. (He was emperor for 48 years). He was the greediest and laziestemperor in the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yijun ascended the throne at the age of 9.After he came to power, he was supported by the chief minister Zhang Juzheng. Atthis time, various aspects of society gained development.
Later ,Zhang Juzheng died of illness. Not long after Wanli managed stateaffairs on his own, he used the chance to select the location for his tomb sitewhen he went to pay homage to the ancestors tombs. He spent eight million taelsof silver (250,000 kilos of silver) and six years to build a high quality tombDingling. After the Dingling was completed, Zhu Yijun personally went to inspectit, and felt very satisfied with the result. He went so far as to hold a grandbanquet in the Underground Palace, which was unheard of in history.
Zhu Yijun was a typical muddle-headed emperor. Reflecting on his reign, hedid not pay attention to state affairs for 28 out of his 48 year rule. The stateorgan was effectively semi-paralyzed during his reign. Later generationscommented that the fall of the Ming dynasty was caused by this emperor.
Zhu Yijun had two empresses. Empress Xiaojing was originally a maid ofWanlis mother Cisheng. Later she gave birth to a son of the emperor. That sonwas the one-month emperor Guangzong (Zhu Changluo). She died of illness 9 yearsearlier than Shenzong died. She was buried as a concubine at Pinggangdi, aroundthe east pit, at the Heavenly Longevity Mount. After Xiaojing was conferred thetitle of “grandmother of the emperor”, her body was moved to the UndergroundPalace of Dingling, and buried together with Emperor Wanli and Empress Xiaoduanon the same day. Xiaoduan was conferred the title of empress, but she could notgive birth to either a son or a daughter to the emperor. Xiaoduan died ofillness. A hundred days later, Emperor Wanli (Zhu Yijun) died too. EmpressXiaoduan, Emperor Wanli, and Empress Xiaojing were buried together in theUnderground Palace.
The tablet in front of Dingling has no words on it. It is called thewordless tablet. There is a pair of coiling dragons along the top and a patternof sea waves carved on the bottom. Its base is composed of a tortoise (Bixi). Itis said that the dragon has nine sons. In twelve of the Ming Tombs, excludingChangling, all the tablets are wordless. Originally there were no tablet housesin front of the Tombs, but later the tablet houses and steeles of the first sixtombs were completed. But the emperor Jiajing at the time indulged in drinking,lust and searching for longevity pills, so he had no time to pay attention onthe inscriptions. Consequently the six tablets are wordless. And in keeping withthis tradition, that’s why the tablets later on are also blank.
Now we are arriving at The Gate of Eminent Favor and the Hall of EminentFavor of Dingling, The Hall of Eminent Favor is also called Hall of Enjoyment.It was the place where the emperor and his entourage held grand sacrificialrites. They were mostly destroyed when the Qing soldiers came. And they weredestroyed again later, so now only the ruins remain.
Moving on, this is the exhibition rooms that were built after theexcavation of the Underground Palace. The exhibition explains in detail thehistory of the tomb master and introduces the tomb excavation process. Theexhibition rooms are divided into two parts, the south and the north. In thesouth room, on display are the sacrificial objects of Emperor Wanli unearthedfrom the Underground Palace. In the north room, on display are the sacrificialitems of the two empresses. All of then are fancy and invaluable.
Now we arrive at The Soul Tower, this is the symbol of the tomb. It is astone structure with colorful painted decorations. The Soul Tower and thePrecious citadel of Dingling have never been damaged seriously. The Soul Toweris the best preserved architecture above the ground of Dingling. On top of theyellow, glazed tiled roof of the Soul Tower sits a big stone tablet. Two Chinesecharacters----Dingling, are carved on the tablet. Inside the Soul Tower, on topof another stone tablet, there are two big characters----the Great Ming writtenin seal characters. On the body of the tablet, seven Chinese characters-----Tombof Emperor Shenzong Xian are carved. The Soul Tower is connected with thePrecious Citadel. The Precious Citadel is a large round wall built with bricks.The Precious Citadel wall is 7.5 m high, and lower part is thick while the upperpart is thin. The round walls perimeter is over 800 meters, and inside the wallis a large artificial mound, the emperors tomb mound, known as Precious Top.
