故宮英文導游詞

1、篇一：故宮英文導游詞故宮英文導游詞T his is the palace museum; also known as the P urple Forbidden C ity .11 is the largest and most well reservedlived here was Mingimperial residence in C hina today. Under Ming Emperor Y ongle, construction began in 1406. 1 1 took 14 years to build the F orbidden City. The first rul

2、er who actuallyE mperor Z hudi. F or five centuriesthereafter, it continued to be the residence of 23 successive emperors until 1911 when Q ing E mperor P uyi was forced to abdicate the throne. I n 1987, the U nited N ations E ducational, S cientific and C ultural O rganization recognized the F orbi

3、dden C ity was a world cultural legacy .I t is believed that the P alace Museum, or Z i J in C heng ( P urple F orbiddenC ity ), got its name fromastronomy folklore, T he ancient astronomers divided the constellation s into groups and centered them around theZiwei Y uan (North Star ) . The constella

4、tion containing the N orth S tar was called the C onstellation of H eavenly 1 / 68ecauseod and star itself was called the purple palace.the emperor was supposedly the son of the heavenly gods, his central and dominant position would be further highlighted the use of the word purple in the name of hi

5、s residence.n folklor e, the term “ an eastern purple cloud is driftingbecame a metaphor for auspicious events after a purple cloudwas seen drifting eastward immediately before the arrival ofan ancient philosopher, LaoZ i, to the Hanghu Pass. H ere, purple is associated with auspicious developments.

6、he word jin ( forbidden ) is self-explanatory as the imperial palace was heavily guarded and off-explanatory as the imperial palace was heavily guarded and off-limits to ordinary people.T he red and yellow used on the palace walls and roofs are also symbolic. R ed represents happiness, good fortune

7、and wealth. Y ellow is the color of the earth on theL oessP lateau, the original home of theC hinese people. Y ellowbecame an imperial color during the T ang dynasty, when only members of the royal family were allowed to wear it and use it in their architecture.T he F orbidden C ity is rectangular i

8、n shape.11 is960 meters long from north to south and 750 meter wide from east west. I t 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.O ctagon 一shaped turret s rest on the four corners of the wall.T her

9、eare four entrances into the city: theMeridian G ate to thesouth, the S henwu Gate (Gate of Military P rowess ) to the north, and the D onghua G ate (Eastern F lowery Gate) to the north, and the Xihua Gate (Western F lowery G ate ) to the west, the Donghua (Eastern F lowery Gate) to the east.Manpowe

10、r and materials throughout the country were used to build the F orbidden C ity. A total of 230,000 artisans and one million laborers were employed. W hite M arble was quarried from fangshan county of B eijing, C olored marble from Mount Pan in J ixian County in Hebei P rovince. G ranite was quarried

11、 in Q uyang C ounty in H ebei P rovince. P aving blocks were fired in kilns inS uzhou in southern Cimber washina. B ricks and scarlet pigmentation used on the palatial walls came from linqing in S handong P rovince.cut, processed and hauled from the northwestern and southern regions.T he structure i

12、n front of us is theM eridian G ate. It is the main entrance to the forbiddenC ity. I t is alsoknows as Wufenglou(Five- Phoenix Tower)。Ming emperorsheld lavish banquets here on the 15th day of the first month of the C hinese lunar year in honor of their counties.T heyalso used this place for punishi

13、ng officials by flogging them with sticks.Q ing emperors used this building to announce the beginning of the new year. Q ing E mperor Q ianlong changed the original name of this announcement ceremony from ban li (announcement of calendar ) to ban shuo (announcement of new moon ) to avoid coincidenta

14、l association with thenEmperor's another name, H ongli, which was considered a taboo at that time. Q ing D ynasty emperors also used this place to hold audience and for other important ceremonies. F or example, when the imperial army returned victoriously from the battlefield, it was here that t

