颐和园导游词
前言:大家好，我是你们的导游——王导，今天就由我来给大家讲解颐和园的风景名胜。
分述:请大家随着我走。现在，我手指的这个是著名的长廊。这个长廊可不一般。它全长700多米，分成273间。大家可以看到，每间的横槛上都有许多五彩图画，画得各式各样，有人物、花草、风景，几千幅画没有哪两幅是相同的。难怪被称为“世界第一廊”。
大家往前看，这就是碧波荡漾的昆明湖。这片湖静得像一面镜子。游船经常从这里经过，大家可以听到船上游人们的欢歌笑语。
在昆明湖的上面，就是闻名遐迩的万寿山。站在这里，我们可以看到颐和园的全部风景。站在这里看，整个颐和园真可谓是无比壮观。郁郁葱葱的树丛掩映着黄的绿的琉璃瓦屋顶和朱红的宫墙。
一座八角宝塔形的三层建筑耸立在半山腰上，黄色的琉璃瓦闪闪发光，这就是古香古色的佛香阁。
大家快随我看看这美丽的石桥吧！这座石桥有17个桥洞，叫十七孔桥。桥栏杆上有上百根石柱，柱子上都雕刻着姿态不一的活灵活现的小狮子。
总结:这座在历史上为帝王建造的古典园林，现已成为中国最著名的旅游参观热点之一，每年接待游客数百万人。19xx年，颐和园被联合国教科文组织列为世界文化遗产。
结尾:大家听了我的介绍，也心动了吧！那就亲自到颐和园看看吧！
颐和园导游词
前言：各位游客大家好，今天就有我来带领大家共同游览颐和园 ,我是颐和园旅游公司的导游，大家可以称我为“小廖”，非常荣幸能为大家提供服务，希望在我的陪伴下，能让您度过愉快的一天，也能让您真正感受到颐和园这座皇家园林的魅力。
总述：颐和园位于北京西郊，原为封建帝王的行宫花园。原来的名字叫好山园。清乾隆时改为清漪园。1860年被英法联军所毁。1888年慈禧太后挪用军费重建，改名颐和园。颐和园总面积290万平方米，拥有宫殿园林建筑3000余间，湖水面积约占四分之三。园中景象万千。万寿山丛林葱郁，昆明湖碧水荡漾，构成一幅美丽的皇家园林画卷，是世界著名的旅游胜地。
分述：我先带大家去长廊游玩。进了颐和园的大门，绕过大殿，就来到有名的长廊。长廊长728米，分成273间。每一间的横槛上都有五彩的画，画着人物、动物、花草、风景，几千幅画没有哪两幅是相同的。长廊两旁栽满了花木，这一种花还没谢，那一种花又开了。其中人物故事画最引人注目。那就请游客们细细观赏吧！
穿过长廊，就来到万寿山脚下，万寿山地处颐和园的中心部位。南临昆明湖。山上建有佛香阁、排云殿等，山上树木葱浓，宫殿金碧
辉煌，是宫庭功能、宗教功能、园林功能的集中体现。这里建筑宏伟，风景秀丽，充分展示了皇宫御苑的皇家气派。各位游客不妨亲自登山，既锻炼了身体，又能沿途欣赏好风景。
接下来我向大家介绍昆明湖。昆明湖面积约200多万平方米。湖边围着长长的堤岸，湖沿有石舫，湖上有好几座式样不同的石桥，其中十七孔桥最引人注目，桥上有上百根石柱，石柱上都刻着各种各样、天然成趣的数百只狮子，它们率真大胆，美不胜收，有的正在绣球上灵巧地做着各种优美的动作，有的几只狮宝宝嬉戏在狮妈妈周围，欢蹦乱跳，尽情玩耍，狮妈妈慈爱地抚摸着小宝宝，眼里流露出欢欣的喜悦，金色的阳光洒在这些狮子们身上，像给予它们一种生命力，传续着人间动人的故事。
走在桥上，可以看到湖岸柳树成行，湖光山色，风景迷人，是颐和园最有名的景点。走过十七孔桥，就可以观赏湖中小岛上的绚丽风景，那里别有一番情趣的美景真是说也说不尽，道也道不完，用“举世无双，独一无二”来形容她一点也不过分，她就像一颗璀璨的明珠，她的大气，她的精致，她浓郁的人文底蕴深深地吸引着中外游客。
结尾：“小廖”我真诚地希望您能在这得到美的享受，祝您玩得开心，游得尽性！
篇一:长城导游词
各位旅客，大家好！我是你们的导游何宜臻，大家可以叫我小何。这次很荣幸能和大家游览长城。
远远望去，长城像一条巨大无比的长龙。近看，长城一眼望不到头。站在长城上看，一座座烽火台屹立在长城上，像一个永远不会倒的不倒翁。
长城还是古代一项重要的防御工程，从燕国开始修建长城，长城现在已经有2000多年历史了！
关于长城还有一个感人的传说。在修建长城的时候，除了60岁以上的老人不用去修建长城，其它的青年都得去修建长城。苏州书生范喜良，为了逃避官府的追捕，不得不四处躲藏。有一次，他逃到了孟家花园，无意中碰到了孟姜女。孟姜女是一个聪明美丽的姑娘，她和父母便一起把范喜良藏了起来。两位老人很喜欢范喜良，就把孟姜女许配给他作了妻子。但是，人有旦夕祸福，天有不测风云，新婚不到三天，范喜良声就被官兵捉走了。后来，孟姜女千里迢迢地来到长城找丈夫。谁知，民工告诉她，范喜良已经死了。她便在长城脚下痛哭，不知哭了多久，只听“轰隆”一声，长城倒了几公里。
旅客们，请不要随地扔垃圾，和在城砖上乱涂乱刻。我们7点在城门集合。
篇二：长城导游词
尊敬的各位游客，你们知道宇航员们第一眼看到离我们的中国的什么吗?它就是：我们将要游览的是长城，他东起山海关，西至嘉峪关，有一万三千多里！是我国重点保护单位，已经列入《世界遗产名录》。