Dingling is the only Ming Tomb to be excavated. Formal excavation workstarted in May 1956 and ended in 1958. First, the working personnel discoveredan exposed gateway at the side wall to the southwest of the Precious Citadel ofDingling. So they dug the first tunnel facing the position of the gateway. Atthe bottom of the tunnel, they discovered a tunnel made of bricks. Three monthslater, along the direction of the tunnel, to the west of the Soul Tower, theydug the second tunnel. During the digging, they encountered with a stone tabletwhich inscribed the words from here 48. 8m forward and 10. 7m downward lies theprecious wall. Therefore it gave the correct direction of opening up theUnderground Palace.
According to the direction of the stone tablet, after digging the thirdtunnel, they found a stone tunnel. At last they got to the precious wall. Thusthey opened the precious wall with a square stone room. To the west end of theroom, lay two marble doors. The working personnel used a wire and wood plank toremove the self-acting stone bar, which was against the back of the door. Withthis method, they opened the entrance of the Underground Palace.
The palace has no beam which was built according to the principles ofgeomancy Altogether there are five chambers. The chambers are separated by sevenmarble doors. The Underground Palace is 27 meters deep, covering an area of1,195 square meters. There is a same structure stone door in between the front,middle and rear chambers. The door is made of marble. The biggest marble door is3. 3 meters high, 1.7 meters wide, 4 tons in weight. It looks heavy, but it isreasonably designed. The pivot of the stone door is inclined to the door axle,so the door is easy to open and close. On top of the door is a lintel (made ofbronze) tube weighing about 10 tons to prevent the door from falling. Carved onthe front of the marble door are 9 rows of 81 knobs and strange animals withrings in their mouths. Located on the reverse side, opposite the animals, is aprotruding section that holds the doors self-acting stone bar.
The front and middle chambers are 7. 2 meters high and 6 meters wide. Thefloor is covered with gold bricks. According to records, the gold bricks aresmooth and durable. The more you polish them, the brighter they become. Thereare no decorations in the front and two annex chambers. In the middle chamber,there are three marble thrones for Emperor Wanli and his two Empresses, known asthe precious thrones. In the front of the thrones, there are five yellow glazedofferings and one blue-and-white porcelain jar of Jiajing Years style with acloud-and-dragon design. It is about 0.7 meters in diameter. Originally therewas sesame oil in the jar. On the surface of the oil was a copper tube with awick inside. It is called the everlasting lamp. Due to the lack of oxygen, thelight went out so the oil had not been used all.
The rear chamber is the biggest of the three. It is 9.5 meters high, 31meters long, 9.l meters wide, the floor is paved with polished stones. In therear chamber, there is a coffin platform edged with white marble. Placed on theplatform are the coffins of Emperor Wanli and his two Empresses as well as 26vermilion boxes filled with funeral objects.
In the middle of the coffin platform, there is a rectangular hole filledwith soil called Gold Well. Putting jade stone around the coffin or inside thecoffin or in the mouth of the deceased is called being buried with jade. Ancientpeople believed Gold Well was the pit of geomancy. It could prevent the bodyfrom decay for a long time. Being buried with jade on a Gold Well was thehighest standard of entombment one could receive in the feudal era.
Originally the empresss coffin should have been placed in the rear chamber.Then why were the coffins of the two empresses also in the same chamber as theemperors? In 1620, first empress Xiaoduan died in April, then in July EmperorWanli also died. After that, the son of Zhu Changluo died 29 days after hissuccession. In only a few months, two emperors and one empress had died insuccession. In addition they had removed Empress Xiaojings coffin to Dingling.All the burdens of the funeral burials fell on the just enthroned Emperor ZhuYoujian. The preparation work was done in a hurried fashion (this was clearlyrecorded in historical documents). The rainy season had already arrived beforethe funeral could occur and the passage leading to the empress annex chamber maynot have been convenient to open. So the coffins of the emperor, empresses allentered the Underground Palace through the front entrance. After the coffinsentered the Underground Palace, since the passage to the annex chambers werenarrow, the coffins of the empresses would not fit through it. So they had toput all the three coffins together into the rear chamber.
