In the unconscious of a traveller, Norway evokes a concept of an extreme land, of absolute north. The extreme north of Europe is known as Lapland, a land that straddles the Norwegian borders to include the northern part of Scandinavia and a small portion of Russia. The native population is the "Sami" who live traditionally from hunting and fishing, in symbiosis, even if nowadays in a technological version, with their environment.
The capital of Norway, Oslo, has a population of barely half a million. The city ensures the necessary administrative and cultural cohesion of a people who have a very strong sense of harmony with the nature, born in their distant Viking past and proudly cultivated throughout the years.
The Holmenkollen ski-jumping board is one of the most famous symbols of Oslo. Norwegians' relationship with skis goes very far back in time: indeed it is not improbable that even the Vikings traversed Scandinavia on these wooden slats.
The fundamental relationship that Norwegians have with nature makes them open and uninhibited with respect to nudity. Here, the human body is displayed with spontaneity and directness, like one of the many natural elements that blend in with the landscape.
In front of the square of the City Hall, the quay that overlooks the fjord - the Aker Brygge - has been attractively restructured and turned into a walk, a shopping centre and an entertainment area. But the grand spectacle is still the beating of the waves of the sea and the boats bathed in the golden light of the summer.
Another look at the fortress of Akershus, which once again demonstrates the harmony of the city with nature, is all the more worthwhile.
The itinerary from north to south is a compendium of Norwegian nature: thundering waterfalls, rushing mountain streams and roads that run along glaciers, after having gone through dense pine forests and coastal lakes and fjords.
The interior of the country is incredibly rugged and almost one third of it is covered in trees. Despite its northern latitude, the Norwegian climate is essentially maritime and damp, because it is influenced by the mitigating action of the warm Gulf Stream, originating from the Gulf of Mexico, which flows up the coast preventing the formation of sea ice.
Bergen, a port lying in the southeast of the country, is crowded with brightly coloured houses, which belonged to German traders of the powerful Hanseatic League. Despite several fires, the area maintains the atmosphere of the "old port" and Commercial City from the Middle Ages. UNESCO recently declared it a World Heritage Site and included it in the list of monuments that are to be preserved.
There is a large park in the centre of Bergen which is taken up almost completely by an octagonal lake, around which, lie some of the principal museums in the city.
The Hakonshallen, the most beautiful monument in the city, lies within the walls of Bergen's fortress. The great 13th century Gothic hall was built for the parties and the receptions in the days of the city's control over trade in the North Sea.
You get the best view over Bergen, the fjords and the surrounding pine-covered mountains from the belvedere. It's easy to admire Norwegians for their unique way of respecting the nature！
From north to south, from Lapland to Oslo and Bergen, Norwegian people has convinced us, with time, that human beings, as the most advanced yet most vulnerable in the grand family of nature, can live in harmony with all its other members.
2008年2月1日星期五
the Loire Valley
The Loire, the longest river in France, rises south of the Central Massif and flows into the Atlantic Ocean 1020 km later. This is the part that goes from the city of Orleans to the city of Tours, enclosing that area of the Loire Valley in which over 100 magnificent castles lie.
What we are looking at is the castle of Beauregard. In this residence？？ the central part has a double gallery with arcades opening onto the ground floor. Which was commissioned by Jean de Thier, secretary of state to Henri II. There is a collection of paintings quite unique in the world.
This sumptuous salon, built in the 17th century, which is covered with exquisite woodwork and has a marvelous ceiling with decorated beams, contains over 300 portraits going from the first sovereign of the Valois up to Louis XIII of Bourbon. Here is Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francois I, it was primarily they who brought to the region: painters, cabinet-makers, sculptors, and architects, who were to live and work here.
In this chapel, which has a nave and two aisles, there lies the tomb of a genius: Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo arrived in Amboise in 1517, having been invited to the court by Francois I, and was put up in this residence which is called Cols-Luce. The artist lived out the last years of his life here and Francois I acquired that masterpiece that even today represents one of France's treasures: the Mona Lisa.
We continue on our way to visit another very special castle: Villandry. Built on the banks of the Loire in 1536 it is distinguished by its architectural peculiarity, which is characterized above all by its rectangular pavilions instead of round towers. But its fame is especially connected to the marvelous Italianate gardens. Here in Villandry he called Don Pacello da Mercogliano to the court, which were more a great Italian artist rather than a gardener. On the lower level, there is the decorative vegetable garden, the most visually striking and original of the whole estate. It is amazing to see how simple lettuces and vegetables manage to have this ornamental quality.
Excellent wines are produced in the many vineyards in the ancient province of Touraine, which lies around Tours. Wines that make you love this area even more, just as the great writer Honore de Balzac also loved it. And in Touraine you also learn to love wine. Its history dates back as far as the Gauls and its international.
reputation has certainly no need of further comment.
The ones here are the dry white Sancere, strong and vibrant, Vouvray, sparking and clear, it looks like a waterfall of pearls. This wine reminded Rabelais, the great writer of the 16th century, of taffeta, a silky and delicate fabric.
Those who love glowing reds will not be disappointed by the Loirs Valley: here is Bourgureil, with the strong perfume of raspberries. Chinon, on the other hand, has a delicate hint of violets.
And so, glasses raised. A toast to the beauty of these dreamlike-places.
A journey on the Loire is a meander in history, art and daily life. It is in a corner of Europe that etched itself deeply in the heart and mind.
What we are looking at is the castle of Beauregard. In this residence？？ the central part has a double gallery with arcades opening onto the ground floor. Which was commissioned by Jean de Thier, secretary of state to Henri II. There is a collection of paintings quite unique in the world.
This sumptuous salon, built in the 17th century, which is covered with exquisite woodwork and has a marvelous ceiling with decorated beams, contains over 300 portraits going from the first sovereign of the Valois up to Louis XIII of Bourbon. Here is Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francois I, it was primarily they who brought to the region: painters, cabinet-makers, sculptors, and architects, who were to live and work here.
In this chapel, which has a nave and two aisles, there lies the tomb of a genius: Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo arrived in Amboise in 1517, having been invited to the court by Francois I, and was put up in this residence which is called Cols-Luce. The artist lived out the last years of his life here and Francois I acquired that masterpiece that even today represents one of France's treasures: the Mona Lisa.
We continue on our way to visit another very special castle: Villandry. Built on the banks of the Loire in 1536 it is distinguished by its architectural peculiarity, which is characterized above all by its rectangular pavilions instead of round towers. But its fame is especially connected to the marvelous Italianate gardens. Here in Villandry he called Don Pacello da Mercogliano to the court, which were more a great Italian artist rather than a gardener. On the lower level, there is the decorative vegetable garden, the most visually striking and original of the whole estate. It is amazing to see how simple lettuces and vegetables manage to have this ornamental quality.