这一段长城是明长城，修筑在八达岭上，高大坚固，是用巨大的条石和城砖筑成，大家可以看到这路很宽五六匹马可以并行，城墙外沿有两米多高的垛子，垛子上有方形的缭望口和射口。供射击用。城墙顶上每隔三百米有一座方形的城台。是屯兵的保垒，打仗时城台之间能互相呼应。
这长城很长，在长城上有许多人的生命。也是古代劳动人民用汗水和智慧凝结成的。为什么这长城几百年不倒呢？那就是因为这是古代劳动人民用糯米和水泥凝结成的。
各位朋友，我的介绍就到这里。俗话说：百闻不如一见。大家要对长城有一个深刻的了解还需要根据自己的兴趣亲身投入到长城的环抱里，沿着历史文化的足迹慢慢去游览，仔细去观赏。不过不要在文物上乱添乱画，还注意要保护环境，从自已做起噢！
篇三:
尊敬的各位游客：
大家好！我是你们的导游XXX。大家在游览长城时，请不要再城墙上乱涂乱画，不能乱扔垃圾，一定要做一个文明游客。
现在我们已经来到了长城。看，这一段长城修筑在八达岭上，高大坚固，是用巨大的条石和城砖筑成的。城墙顶上铺着方砖，十分平整，是不是像很宽的马路呢？城墙外沿有两米多高的成排的垛子，垛子上有方形的?望口和射击口，供?望和射击用。请大家看，城墙顶上每隔三百多米就有一座方形的城台，那就是屯兵的堡垒。打仗的时候，城台之间可以互相呼应。
大家站在长城上，踏着脚下的方砖，扶着墙上的条石，肯定能想起古代修筑长城的劳动人民来。你们看着数不清的条石，一块就有两三千斤重。那时没有火车、汽车，没有起重机，就靠着无数的肩膀、无数的手，一步一步地抬上这陡峭的山岭。大家想一想，多少劳动人民的血汗和智慧，才凝结这前不见头、后不见尾的长城呀！
这样气魄雄伟的工程，在世界历史上是一个伟大大的奇迹，它是中华民族勤劳和智慧的象征，是华夏儿女的骄傲。
好了，今天的游览就到这里，欢迎大家再来游览长城。
第二篇：颐和园导游词英文
颐和园导游英文讲解词
（自我介绍）Dear guests,
Welcome to the Summer Palace. I am your tour guide XX,my English name is lance.I am very glad to help you have a good time in this palace. During our visit today, I will talk about the history and culture of this old palace, show you the beautiful landscapes and let you experience the warmth and sincerity of all our staffs in the summer palace.
（东宫门）Now we are standing here at the east palace gate, the main entrance of the summer palace. Under the roof there is a plaque, with three Chinese characters on it:YiHeYuan. Yi means cultivating people in good health; He means calm and harmony. Therefore, the plaque means cultivating a person’s character, make him calm and give him a long life. This plaque is called 9- dragon gold plaque. If you look at it carefully, you’ll find there are nine powerful dragons painted with gold painting. It has the highest grade of all the plaques in the Tsing Dynasty.
Look, there are three doorways at this gate. The central doorway represents the highest power and reserved solely for the emperor, empress and empress dowager. Others can only use the side doorways. Today, I would like to invite all of you to enter the palace through the central doorway to have an experience of being an emperor or an empress.