Now please follow me out of the underground palace. And our tour for todayis completed. I hope you have found our time together informative and enjoyable.We now have half an hour for a rest, and then we will get together here at4:00pm. Thank you.
各位游客：
大家好，我是光明旅游社的导游，大家能够叫我卢导。这天游玩的地方是长城，期望大家做到这三点1不乱扔垃圾，2不在墙上刻字，3不破坏公物。期望大家玩得开心。
我们此刻在八达岭上，这一段长城高大坚固。大家看，城墙外沿，有两米多高的成排的垛子，垛子上有方形的瞭望口和射口，供瞭望和射击用。每隔三百多米就有一座方形的城台，不仅仅是屯兵的堡垒，而且打仗的时候城台之间还能够互相呼应呢!
大家单看这数不清的条石，一块有三两斤重，那时候没有火车汽车、起重机。就靠无数人的肩膀和无数的手，抬上着无数块石头。那时候，是多麽辛苦，凝结了多少人民的血汗和智慧。
说到那里我不由得想起了一个美丽动人的传说，这个美丽动人的传说的名字叫孟姜女哭长城。从前，有个人叫孟姜女，他很爱她的丈夫，但是有一天，官府抓她的丈夫说是犯罪了，一年过去了，她的丈夫没有消息，于是她就去找她的丈夫。但是，一去才明白她的丈夫被抓去修长城了，她立即动身，日夜兼程跑到了长城，但是她怎麽也找不到她的丈夫，一打听才明白她的丈夫被累死了。她哭啊哭，八百多里的长城倒下了，最后还是想不开跳河自杀了。孟姜女太感人了。
长城的地方很多，期望大家细细观赏。
亲爱的游客朋友们，现在我们乘坐的是巴士四号汽车前往北京，观赏世界历史文化遗产之一——长城。很荣幸成为大家的导游。如果有什么问题，可以请教我。大家下车后一定要记住我们的车牌号，按规定时间返回。祝大家旅行愉快。
现在我先给大家介绍一下长城吧!长城是修筑在陡峭的山岭之间，它从东头的山海关一直修筑到西头的嘉峪关，全长共有一万三千多公里。它是中华人民力量和智慧的结晶，它是中华民族即将腾飞的巨龙的象征。游客们，我们的车已经停到八达岭上了。请看正前面有一块(儿)石碑，上面有八达岭几个红字，大家可以把它拍下来，做为一个到八达岭的留念。
游客们，我们来到了长城的脚下。请大家低头看看脚下，它是由一块块灰色的巨砖砌成的，十分平整，五六匹马也可以并行。让我们抬起头来，长城就像蜿蜒的巨龙卧在连绵起伏的崇山峻岭之间雄伟壮观。八达岭长城共有六个烽火台。烽火台共有三个门，其中中间一个最大，它的上面有许多小方块围成的一个正方形。古代时，在那里点火，表示那里有危险。这些烽火台可以在两至三个小时之间将情报传到数千里以外的地方。烽火台分两层，上层是眺望台，下层是士兵吃饭和睡觉的地方，可见烽火台在当时的军事中着多么重要的作用啊!
游客们，再往下走我们就到“好汉坡”了，“好汉坡”是指只有好汉才能登上的险坡，是八达岭的必经之路，让我们go!
经过好汉坡，就到峰顶了。游客们，当我们站在峰顶看看这前不见头，后不见尾的巨龙的时候，真为我国古代劳动人民的无比智慧感到自豪和骄傲吧!
我们的长城之旅到此为止，希望大家有时间还来长城，也希望我的讲解能给大家留下深刻的印象!byebye!
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.
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.
北京故宫导游词
亲爱的游客们，我是你们的导游，我姓张，能够叫我小张，也能够叫我张导。请不要在墙上、古代物品上刻画，也不要乱扔垃圾哦!
故宫位于北京市中心，旧称紫禁城。它是明代和清代的皇宫，也是世界现存最大、最完整的古代建筑群，被誉为五大宫之首。
故宫开始建造于明永乐四年至十八年，也就是公元1406年至1420年。
你们看!故宫的四个漂亮的大门，我来告诉你它们的名字吧!正门名为午门，俗称五凤楼。午门一般只有皇帝才能够出入呢!状元、榜眼和探花的人只能够从此门出入一次。后门“神武门”，明朝为“玄武门”，因为玄武是古代四神兽之一。清代康熙年间因避讳改为“神武门”。“东华门”与“西华门”是个“对门”门外设有下马碑石，门内金水河南北流向，上架石桥一座，桥北还有三座门。
快点儿，快点儿，快点儿去太和门吧!太和门里有三座大殿，分别是太和殿、中和殿、保和殿，你们自己去看看吧!二十分钟之后记得回来找我哦!