Excellent wines are produced in the many vineyards in the ancient province of Touraine, which lies around Tours. Wines that make you love this area even more, just as the great writer Honore de Balzac also loved it. And in Touraine you also learn to love wine. Its history dates back as far as the Gauls and its international.
reputation has certainly no need of further comment.
The ones here are the dry white Sancere, strong and vibrant, Vouvray, sparking and clear, it looks like a waterfall of pearls. This wine reminded Rabelais, the great writer of the 16th century, of taffeta, a silky and delicate fabric.
Those who love glowing reds will not be disappointed by the Loirs Valley: here is Bourgureil, with the strong perfume of raspberries. Chinon, on the other hand, has a delicate hint of violets.
And so, glasses raised. A toast to the beauty of these dreamlike-places.
A journey on the Loire is a meander in history, art and daily life. It is in a corner of Europe that etched itself deeply in the heart and mind.
The first World Cup
The first World Cup On 26 May 1928, at a meeting in Amsterdam, the Fifa congress decided that a new tournament open to all its members should be played. A year later in Barcelona it was agreed that Uruguay, the Olympic champions and the era's footballing superpower, should celebrate 100 years of independence by hosting the first World Cup the following year. Only 13 nations took part in the inaugural tournament, with a majority of nine coming from South America. All games were played in three stadiums in Montevideo and, as expected, the South American countries dominated, although the European teams did not disgrace themselves.
Some 100,000 fans packed into the Centenario Stadium for the final on 30 July to see Argentina throw away a 2-1 half-time lead as Uruguay ran out 4-2 winners.
Jules Rimet, the Fifa president and brains behind the World Cup, presented the trophy to winning captain Jose Nazassi and football's greatest tournament was born.
After a pre-match row over which ball to use for the final, it is believed the Argentine ball was used in one half and the Uruguayan ball in the other. Rumour has it that this is how the phrase "a game of two halves" evolved.
World Cup history - vocabulary
Fifa congress The international organisation that controls football is Fifa, which stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. A congress is a meeting.
era This word is used to talk about a period of time in the past when something or someone is important.
hosting If a country hosts the World Cup, then the competition is being played in that country.
inaugural This adjective means the very first. It is mainly used when talking about special events and competitions.
dominated If a team dominated it means that they were much stronger and they did much better than the others.
did not disgrace themselves This expression is used to describe good performances by a team that isn't very strong. Although they are a weaker team and didn't win, they did play well.
packed into This expression shows that the stadium was completely full, there was no extra space.
brains behind When someone is described as the brains behind something, then it is that person's idea or plan.
row Another word for an argument or disagreement.
Rumour has it This expression means that what is being told is not a fact, but is what people believe to be true
For each question, choose the one correct answer.
1: When was the first World Cup played？
a 1928 b 1929 c 1930 d 1931
2: Where was the first World Cup played？
a Holland b Spain c Brazil d Uruguay
3: Which of these statements about the first World Cup is not true？
a Most of the teams came from South America. b The South American teams were the strongest. c All the matches were played in the same stadium. d The European teams did not play badly.
4: What was the score after the first 45 minutes of the final？
a Argentina 2 - 1 Uruguay b Argentina 1 - 2 Uruguay c Argentina 4 - 2 Uruguay d Argentina 2 - 4 Uruguay
5: What is the best definition of the phrase "a game of two halves"？
a A different ball should be used in each half of the match b Anything can happen in football c Players shouldn't argue with the referee d Each team should use its own ball for part of the match
Some 100,000 fans packed into the Centenario Stadium for the final on 30 July to see Argentina throw away a 2-1 half-time lead as Uruguay ran out 4-2 winners.
Jules Rimet, the Fifa president and brains behind the World Cup, presented the trophy to winning captain Jose Nazassi and football's greatest tournament was born.
After a pre-match row over which ball to use for the final, it is believed the Argentine ball was used in one half and the Uruguayan ball in the other. Rumour has it that this is how the phrase "a game of two halves" evolved.
World Cup history - vocabulary
Fifa congress The international organisation that controls football is Fifa, which stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. A congress is a meeting.
era This word is used to talk about a period of time in the past when something or someone is important.
hosting If a country hosts the World Cup, then the competition is being played in that country.
inaugural This adjective means the very first. It is mainly used when talking about special events and competitions.
dominated If a team dominated it means that they were much stronger and they did much better than the others.
did not disgrace themselves This expression is used to describe good performances by a team that isn't very strong. Although they are a weaker team and didn't win, they did play well.
packed into This expression shows that the stadium was completely full, there was no extra space.
brains behind When someone is described as the brains behind something, then it is that person's idea or plan.
row Another word for an argument or disagreement.
Rumour has it This expression means that what is being told is not a fact, but is what people believe to be true
For each question, choose the one correct answer.
1: When was the first World Cup played？
a 1928 b 1929 c 1930 d 1931
2: Where was the first World Cup played？
a Holland b Spain c Brazil d Uruguay
3: Which of these statements about the first World Cup is not true？
a Most of the teams came from South America. b The South American teams were the strongest. c All the matches were played in the same stadium. d The European teams did not play badly.
4: What was the score after the first 45 minutes of the final？
a Argentina 2 - 1 Uruguay b Argentina 1 - 2 Uruguay c Argentina 4 - 2 Uruguay d Argentina 2 - 4 Uruguay
5: What is the best definition of the phrase "a game of two halves"？
a A different ball should be used in each half of the match b Anything can happen in football c Players shouldn't argue with the referee d Each team should use its own ball for part of the match
The University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world, and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. It has a world-wide reputation for outstanding academic achievement and the high quality of research undertaken in a wide range of science and arts subjects. The University pioneers work in the understanding of disease, the creation of new materials, advances in telecommunications and research into the origins of the universe. It trains doctors, vets, architects, engineers and teachers. At all levels about half of the students at Cambridge study arts and humanities subjects, many of whom have gone on to become prominent figures in the arts, print and broadcast media. The University's achievements in the sciences can be measured by the sixty or more Nobel Prizes awarded to its members over the years.
The University is a self-governing body: the legislative authority is the Regent House, which consists of the three thousand or so members of the teaching and administrative staff of the University and Colleges who have the MA （or MA status） or a higher degree. The principal administrative body of the University is the Council, which consists mainly of members of the academic staff elected by the Regent House. The General Board of the Faculties co-ordinates the educational policy of the University and the Finance Committee of the Council supervises its financial affairs.
As Cambridge approaches its eight hundredth anniversary in 2009, it is looking to the future. The modern University is an international centre of teaching and research in a vast range of subjects: about half of the students study science or technology. Members of the University have won over sixty Nobel Prizes.