15、heE mperor presided overthe ceremony to accept prisoners of war.(After entering the Meridian Gate and standing infront of the Five Marble Bridges on Golden Water R iver )N ow we are inside the F orbidden C ity. B efore we start our tour, I would like to briefly introduce you to the architectural pat

16、terns before us. T o complete this solemn, magnificent and palatial 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 C ity of B eijing. The F orbidden C ity covers roughly one thirdof thiscentralaxis

17、.M ost of theimportant buildingsin the F orbiddenC ity were arrangedalong this line. T he design and arrangement of the palaces reflect the solemn dignity of the royal court and rigidly一stratified feudal system .T he F orbidden C ity is divided into an outer and an inner count. W e are now standing

18、on the southernmost part of the outer count. I n front of us lies the G ate of supreme H armony . T he gate is guarded by a pair of bronze lion s,symbolizing imperial power and dignity.T he lions were themost exquisite and biggest of its kind.T he one on the eastplaying with a ball is a male, and ba

19、ll is said to representstate unity. T he other one is a female. U nderneath one of its fore claws is a cub that is considered to be a symbol of perpetual imperial succession . T he winding brook before us is the G olden W aterR iver. I t functions both asdecoration and fire control. T he five bridge

20、s spanning the river represent the five virtues preached by C onfucius: benevolence, righteousness, rites, intelligence and fidelity . T he river takes the shape of a bow and the northsouth axis is its arrow. T his was meant to show that theEmperors ruled the country on behalf of G od.（I n front of

21、the G ate of S upreme H armony）T he F orbidden C ity consists of an outer courtyard andan inner enclosure. T he out count yard covers a vast spacelying between the Meridian G ate and the G ate of H eavenly P urity （乾清門） . The “three big halls ” of Supreme H armony, C omplete H armony （中和）and P reser

22、ving Harmony（保和）constitute the center of this buildinggroup. F lanking them in bilateral symmetry are two groups of palaces:Wenhua (Prominent Scholars ) and Wuying (Brave W arriors )。 The three great halls are built on a spacious“H” -shaped, 8-meter-high, triple marble terrace, Each level of the tri

23、ple terrace is taller than the on below and all are encircled by marble balustrades carved with dragonand phoenix designs. T here are three carved stone staircases linking the three architectures. The hall of supreme H armony is also the tallest and most exquisite ancient wooden- structured mansion

24、in all of C hina. F rom the palace of H eavenly P urity northward is what is known as the inner court, which is also built in bilaterally symmetrical patterns.In the center are the P alace of H eavenly P urity , the H all of U nion (交泰殿)and Palace of E arthly T ranquility( 坤寧宮 )， a place where the E

25、 mperors lived with their families and attended to state affairs. F lanking these structures are palaces and halls in which concubines and princes lived.T here are also three botanical garden swithin the inner count, namely, the imperial G arden , C aning garden and Q ianglong garden. A n inner G ol

26、den Water R iver flows eastwardly within the inner court.T he brookwinds through three minor halls or palaces and leads out ofthe Forbidden City. It is spanned by theWhite Jade Bridge . The river is lined with winding, marble - carved balustrades. M ost of the structures within theF orbiddenC ity ha

27、ve yellow glazed tile roof s.Aside from giving prominence to the north-south axis, other architectural methods were applied to make every group of palatial structures unique in terms of terraces, roofs, mythical monster s perching on the roofs and colored, drawing patterns. W ith these, the grand co

28、ntour and different hierarchic spectrum of the complex were strengthened. F olklore has it that there are altogether 9,999 room-units in the F orbidden C ity. S ince P aradise only has 10,000 rooms, the S on of Heaven on earth cut the number by half a room.I t is also rumoured that this half room is

29、 located to thewest of theWenyuange P avilion (imperial library ) . Asa matter of fact, although the F orbidden C ity has more than 9,000 room-units, this half-room is nonexistent.T heW enyuange P avilion is a library where“Si Ku Q uan Shu - C hina's first comprehensive anthology-was stored.(A f

