1、<p>　　北京-故宮英文導(dǎo)游詞-導(dǎo)游英語(yǔ)</p><p>　　FORBIDDEN CITY(紫禁城) </p><p>　　(In front of the meridian gate)</p><p>　　Ladies and Gentlemen:</p><p>　　I am pleased to serve as your

2、guide today.</p><p>　　This is the palace museum; also know as the Purple Forbidden City. It is the largest and most well reserved imperial residence in China today. Under Ming Emperor Yongle, construction be

3、gan in 1406. It took 14years to build the Forbidden City. The first ruler who actually lived here was Ming Emperor Zhudi. For five centuries thereafter, it continued to be the residence of23 successive emperors until 191

4、1 when Qing Emperor Puyi was forced to abdicate the throne .In 1987, the United Nations Educati</p><p>　　It is believed that the Palace Museum, or Zi Jin Cheng (Purple Forbidden City), got its name from astr

5、onomy folklore, The ancient astronomers divided the constellations into groups and centered them around the Ziwei Yuan(North Star). The constellation containing the North Star was called the Constellation of Heavenly God

6、 and star itself was called the purple palace. Because the emperor was supposedly the son of the heavenly gods, his central and dominant position would be further highlighted the</p><p>　　The red and yellow

7、used on the palace walls and roofs are also symbolic. Red represents Happiness, good fortune and wealth. Yellow is the color of the earth on the Loess Plateau, the original Home of the Chinese people. Yellow became an im

8、perial color during the Tang dynasty, when only members of the royal family were allowed to wear it and use it in their architecture.</p><p>　　The Forbidden City is rectangular in shape. It is 960 meters lon

9、g from north to south and 750 meter wide from east west. It has 9,900 rooms under a total roof area 150,000 square meters .A 52-meter-wide-moat encircles a 9.9-meter—high wall which encloses the complex. Octagon —shaped

10、turrets rest on the four corners of the wall. There are four entrances into the city: the Meridian Gate to the south, the Shenwu Gate(Gate of Military Prowess) to the north, and the Xihua Gate(Gate of military Prowes<

11、/p><p>　　Manpower and materials throughout the country were used to build the Forbidden City. A total of 230,000 artisans and one million laborers were employed. Marble was quarried from fangshan Country Mount

12、Pan in Jixian County in Hebei Province. Granite was quarried in Quyang County in Hebei Province. Paving blocks were fired in kilns in Suzhou in southern China. Bricks and scarlet pigmentation used on the palatial walls c

13、ame from linqing in Shandong Province .Timber was cut ,processed and hauled fro</p><p>　　The structure in front of us is the Meridian Gate. It is the main entrance to the forbidden City. It is also knows as

14、Wufenglou(Five-Phoenix Tower). Ming emperors held lavish banquets here on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar year in hornor of their counties .They also used this place for punishing officals by floggin

15、g them with sticks.</p><p>　　Qing emperors used this building to announce the beginning of the new year. Qing Emperor Qianglong changed the original name of this announcement ceremony from ban li(announcemen

16、t of calendar)to ban shou(announcement of new moon )to avoid coincidental association with another Emperor` s name, Hongli, which was considered a taboo at that time. Qing Dynasty emperors also used this place to hold au

17、dience and for other important ceremonies. For example,when the imperial army returned victoriously fr</p><p>　　(After entering the Meridian Gate and standing in front of the Five Marble Bridges on Golden Wa

18、ter River)</p><p>　　now we are inside the Forbidden City.Before we start our tour, I would like to briefly introduce you to the architectural patterns befour us .To complete this solemn, magnificent and pala

19、tial complex, a variety of buildings were arranged on a north-south axis, and 8-kilometer-long invisible line that has become an inseparable part of the City of Beijing. The Forbidden City covers roughly one –third of th

20、is central axis. Most of the important building in the Forbidden City weree arranged along th</p><p>　　The Forbidden City is divided into an outer and an inner count.We are now standing on the southernmost p

21、art of the outer count. In front of us lies the Gate of supreme Harmony .The gate is guarded by a pair of bronze lions ,symbolizing imperial power and dignity. The lions were the most exquisite and biggest of its kind. T

22、he one on the east playing with a ball is a male, and ball is said to represent state unity. The other one is a female. Underneath one of its fore claws is a cub that is consid</p><p>　　(In front of the Gate

23、 of Supreme Harmony)</p><p>　　The Forbidden City consists of an outer countyard and an inner enclosure. The out count yard covers a vast space lying between the Meridian Gate and the Gate of Heavenly Purity.