It continues to change in response to the challenges it faces. The Vice-Chancellor, for instance, is no longer a Head of College, but is a full-time administrative appointment. A Development Office and associated charitable foundation is successfully seeking funds around the world for new ventures. The 1990s have seen a major expansion of University accommodation for teaching and research. There are many major new buildings either underway or already completed, including the Law Faculty building and the Judge Institute of Management Studies, in March 1996 opened by HM The Queen.
The University is a self-governing body: the legislative authority is the Regent House, which consists of the three thousand or so members of the teaching and administrative staff of the University and Colleges who have the MA （or MA status） or a higher degree. The principal administrative body of the University is the Council, which consists mainly of members of the academic staff elected by the Regent House. The General Board of the Faculties co-ordinates the educational policy of the University and the Finance Committee of the Council supervises its financial affairs.
As Cambridge approaches its eight hundredth anniversary in 2009, it is looking to the future. The modern University is an international centre of teaching and research in a vast range of subjects: about half of the students study science or technology. Members of the University have won over sixty Nobel Prizes.
It continues to change in response to the challenges it faces. The Vice-Chancellor, for instance, is no longer a Head of College, but is a full-time administrative appointment. A Development Office and associated charitable foundation is successfully seeking funds around the world for new ventures. The 1990s have seen a major expansion of University accommodation for teaching and research. There are many major new buildings either underway or already completed, including the Law Faculty building and the Judge Institute of Management Studies, in March 1996 opened by HM The Queen.
The Tower of Pisa
A doll dressed in Hungarian folk costume. This is the most popular and sort of the souvenir the tourists take home with from Hungary—— the colors of unique charm, the dolls' enchant. But only a few people know that not only is this wonderful item, folk doll, available on the shelf of souvenir shops among the cold walls of museums, but it is a living reality.
It is visible, tangible and can be experienced. It is a rarity, which is not disappeared in the modern life.
Holloko, possibly the most charming Hungarian village in the mountains of the northeast, is also part of the world heritage.
Local people as well as tourists can admire age-old wedding ceremonies of the polo's region.
The bride's trousseau is transported along the main street for the whole world to see all the brightly decorated stuff. A sign of the family's wealth. Tradition also calls for a joined community effort to make the newly weds an anticipation for many children to come.
In the meantime, the audience listens to the bride and bridegroom's farewell ceremony.
After the groom's first visit, spectators can witness the most splendid art of the wedding, the adornment of the bride.
Particular preparation along years of effort is bringing life the memorable moments. The number of underskirts could even reach a hundred.
The marvelously embroidered wedding dress revives the atmosphere and sophisticated taste of the past times.
The couple walks to the church hand in hand, and the village scene recreates the picturesque background for the festival procession.
Folk traditions are closely asso1siated with milestones of human life, birth, priest, marriage and death. The whole village shares each other's happiness and grave. And these community events help people forget the monotony of everyday life for just a little while.
In most Hungarian villages, wedding takes place in the same way, even today. But for traveler, can also feel the reality and magic of moment.
Grape picking is the most important and ever returning celebration in the life of a Hungary village.
The procession is made up of the horses and cows. They visit various places in countryside.
The village man and his wife pay a simper part in the festivity, and they host the event as the carnival prince and princess.
At every stop, the participants of the procession have the opportunity to taste wines, and to sing and dance. The community as a whole does its best and desire to contribute as much as it can.
Grape picking is the greatest celebration in the winemaking regions. We should not forget, however, that every region in Hungary has some sort of wine culture. This is the world famous culture of embroidery.
Its main motive is the wonderfully blooming flower pattern and the bold variation of three bright colors on the fabric. Such a bonnet blouses is virtually priceless because a single garment meets several years of meticulous embroidery.
Possibly, tradition says the most about people's character and mentality. The main purpose of tourism, apart from visiting different places, is to get acquaint with each other's costumes and cultures. Similarly, to other exterior people, Hungarians offer a warm welcome to those who are interested in their country.
It is visible, tangible and can be experienced. It is a rarity, which is not disappeared in the modern life.
Holloko, possibly the most charming Hungarian village in the mountains of the northeast, is also part of the world heritage.
Local people as well as tourists can admire age-old wedding ceremonies of the polo's region.
The bride's trousseau is transported along the main street for the whole world to see all the brightly decorated stuff. A sign of the family's wealth. Tradition also calls for a joined community effort to make the newly weds an anticipation for many children to come.
In the meantime, the audience listens to the bride and bridegroom's farewell ceremony.
After the groom's first visit, spectators can witness the most splendid art of the wedding, the adornment of the bride.
Particular preparation along years of effort is bringing life the memorable moments. The number of underskirts could even reach a hundred.
The marvelously embroidered wedding dress revives the atmosphere and sophisticated taste of the past times.
The couple walks to the church hand in hand, and the village scene recreates the picturesque background for the festival procession.
Folk traditions are closely asso1siated with milestones of human life, birth, priest, marriage and death. The whole village shares each other's happiness and grave. And these community events help people forget the monotony of everyday life for just a little while.
In most Hungarian villages, wedding takes place in the same way, even today. But for traveler, can also feel the reality and magic of moment.
Grape picking is the most important and ever returning celebration in the life of a Hungary village.
The procession is made up of the horses and cows. They visit various places in countryside.
The village man and his wife pay a simper part in the festivity, and they host the event as the carnival prince and princess.
At every stop, the participants of the procession have the opportunity to taste wines, and to sing and dance. The community as a whole does its best and desire to contribute as much as it can.
Grape picking is the greatest celebration in the winemaking regions. We should not forget, however, that every region in Hungary has some sort of wine culture. This is the world famous culture of embroidery.
Its main motive is the wonderfully blooming flower pattern and the bold variation of three bright colors on the fabric. Such a bonnet blouses is virtually priceless because a single garment meets several years of meticulous embroidery.
Possibly, tradition says the most about people's character and mentality. The main purpose of tourism, apart from visiting different places, is to get acquaint with each other's costumes and cultures. Similarly, to other exterior people, Hungarians offer a warm welcome to those who are interested in their country.
the longest river in France
The Loire, the longest river in France, rises south of the Central Massif and flows into the Atlantic Ocean 1020 km later. This is the part that goes from the city of Orleans to the city of Tours, enclosing that area of the Loire Valley in which over 100 magnificent castles lie.
What we are looking at is the castle of Beauregard. In this residence？？ the central part has a double gallery with arcades opening onto the ground floor. Which was commissioned by Jean de Thier, secretary of state to Henri II. There is a collection of paintings quite unique in the world.
This sumptuous salon, built in the 17th century, which is covered with exquisite woodwork and has a marvelous ceiling with decorated beams, contains over 300 portraits going from the first sovereign of the Valois up to Louis XIII of Bourbon. Here is Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francois I, it was primarily they who brought to the region: painters, cabinet-makers, sculptors, and architects, who were to live and work here.
