Kabul (Afghan)

Kabul （Afghan） Kabul， city in east central Afghanistan， capital of the country and Kabul Province. Kabul is on the Kabul River， situated at an elevation of about 1800 m （about 5900 ft） making it one of the highest capital cities in the World. The population is around 1 million people. The nation's chief economic and cultural center， it has long been of strategic importance because of its proximity （接近）to the Khyber Pass （开伯尔山口兴都库什山脉最大和最重要的山口。在巴基斯坦与阿富汗之间，穿行开伯尔山，东口距巴基斯坦白沙瓦16公里。历史上为连接南亚与西亚、中亚的最重要通道）， an important pass in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Manufactures of the city include textiles， processed food， chemicals， and wood products. Tajiks are the predominant population group of Kabul， and Pashtuns（阿富汗民族，几乎半数的阿富汗人属于普什图民族）are an important minority. Kabul University （founded in 1932） had been the country's most important institute of higher education prior to its closure due to war in 1992. The university was the best known in the region in the 1970 and 1980's. The university now is being partially reopened and only a few students are returning. The University needs much reconstruction in order to operate normally.
　　An ancient community， Kabul rose to prominence in 1504， when it was made the capital of the Moghul Empire（摩格尔帝国） by the conqueror
　　During the past decade of turmoil in Afghanistan， Kabul Museum has been virtually emptied and in other areas of the country sites have been plundered.
　　Babur （回教君王巴布尔）。 Delhi replaced it as the imperial capital in 1526， but Kabul remained an important Moghul center until it was captured， in 1738， by the Persian ruler Nadir Shah. In 1747 Kabul became part of an independent Afghan state， and in the 1770s it replaced Qandahar as the capital of Afghanistan. It was a focus of British， Persian， and Russian rivalry for control of the Khyber Pass in the 19th century， when it was twice occupied （1839-1842 and 1879-1880） by British troops. The city grew as an industrial center after 1940.
　　Kabul was occupied by troops of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics （USSR） in 1979； the USSR withdrew from Afghanistan on Feb. 15， 1989. The city has gone through the toughest and most disastrous civil war in its history between 1992-1996. Over 50，000 people lost their lives during the Mujahideen （圣战） infightings on the streets of Kabul in 1992-1996 period. The city has been under the control of the Taliban government since 1996 and ended in 2001. The Northern Alliance took over the city as the Taliban withdrew from Kabul and retreated southwards. The fate of the city is yet to be known. The role of UN and World community is important in bringing a stable government in Kabul.
　　Infrastructures such as roads and traffic system， telephone system， electricity， water sanitation， renovation of buildings are in shambles and the need for reconstruction is very much needed to bring back the city of Kabul to a better place for living.

Jerusalem

Jerusalem is arguably the world's most revered city. It's the city of King David （1，000 B.C.）， the place of Christ's last ministry and crucifixion（钉死于十字架）， and the site where the prophet Mohammad is believed to have ascended to heaven. Over a turbulent 3，000-year history， Jerusalem has seen more than its share of sieges， while Jews， Christians， and Muslims have all tried their hand at ruling the city.
　　During the centuries of the Crusades（十字军东征）， Jerusalem was the ethereal （天国的）vision that moved the armies of Europe and Islam， but for almost 700 years after the Crusades ended， the actual city of Jerusalem existed as a shadowy， forgotten backwater（荒僻处）， slowly falling into ruin and decay. Not until the 19th century did the city again begin to come alive and reemerge from behind its walls.
　　During the years of the British Mandate（托管）（1918-48） the current incarnation（原意为化身）of Jerusalem developed as a quiet religious center， tourist attraction， and university town in a remarkably beautiful mountain setting. Nineteen years of division by war， barbed wire（有刺铁丝网）， and minefields （1948-67） brought Jerusalem's gentle renaissance（复兴，复活）to a temporary halt.
　　Situated along an edge of the West Bank in east-central Israel， Jerusalem is the nation's capital and largest city， with a population of around 560，000. It is comprised of the history-drenched Old City， and modern urban neighborhoods that have grown up outside the Old City's walls.
　　Modern Jerusalem is a center of government， culture and tourism. Naturally， the Old City is of most interest to visitors， given sacred landmarks like the Curch of the Holy Sepulcher， the Dome of the Rock， and the Wailing Wall. Numerous museums and other historic sites lend further appeal to one of the world's holiest（最神圣的）cities.