看!那儿是内廷，内廷就是皇帝、皇后和妃子们生活的地方。快去看看吧!因为内廷比较长，所以拿着你们手中的地图，三十分钟后我们在御花园里碰面哦!
御花园里鸟语花香，草木茂盛。各位家长注意孩子的安全，不要让他们爬假山。还有不要折鲜花和小草哦!
哦，我们到出口了。好了，我们这次的故宫游玩到此结束了。如果下次还想来北京故宫要记得找我哦!在回家的路上要注意安全哦!
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen:
My name is ___. I’m very honored to be youre guide. I do hope all of youcould like my guiding and enjoy everything on your pleasant day. This morning weare going to visit the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace is located on thenorthwest suburbs of Beijing, about 20 kilometers away from the center of thecity. So it will take us about 1 hour to get there. Before we arrived at theSummer Palace, I would like to introduce you a brief introduction of thewoderful imperial garden. The Summer Palace is the most beautiful and thelargest imperial garden existing in Chinan, and it is the best-preservedimperial garden in the world. In 1998, it was placed on the List of WorldCultural Heritage by the UNESCO.
The Summer Palace was first built as an imperial garden at the beginning of12th century in the Jin Dynasty. The construction continued to the Yuan and Mingdynasties. In the Qing Dynasty, the building of imperial gardens reached itsculmination. During Emperor Qianlong’s reign, the famous ‘Three Hills and FiveGardens’ were built on the northwest suburbs of Beijing. The Summer Palace was apart of it and at that time was called the Garden of Clear Ripples. In 1860, theAnglo-French Allied Forces invaded Beijing. The ‘Three Hills and Five Gardens’were burnt down to ashes.
In 1888, the Empress Dowager Cixi spent the navy fund having the Garden ofClear Ripples rebuilt. And then she renamed it the Garden of Nurtured Harmony(Summer Palace).
In 1900, the Allied Forces of Eight Powers invaded Beijing. The SummerPalace was once again severely damaged. It was rebuilt again in 1902.
In 1924, the Last Emperor Puyi was driven out of the palace, after that,the Summer Palace was turned into a public park.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please look over there, in front of us is an archway.It is called “Emptiness and the collection of excellence”, and it is the firstscenery of the Summer Palace. The two Chinese words on the front side of thearchway mean emptiness and refer to everything in nature and in the scenery. Thetwo words on the back side mean Collection of Excellence and refer to thetranquility of the beautiful scenery just within the garden.
(outside the East Palace Gate)
Now, we have arrived at the East Palace Gate. It’s the main entrance of theSummer Palace. On top of the gate there is a plaque with three Chinesecharacters ‘The Summer Palace’ in Emperor Guangxu’s handwriting. The gate thatwe are now entering was used by the emperor, the empress only in the olddays.
(Inside the East Palace Gate)
Now we are inside the Summer Palace. In front of us is the second gate ofthe Summer Palace— the Gate of Benevolence and Longevity. The annex halls onboth sides were used for officials on duty and the offices of the Privy Council.Well, Before we start our tour in the garden, I will briefly introduce you thelayout of the Summer Palace and our tour route. O.K., ladies and gentlemen, mayI have your attention please? Let’s look at the map together, From it we can seethe Summer Palace covers an area of 290 hectares, which the lake occupies thethree-fourths. The whole garden can be divide into three parts: the area was forpolitical activities, resting places of the emperor and empress, and sightseeingareas. Our tour will start from the area of the political activities, and endoff the Marble Boat. On the way, we will visit the main constructions of theSummer Palace, such as the Hall of Jade Ripples, the Hall of Happiness andLongevity, the Long Corridor, the Hall of Dispelling Clouds and so on. It willtake us about two hours to visit the Summer Palace. Please attention, we won’twalk back and our driver will pick us up at the North Gate. Should you get lostor separated from the group, please meet us at the North Gate.