24、 The “three big halls” of Supreme Harmony, Complete Harmony and Preserving Harmony constitute the center of this building group. Flanking them in bilateral symmetry are two groups of palaces: Wenhua (Prominent Scholars)

25、and Wuying (Brave Warriors) . The three great halls are built on a spacious “H”-shaped, 8-meter-high, t</p><p>　　Aside from giving prominence to the north-south axis, other architectural methods were applied

26、 to make every group of palatial structures unique in terms of terraces, roofs, mythical monsters perching on the roofs and colored, drawing patterns. With these, the grand contour and different hierarchic spectrum of th

27、e complex were strengthened. Folklore has it that there are altogether 9,999 room-units in the Forbidden City. Since Paradise only has 10,000 rooms, the Son of Heaven on earth cut the nu</p><p>　　–room is lo

28、cated to the west of the Wenyuange Pavilion (imperial library). As a matter of fact, although the Forbidden City has more than 9,000 room-units, this half-room is nonexistent .The Wenyuange Pavilion is a library where “S

29、i Ku Quan Shu”- China `s first comprehensive anthology-was stored. </p><p>　　(After walking past the Gate of Supreme Harmony)</p><p>　　Ladies and Gentlemen, the great hall we are approaching is

30、the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the biggest and tallest of its king in the Forbidden City. This structure covers a total building space of 2,377 square meters, and is know for its upturned, multiple counterpart eaves . The

31、Hall of Supreme Harmony sits on a triple “H”-shaped marble terrace the is 8meters high and linked by staircases. The staircase on the ground floor has 21 steps while the middle and upper stairways each have 9.</p>

32、<p>　　The construction of the Hall of Supreme Harmony began in 1406. It burned down three times and was severely damaged once during a mutiny. The existing architecture was built during the Qing Dynasty. On the cor

33、ners of the eaves a line of animal-nails were usually fastened to the tiles. These animal-nails were later replace with mythical animals to ward off evil spirits. There are altogether 9 such fasteners on top of this hall

34、. The number nine was regarded by the ancients to be the largest numeral</p><p>　　There was a total of 24 successive emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties who were enthroned here. The ball was also use

35、d for ceremonies which marked other great occasions: the Winter Solstice, The Chinese Lunar New Year, the Emperor` s birthday, conferral of the title of empress, the announcement of new laws and policies, and dispatches

36、of generals to war .On such occasions, the Emperor would hold audience for his court officials and receive their tributes.</p><p>　　This area is called the Hall of Supreme Harmony Square, which covers a tota

37、l of 30,000 square meters, Without a single tree or plant growing here, this place inspires visitors to feel its solemnity and grandeur. In the middle of the square there is a carriageway that was reserved for the Empero

38、r. On both sides of the road the groud bricks were laid in a special way seven layers lengthwise and eight layers crosswise, making up fifteen layers in all. The purpose of this was to prevent anyone from </p><

39、;p>　　The last Qing emperor Puyi assumed the throne in 1908, at the age of three, His father carried him to the throne. At the start of the coronation, the sudden drum-beating and loud music caught the young emperor un

40、prepared .He was so scared that he kept crying and shouting,”I don’t want to stay here. I want to go Home.” His father tried to soothe him, saying, ”It` all soon be finished .It` all soon be finished ”The ministers prese

41、nt at the event considered this incident inauspicious. Coincidentall</p><p>　　(On the stone terrace of the Hall of Supreme Harmony)</p><p>　　This is a bronze incense burner. In it incense made o

42、f sandalwood would be burnt on important occasions. There are altogether 18 incense burners, representing all of the provinces under the rule of the Sing monarchs. On either side of the Hall, 4 bronze water-filled vats w

43、ere placed in case of fire. Next to the terrace on either side, there is a bronze crane and tortoise, symbols of longevity. This copper-cast grain measure is called ”jialiang.” It served as the national standard during t

44、he Qing</p><p>　　In the very forefront of the Hall of Supreme Harmony , there are 12 scarlet , round pillars supporting the roof. The hall is 63 meters from east to west and 37 meters from north to south, It

45、 is 35 meters in height. In front of this architechture, there stands a triple terrace with five staircases leading up to the main entrance .It has 40 gold doors and 16 gold-key windows with colored drawings on the pilla

46、rs and beams. In the middle of the hall, a throune carved with 9 dragons sits on a 2-meter</p><p>　　The Hall of Supreme Harmony is also popularly known as Jinluan Dian (gold bell hall or the throne hall). Th

47、e floor of the hall is laid with bricks that turn it into a smooth, fine surface as if water has been sprinkled on it .The so-called golden brick, in fact, has nothing to do with gold. Reserved exclusively for the constr

48、uction of the royal court, it was made in a secretive, and complex way, and, when struck, sounds like the clink of a gold bar. Each brick was worth the market price of one d</p><p>　　The hall is supported by

