关于中国的名胜古迹的英语作文

Whatstrikesonefirstinabird's-eyeviewofBeijingproperisavasttractofgoldenroofsflashingbrilliantlyinthesunwithpurplewallsoccasionallyemergingamidthemandastretchofluxurianttreeleavesflankingoneachside.ThatistheformerImperialPalace,popularlyknownastheForbiddenCity,fromwhichtwenty-fouremperorsoftheMingandQingDynastiesruledChinaforsome500years--from1420to1911.TheMingEmperorYongLe,whousurpedthethronefromhisnephewandmadeBeijingthecapital,ordereditsconstruction,onwhichapproximately10,000artistsandamillionworkmentoiledfor14yearsfrom1406to1420.Atpresent,thePalaceisanelaboratemuseumthatpresentsthelargestandmostcompleteensembleoftraditionalarchitecturecomplexandmorethan900,000piecesofcourttreasuresinalldynastiesinChina.

LocatedinthecenterofBeijing,theentirepalacearea,rectangularinshapeand72hectaresinsize,issurroundedbywallstenmetershighandamoat52meterswide.Ateachcornerofthewallstandsawatchtowerwithadouble-eaveroofcoveredwithyellowglazedtiles.

Themainbuildings,thesixgreathalls,onefollowingtheother,aresetfacingsouthalongthecentralnorth-southaxisfromtheMeridianGate,thesouthentrance,toShenwumen,thegreatgatepiercinginthenorthwall.Oneithersideofthepalacearemanycomparativelysmallbuildings.SymmetricallyinthenortheasternsectionliethesixEasternPalacesandinthenorthwesternsectionthesixWesternPalaces.ThePalaceareaisdividedintotwoparts:theOuterCourtandtheInnerPalace.Theformerconsistsofthefirstthreemainhalls,wheretheemperorreceivedhiscourtiersandconductedgrandceremonies,whilethelatterwasthelivingquartersfortheimperialresidence.AttherearoftheInnerPalaceistheImperialGardenwheretheemperorandhisfamilysoughtrecreation.

ThemainentrancetothePalaceistheMeridianGate(1),whichwassonamedbecausetheemperorconsideredhimselftheSonoftheHeavenandthePalacethecenteroftheuniverse,hencethenorth-southaxisastheMeridianlinegoingrightthroughthePalace.Thegateiscrownedwithfivetowers,commonlyknownastheFive-PhoenixTowers(2),whichwereinstalledwithdrumsandbells.WhentheemperorwenttotheTempleofHeaven,bellswerestrucktomarkthisimportantoccasion.WhenhewenttotheAncestralTemple,itwasthedrumsthatwerebeatentopublicizetheevent.

BeyondtheMeridianGateunfoldsavastcourtyardacrosswhichtheInnerGoldenWaterRiverrunsfromeasttowest.Theriverisspannedbyfivebridges,whichweresupposedtobesymbolsofthefivevirtuespreachedbyConfucius--benevolence,righteousness,rites,intelligence,andfidelity(3).

Atthenorthendofthecourtyardisathree-tieredwhitemarbleterrace,sevenmetersabovetheground,onwhich,oneafteranother,standthreemajestichalls;theHallofSupremeHarmony(4),theHallofCompleteHarmony(5),andtheHallofPreservingHarmony(6).

TheHallofSupremeHarmony,rectangularinshape,27metersinheight,2,300squaremetersinarea,isthegrandestandmostimportanthallinthePalacecomplex.ItisalsoChina'slargestexistingpalaceofwoodstructureandanoutstandingexampleofbrilliantcolorcombinations.Thishallusedtobethethronehallforceremonieswhichmarkedgreatoccasions:theWinterSolstice,theSpringFestival,theemperor'sbirthdayandenthronement,andthedispatchofgeneralstobattles,etc.OnsuchoccasionstherewouldbeanimperialguardofhonorstandinginfrontoftheHallthatextendedallthewaytotheMeridiangate.