30、ter walking past the G ate of S upreme H armony)Ladies and Gentlemen, the great hall we are approaching is the H all of S upreme H armony, the biggest and tallest of its kind in the F orbidden C ity. T his structure covers a total building space of 2,377 square meters, and is known for its upturned,

31、 multiple counterpart eaves.The Hall ofS upreme Harmony sits on a triple"H” -shaped marbleterrace is 8 meters high and linkedby staircases. Thestaircase on the ground floor has 21 steps while the middle and upper stairways each have 9.T he construction of the H all of S upreme H armony began in

32、 1406.1 1 burned down three times and was severelydamaged once during a mutiny. T he existing architecture was built during the Q ing D ynasty. O n the corners of the eaves a line of animal-nail s were usually fastened to the tiles. T hese animal-nails were later replace with mythical animals to war

33、d off evil spirits. T here are altogether 9 such fasteners on top of this hall. The number nine was regarded by the ancients to be the largest numeral accessible to man and to which only the emperors were entitled.10 / 68he hallhere was a total of 24 successive emperors during theM ing and Q ing dyn

34、asties who were enthroned here.was also used for ceremonies which marked other greatoccasions: theW interSolstice , The C hinese Lunar N ew Y ear, the E mperor's birthday, conferral of the title of empress, the announcement of new laws and policies, and dispatches of generals to war. O n such oc

35、casions, the E mperor would hold audience for his court officials and receive their tributes.T his area is called the H all of S upreme H armony S quare, which covers a total of 30,000 square meters,W ithouta single tree or plant growing here, this place inspires visitors to feel its solemnity and g

36、randeur .I n the middleof the square there is a carriageway that was reserved for the E mperor. O n both sides of the road the ground bricks were laid in a special way seven layers lengthwise and eight layers crosswise, making up fifteen layers in all. T he purpose of this was to prevent anyone from

37、 tunneling his way into the palace. I n the count yard there are iron vats for storing water to fight fires. I n the whole complex there are altogether 308 water vat s. I n wintertime, charcoal was 10 / 68burned underneath the vats to keep the water from freezing.Why so vast asquare? 11 was designed

38、 to impress peoplewith the hall's grandeur and vastness. I magine the following scene. Under the clear blue sky, the yellow glazed tiles shimmered as the cloud-like layers of terrace, coupled with the curling veil of burning incense, transformed the hall of supreme H armony into a fairyland. W h

39、enevermajorceremonies were held, the glazed, crane-shaped candleholder s inside the hall would be it, and incense and pine branches burnt in front of the hall. When the E mperor appeared, drums were beaten and musical instrument played.C ivilianofficials and generals would kneel down in submission.T

40、he last Qing emperor P uyi assumed the throne in 1908, at the age of three, H is father carried him to the throne.At the start of the coronation, the sudden drum-beating and loud music caught the young emperor unprepared. H e was so scared that he kept crying and shouting," I don't want tos

41、tay here. I want to go hom e. ” H is father tried to soothe him, saying, " I t'll all soon be finished.I t'll all soonbe finished ” T he ministers present at the event considered this incident inauspicious. C oincidentally, the Q ing dynasty collapsed three years later and there with co

42、ncludedC hina's feudal system that had lasted for more than 2,000 years.(On the stone terrace of the Hall of Supreme Harmony)T his is a bronze incense burner. In it incense made of sandalwood would be burnt on important occasions. T here are altogether 18 incense burner s, representing all of th

43、e provinces under the rule of theQ ing monarchs. O n eitherside of the H all, 4 bronze water-filled vats were placed in case of fire.N ext to the terrace on either side, there isa bronze crane and tortoise, symbols of longevity. This copper- cast grain measure is called “jialiang ( 嘉量 ) ?！?I t serve

44、d as the national standard during the Q ing dynasty. I t was meant to show that the imperial ruler were just and open to rectification . On the other side there is a stone sundial , an ancient timepiece. T he jialiang and the sundial were probably meant to show what the E mperor represented: that he