（颐和园的兴建历史）The summer palace was first started in 1750 during the golden age of the Tsing dynasty. At that time, China had vast territories and great power. The reigning emperor of the time was Emperor Tsianlong, the 4th emperor of the Tsing Dynasty. Relying on his deep understanding of Chinese ancient gardens, his supreme power and the brimming national coffers, he decided to build a garden in west Beijing “to facilitate irrigation and to celebrate his mother’s birthday”. He picked up an ideal location at the foot of the Yanshan Montains to build this most exquisite garden. He borrowed all the excellent gardening techniques from classical Chinese gardens, inherited all the achievements of all the imperial gardens, and gathered a large number of the craftsmen and artists. The project lasted a total of 15 years and the garden was first named Tsingyi Yuan, the garden of Clear Ripples. It represented the ultimate achievement of Chinese garden culture. However, unfortunately, in 1860, the Garden of Clear Ripples, together with Yuanming Yuan, was ravaged and burnt down by the invading Anglo-French Allied Force. In 1888, Empress Dowager Ci Xi ordered to rebuild this garden on the remains of the Clear Ripple Garden and renamed it Yihe Yuan, known better as the summer palace today. The summer palace is the largest and best reserved imperial garden in the world today and carries rich cultural connotation. It is known as the museum of imperial gardens. In 1998, the Summer Palace was inscribed in the World Culture Heritage List by UNESCO and was recognized to represent oriental garden culture.
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（地图介绍）The summer palace, mainly composed of the longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake, covers an area of 302 hectares, with water surface taking up three quarters of this area and a total floor space of 70,000 square meters. Here I’d like to show you the route of our visit today. Now we are at the place where the emperor used to deal with the government affairs, then we will have a look at the buildings where the emperor lived, watch the beautiful scenery of the Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake along the long corridor, see the Marble Boat and keep going to the back of the Hill. We’ll finish our visit at the bridge of Suzhou Street. It will take us about two hours in all. Now let’s enter the courtyard through the central of Renshou Men, the Gate of Benevolence and Longevity. （仁寿门）Look at this Taihu Rock! It is standing there like a shadow screen, so that we can not see the back of the rock immediately when we enter the main entrance. It is one of typical techniques of ancient Chinese gardens-the blocking method. Since Chinese gardens attach great importance to different tires of sights to attract visitors deeper and deeper, the biggest taboo is to show everything all at once. So let’s imagine how it would be like behind the large rock. So why not go around it to have a look. Maybe you will get a big surprise.
Look at this strange animal! Have you ever seen it in your daily lives? I am sure you haven’t. We call this animal Tsilin. It has the head of a dragon, horn of a deer, tail of a lion and hooves of a bull.
Its body is covered with scales and laced with frame patterns. Although this animal has never existed on earth, ancient Chinese craftsmen made it alive and vivid. Tsilin is the symbol of prosperity and good luck. Once it appears, it brings prosperity and peace.
（仁寿殿）This spacious hall is called Renshou Dian, the Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. It used to be the government center in the summer palace. It was first built in 1750 and named Qinzheng Dian, Hall of Diligent Government. Emperor Qianlong set a rule that all the audience hall should be named Qinzheng Dian in order to remind the emperors to be diligent in their work. Emperor Jiaqing, son of emperor Qianlong, once said in one of his articles “On Diligent Government”: “when the emperor is diligent, the country will be well ruled, whereas if the emperor is slack, the country will be in danger.” So diligent government plays an important role in the destiny of the whole country. When the Summer Palace was rebuilt after the big fire, empress dowager Cixi renamed it Renshou Dian, Hall of Benevolence and Longevity. This name came from the sentence “Ren Zhe shou” in The Analects of Confucius to signify that the benevolent rulers will enjoy a long life. Cixi’s great hope was ever lasting life; therefore, many decorations were added in this hall to symbolize longevity. Now let’s look up at the gray tiles on the roof. At the end of each tile, there is a Chinese character “Shou” which means longevity. There are 412 of them in all. Please look this way. Under the - 2 -
big plaque hanging on top of the throne is a mirror screen inscribed with the Chinese character “Shou”. There are 266 such characters all together. Look, there is a huge calligraphy scroll hanging from the wall facing the gate. There are a big Chinese character Shou written on it, surrounded by 100 bats, which signify great fortune and happiness. It is said the big character is written by Empress Dowager Cixi. So we now have learnt that Cixi used hundreds of Shou characters in or on this building to express her desire for longevity.
The interior decoration of the hall has been kept in its original state. On the central platform stands a finely made sandalwood carved throne and the accompanying long table, surrounded by fans and incense burners. When Cixi begun her morning court everyday, candles were lit on the crane lamps; sandalwood incense was burnt in the tripod burner to create a bright, cloudy and solemn atmosphere.
Now please look at these two pairs of dragons and phoenixes. They were the symbols of the emperors and empress during the feudal dynasties. Each with a hole in the back, they were also used as incense burners. But if you’ve been to the palace museum, you may notice that all the dragons and phoenixes standing in front of the hall are placed by a different order. By convention, dragons should be placed in the middle to present the supreme power of the emperor. But why it is not here? It is related to the Empress Dowager Cixi. As a female, she reined China as long as 48 years. The phoenix in the middle is a metaphor that Empress Dowager Cixi is the real owner of the summer palace. So the emperor should be standing aside. This way, please. Look as this vat. Can you guess what role does it played here? We know that most of the ancient architectures are made of wood. Yes, it is used for fire prevention. Now you may ask, “it is cold in winter here in Beijing, what happens if the water in the vat freezes over?” Please look here. There is a small opening at the back of marble stand of the vat, with a hollow inside. In winter, workmen lit a fire in this hollow to heat the vat; sometimes they put a wooden cover on top of the vat, so that the water would not freeze.