49、 a total of 72 thick pillars .Of these, 6 are carved in dragon patterns and painted with gold and surround the throne. Above the very center of this hall there is a zaojing, or covered ceiling, which is one of the Specia

50、lities of China `s ancient architure. In the middle of the ceiling is a design of a dragon playing with a ball inlaid with peals. This copper ball, hollow inside and covered with mercury, is known as the Xuanyuan Mirror

51、and is thought to be made Xuanyuan, </p><p>　　(Leading the tourist to the bronze vats either on the east or the west)</p><p>　　the water vats in front of the palaces or house were called “menhai

52、,” or sea before the door by the ancient Chinese. They believed that with a sea by the door, fire could not wreak havoc. The vats served both as a decoration and as a fire extinguisher. They were kept full of water all y

53、ear round.</p><p>　　During the Qing Dynasty, they were altogether 308 vats in the palace enclosure. They were made of gilt bronze or iron. Of couse, the gilt bronze vats were of the best quality. When the al

54、lied forces (Britain, Germany, France, Russia, the United States, Italy, Japan and Austria) invaded Beijing in 1900 under the pretext of suppressing the Boxer Rebellion, the invadersransacked the imperial compound and sc

55、raped and gold off the vats with their bayonets. During the Japanese occupation of Beijing, m</p><p>　　(In front of the Hall of Complete Harmony)</p><p>　　The square architecture before us is ca

56、lled the Hall of Complete Harmony. It served as an antechamber. The Emperor came here to meet with his countiers and add his final touches to the prayers which would be read at the ancestral Temple. The seeds, snowers an

57、d prayer intended for spring sowing were also examined here. The two Qing sedan chairs here on display were used for traveling within the palace during the reign of Emperor Qianlong.</p><p>　　(In front of th

58、e hall f Preserving Harmony)</p><p>　　this is the Hall of Preserving Harmony. During the Qing Dynasty, banquets were held here on New Year` s eve in honour of Mongolian and Northwestern China` s xingjiang pr

59、inces and ranking officials. The Emperor also dinned here with his new son-in-law on the wedding day. Imperial examinations were also held here once every three years. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were three

60、 levels of exams: the county and prefectural level, the provincial level and national level. The national exam </p><p>　　(Behind the hall of preserving harmony)</p><p>　　this is the largest ston

61、e carving in the palace . It is 16.73 meters long, 3.07 meters wide and 1.7 meters thick .It weighs about 200 tons. The block was quarried in Fangshan County, roughly 70 kilometers away. To transport such a huge block to

62、 Beijing, laborers dug wells along the roadside half a kilometer apart, and used the groundwater to make a road of ice in the winter. Rolling blocks were used in the summer. In 1760, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty

63、ordered the carving of the existing </p><p>　　Note : From here, the tour can be conducted via three different routes: a western route(Route A), a central route (Route B) or an eastern route (Route C) .The co

64、mmentary for each follows.</p><p><b>　　Route A</b></p><p>　　Ladies and Gentlemen:</p><p>　　You have seen the three main halls of the Forbidden City. Now I ` d like to sh

65、ow you around the hall of mental cultivation and the imperial garden . The hall</p><p>　　of mental cultivation is situated is in the western part of the innermost enclosure and is symmetrical to Fengxian (en

66、shrinement of forebears) Hall in the east. This hall was built during the Ming Dynasty. IT is a H-shaped structure consisting of an antechamber and a main building .The hall is surrounded by corridors. In front of the ha

67、ll is the Office of Privy Council. </p><p>　　Before Emperor Kangxi of Qing the Dynasty came to power the Hall of Heavenly Purity served as the living quarter of the emperors. Emperor Yongzheng chose to live

68、in this hall and attended to every day state affairs from here .For the sake of protecting cultural relics, this hall is not open to the public .You can have a look at the inside from the door. The central hall was the a

69、udience chamber where the emperor read memorials, granted audience to officials and summoned his minsters for consulta</p><p>　　Empress Dowage Cixi was born in 1835 in Lu` an Prefecture of shanxi province. S

70、he` s of Manchurian nationality and her father was a provincial governor from south China. When she was 17 years old ,she was selected to become a concubine of Emperor Xianfeng and moved into the Forbidden City. She gave

71、 birth to a son when she was 21years old and was made a concubine the following year. When the emperor passed away in the summer of 1861, her son ascended the throne and title of Cixi, meaning “Holy Mo</p><p&g

72、t;　　Behind the central hall were the living accommodation of 8 successive Qing emperors .Three of them actually passed away here. The side rooms flanking the hall were reserved for empresses and concubines. Now let` s co

73、ntinue with our tour. It will take us to the Hall of heavenly purity , the hall of union and peace ,the palace of earthly tranquility, and the imperial garden. </p><p><b>　　Route B</b></p>