Gwangju (South Korea)

Gwangju is Korea's fifth largest city with a population of 1.4 million， with a reputation for exquisite food thanks to the rich harvests in the mild southern part of the Korean peninsula. But the World Cup city has other attractions， too.
　　There is a long-cherished tradition of the arts and of a certain liberty of mind and democracy that is associated with Gwangju. This tradition has most recently been captured within the framework of the Gwangju Biennale， an arts festival growing in renown around the world.
　　To stage a World Cup of culture that will be commensurate（相称的） with its image as a city of arts， Gwangju links the World Cup matches with the fourth edition of the Biennale. Fans visiting the games from abroad will be fascinated to witness authentic performances including the distinctive style of traditional farm music known as Gwangsan Nongak as well as Gossaum Race， a loop fight played by the full moon.
　　There are also a variety of sightseeing programmes for foreign tourists， linking the spectacular Dadohae （"Many Islands Sea"） National Marine Park with other popular places in and around Gwangju.
　　Occupying a surface of 330，000m2 in the new city centre area， the Gwangju World Cup Stadium is a football-only stadium.
　　But while it is keen to continue supporting traditional values， Gwangju is also rapidly developing into a future-oriented community where past and future co-exist in harmony. The city has approached the new millennium buoyantly， especially with its encouragement of the cutting-edge photonic（光子的）industry and with its continuing development of the humanistic culture and arts.
　　Thus the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan comes at just the right time to provide Gwangju with a golden opportunity to show the world just how genuine， how deep-rooted and how rich its cultural heritage really is.

Busan (South Korea)

Busan is the largest port and fisheries city located on the southeast coast of the Korean Peninsula.
　　With a population of four million， Korea's second largest metropolis grew into a modern port city between 1906 and 1944. It first opened its ports as the first international port in Korea in 1876.
　　As a frequently visited coastal city for Korean and foreign vacationers alike， Busan offers precious natural resources including mountains， rivers， hot springs and the sea， all to be enjoyed in a year round temperate climate. Busan， with its four distinct seasons， is reinventing itself into an international tourist sea resort. Aquariums let visitors embark on undersea journeys and sea resorts are equipped with amusement parks bringing tourists the best service and hot springs that could be offered in a special tourist zone.
　　All year round， exciting festivals await visitors at Busan. At the Busan Sea Festival， the summer's heat and the clean white sands， along with the fresh sea winds mingle with youthful vitality. Furthermore， the biggest seafood market at the Busan Jagalchi Festival offers fresh seafood and the Busan International Film Festival features world famous top-quality films. Various festivals such as the winter North Polar Bear Swimming Contest and the Greeting Sunrise Festival give residents and tourists a new lease on life.
　　Located close to the sea and plains， Busan is a place where people can relish fresh natural dishes ranging from raw fish， seafood soup， roasted eel to roasted beef and barbecued goat meat. Most of all， a tasteful combination of grilled Dongrae， a traditional plate with traditional Korea rice wine， know as makkolli， which used to be a presented to the king of the Josun dynasty， is especially worth a try.
　　Busan is also a city of sports. It has successfully hosted international sporting events such as the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympic Games， football and yacht competitions and the 1997 East Asian Games. Because of its hosting experience and world class facilities， Busan has been chosen to host the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 14th Asian Games.

Bangkok (Thailand)

It's worth putting up with the traffic jams， pollution， annual floods and sticky weather to experience one of Asia's most exciting cities. Bangkok has dominated Thailand's urban hierarchy， as well as its political， commercial and cultural life， since the late 18th century. Although the late 20th-century boom（迅速发展）is over - you can still shop in air-conditioned comfort in Western-style malls（设在郊区的大规模购物中心）。
　　Bangkok proper seethes（沸腾，热闹）on the east side of the Chao Phraya River. The city is reportedly sinking at a rate of 90cm （36in） every year， but there's too much happening in this vibrant city for anyone to get that sinking feeling for too long.
　　Metropolitan Bangkok covers 1569 sq km （612 sq mi） of southern Thailand， sitting in the middle of the most fertile rice-producing delta in the world. A network of natural and artificial canals crisscross（纵横交错地分布于） the city， feeding to and from Thailand's hydrological lifeline - the broad Chao Phraya River - which snakes through the city providing transport for passengers and cargo.
　　Bangkok is divided in two by the main north-south train line. Old Bangkok， where a large proportion of the city's temples and palaces and its Chinese and Indian districts are found， lies between the river and the railway. East of the railway， comprising the main business， tourist and sprawling residential districts， is 'new' Bangkok. Of course， outside of these general classifications， Bangkok sprawls in all directions with a mixture of commercial， industrial and residential areas.
　　Jim Thompson's House， the former abode （此指住处） of mystery man and silk entrepreneur Jim Thompson is a great spot to visit for authentic Thai residential architecture and South-East Asian art. Thompson was a New York architect who served as a spy in Thailand during WWII. After setting up house in Bangkok， he gradually built up worldwide clientele（顾客）for a craft that may otherwise have died out. Each wall of Thompson's house has its exterior side facing the building's interior， exposing the wall's bracing（支撑）system to residents and guests.
　　Bangkok is a cultural melting pot and there's no better evidence of this than Pahurat， on the edge of Chinatown. A wide variety of Indian goods are available in this small area， ranging from an astonishing array of silks to Thai shoulder bags. The choice is amazing， the haggling is fierce and the bargains can be unbelievable - if you're good enough， that is. Head down little alleys into the 'bowels' of this area and you'll find foodstuffs， household items and a thriving culture that might ordinarily pass by unnoticed. Pahurat lies west of Chinatown towards the river.