（德和园整体介绍）The next place we will visit is Dehe Yuan, the garden of virtue and harmony. It is the place where Empress Dowager Cixi and Emperor Guangxu used to watch Peking opera. It is mainly composed of the Great Stage and Yi Le Dian, the hall of harmony and happiness. It was started in 1891 and finished in 1895. It cost 710,000 taels of silver, the second largest project in the Summer Palace. Now here is a shadow screen standing in front of us. We can see that there is a Chinese character Shou, surrounded by 5 bats, there are another 4 bats at the corners. There are 9 bats in all on this shadow screen. 9 is considered to be the largest number in ancient China. It is the symbol of prosperity and longevity. （扮戏楼介绍） Let’s go ahead to have a look at the inside of this building. This building is called the make-up building. Opera actors and - 3 -
actresses used to make up themselves before they went up to the stage. Here now are exhibiting some commodities of the Tsing Dynasty. As it is not allowed to take photos here, please put away your cameras. Thank you. There is a car in front of us. It is one of the oldest cars in China. This car is an old Benz and was presented to Cixi as her birthday present. It can only reach 19 k/ph for it only has a small engine, just under the middle seat. Although not very fast, it represented the most advanced technique at that time. Now let’s look at those rickshaws around the car. The two in the front were used when the weather was fine, for it has no windows or doors like the two behind. Of course these were used in if the weather was unpleasant. Let’s go ahead look at these tools. Their Chinese name is Jian Yu. When the emperor or empress climbed the hill, they might use it. It was very steady with experienced workers lifting it up. Look, you must be familiar with this instrument. Yes, it is a piano. There is another one over there. They are respectively presented by American and German friends. Both of them are still can be played today. In Cixi’ s late years, she enjoyed various of advanced techniques, including car, electricity, telephone, photo technique and so on. This way please. This is a music box, also presented by western friends. Compared with the music boxes we use today, this is quite a large one. It can play 16 songs. Here are fairies. They are the symbol of longevity. Beside them stand a crane and a deer. Both of them are the indication of longevity. They are also Cixi’s birthday present. This way, here in front of us is a painting of Cixi painted by a Netherlandish American pain tress Waltze Hubur. The painting was finished in 1905. At that time Cixi was 70 years old. But she still looked so young. Is it that the pain tress flattered Cixi on purpose? Maybe. Next we will see some photos of Cixi, you may find the answer there. Photos will never cheat you. Let’s go. Mind your steps.
（东看戏廊介绍） Here we have come to the east gallery. It used to be the place where the ministers watched the opera. Here we can see lots of things used in the old days. In the first three show windows, we can see the clothes and shoes of the Tsing Dynasty. They are all imitations, for it is difficult to keep them for a long time. It is the typical finery style of Manchu people. Sometimes they are considered to be the symbol of China. Ok, now here we can see a photo of Cixi. It was taken in the courtyard of Leshou Tang, hall of happiness and longevity. At that time Cixi is 68 years old. Do you think she look that old? We have to say that Cixi herself did care much about her health. Here are the cosmetics that Cixi used to make up. Some were presented by foreign friends. In this window placed some dish wares used in Cixi’s age. Most of them are made of silver and gold. While the ones made of porcelain are also very beautiful. Cixi led a very luxurious life everyday. 128 dishes were prepared for each of her dinner. Even the dish she loved best, she would - 4 -
not eat it up. These are magic mushrooms .It is the symbol of virtue and wisdom. There are also some other western inventions here such as gun and telescope. Now let’s go ahead into the courtyard.
（大戏台介绍）This spacious structure in front of us is the Great Stage of the Garden of Virtue and Harmony. It is 21 meters in height and 17 meters in width. There are three famous stages in the Qing Dynasy. . The Garden of Virtue and Harmony is the largest and best reserved of all.The other two are in the Palace Museum and Chengde It is famous not only for its size, but also for its historical value. During April and October each year when Cixi was in the summer palace, many famous actors were invited here to show. Peking opera developed quickly here. So the Garden of Virtue and Harmony is also called the cradle of Peking Opera.
It has three tiers; they respectively stand for longevity, fortune and happiness from the bottom to the roof. They are all connected with each other, and were opened at the same time during the performance. There is a manpower elevator on the roof and several dry wells together with tanks at the bottom of the stage. Do you know what their function is? Sometimes there may be some scenes of ghosts and gods. The gods flew up in to the sky, while the ghosts might get into the ground. Then what about the tanks? It is interesting; you know there were not microphones in the old days. The tanks with water could help to enhance the sound effect during the performance. In 1994, China Youth Peking Opera Troupe performed here, and the sound effect still exist today. It is really a scientific device.
（颐乐殿介绍）Please follow me to have a look at the place where Cixi watched the opera. This is Yi Le Dian, hall of Harmony and Happiness. In the middle of the hall, there is a throne. After meeting the ministers here, Cixi would go aside to this bed. This is a kang, in winter workers would make a fire underground. Thus, it would be very warm. Later, I will show you the entrance of it. Cixi used to stay here drinking tea and eating some fruits. The windows here could be opened so that Cixi could see the actors on the stage directly. Sometimes she would lie down here and listen. If she were tired, she would take a nap in the room next.