In this chapel, which has a nave and two aisles, there lies the tomb of a genius: Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo arrived in Amboise in 1517, having been invited to the court by Francois I, and was put up in this residence which is called Cols-Luce. The artist lived out the last years of his life here and Francois I acquired that masterpiece that even today represents one of France's treasures: the Mona Lisa.
We continue on our way to visit another very special castle: Villandry. Built on the banks of the Loire in 1536 it is distinguished by its architectural peculiarity, which is characterized above all by its rectangular pavilions instead of round towers. But its fame is especially connected to the marvelous Italianate gardens. Here in Villandry he called Don Pacello da Mercogliano to the court, which were more a great Italian artist rather than a gardener. On the lower level, there is the decorative vegetable garden, the most visually striking and original of the whole estate. It is amazing to see how simple lettuces and vegetables manage to have this ornamental quality.
Excellent wines are produced in the many vineyards in the ancient province of Touraine, which lies around Tours. Wines that make you love this area even more, just as the great writer Honore de Balzac also loved it. And in Touraine you also learn to love wine. Its history dates back as far as the Gauls and its international.
reputation has certainly no need of further comment.
The ones here are the dry white Sancere, strong and vibrant, Vouvray, sparking and clear, it looks like a waterfall of pearls. This wine reminded Rabelais, the great writer of the 16th century, of taffeta, a silky and delicate fabric.
Those who love glowing reds will not be disappointed by the Loirs Valley: here is Bourgureil, with the strong perfume of raspberries. Chinon, on the other hand, has a delicate hint of violets.
And so, glasses raised. A toast to the beauty of these dreamlike-places.
A journey on the Loire is a meander in history, art and daily life. It is in a corner of Europe that etched itself deeply in the heart and mind.
卢瓦尔河是法国最长的河流。它发源于中部山区，流经1020公里后，汇入大西洋。这里是位于Orleans和Tours之间的一段流域，100多座宏伟的城堡屹立于此。
现在我们看到的是Beauregard城堡。在它的建筑中部有一个双层画廊，其拱廊从一层往上延伸开来。它是由亨利二世的国务大臣Jean De Their授权修建的。这里绘画藏品的风格在世界上也是独树一帜。
这座修建于17世纪的豪华沙龙，外观是精美的木艺，房顶的椽子也被精心装饰。这里保存的300多件绘画的收藏者包括了从Valois王朝的开国皇帝到波旁王朝的路易十三世。查尔斯八世、路易斯十二世和佛兰索瓦一世将画家、木刻家、雕塑家和建筑师带到了这片他们生活工作的地方。
在这个拥有小广场和回廊的礼拜堂里，安葬着一位天才——来昂那多。达。芬奇。在被佛兰索瓦一世约见后，达芬奇于1517年来到Amboise，并被安排住在Cols-Luce.艺术家在此度过了晚年，而佛兰索瓦一世也得到了艺术史上的不朽之作——《蒙娜丽莎》。
我们要继续向前，参观另一座很有特色的城堡——Villandry.它于1536年建于卢瓦尔河畔，建筑特色使城堡蜚声遐迩。因为这里没有常见的圆形城堡，而是矩形的亭子。不过它的意大利式的园艺也是这里的特色之一。在Villandry，意大利园艺师Don Pacello Da Mercogliano更像是一位艺术家。在地势低的地方，还有一个装饰性的蔬菜花园，自然最原始的本色成为最令人赏心悦目的景色。这些最普通的菜蔬被神奇地赋予了装饰功能。
优质的葡萄酒产自历史悠久的省份——都兰。葡萄酒会令你在此地倍感心旷神怡，就如同作家巴尔扎克对这里的迷恋。在都兰，你还能学到如何热爱葡萄酒。追溯历史，早在高卢时期，当地葡萄酒的美名就已经响誉天下。
徜徉在卢瓦尔河上，如同荡漾在历史、艺术与现实之中。
这里出产的酒有浓烈鲜艳的Sancere和眩目清澈的Vouvray，那看上去如同珍珠般的瀑布。这种酒在16世纪法国作家Rabelais的笔下被比喻成一种精美的丝织品。
那些喜爱红酒的人也不会在卢瓦尔河流域失望，这里的Bourgureil酒散发着浓郁的香气。Chinon酒则拥有着紫罗兰般的绚丽色彩。
让我们举杯，为这里梦幻般的美景尽兴。
畅游在卢瓦尔河，仿佛是行进在历史、艺术与现实的交错之中。在这欧洲的一角，它已被深深镌刻在人们的心灵之中。
What we are looking at is the castle of Beauregard. In this residence？？ the central part has a double gallery with arcades opening onto the ground floor. Which was commissioned by Jean de Thier, secretary of state to Henri II. There is a collection of paintings quite unique in the world.
This sumptuous salon, built in the 17th century, which is covered with exquisite woodwork and has a marvelous ceiling with decorated beams, contains over 300 portraits going from the first sovereign of the Valois up to Louis XIII of Bourbon. Here is Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francois I, it was primarily they who brought to the region: painters, cabinet-makers, sculptors, and architects, who were to live and work here.
In this chapel, which has a nave and two aisles, there lies the tomb of a genius: Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo arrived in Amboise in 1517, having been invited to the court by Francois I, and was put up in this residence which is called Cols-Luce. The artist lived out the last years of his life here and Francois I acquired that masterpiece that even today represents one of France's treasures: the Mona Lisa.
We continue on our way to visit another very special castle: Villandry. Built on the banks of the Loire in 1536 it is distinguished by its architectural peculiarity, which is characterized above all by its rectangular pavilions instead of round towers. But its fame is especially connected to the marvelous Italianate gardens. Here in Villandry he called Don Pacello da Mercogliano to the court, which were more a great Italian artist rather than a gardener. On the lower level, there is the decorative vegetable garden, the most visually striking and original of the whole estate. It is amazing to see how simple lettuces and vegetables manage to have this ornamental quality.
Excellent wines are produced in the many vineyards in the ancient province of Touraine, which lies around Tours. Wines that make you love this area even more, just as the great writer Honore de Balzac also loved it. And in Touraine you also learn to love wine. Its history dates back as far as the Gauls and its international.
reputation has certainly no need of further comment.
The ones here are the dry white Sancere, strong and vibrant, Vouvray, sparking and clear, it looks like a waterfall of pearls. This wine reminded Rabelais, the great writer of the 16th century, of taffeta, a silky and delicate fabric.
Those who love glowing reds will not be disappointed by the Loirs Valley: here is Bourgureil, with the strong perfume of raspberries. Chinon, on the other hand, has a delicate hint of violets.
And so, glasses raised. A toast to the beauty of these dreamlike-places.