Bali (Indonesia)

Bali is so picturesque（图画般的美丽） that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop（背景幕）： rice paddies（稻田，水田）trip down hillsides like giant steps， volcanoes soar through the clouds and the forests are lush（苍翠繁茂的）and tropical.
　　But the postcard paradise gloss（这里指景象） has been manufactured and polished by the international tourist industry rather than by the Balinese themselves - who don't even have a word for paradise in their language - and it pays scant （极少的）regard to the economic reality of life on Bali， which is still recovering from Indonesia's economic crisis and the collapsing currency.
　　Just considering the weather， the cooler dry season from April to October is the best time to visit Bali. The rest of the year is more humid， more cloudy and has more rainstorms， but you can still enjoy a holiday.
　　Balinese festivals， holidays and special celebrations occur all the time， so don't worry about timing your visit to coincide with local events.
　　The following are the major attractions in Bali.
　　Including the two beach sites of Kuta and Legian， this area is a major resort for travelers， offering cheap accommodation， Western food， great shopping， surf（冲浪运动）， sunsets and riotous nightlife.
　　The capital of Bali has been the focus of much of the growth and wealth on the island over the last quarter of a century. It now has all the bustle（繁忙）and confusion one associates with （与……联想起来）the fast-growing cities of Asia. While the traffic， noise and pollution make it a difficult city to relish （欣赏，品味）， Denpasar still retains pleasant， tree-lined streets and gardens and is very much part of the 'real' Bali.
　　The Bali Museum consists of an attractive series of separate buildings， including examples of both palace and temple architecture. The exhibits themselves are not always well presented， but there are enough arts and crafts and everyday items displayed to make it worthwhile.
　　Situated in the hills 20km （13mi） north of Denpasar， Ubud is the cultural centre of Bali. Extensive development in recent years has meant that Ubud has engulfed（吞没） a number of nearby villages， although these have retained their distinct identities.
　　In Ubud itself， the Puri Lukisan Museum displays fine examples of all schools of Balinese art in a beautiful garden setting. There are several other quality galleries such as Museum Neka， which features（以……为特色）work of some Western artists who have painted in Bali， and Agung Rai Gallery， a commercial operation which also houses a small， but important， permanent collection. Ubud is a good place to see Balinese dancing and hear Balinese music.

Philadelphia (U.S.)

Although it's dear to the hearts of America's flag-wavers， there's a lot more to Philly（费城）than the Liberty Bell（自由钟）and Independence Hall（独立大厅）。 Yet， despite the support of patriots and the cappuccino（卡普齐诺咖啡）set， the 'City of Brotherly Love'（博爱之城）has long been the butt of jokes by WC Fields and other laugh-a-minute types.
　　When the insults finally soaked in - just in time for America's bicentennial（两百周年纪念）in 1976 - the city began renovating（重修）。 Philadelphia now enjoys recognition as a major cultural center with world-class museums， performing arts centers and some stunning（极好的）architecture.
　　In March 1681， England's King Charles II granted William Penn a charter to a parcel of land west of the Delaware River（特拉华河）。 Charles dubbed the area 'Penn' in honor of William's father， with Penn the Younger adding '-sylvania，' meaning 'woodlands.' Brimming with pacifist Quaker idealism， Penn regarded his colony as a 'holy experiment' and ensured as its governor and proprietor that its laws respected religious freedom and liberal government. Penn chose Philadelphia as the capital of Pennsylvania in 1682， optimistically naming it after the Greek for 'brotherly love.' A survivor of London's Great Fire of 1666， he made sure the city's design included a grid system with wide streets， not the narrow， winding maze that caused so much havoc in England's capital. This format was to become the inspiration for most American cities.
　　Philadelphia quickly grew to become the second largest city （after London） in the British empire， before ceding （让于）that title to New York City. Opposition to British policy in the colonies became seated in the city， where colonial leaders would meet to plan their course of action. The result was the Declaration of Independence， and in 1790 Philadelphia became the temporary capital of the new United States before Washington DC got the job in 1800. The US Constitution was drawn up and first read here in 1786. Often led by the multitalented Benjamin Franklin， Philadelphia became a center for developments in the world of arts and science.
　　Between 1793 and 1820， Philadelphia suffered five yellow-fever epidemics（黄热病）， which killed thousands but led to the construction of the US's first city water system. Philadelphia's fortunes declined in the 19th century， as New York took over as the nation's cultural， commercial and industrial center. Philly never regained the stature of its early years， despite continued cultural and educational innovation， commerce and shipbuilding， and a brief boomlet（略微繁荣）following WWII.
　　During the mid-20th century， like many American cities， Philadelphia watched much of its middle class forsake the city for the suburbs. The 1970s saw Philly grapple with innercity tensions， typified by the firefights between the police and the paramilitary MOVE group. However， by 1976， lavish plans for the nation's bicentennial had inspired a citywide cleanup and renovation campaign - a restoration that continues today - and the city is now consistently rated among the nation's 'best' in national polls of lifestyle and character.