This is the entrance of the heated kang. In winters, eunuchs went down to make a fire. In the summer palace there are numbers of such entrance. This is the only one shown for the tourists. The others are all covered with a wooden board like that. Now let’s go and turn left to the west gallery.
The gallerys east and west used to have no windows or glass. When Cixi came to watch the opera, she would invite the ministers to come together. They had to stay here. When the performance went on, colorful curtains were hung between the two stage corners to and the side of Yile Dian so that the ministers here would not be able to see Cixi inside the hall. （玉澜门介绍） Here we go. This is Yulan Meng, the Gate of Jade Ripple. - 5 -
It is named after a poet of the Jin dynasty—Lu Ji. He described the beautiful view of the fine ripples created by spring water from the Jade Spring Hill. It used to be the residence of Emperor Qianlong. During the years of Cixi, Emperor Guangxu lived here for a long time. Let’s go in and have a look. Now we have come to Yulan Tang, the Hall of Jade Ripple. It is a traditional Chinese courtyard.
（维新变法历史）This place is closely related with “Hundred-Day Reform” in 1898. Guangxu was the nephew of Cixi. After the death of Emperor Tongzhi, Cixi let the 4 years old Guangxu succeed to the throne in order to control over the government. When Guangxu grew up to 19, Cixi agreed to return the power, but she still held it. Later the conflicts in political affairs between Guangxu and Cixi became more and more obvious. In the year 1898, Guangxu decided to reform with the support of reformists Kang Youwei and ,Liang Qichao. All of them wanted to change the crumbling state of Qing Dynasty to make the country more powerful and launched a particular plan of reform. Unfortunately, the under the violent and brutal suppression of Cixi, the reform movement came to an end after only 103 days. Six reformists including Tan Sitong were killed after the failure. Then how about Guangxu? During April and October of the year when Cixi was in the summer palace, Guangxu was house arrested here. Cixi ordered to build walls around the Hall of Jade Ripples. What’s more, to ensure Guangxu’s safety, Cixi commanded her trust eunuchs to guard the gate. Thus, Guangxu lost his freedom completely here. It is a prison more than an emperor’s residence. After November of the year, Cixi went back to the Forbidden City, while Guangxu was rounded on island of Ying Tai in Zhong Nan Hai. This situation did not change until the death of Emperor Guangxu.
（主殿介绍）The interior of Yulan Tang has been preserved as it used to be. In the middle, there is a sandalwood throne with a long table in front of it. Behind the throne there is a glass screen. Beautiful paintings were painted on it, showing us the representational views of both Chinese and western paintings. Inside the hall, there are two mirrors standing facing each other. If you stand between them, you will see numerous reflections of yourself in the mirrors. On our left side is the bedroom of the emperor, while on the other side is the study of the emperor. We must have known that Guangxu lead a distressed life I his late years. Then how about the empressu? Let’s go ahead to see it.
（狮子林）Here you can see a pile of rocks. Its name is lion forest, for the rocks look like hundreds of lions playing together. This is Xijia Lou, Tower of Beautiful Sunset, where Emperor and empress used to watch sunset of the Jade Spring Hill. The name came from a famous line of Tao Yuanming. When the sun is setting behind the colorful clouds, the birds will whisper home with the beautiful sight.
（宜芸馆）Now here we will go to the Yi Yun Guan, hall of Yiyun Yun is - 6 -
a kind of herb which can be made into bookmarks to prevent books from worms. The two characters tell us it is the place suitable for keeping books. At the very beginning, hall of Yiyun was the library of Emperor Qianlong. By the time of Guangxu, it became the residence of Longyu, emperess of Guangxu.
Longyu was the last empress and empress dowager in Chinese feudal history. She is the niece of Cixi. Cixi ordered this marriage to Guangxu in order to have a better control of his thoughts and behavior. Of course they lead an unhappy life. In the year 1908 when Guangxu and Cixi died, Longyu let the 3 year old Puyi succeed to the throne. In fact, Longyu herself held the power. However, the situation didn’t last for long. In the year 1911, the revolution led by Sun Zhongshan successfully overthrew the Qing Dynasty. In 1912, Puyi was deposed, which brought to the end of the 2000 years feudal history in China.