A journey on the Loire is a meander in history, art and daily life. It is in a corner of Europe that etched itself deeply in the heart and mind.
卢瓦尔河是法国最长的河流。它发源于中部山区，流经1020公里后，汇入大西洋。这里是位于Orleans和Tours之间的一段流域，100多座宏伟的城堡屹立于此。
现在我们看到的是Beauregard城堡。在它的建筑中部有一个双层画廊，其拱廊从一层往上延伸开来。它是由亨利二世的国务大臣Jean De Their授权修建的。这里绘画藏品的风格在世界上也是独树一帜。
这座修建于17世纪的豪华沙龙，外观是精美的木艺，房顶的椽子也被精心装饰。这里保存的300多件绘画的收藏者包括了从Valois王朝的开国皇帝到波旁王朝的路易十三世。查尔斯八世、路易斯十二世和佛兰索瓦一世将画家、木刻家、雕塑家和建筑师带到了这片他们生活工作的地方。
在这个拥有小广场和回廊的礼拜堂里，安葬着一位天才——来昂那多。达。芬奇。在被佛兰索瓦一世约见后，达芬奇于1517年来到Amboise，并被安排住在Cols-Luce.艺术家在此度过了晚年，而佛兰索瓦一世也得到了艺术史上的不朽之作——《蒙娜丽莎》。
我们要继续向前，参观另一座很有特色的城堡——Villandry.它于1536年建于卢瓦尔河畔，建筑特色使城堡蜚声遐迩。因为这里没有常见的圆形城堡，而是矩形的亭子。不过它的意大利式的园艺也是这里的特色之一。在Villandry，意大利园艺师Don Pacello Da Mercogliano更像是一位艺术家。在地势低的地方，还有一个装饰性的蔬菜花园，自然最原始的本色成为最令人赏心悦目的景色。这些最普通的菜蔬被神奇地赋予了装饰功能。
优质的葡萄酒产自历史悠久的省份——都兰。葡萄酒会令你在此地倍感心旷神怡，就如同作家巴尔扎克对这里的迷恋。在都兰，你还能学到如何热爱葡萄酒。追溯历史，早在高卢时期，当地葡萄酒的美名就已经响誉天下。
徜徉在卢瓦尔河上，如同荡漾在历史、艺术与现实之中。
这里出产的酒有浓烈鲜艳的Sancere和眩目清澈的Vouvray，那看上去如同珍珠般的瀑布。这种酒在16世纪法国作家Rabelais的笔下被比喻成一种精美的丝织品。
那些喜爱红酒的人也不会在卢瓦尔河流域失望，这里的Bourgureil酒散发着浓郁的香气。Chinon酒则拥有着紫罗兰般的绚丽色彩。
让我们举杯，为这里梦幻般的美景尽兴。
畅游在卢瓦尔河，仿佛是行进在历史、艺术与现实的交错之中。在这欧洲的一角，它已被深深镌刻在人们的心灵之中。
Montreal (Canada)
The duality（双重性）of Canadian life has been called the "Twin Solitudes." One Canada， English and Calvinist （加尔文教徒）in origin， tends to be staid and smug and work obsessed. The other， French and Catholic， is more creative， lighthearted， and inclined to see pleasure as the end purpose of labor. These two peoples live side by side throughout Québec and in the nine provinces of English Canada， but the blending（混合）occurs in particularly intense fashion in Québec province's largest city， Montréal. French speakers， known as Francophones， constitute 66% of the city's population， while most of the remaining population are speakers of English——Anglophones. （Those few residents who speak neither， or who have another primary tongue， are called Allophones.） While both groups are decidedly North American， they are no more alike than Margaret Thatcher and Charles de Gaulle.
Montréal is a modern city in nearly every regard. Its downtown bristles with skyscrapers， but these are playful， almost perky （活泼的；有生气的）， with unexpected shapes. The city aboveground is mirrored by another below， where an entire winter can be avoided in coatless comfort. To the west and north of downtown are Anglo commercial and residential neighborhoods， centered around Westmount. To the east and north are Francophone quartiers， centered on Outremount and Plateau Mont-Royal.
Over the past decade， there has been the undeniable impression of decline in Montréal. A bleak （无希望的）mood has prevailed in many quarters， driven by lingering recession and uncertainty over the future. There is some truth in the perception. After all， it remains possible that Québec will yet choose to fling itself into an unknown independence from the rest of Canada.
Lately， ripples of optimism are spreading through the province and its largest city. Unemployment， though still high， shows signs of shrinking. A new $900 million high-tech theme park is to be installed near the Port of Montréal， a project wrested away from the city's bitter rival， Toronto. Favorable currency exchange and the presence of skilled workers have made the city a favored site for Hollywood film and TV production， last year attracting movies starring Bruce Willis， John Travolta， and Eddie Murphy， among others， that brought in over $700 million in revenue. That success inspired the construction of two major film studios， one completed and another expected to be Canada's largest.
To many American city dwellers， Montréal already might seem an urban near-paradise. The subway system， called the Métro， is modern and swift. Streets are clean and safe. There are rarely more than 60 homicides（杀人案件） a year in Montréal， compared to the hundreds of murders annually in every American city of comparable or greater size. Montréal's best restaurants are the equal of their south-of-the-border compatriots in almost every way， yet they are as much as 30% to 40% cheaper. And the government gives visitors back most of the taxes they collect.
Montréal is a modern city in nearly every regard. Its downtown bristles with skyscrapers， but these are playful， almost perky （活泼的；有生气的）， with unexpected shapes. The city aboveground is mirrored by another below， where an entire winter can be avoided in coatless comfort. To the west and north of downtown are Anglo commercial and residential neighborhoods， centered around Westmount. To the east and north are Francophone quartiers， centered on Outremount and Plateau Mont-Royal.
Over the past decade， there has been the undeniable impression of decline in Montréal. A bleak （无希望的）mood has prevailed in many quarters， driven by lingering recession and uncertainty over the future. There is some truth in the perception. After all， it remains possible that Québec will yet choose to fling itself into an unknown independence from the rest of Canada.
Lately， ripples of optimism are spreading through the province and its largest city. Unemployment， though still high， shows signs of shrinking. A new $900 million high-tech theme park is to be installed near the Port of Montréal， a project wrested away from the city's bitter rival， Toronto. Favorable currency exchange and the presence of skilled workers have made the city a favored site for Hollywood film and TV production， last year attracting movies starring Bruce Willis， John Travolta， and Eddie Murphy， among others， that brought in over $700 million in revenue. That success inspired the construction of two major film studios， one completed and another expected to be Canada's largest.