Ok, everyone, let’s start our tour from the emperors’ office --- the Hallof Benevolence and Longevity. Follow me please.
(Inside the courtyard of the Benevolence and Longevity)
Passing through the Gate of Benevolence and Longevity, we have alreadyentered the courtyard of the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. The huge rock infront of us is Taihu Rock. It was quarried from Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province,so it was known as Taihu Rock. Please look around the courtyard and you can seethere are four grotesque shaped rocks placed in each corner of this courtyard,representing the four seasons of the year. The Taihu Rocks are usually used asdecoration for beautifying gardens and they are thin, crease, leak andpenetration in characters.
The bronze mythical animal behind the Taihu Rock is known as Suanni or somepeople call it Qilin. According to ancient Chinese mythology, the dragon hadnine sons, but none of them became a real dragon. Suanni was one of the ninesons of the dragon. It was an auspicious animal that could avoid evil spirits inancient lengeds. Suanni has the head of dragon, the antlers of dear, the hoovesof ox and the tail of lion.
(In front of the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity)
This grand hall is the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. It was firstbuilt in 1750. The name of this hall taken from a book entitled ‘Lun Yu’ byConfucius doctrine means, “ those who are benevolent can enjoy a long life.”This hall was the place where Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi heldaudience and handled state affairs when they were in the Summer Palace. Forprotecting the historical cultural relic, we couldn’t enter the hall. So I wouldlike to briefly introduce you the decorations in the Hall of Benevolence andLongevity. The arrangement of the hall has been left untouched. In the middle ofthe hall stands an emperor’s throne carved with nine dragons on design. Thereare two big fans on both sides behind the throne which are made of peacockfeathers. Behind the throne there is a big screen with red sandalwood frame andglass mirror inlaid. On the mirror there are 226 Chinese characters of the word‘Longevity’ written in different styles. There are two scrolls on each side ofthe wall with a big Chinese character ‘Longevity’ written on it. It was saidthat the word ‘Longevity’ written by Empress Dowager Cixi. There are 100 batspainted at the background of the scroll symbolizing happiness.
Well, please look up the two pairs of incense burners in the shape of adragon and a phoenix in front of the hall. They were used to burn incense sticksto create the appropriate atmosphere. In the old days, the dragon and phoenixwere the symbol of the emperor and empress. According to ritual, the dragonsshould be placed in the center while phoenixes were to either side in front ofthe hall.However, here, the dragons are off to the sides and the phoenixes arein the middle. This was a product of the end of Qing Dynasty when EmpressDowager Cixi handled state affairs behind the screen.
(At the entrance of Garden of virtuour Harmony)
We are now visiting the Garden of Virtuous Harmony, where Emperor Qianlongand Empress Dowager Cixi were entertained with Bejing Opera performances. Itmainly consists of the Dressing House, the Grand Theater Building and the Hallof Pleasure Smile. The Grand Theater Building was known as the ‘Cradle ofBeijing Opera’ was uniquely laid out and magnificently decorated. There are 7exhibition halls with articles of daily use on display here.
(In front of the Grand Theater Building)
This is the Grand Theater Building. Of the three main theater buildings ofthe Qing Dynasty, the Grand Theater Building is the tallest and largest one. Theother two are Changyin Pavilion in the Forbidden City and Qingyin Pavilion inthe Mountain Resort in Chengde. The Grand Theater Building, a three-storiedstructure, has a double roof with upturned eaves. It is 21 meters high and 17meters wide. Performances could be staged simultaneously on three levels. Thetop one was a symbol of happiness, the middle level was emolument level and thebottom stage was named longevity stage. Each level has the entrance and theexit. There are some trapdoors in the ceiling and below the floor for ‘celestialbeing’ to fly down from the sky and the ‘devils’ to appear from the earth to setoff a certain atmosphere on the stage. There is also a well and five ponds builtunder the stage for a good effect of water scenes. The stage is open to threesides.
Well, please look at the construction that stands right opposite the GrandTheater Building, it’s the Hall of Pleasure Smile. The Empress Dowager Cixi usedbo sit inside the hall to watch and enjoy the Peking Opera.