（主殿内部陈设）Although they were husband and wife, Guangxu and Longyu didn’t lead a happy life. Guangxu wasn’t content with the marriage that Cixi arranged for him. They didn’t have any children either. Let’s have a look at the interior decorations. Maybe something can show us the lone life of Longyu. This is a golden fish table with a little space inside it. Longyu rised fish here. When she felt lonely, she usually sat beside it eating fruits and drinking tea. Look, there are 12 fragrant bags hanging on the wall. They are the symbol of love between emperor and empress. However, none of them was presented by Guangxu. Instead, Longyu made them herself. We can see that imperial marriages are not always successful. Let’s keep going to have a look at the residence of Emperss Dowager Cixi. （乐寿堂引语）One of Cixi’s close maids said that the Summer Palace is the most beautiful place in Beijing, while the best place in the Summer Palace is Le Shou Tang, the Hall of Happiness and Longevity. It is the residence of Emperess Dowager Cixi. Why it is the best place in Beijing? First of all, the sight here is beautiful with stone decorations and various plants reflected with the spacious main hall. The arrangement of plants here is very interesting. This is magnolia which blossoms in March; this is flowering crab apple and blossoms in April. Look at the short pine there. In the past, peonies used to grow here. It is considered as a noble flower which blossoms in May. Therefore, we can see flowers here in this yard from March to May every year. Altogether, the plants here signify a wish of prosperity. You can imagine what a wonderful sight it would be. Nice plants own to the good climate. It is cool in summer and warm in winter. Because in winter the hill blocks the cold wind from north while in summer cool air is brought here from Kunming Lake. So Cixi must have enjoyed herself very much here. What’s more, the location of Hall of Happiness and Longevity is perfect. Through this gate, Cixi can reach the Garden of Virtue and Harmony to enjoy the Peking Opera. Outside the front gate, there used to be a dock, Cixi could take a boat from there. If we walk - 7 -
along this way, we can get to the world longest corridor and enjoy the sight of Kunming Lake and the Longevity Hill. When it rained, Cixi would walk through the back gate and go up the hill. From there, she could enjoy the view of Kunming Lake in rain.
（主殿）This structure is the main hall of Leshou Tang. It was a two story-building in Qianlong’s age. After it was burnt down, Cixi ordered to rebuild it. As there wasn’t so much money left in the late Tsing Dynasty, this building has only one floor. There are 5 parts inside the hall: bedroom, tearoom, living room, dressing room and the office. Now let’s look at the interior decorations here. A mirror screen is standing behind the throne so that the hall looks bright and capacious. Above the throne there is an electric lamp fixed by German in 1903. The electrical machine was fixed on the Wenchang Pavilion. Look, there are 2 big plates standing beside the throne. They were especially prepared for fresh fruits. In addition to the burning incense, Cixi also liked the fragrance of the fruits. On the 2nd and 16th day of each month, the fruits would be replaced by new ones. There would be 20,000 kilograms of fruit in all in a year. Of course Cixi didn't eat them like food. They were only used for their fragrance. Cixi really led a luxurious life in those days. In front of the hall stand a pair of deers, cranes and vases. Together, they signify peace and harmony. Let’s turn around. Look up at the structure there. It is 9 meters high. In the past, a lamp was hung there as a lighthouse in case there was a rain or fog. Someone has said that when Cixi was living in the summer palace, the lamp would be lit up to tell all the people in or around the summer palace that Cixi was here. Do be honest and quiet! （败家石介绍）This huge rock is a Taihu rock. It was found in western Beijing and has two names: Blue Iris Hill and the Stone of Black Sheep. The first name sounds good for Emperor Qianlong liked it very much. It posed like a glossy magic mushroom. While an interesting story that made it a black sheep. In the Ming Dynasty, there was a scholar named Mi Wanzhong. He was crazy about collecting stones. On the trip to Fang Shan, he found this huge rock and decided to move it to his private garden. But the rock was so huge that he hired lots of people and spent great amount of money. It took a long time. Unfortunately, he was bankrupt halfway and had to put the rock along the road with a shed covering over it. He said himself that whenever I have money, I will come and get it back. But he wasn't able to achieve it. His wish was gone with the death of himself. About 100 years later, Emperor Qianlong came across the rock on his way to pay respect to his father’s tomb and decided to move it to Le Shou Tang in the summer palace. But by the time it was transported here, the front gate has been finished. The rock was too big to enter. Qianlong ordered to tear down the gate so that the rock can come in. On hearing this, Qianlong’s mother was very angry and said “This rock made the Mi family bankrupt in the first place. Now, it has broken my gate. It is an ominous symbol.” - 8 -
So people call it the stone of black sheep. However, the foretell realized on Cixi but not Qianlong, she bankrupt not only her family but also the whole country.
（水木自亲）Here we have an exhibition of imperial telephones. In the year of 1900, the Eight-Power Allied Force invaded in Beijing. Cixi fled to Xi’an together with Guangxu. When she came back in1902, she experienced the facility that western techniques had brought to her. Trains, cars, and of course the telephone. There are several old telephones exhibiting there. Two of them were the exact things of Cixi’s years...
（长廊起点及布局介绍）The beauty of the summer palace not only exists in the architectures, but the charming scenery as well. Please follow me and have a look .Here we are standing at the entrance of the long corridor YaoYue Men, the Inviting-Moon Gate. The long corridor was first built in 1750. And it winds its way across the south foot of Longevity Hill on the bank of Kunming Lake. Here the long corridor plays a very important role. It not only connects different architectures at the foot of the hill, but also stands as the transition from the lake to the hill. Empress Dowager Cixi liked walking in the long corridor very much. It is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. If a rain comes, it can prevent us from being caught in the rain.