45、 was the only person who should possess the standards of both measure and time.n the very forefront of theHall ofSupreme Harmony,there are 12 scarlet, round pillars supporting the roof.he hall is 63 meters from east to west and 37 meters fromnorth to south. I t is 35 meters in height. I n front of t

46、his architecture, there stands a triple terrace with five staircases leading up to the main entrance.I t has 40 golddoors (金扉) and 16 gold-key windows( 金鎖窗 ) with colored drawings on the pillars and beams. I n the middle of the hall, a throne carved with 9 dragons sits on a 2-meter-high platform. B

47、ehind the throne there is a golden screen ( 金漆 屏風 ) and in front of it, there is an imperial desk.T hehe elephant carriesflanks are decorated with elephants,L uduan (a legendary beast) ， cranes, and incense barrels.， which was considered aa vase on its back that holds five cereals( i. e. rice, two k

48、inds of millet, wheat and beans symbol of prosperity. A s ancient legend has it that L uduan can travel 18,000 li (9,000 kilometers ) in one day and knows all languages and dialects. O nly to a wise adjust monarch will this beast be a guardian.T he H all of S upreme H armony is also popularly knowna

49、s J inluan Dian (gold bell hall or the throne hall)。 The floor of the hall is laid with bricks that turn it into a smooth, fine surface as if water has been sprinkled on it. T he so-called golden brick, in fact, has nothing to do with gold. Reserved exclusively for the construction of the royal cour

50、t, it was made in a secretive, and complex way, and, when struck, sounds like the clink of a gold bar.E ach brick wasworth the market price of one dan( or one hectoliter) ofrice. T he hall is supported by a total of 72 thick pillars.Of these, 6 are carved in dragon patterns and painted with gold and

51、 surround the throne. A bove the very center of this hall there is a zaojing, or covered ceiling , which is oneof the S pecialities of C hina's ancient architecture.I nthe middle of the ceiling is a design of a dragon playingwith a ball inlaid with peals. T his copper ball, hollow inside and cov

52、ered with mercury, is known as theX uanyuanM irror and is thought to be made by X uanyuan, a legendary monarch dating back to remote antiquity. T he placing of the caisson above the throne is meant to suggest that all ofChina's successive emperors are X uanyuan 's descendants and hereditary

53、heirs. Now you might have noticed that the X uanyuan mirror is not directly above the throne.Why? I tis rumored that Y uan S hikai, a self-acclaimed warlord- turned emperor moved the throne further back because he wasafraid that the mirror might fall on him.I n 1916 when Yuan S hikai became emperor,

54、 he removed the original thronewith a W estern-style, high-back chair. A fter the foundation of theP eople's Republic of C hina in 1949 thethrone was found in a shabby furniture warehouse. I t repaired and returned to the hall.eading the tourist to the bronze vats either on theeast or the west )

55、the water vats in frontof the palaces or house werecalled “menhai , " or sea before the door by the ancientChinese.They believed that with a sea by the door, firecould not wreak havoc. T he vats served both as a decoration and as a fire extinguisher.T hey were kept full of waterall year round.D

56、 uring the Qing Dynasty, they were altogether 308 vats in the palace enclosure. T hey were made of gilt bronze or iron.O f course, the gilt bronze vats were of the bestquality.When the allied forces (B ritain, G ermany, F rance, Russia, the United S tates, I taly, J apan and Austria ) invaded B eiji

57、ng in 1900 under the pretext of suppressing the B oxer Rebellion,the invaders ransackedthe imperial compound and scraped the gold off the vats with their bayonets. D uring the J apanese occupation of B eijing, many vats were trucked away by the J apanese to be made into bullets.(I n front of the H a

58、ll of C omplete H armony)T he square architecture before us is called theH allof C omplete H armony. I t served as an antechamber . T he E mperor came here to meet with his countiers and add his final touches to the prayers which would be read at the ancestral T emple. T he seeds, snowers and 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 E mperor Q ianlong.(I n front of the hall f P reserving H armony)T his is the H all of P reserving