(A lakeside walk from the Garden of virtuous Harmony to the Hall of JadeRipples)
We are now standing in the middle of a rockery behind the Hall ofBenevolence and Longevity. It appears that there’s nothing special ahead.However, after we clear the rockery, we will reach Kunming Lake. This is anapplication of a specific style of Chinese
gardening.
Now, we are walking along the bank of the Kunming Lake. Look over there,not far away in the lake there is an islet. It’s called the Spring HeraldingIslet. The pavilion on the islet is called the Spring Heralding Pavilion. Anumber of willow trees and peach trees were planted on this islet. In earlyspring, when the ice begins to melt, peach trees are red in pink blossoms,willow trees turn a tender green signaling that the early spring has returned.Hence the name ‘Heralding Sping Pavilion’.
(In front of the Hall of Jade Ripples)
This group of special and quiet courtyard dwellings is the Hall of JadeRipples. The words “Jade Ripples” came from a verse “Gentle ripples gushing outof Jade Spring”, which refers to the rippling water in the lake. It was firstused by Emperor Qianlong to attend to state affairs. In the late Qing Dynasty,it was where Emperor Guangxu was put under house arrest.
This hall is a hallmark of the Movement of 1898. Emperor Guangxu wasEmperor Dowager Cixi’s nephew. After Emperor Tongzhi died, Emperor Dowager Ciximade her nephew, who was at that time four years old a successor in order tocontinue her hold on imperial power. She ‘handled state affairs behind thescreen’. After Emperor Guangxu ‘managed state affairs personally’ at the age of19, a political conflict occurred between the conservatives and the reformers.In 1898, the Reform Movement took place with the aim of sustaining the coreprinciples of the Qing Dynasty while reforming outdated laws. The movementlasted for103 days until it was suppressed by Empress Dowager Cixi. It wascalled the ‘Hundred-Day Reform’. After the reform failed, Emperor Guangxu wasput under house arrest here. For the strict control of him, Empress Dowager Cixiordered to build many brick walls in the front, back, and on the right and leftof the Hall of Jade Ripples. At that time the hall was entirely sealed up, justlike a prison. Today only the hidden walls in the east and west annex room stillmaintain its original appearance. It is open to visitors as the relic related tothe 1898 Reform Movement.
(In front of the Chamber of Collecting Books)
This is the Chamber of Collecting Books. In Chinese, it’s called “Yi YunGuang”. “Yun” was a kind of fragrant weed. In ancient times, it was usually usedas termite repellent in rooms where books were stored.In the Emperor Qianlong’sreign, the purpose of the hall was for collecting books. Later it was convertedinto a residence. There used to be the residence of Guangxu’s Empress Longyu,and his favorite concubine Zhenfei.
(In the Hall of Happiness and Longevity)
This group of courtyard is the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It was themajor architectural structure in the living quarters and the residence ofEmpress Dowager Cixi. The whole compound was basically made of wood, which isideal for ventilation and lighting. With its quiet and tasteful layout, the Hallof Happiness and Longevity made life very easy and convenient. In front of theHall of Happiness and Longevity there is a huge rock placed in the middle ofthis courtyard named “Qing Zhi Xiu” and nicknamed as “Family Bankruptcy Rock”.This huge rock was discovered in Fangshan District by a Ming official MiWanzhong. He wanted to transport it to his own garden “Shaoyuan”. In the olddays, transporting such rock was very difficult. After spending all his money toship it, he still could not succeed in doing this. The big rock was then left onthe roadside somewhere near Liangxiang County, 30 kilometers southwest ofBeijing. Hence it was nicknamed “Family Bancruptcy Rock”. Later Emperor Qianlongdiscovered it and transported to the Garden of Clear Ripples and laid in frontof the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. The colorful glass chandeliers hanginginside the hall was introduced from Germany in 1903. It is one of the earliestelectric lights in China.
(In front of the Gate of Inviting the Moon of the Long Corridor)
Ladies and Gentlemen, you may have visited some of the best museums in theworld, such as the Louvre in France and the Museum of Great Britain. Now I willshow you a special gallery in the palace—the Long Corridor. In 1990, the LongCorridor was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as ‘the longestpainted corridor’ in the world’. It would be a pity if we leave the SummerPalace without visiting the Long Corridor and the Marble Boat. Now, here we go,the Long Corridor first!