（总体特点情况介绍）The long corridor starts from the Inviting-moon Gate in the east and ends in Shizhang Ting, the Stone Man’s Pavilion. In the year 1990, the long corridor was listed in the world record of Genius. It is proved to be the longest painted corridor in the world. So how long is it? It is 728 meters in length with 4 octagonal double-eave pavilions standing in the way. They are respectively represents for the 4 seasons of a year. They also have their own names: Retaining the Good, Living with Ripples, Autumn Water, as well as Clear and Distant. The 4 pavilions play an important role in the long corridor. They were all built on the junctions of rises and falls, twists and turns. So you will not feel the rises and falls or the twists and turns when you are walking along the long corridor.
The long corridor is famous for its paintings. There are 14,800 paintings on the beams and lintels of the corridor. They are all different from each other. The paintings cover a variety of subjects. There are natural scenery such as flowers and birds, mountains and rivers. There are famous characters such as seven sages of bamboo grove. There are classical novels such as Journey to the West and Three Kingdoms. There are also fables such as the eight immortals crossing the sea. From here, people all over the world can know more about Chinese culture and history. （长廊边讲湖）This large water surface is the Kunming Lake. It is the best part of the summer palace. Covering an area of 220 hectares, the Kunming Lake takes up three quarters of the entire garden. In order to - 9 -
celebrate the birthday of his mother, Empress Qianlong ordered to shape the lake like a peach. In China, peach is the symbol of longevity. The sight of Kunming Lake is beautiful. Look at that small island on which there is a pavilion.
（知春亭介绍）That is the Pavilion of Heralding Spring. People considered that spring comes with the willows. There are many willows there on the island. When spring comes, we can see green branches everywhere on the island. Thus, the pavilion gained its name.
（南湖岛介绍） Please look at the big island in the middle of the water surface. That is Nan Hu island. On the island there is a temple. The water surface is divided into 3 parts. Each has an island built on it. Because people in the past thought there are 3 fairy hills in the ocean and want to have an ever lasting life like the fairies. The long bridge connected with the island is called 17-arch bridge. The bridge is 150 meters long and 8 meters wide. There are 544 stone lions carved on the bridge. At the starting point of the bridge there, we can see another pavilion standing there. It is the largest pavilion among all such structures in China. It covers an area of 130 square meters with 40 pillars supporting it. On my right is the west bank of Kunming Lake. There are 6 bridges along the bank. Here we can also see the sights of the Western Hill. It is another typical method of Chinese garden: the borrowing method. The Western Hill and the vast lake reflect the beautiful scene of the summer palace and make the garden more beautiful. If you take a boat and look around, you may find the beauty of every aspects of the summer palace.
（排云门广场）In the middle of the long corridor is the most splendid architectures in the summer palace. Paiyun Dian, the Hall that Dispels the Clouds and Foxiang Ge, the Tower of Buddhist incense. We are now standing here at the starting point of these architectures. Look at this archway. It has the highest grade among all such structures in the summer palace. On the plaque there are four Chinese characters which mean that clouds reflect the imperial palace. Look, this is Paiyun Men, the Gate that Dispel the Clouds. The two characters Pai Yun comes from an old Chinese poetry “When the fairies dispel the clouds and emerge, the gold and silver terraces will appear.” Cixi compared herself as the fairy coming out from the clouds and greeting all the people. （排云门上鸱吻介绍）Let’s look up at the corner of the roof. There are some small animals there. In the Qing Dynasty, the more the animals are, the higher grade of the architecture is. The number of them can reach as large as 11. The Hall that Dispel the Winds was the place where Cixi celebrate her birthday. It has the highest grate in the summer palace. Then how was it like when there was a birthday ceremony? Cixi herself sat in the throne inside the main hall to receive the greeting of the others. That Gate is called the Second Palace Gate. Emperor Guangxu went down on his both knees and kowtowed at that gate. The ministers greeted Cixi between the Second - 10 -
Palace Gate and this archway.
（佛香阁介绍）That structure on the hill is called the Tower of Buddhist incense . It was first built in 1750, burned down by the Anglo-French Allied Force in 1860, and rebuilt in the year 1888. It cost 750,000 taels of silver and became the largest project in the summer palace. The tower is 41 meters high and considered as the symbol of the summer palace. There is a Guanyin inside the tower. It has 12 faces and 24 arms. Guanyin is considered to be the benevolent Goddess of Mercy. She can help the people in need. On the left of the tower is Baoyun Ge. It is made of bronze. People used to call it Bronze Pavilion. On the right of the tower is a temple where emperor and empress used to read scriptures.
（听鹂馆）Now let’s go ahead along the long corridor and enjoy the beautiful sight of the Kunming Lake and the Longevity Hill. This is the Hall of Listening to the Orioles. There is a small stage in it. Before the Garden of Virtue and Harmony was built, Emperor and Empress used to watch Peking Operas here. Now it is the best restaurant in the summer palace.