To many American city dwellers， Montréal already might seem an urban near-paradise. The subway system， called the Métro， is modern and swift. Streets are clean and safe. There are rarely more than 60 homicides（杀人案件） a year in Montréal， compared to the hundreds of murders annually in every American city of comparable or greater size. Montréal's best restaurants are the equal of their south-of-the-border compatriots in almost every way， yet they are as much as 30% to 40% cheaper. And the government gives visitors back most of the taxes they collect.
Heavenly Longevity Mountains generals, civil mandarins, and courtiers
Dingling, the underground mausoleum of Emperor Wan Li, is one of the thirteen imperial tombs of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Emperor Wan Li (1573-1620) ordered the construction of his own tomb when he was 22 and it took six years to complete the construction which cost about two year's land taxes of the entire empire. The Emperor gave a party in his own funeral chamber, so the chronicles say, to mark its completion, and thirty years later he was buried in it amid a splendid ceremony.
The tomb was excavated in 1958 and has since been open to the public as an underground museum.
Some fifty kilometers northwest of Beijing city center, the group of tombs (known as Ming Tombs) near Dingling are scattered around the southern slopes of the Heavenly Longevity Mountains(1), bounded by hills on three sides with a southern exposure to an open plain.
The approach to the Ming Tombs is a shaded 7-kilometer-long road known as the Sacred Way. Its beginning is marked with a marble archway standing 27 meters long and 15 meters high. The marble archway is similar to the triumphal arches of Europe (Paris, Rome, Berlin, etc.). This archway, one of the finest and best preserved in the country, was erected in 1540, at a time when Chinese architecture had reached its climax.
A stone table nearby proclaims that entrants must dismount at this point and proceed on foot, that admittance beyond the archway was forbidden to ordinary citizens, and that violating this law was punishable by death.
Further on, this road is lined with gigantic stone statues, 24 of lions, camels, elephants, horses, and mythical animals and 12 of generals, civil mandarins, and courtiers(2).
Dingling consists of the underground palace and surface structures, most of which are now in ruin, leaving the magnificent soul Tower still standing in a spacious courtyard. Each corner of the Tower is a single block of stone. The rafters, beams and architraves are also carved out of stone and decorated with colorful motifs. The Tower houses a large stone tablet inscribed with Wan Li's posthumous title.
Immediately behind the tower is the burial mound encircled by a 700-meter-long brick wall. The mound is called the Precious City and directly beneath it is a mammoth tomb-the Underground Palace, where the emperor and his two empresses were expected to live an eternal life in splendor and luxury.
The Underground Palace lies 27 metes below the surface. A flight of stone steps leads down to the main entrance, which is a richly carved gateway with a double-leaf marble door. Each leaf, 4 tons in weight, hinges on an axis which is carved from the same piece of marble. The lower end of the axis rests in a hole on the stone doorstep and the upper end in a hole of the bronze lintel which weights ten tons. Each marble leaf, incredible, is thicker near the axis and tapers off toward the middle of the door. This allows one person to open and close the massive door easily. The door was ingeniously sealed on the burial scene by a stone bar, known as the "Self-acting stone." Once put in place from inside, this bolt would prevent the door from ever being opened again.
The Underground Palace consists of three aligned vaults: the Ante-Chamber, the Sacrificial Chamber and the Burial Chamber. Each chamber is provided with an entrance gate as massive as the main gate.
The Ante-Chamber is now bare. The Sacrificial Chamber, flanked with an annex chamber on each side, contains three white thrones. The central one, carved with dragons in high relief on its back and sides, was for the emperor, who was flanked in death by two empresses on thrones carved with phoenixes. In front of each throne is a set of five-altar pieces and a large blue-and -white porcelain jar still containing oil and wick in a bronze tube. This is called "everlasting lamp"(3) which was supposed to provide "everlasting light". Midway along the side walls are simple arched doorways leading into the annexes. Each annex contains a stone couch on which an empress's coffin was to rest. In the center of each couch there is a square hole in which yellow earth was placed, presenting a secret connection between the coffin and the earth. At the end of each annex is a huge gate with a self-acting stone. Beyond the gate is a vaulted passage which is blocked. The passage was intended for the entombment of the empresses should they die after the emperor, as no one was supposed to disturb his corpse.
In the Burial Chamber, the largest part of the tomb, stand three red-lacquered coffins, side by side on a white marble platform. The one in the middle is the Emperor's coffin, with the First Empress's on the left and the Second Empress's on the right. Inside each coffin there is another coffin, and thus, each imperial corpse is held in two coffins, one kept within the other. In the narrow spaces between the three sets of coffins are two pairs of vases and three boxes which originally contained a wooden imperial seal and wooden tablets recording the bestowal on the emperor of his posthumous title. There is also an iron helmet decorated with gold and jewels, a suit of mail, a sword, a bow, and iron-tipped arrows.
ON either side of the coffins are 26 wooden chests that contain wooden figurines, women's head-dresses decorated with golden phoenixes and jewels, wooden seals with the posthumous titles of the empresses, jade belts, strings of jade pendants, robes, shoes and sets of gold chopsticks, spoons, cups, and wash-basins. Also on the platform were wooden models of sedan chairs, coaches, spears, bows, arrows, flagstaffs with silk banners and other objects used in imperial processions.
When the emperor's coffin was opened, a silk shroud, jade cups and jade bowls with a gold cover were first exposed. The shroud was then carefully rolled back, revealing among other precious objects a royal crown which is the only royal crown excavated so far in China. Of Emperor Wan Li, only bones and hair remained. He wore a beard, and his long hair in a top knot was secured with long gold pins. The "dragon robe", in which he was buried is not so well preserved as a similar one buried with him. Rolls of silk, all in gorgeous patterns and many woven with gold thread, form his mattress and bedding. Both empresses' coffins contained phoenix coronets and other headdresses, bronze mirrors and gold boxes for cosmetics and toilet articles. The coronets are of fine gold mesh with dragons and phoenixes, each adorned with more than a hundred germs and five thousand pearls.
Most of the relics (some three thousand pieces )are on display in the Dingling Museum Exhibition Hall, which has attracted millions of visitors from China and abroad
The tomb was excavated in 1958 and has since been open to the public as an underground museum.
Some fifty kilometers northwest of Beijing city center, the group of tombs (known as Ming Tombs) near Dingling are scattered around the southern slopes of the Heavenly Longevity Mountains(1), bounded by hills on three sides with a southern exposure to an open plain.
The approach to the Ming Tombs is a shaded 7-kilometer-long road known as the Sacred Way. Its beginning is marked with a marble archway standing 27 meters long and 15 meters high. The marble archway is similar to the triumphal arches of Europe (Paris, Rome, Berlin, etc.). This archway, one of the finest and best preserved in the country, was erected in 1540, at a time when Chinese architecture had reached its climax.