(Strolling along the Long Corridor)
The Long Corridor starts from the Gate Inviting the Moon to the ShizhangGate. It is 728 meters long and consists of 273 sections. The Long corridor isone of the major structures of the Summer Palace. Since the corridor wasdesigned to follow the physical features of the southern slope of LongevityHill, four multiple-eaved, octagonal pavilions ( Retaining the GoodnessPavilion, Living with the Ripples Pavilion, Autumn Water Pavilion, Clear and FarPavilion) were placed at bends and undulation, they represent four seaons of ayear. Thus visitors will hardly notice the rise and fall of the terrain. As amajor part of the architectural style of the Summer Palace, the Long Corridorserves as an ingenious connector between the Lake and the Hill. Scatteredbuildings on the southern slope were linked to create a unified complex.
The Long Corridor is the longest covered veranda in any Chinese garden. Onthe purlins and beams of the covered veranda, there are over 14,000 Suzhou stylepaintings. Among them, there are 546 color paintings relating to the scenes ofWest Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Beside the colorful paintings ofnatural scenery, there are also scenes of flowers, birds, fish, insects,mythology and figures. The paintings of figures are mainly adapted from ancientChinese classical literature, such as ‘Pilgrimage to the West’, ‘The Romance ofthe Three Kingdoms’, ‘The western Chamber’, “Water Margin’, and ‘The Dream ofthe Red Mansion’.
(In front of the Gate of Dispelling Clouds)
Now we are approaching the central part of the structures on the lakesideslope, the Tower of Buddhist Incense within the Hall of Dispelling Clouds. Thecentral axis line starts from the wharf next to the lake to the Sea of Wisdom ontop of the Hill. The main architectural structures here are the Gate ofDispelling Clouds, Hall of Dispelling clouds, Tower of Buddhist Incense and theSea of Wisdom, which altogether form a splendid three-dimensional landscape. Thelayout of this group of architectures was based on scenes described in Buddhistsutras. This group of structures are among the most magnificently constructedhere in the Summer Palace. This is a good place to taking photos, we will stayhere for about 15 minutes.
Now we are walking continuely along the Long Corridor, the next scene weare going to visit is Marble Boat.
Look over there! Halfway up the slope there stands the Hall of Listening toOrioles. It was the place for emperor and empress to enjoy opera and courtmusic. It is said the singing of orioles is very pleasing. Before the Garden ofVirtuous Harmony was built, Empress Dowager Cixi enjoyed opera and music here.Now the hall is one of the most famous restaurants in China, featuring imperialdishes and desserts.
This is the famous Marble Boat. A famous scientist of China’s Eastern HanDynasty once said, “Water can float the boat, but it can also tip it over.” Aprime minister of Tang Dynasty Wei Zheng once used these words to persuade LiShimin, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. He said people are water and theemperor is the boat. People can support a good emperor. However, they also canoverthrow the dynasty. Emperor Qianlong built this huge boat in the Garden inorder to make the allusion concrete. On one hand, Emperor Qianlong encouragedhimself to run the country well. On the other hand, he wanted to show that hisrule of the Qing Dynasty was as firm as the Marble Boat and there was no fear ofoverturning the boat. The Marble Boat was the place for Emperor Qianlong tosample tea and enjoy the scenery of Kunming Lake. Emperor Qianlong once camehere to engage in the freeing of captive animals. In the times of Qianlong, theMarble Boat was a Chinese styled stone boat with a Chinese style woodensuperstructure on the top of it. When it was rebuilt in the times of Guangxu, aforeign and Chinese elements mixed resulting in two wheels to be added to theboat, one on each side. The floor was paved with colored bricks. All of thewindows were inlaid with multiple-colored glass. A big mirror was installed onthe superstructure for viewing rain.
Our tour is drawing to a close after we visited the Marble Boat. Today weonly visited the major scenic spots of the Summer Palace. I have left otherspots of interest for your next visit. I will now show you out through the RuyiGate. Our coach is waiting for us outside the gate. I do hope you enjoyedtoday’s tour. Thank you.