74、<p>　　(Inside the Hall of heavenly Purity)</p><p>　　Ladies and Gentlemen:</p><p>　　We are now entering the inner court. From the Gate of Heavenly Purity northward lies the inner court wher

75、e the emperors and empresses once lived .The Hall of heavenly Purity is the central hall of the inner court ,and was completed during the Reign of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty. There are 10 pillars supporting the e

76、ntire structure and the hall is 20 meters in height .In the center of the hall there a throne. Above it hangs a plaque with an inscription that reads “Be open and above-board,</p><p>　　The hall of heavenly p

77、urity was where the emperors lived during the Ming and Qing dynasties. According to tradition ,extravagant annual banquets were held here on New Year` s Eve in honour of royal family members. Foreign ambassadors were rec

78、eived here during the late-Qing period. Two important “one thousand old men` s feasts” of the Qing Dynasty were also held here. All the invitees had to be at least 65 years of age.This hall was also used for mourning ser

79、vices.</p><p>　　(Inside the Palace of Union and Peace)</p><p>　　this hall sits between the Hall of heavenly Purity and the Palace of Earthly Tranquility, symbolizing the union of heaven and eart

80、h ,as well as national peace .It was first built in 1420 and reconstructed in 1798. The hall is square in shape ,and is smaller than the Hall of complete Harmony .You will see a plaque here inscribed with two Chinese cha

81、racters, wu wei, which were handwritten by Emperor Qianglong. A throne sits in the middle of the hall with a screen behind it .Above the throne there </p><p>　　In 1748 during Emperor Qianlong` s reign, 25 ja

82、de seals representing imperial authority were kept in this hall .No seals were allowed out of the room without the prior consent of the emperor. On each flack there is a water clock and a chiming clock.</p><p&

83、gt;　　(Inside the palace of earthly tranquility)</p><p>　　This used to be the central hall where successive Ming empresses lived. During the Qing dynasty, it was converted into a place where sacrifices and we

84、dding ceremonies were held .The room on the western side was used for sacrifices and the room on the east was the seeding chamber. </p><p><b>　　Route C</b></p><p>　　Ladies and Gentle

85、men:</p><p>　　You have seen the three main halls of the Forbidden City. Now I` d like to show you around scenes of interest along the eastern route. The first is the Treasure Hall. This mansion is called the

86、 Hall of Imperial Zenith. This is where Sing Emperor Quailing lived after abdication. Nearly 1,000 artifacts and treasures are on display here, among which the Golden Hair Tower is one of the most famous. This tower is 1

87、.53meters in height and its base is 0.53 meters in circumference .It was built under th</p><p>　　(In front of the Nine-Dragon Screen)</p><p>　　this is the Nine-Dragon Relief Screen .Erected in 1

88、773,it is 3.5 meters in height and 29.4 meters in width. Underneath is a foundation made of marble .The surface of the screen is laid with a total of 270 colored, glazed tiles in the design of 9 dragons ,some rocky mount

89、ains ,clouds and the sea. It was meant to ward off evil spirits The ancient Chinese regarded 9 dragons, some rocky mountains, clouds and the sea. It was meant to ward off evil spirits .The ancient Chinese regarded 9 as t

90、he larges</p><p>　　(Approaching the Imperial garden)</p><p>　　Behind the Palace of Earthly Tranquility and trading the north-south axis is the imperial Garden. There are old trees, rare flowers

91、and exotic rock formation in this garden .It cover a space of 11,700 square meters, or roughly 1.7 percent of the Forbidden City. Most of the structures in the garden are symmetrically arranged . However, each is differe

92、nt in terms of parrern and decoration. Woods clumps of bamboo screen off the </p><p>　　garden and strengthens its deep and serene atmosphere. </p><p>　　There main structure of the Imperial Garde

93、n is the Qin` an Hall. Positioned in the central-northern part of the garden ,this hall is flanked by other halls and pavilions on the east and west. The hall sits on a marble pedestal. The Taoist deity of Zhenwu is ensh

94、rined here and emperor would pay homage here a quarterly basis. Taoist rites were held during the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty. In front of the hall there is a cypress that is 400 years old .In all there

95、are a dozen such r</p><p>　　There are also specific pavilions symbolizing the four seasons .The halls of Wanchun and Qianqiu ,representing spring and autumn respectively ,are square in shape and are coupled

96、with multiple eaves and bell-shape and are coupled with multiple eaves and bell-shaped ridges. The halls of Chengrui and Fubi,dedecated to winter and summer, are characterized by two verandahs and bridges at their bases

97、.Paths were paved with colorful pebbles and arranged in 900 different designs.</p><p>　　The Imperial Garden ca</p><p>　　n be accessed through the Qiong yuan (Jade garden )West gate or the qiong