A stone table nearby proclaims that entrants must dismount at this point and proceed on foot, that admittance beyond the archway was forbidden to ordinary citizens, and that violating this law was punishable by death.
Further on, this road is lined with gigantic stone statues, 24 of lions, camels, elephants, horses, and mythical animals and 12 of generals, civil mandarins, and courtiers(2).
Dingling consists of the underground palace and surface structures, most of which are now in ruin, leaving the magnificent soul Tower still standing in a spacious courtyard. Each corner of the Tower is a single block of stone. The rafters, beams and architraves are also carved out of stone and decorated with colorful motifs. The Tower houses a large stone tablet inscribed with Wan Li's posthumous title.
Immediately behind the tower is the burial mound encircled by a 700-meter-long brick wall. The mound is called the Precious City and directly beneath it is a mammoth tomb-the Underground Palace, where the emperor and his two empresses were expected to live an eternal life in splendor and luxury.
The Underground Palace lies 27 metes below the surface. A flight of stone steps leads down to the main entrance, which is a richly carved gateway with a double-leaf marble door. Each leaf, 4 tons in weight, hinges on an axis which is carved from the same piece of marble. The lower end of the axis rests in a hole on the stone doorstep and the upper end in a hole of the bronze lintel which weights ten tons. Each marble leaf, incredible, is thicker near the axis and tapers off toward the middle of the door. This allows one person to open and close the massive door easily. The door was ingeniously sealed on the burial scene by a stone bar, known as the "Self-acting stone." Once put in place from inside, this bolt would prevent the door from ever being opened again.
The Underground Palace consists of three aligned vaults: the Ante-Chamber, the Sacrificial Chamber and the Burial Chamber. Each chamber is provided with an entrance gate as massive as the main gate.
The Ante-Chamber is now bare. The Sacrificial Chamber, flanked with an annex chamber on each side, contains three white thrones. The central one, carved with dragons in high relief on its back and sides, was for the emperor, who was flanked in death by two empresses on thrones carved with phoenixes. In front of each throne is a set of five-altar pieces and a large blue-and -white porcelain jar still containing oil and wick in a bronze tube. This is called "everlasting lamp"(3) which was supposed to provide "everlasting light". Midway along the side walls are simple arched doorways leading into the annexes. Each annex contains a stone couch on which an empress's coffin was to rest. In the center of each couch there is a square hole in which yellow earth was placed, presenting a secret connection between the coffin and the earth. At the end of each annex is a huge gate with a self-acting stone. Beyond the gate is a vaulted passage which is blocked. The passage was intended for the entombment of the empresses should they die after the emperor, as no one was supposed to disturb his corpse.
In the Burial Chamber, the largest part of the tomb, stand three red-lacquered coffins, side by side on a white marble platform. The one in the middle is the Emperor's coffin, with the First Empress's on the left and the Second Empress's on the right. Inside each coffin there is another coffin, and thus, each imperial corpse is held in two coffins, one kept within the other. In the narrow spaces between the three sets of coffins are two pairs of vases and three boxes which originally contained a wooden imperial seal and wooden tablets recording the bestowal on the emperor of his posthumous title. There is also an iron helmet decorated with gold and jewels, a suit of mail, a sword, a bow, and iron-tipped arrows.
ON either side of the coffins are 26 wooden chests that contain wooden figurines, women's head-dresses decorated with golden phoenixes and jewels, wooden seals with the posthumous titles of the empresses, jade belts, strings of jade pendants, robes, shoes and sets of gold chopsticks, spoons, cups, and wash-basins. Also on the platform were wooden models of sedan chairs, coaches, spears, bows, arrows, flagstaffs with silk banners and other objects used in imperial processions.
When the emperor's coffin was opened, a silk shroud, jade cups and jade bowls with a gold cover were first exposed. The shroud was then carefully rolled back, revealing among other precious objects a royal crown which is the only royal crown excavated so far in China. Of Emperor Wan Li, only bones and hair remained. He wore a beard, and his long hair in a top knot was secured with long gold pins. The "dragon robe", in which he was buried is not so well preserved as a similar one buried with him. Rolls of silk, all in gorgeous patterns and many woven with gold thread, form his mattress and bedding. Both empresses' coffins contained phoenix coronets and other headdresses, bronze mirrors and gold boxes for cosmetics and toilet articles. The coronets are of fine gold mesh with dragons and phoenixes, each adorned with more than a hundred germs and five thousand pearls.
Most of the relics (some three thousand pieces )are on display in the Dingling Museum Exhibition Hall, which has attracted millions of visitors from China and abroad
Potala Palace
中国英语学习网 www.24en.com.In 641, after marrying Princess Wencheng, Songtsen Gampo decided to build a grand palace to accommodate her and let his descendants remember the event. However, the original palace was destroyed due to a lightening strike and succeeding warfare during Landama's reign. In seventeenth century under the reign of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Potala was rebuilt. The Thirteenth Dalai Lama expanded it to today's scale. The monastery-like palace, reclining against and capping Red Hill, was the religious and political center of old Tibet and the winter palace of Dalai Lamas. The palace is more than 117 meters (384 feet) in height and 360 (1180 feet) in width, occupying a building space of 90 thousand square meters. Potala is composed of White Palace and Red Palace. The former is for secular use while the later is for religious.
The White Palace consists of offices, dormitories, a Buddhist official seminary and a printing house. From the east entrance of the palace, painted with images of Four Heavenly Kings, a broad corridor upwards leads to Deyang Shar courtyard, which used to be where Dalai Lamas watched operas. Around the large and open courtyard, there used to be a seminary and dormitories. West of the courtyard is the White Palace. There are three ladder stairs reaching inside of it, however, the central one was reserved for only Dalai Lamas and central government magistrates dispatched to Tibet. In the first hallway, there are huge murals describing the construction of Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple and the procession of Princess Wencheng reaching Tibet. On the south wall, visitors will see an edict signed with the Great Fifth's handprint. The White Palace mainly serves as the political headquarter and Dalai Lamas' living quarters. The West Chamber of Sunshine and the East Chamber of Sunshine lie as the roof of the White Palace. They belonged to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and the Fourteenth Dalai Lama respectively. Beneath the East Chamber of Sunshine is the largest hall in the White Palace, where Dalai Lamas ascended throne and ruled Tibet.