Onthenorthfaceofthehallinthecenteroffourcoiled-goldendragoncolumnsistheGoldenThrone,whichwascarvedoutofsandalwood.Thethronerestsonatwo-meter-highplatformwithascreenbehindit.Infrontofit,totheleftandright,standornamentalcranes,incenseburnersandotherornaments.Thedragoncolumnsentwinedwithgoldendragonsmeasureonemeterindiameter.Thethroneitself,theplatformandthescreenareallcarvedwithdragondesigns.Highabovethethroneisacolor-paintedcofferedceilingwhichchangesinshapefromsquaretooctagonaltocircularasitascendslayeruponlayer.Theutmostcentralvaultiscarvedwiththegildeddesignofadragontoyingwithpearls.whentheEmperormountedthethrone,goldbellsandjadechimessoundedfromthegallery,andcloudsofincenserosefromthebronzecranesandtortoisesandtripodsoutsidethehallontheterrace.TheauraofmajestycreatedbytheimposingarchitectureandsolemnritualweredesignedtokeepthesubjectsoftheSonoftheHeaveninaweandreverence.

TheHallofCompleteHarmonyissmallerandsquarewithwindowsonallsides.Heretheemperorrehearsedforceremonies.ItisfollowedbytheHallofPreservingHarmonyinwhichbanquetsandimperialexaminationswereheld.

BehindtheHallofPreservingHarmonyliesahugemarblerampwithintertwiningcloudsanddragonscarvedinrelief.Theslab,about6.5meterslong,3meterswideand250tonsinweight,isplacedbetweentwoflightsofmarblestepsalongwhichtheemperor'ssedanwascarriedupordowntheterrace.ItisthelargestpieceofstonecarvingintheImperialPalace.QuarriedinthemountainsscoresofkilometerssouthwestofBeijing,thisgiganticstonewasmovedtothecitybyslidingitoveraspeciallypavediceroadinwinter.Toprovideenoughwatertobuildtheiceroad,wellsweresunkatvery500metersalongtheway.

ThethreehallsoftheInnerPalacearereplicasofthethreehallsinthefront,butsmallerinsize.TheyarethePalaceofHeavenlyPurity(7),theHallofUnion(8),andthePalaceofEarthlyTranquility(9).

ThePalaceofHeavenlyPuritywasoncetheresidenceoftheMingemperorsandthefirsttwooftheQingemperors.ThentheQingEmperorYongZhengmovedhisresidencetothePalaceofMentalCultivationandturneditintoanaudiencehalltoreceiveforeignenvoysandhandledthestateaffairs.Thepromotionanddemotionofofficialswerealsodecidedinthishall.Aftertheemperor'sdeathhiscoffinwasplacedherefora49-dayperiodofmourning.

ThePalaceofUnionwastheempress'sthroneroomandtheHallofEarthlyTranquility,onceaprivatelivingroomfortheempress,waspartitioned.Thewestchamberservedreligiouspurposesandtheeastonewasthebridalchamberwherethenewlymarriedemperorandempressspenttheirfirsttwonightsaftertheirwedding.

TheImperialGardenwaslaidoutduringtheearlyMingdynasty.Hundredsofpinesandcypressesoffershadewhilevariousflowersgivecolorstothegardenallyearroundandfilltheairwiththeirfragrance.InhecenterofthegardenistheHallofImperialPeace,aDaoisttemple,withaflatroofslightlyslopingdowntothefoureaves.ThistypeofroofwasrareinancientChinesearchitecture.Inhenortheasterncornerofthegardenisarockhill,knownastheHillofthePiled-upWonders,whichistoppedwithapavilion.Atthefootofthehillaretwofountainswhichjettwocolumnsofwaterhighintotheair.Itissaidthatontheninthnightoftheninthmonthofthelunarcalendar,theempresswouldmoundthehilltoenjoytheautumnscene.Itisalsobelievedthatclimbingtoahighplaceonthatdaywouldkeeppeoplesafefromcontagiousdiseases.

ThesixWesternPalaceswereresidencesforempressesandconcubines.Theyarekeptintheiroriginalwayforshow.ThesixEasternPalacesweretheresidencesforthemtoo.Butnowtheyserveasspecialmuseums:theMuseumofBronze,theMuseumofPorcelainandtheMuseumofArtsandCraftsoftheMingandQingdynasties.Inthenortheastern-mostsectionoftheInnerPalacearetheMuseumofTraditionalChinesePaintingsandtheMuseumofJewelryandTreasureswhererarepiecesofimperialcollectionsareondisplay.

NowtheForbiddenCityisnolongerforbidding,butinviting.AvisittothePalaceMuseumwillenrichthevisitors'knowledgeofhistory,economy,politics,artsaswellasarchitectureinancientChina.

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