（石舫）This is the Marble Boat, the symbol of the summer palace. It was first built in 1755 during Qianlong’s years. At that time, the body of the boat was made of white marble and colorful bricks. The upper part of the boat was made of wood. It is a boat of oriental style. So why did Qianlong put such a boat here? On one hand, he used to enjoy the beautiful sight of the lake on the Marble Boat. In the distance, the tower on the Jade Spring Hill was borrowed here to make the sight more beautiful. On the other hand, Qianlong put this unsinkable boat here to be a metaphor reign of the Qing Dynasty would be steady. Unfortunately, the Marble Boat was burnt down in 1860, with only the body survived. In the year 1893, Cixi ordered to rebuild it and renamed it Qingyan Fang which means peace and harmony. The upper part was made of wood and painted with marble patterns. Cixi ordered the addition of two pedal wheels on both sides of the boat. She liked to watch rain and meet foreigners here. There are 4 hollow pillars on the corners of the boat. When it rains, the rainwater could drain through the pillars and go down into the lake. It is really a scientific device. The Marble Boat is the only occidental style structure in the summer palace.
（船坞介绍）There are two boatyard in the distance. The bigger one is considered to be the longest one among all the wooden architectures in China. As were built on the water, they weren’t burnt down in 1860. They are nearly 300 years old. Here we are standing at the junction of the back hill and the back lake. Let’s go along this road to enjoy the natural scene of the hill.
（中御路介绍）This road is call Zhongyu Road. It suggests that emperor and emperess used to walk here. The road has another name: the Clove Road. Because cloves are planted beside the road. When spring comes, the - 11 -
fragrance of lilac is brought everywhere by the wind. In the year 1860, the back of the hill was destroyed badly. As Cixi misappropriated naval funds to build the summer palace, there was no money left when the project came to the back of the hill. Many of the plants such as grasses and small trees were planted in the beginning of the 1990s.
（味闲斋遗址）Later, as we go on, we will see a broken courtyard on our right hand. It is the site of Weixian Zhai, one library of Qianlong. He liked it very much. Each time he came to the summer palace, he would came here and read. There are 3 floors of this building. They were built to the terrain of the hill. Now it remains the old look when it was burnt down.
（苏州街和四大部洲）Now let’s keep going and have a look at the Suzhou Street and the Four Great Regions. Please look up. There is a group of Tibetan style temples on the hillside. It is called Four Great Regions and was first built in 1758 during Qianlong’s age. He ordered to build a group of structures like this mainly for strengthen his rule over the people in Tibet and Mongol. Because most people there believe in Lamaism. Unfortunately, this group of structures was burnt down by the invading Anglo-French Allied Force. The present one was partly restored late in the Qing Dynasty and partly in recent years. Inside the temple, there are 3 Buddhas together with 18 arhats standing beside them. Around the temple, there are 4 big islands. They are called Four Great Regions. The Four Great Regions are in shapes of square, full moon, crescent and trapezoid and respectively stands for earth, water, wind and fire. Beside each big island, there are two small islands shaped in full moon. We called them Eight Small Regions. Behind the temple, there are 2 structures called the Sun Alter and the Moon Alter. There are also 4 pagodas in white, black, green and red around the temple. Each stands for a certain Buddhist sect. In the past, visitors could worship Buddha here. Today, it served as a special scene spot greeting the tourists all over the world.
（市庙结合）In ancient China, the development of temples could always bring about the development of the market.
（苏州街）The next place will visit is a folk-style market street—the Suzhou Street. This street was first built 28 years after the completion of the Garden of Clear Ripples during Qianlong’s time and has a history of more than 200 years. It is located in the center of the back lake. How come such a street inside an imperial Garden? We know that emperor and empress led a luxurious life in the palace. So they nearly have no chances to hunt around in the market. Sometimes they also wish they were ordinary people. Emperor Qianlong has been to the south of the Yangtze River for 6 times during all his life. He was expressed by the River Street there and decided to build a imitation one in Beijing. It is a street of southern water village style. The empress, concubines and empress dowager may boat on the river and buy something. It must be quite a interesting - 12 -
experience for them. As the street was located inside the imperial garden, ordinary people weren’t able to come in. Eunuchs and maids acted as the merchant and served in the street. The street is 300 meters in length. It was built along the river banks and filled with teahouses, workshops, restaurants, banks and so on.
Unfortunately, the street was burnt down in the year 1860. As is at the back of the hill, the Suzhou Street wasn’t restored until the resent years. The restoration project was started in 1987 and finished four years later. Each structure here was restored according to its original style. All the staffs in the street are dressed in the style of the Qing Dynasty. When you are in this street, you can exchange RMB into copper coins of the Qing Dynasty to have a taste of the business culture in the 18th century. In the distance stands the Tibetan style temple reflecting the southern village style Suzhou Street. It is a unique structure in all imperial gardens. It has shown and is showing is beauty and harmony to the tourists all over the world.
(结束语)This brings the end of my introduction of the summer palace. Here I will say goodbye to you. The gate over there is the second largest gate of this garden, the North Palace Gate. The communication outside is very convenient. Wish you have a nice journey!
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