The Red Palace was constructed after the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama. The center of the complicated Red Palace is the Great West Hall, which records the Great Fifth Dalai Lama's life by its fine murals. The scene of his visit to Emperor Shunzhi in Beijing in 1652 is extraordinarily vivid. It also has finely carved columns and brackets. The hall has four additional chapels. The West Chapel houses three gold stupas of the Fifth, Tenth and Twelfth Dalai Lamas'. Their mummified and perfumed bodies are well kept in those stupas. Among the three, the Fifth Dalai Lama's stupa is the biggest, which is made of sandalwood, wrapped in gold foil and decorated with thousands of diamonds, pearls, agates and others gems. The stupa, with a height of 14.86 meters (49 feet), spends more than 3,700 kilograms of gold. The North Chapel contains statues of Sakyamuni, Dalai Lamas and Medicine Buddha, and stupas of the Eighth, Ninth and Eleventh Dalai Lamas. Against the wall is Tanjur (Beijing edition), a most important Tibetan Buddhist sutra sent to the Seventh Dalai Lama by Emperor Yongzheng. In the East Chapel a two meters (6.5 feet) high statue of Tsong Khapa, the founder of Gelugpa which is Dalai Lama's lineage, is enshrined and worshipped. In addition, about 70 famous adepts in Tibetan Buddhism surround him. The South Chapel is where a silver statue of Padmasambhava and 8 bronze statues of his reincarnations are enshrined. On the floor above, there is a gallery which has a collection of 698 murals, portraying Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Dalai Lamas and great adepts and narrating jataka stories and significant Tibetan historic events. West of the Great West Hall locates the Thirteenth Dalai Lama's stupa hall. Since he was regarded as great as the Great Fifth, people started to build his stupa after his death in the fall of 1933. Taking three years, the stupa is comparable with the Great Fifth's stupa. It is 14 meters (46 feet) in height, coated with a ton (2200 pounds) of gold foils. In front of it is a mandala made of more than 200,000 pearls and other gems. Murals in the hall tell important events in his life, including his visit with Emperor Guangxu. The highest hall of Potala was built in 1690. It used to be the holy shrine of Chinese Emperors. Dalai Lamas would come here with his officials and high lamas to show their respects to the central government annually before.
Dharma Cave and the Saint's Chapel are the only structures left which were built in seventh century. They both lie central of the Red Palace. Dharma Cave is said to be the place where King Songtsen Gampo proceeded his religious cultivation. Inside the cave, statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Tritsun and his chief ministers are enshrined. In the Saint's Chapel above Dharma Cave, Chenrezi, Tsong Khapa, Padmasambhava, the Fifth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Dalai Lamas are enshrined and worshipped. Visitors may find a stone with a footprint that was believed left by the infant Twelfth Dalai Lama.
Notes:
1. Potala Palace 布达拉宫
2. Princess Wencheng 文成公主
3. Songtsen Gampo 松赞干布
4. White Palace 白宫
5. Red Palace 红宫
The White Palace consists of offices, dormitories, a Buddhist official seminary and a printing house. From the east entrance of the palace, painted with images of Four Heavenly Kings, a broad corridor upwards leads to Deyang Shar courtyard, which used to be where Dalai Lamas watched operas. Around the large and open courtyard, there used to be a seminary and dormitories. West of the courtyard is the White Palace. There are three ladder stairs reaching inside of it, however, the central one was reserved for only Dalai Lamas and central government magistrates dispatched to Tibet. In the first hallway, there are huge murals describing the construction of Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple and the procession of Princess Wencheng reaching Tibet. On the south wall, visitors will see an edict signed with the Great Fifth's handprint. The White Palace mainly serves as the political headquarter and Dalai Lamas' living quarters. The West Chamber of Sunshine and the East Chamber of Sunshine lie as the roof of the White Palace. They belonged to the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and the Fourteenth Dalai Lama respectively. Beneath the East Chamber of Sunshine is the largest hall in the White Palace, where Dalai Lamas ascended throne and ruled Tibet.
The Red Palace was constructed after the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama. The center of the complicated Red Palace is the Great West Hall, which records the Great Fifth Dalai Lama's life by its fine murals. The scene of his visit to Emperor Shunzhi in Beijing in 1652 is extraordinarily vivid. It also has finely carved columns and brackets. The hall has four additional chapels. The West Chapel houses three gold stupas of the Fifth, Tenth and Twelfth Dalai Lamas'. Their mummified and perfumed bodies are well kept in those stupas. Among the three, the Fifth Dalai Lama's stupa is the biggest, which is made of sandalwood, wrapped in gold foil and decorated with thousands of diamonds, pearls, agates and others gems. The stupa, with a height of 14.86 meters (49 feet), spends more than 3,700 kilograms of gold. The North Chapel contains statues of Sakyamuni, Dalai Lamas and Medicine Buddha, and stupas of the Eighth, Ninth and Eleventh Dalai Lamas. Against the wall is Tanjur (Beijing edition), a most important Tibetan Buddhist sutra sent to the Seventh Dalai Lama by Emperor Yongzheng. In the East Chapel a two meters (6.5 feet) high statue of Tsong Khapa, the founder of Gelugpa which is Dalai Lama's lineage, is enshrined and worshipped. In addition, about 70 famous adepts in Tibetan Buddhism surround him. The South Chapel is where a silver statue of Padmasambhava and 8 bronze statues of his reincarnations are enshrined. On the floor above, there is a gallery which has a collection of 698 murals, portraying Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Dalai Lamas and great adepts and narrating jataka stories and significant Tibetan historic events. West of the Great West Hall locates the Thirteenth Dalai Lama's stupa hall. Since he was regarded as great as the Great Fifth, people started to build his stupa after his death in the fall of 1933. Taking three years, the stupa is comparable with the Great Fifth's stupa. It is 14 meters (46 feet) in height, coated with a ton (2200 pounds) of gold foils. In front of it is a mandala made of more than 200,000 pearls and other gems. Murals in the hall tell important events in his life, including his visit with Emperor Guangxu. The highest hall of Potala was built in 1690. It used to be the holy shrine of Chinese Emperors. Dalai Lamas would come here with his officials and high lamas to show their respects to the central government annually before.
Dharma Cave and the Saint's Chapel are the only structures left which were built in seventh century. They both lie central of the Red Palace. Dharma Cave is said to be the place where King Songtsen Gampo proceeded his religious cultivation. Inside the cave, statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Tritsun and his chief ministers are enshrined. In the Saint's Chapel above Dharma Cave, Chenrezi, Tsong Khapa, Padmasambhava, the Fifth, Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Dalai Lamas are enshrined and worshipped. Visitors may find a stone with a footprint that was believed left by the infant Twelfth Dalai Lama.
Notes:
1. Potala Palace 布达拉宫
2. Princess Wencheng 文成公主
3. Songtsen Gampo 松赞干布
4. White Palace 白宫
5. Red Palace 红宫
ONE WORLD ONE DREAM
The Beijing Olympic Games will be held on August 8, 2008. By then China will become the spotlight of the whole world. It is less than 900 days to the Beijing Olympic Games.Everybody is looking forward to this great event. The slogan for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is " One World, One dream" and the official Mascots are Five Friendlie
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