Boston (U.S.)

Calling this quaint and charming city the 'Athens of America' might seem a bit braggadocio（自夸）， but the city's 19th-century glory radiates through its grand architecture， its population of literati（文人）， artists and educators and its world-renowned academic and cultural institutions.
　　Disastrous 'urban renewal'（城市重建）in the 1950s provoked such a furious backlash that Boston now has some of the best preserved historic buildings and neighbourhoods in the country. Compact， walkable， historic and clean， the city blends old-world beauty and modern convenience.
　　Boston is on a small peninsula in the middle of Massachusetts' Atlantic Coast， a little over 320km northeast of New York City. Most of the city's sights are contained in less than 8 sq km. Cambridge （home of Harvard and MIT） is a short drive or subway ride north across the Charles River.
　　Called Trimountain （from its three hills） in its earliest days， Boston took its permanent name from the English town. The vanguard（先驱）of English settlers， led by Reverend William Blaxton， arrived in 1624 - less than four years after the Pilgrims arrived in nearby Plymouth（普利茅斯）。
　　The colony of Massachusetts Bay was established six years later in 1630 when the elder John Winthrop， official representative of the Massachusetts Bay Company， took up residence. From the beginning this was the centre of Puritan culture and life in the New World.
　　Puritanism was intellectual and theocratic， and so the leading men and women of early Boston society were those who understood and followed Biblical law - and could explain in powerful rhetoric why they did. Thus it comes as no surprise that the Boston Public Latin School was established in 1635 （and continues as an elite public high school today）。 A year later， Harvard College （now Harvard University） was founded in neighbouring Cambridge. By 1653 Boston had a public library as well， and by 1704 the Thirteen Colonies' first newspaper， the News-Letter.
　　Though the New England coast had many excellent natural ports. Boston was blessed by geography with the best of all. By the early 1700s it was well on its way to being what it remains today： New England's largest and most important city.
　　As the chief city in the region， it drew London's attention. When King George III and Parliament chose to burden the colonies with taxation without representation， the taxes were first levied（征收）in Boston. When resistance surfaced， it was in Boston. The Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party were signal events in the development of revolutionary sentiments， and the Battle of Bunker Hill solidified colonial resolve to declare independence from the British crown.
　　Following the Revolutionary War， Boston suffered economically as the British government cut off American ships' access to other ports in the British Empire. But as new trading relationships developed， Boston entered a commercial and industrial boom which lasted from the late 1700s until the mid-1800s. Fortunes were made in shipbuilding， maritime trade and manufacturing textiles and shoes. Chartered as a city in 1822， Boston's Beacon Hill was soon crowned with fine mansions built by the leading families， and Back Bay was filled in to make room for more.
　　These same prominent families also patronised arts and culture heavily. Though conservative and traditionalist in their general outlook， Bostonians were firm believers in American ideals of freedom and firm supporters of the abolition of slavery and the activities of the Underground Railroad.
　　As the 19th century drew to a close Boston's prominence was challenged by the growth of other port cities and the westward expansion of the national borders， and New England's economic boom turned into a bust when the textile and shoe factories moved to cheaper labour markets in the South.
　　In the 20th century the city became more culturally diverse than ever before. The city's ethnic and economic profile had already been significantly altered by the 19th-century arrival of thousands of Irish immigrants， driven from home by devastating potato famines. The cultural mix grew more diverse with 20th century arrivals from Italy， the Ottoman Empire and Portugal.
　　Economically， Boston became more of a satellite than a hub， although it remained a prominent centre for medical education， treatment and research， and USA's premiere university centre. Many graduates choose to remain in the Boston area， which has helped fuel a local booming commerce in computer research， development and manufacturing.
　　For all its ties to the past， Boston has always looked forward. The new millennium saw Boston entering a renaissance， thanks to the near-completion of the 'Big Dig' - an ambitious public works project to place the Central Expressway underground. Wealthy young professionals are moving back to the city in droves and， since the demise of rent control in the mid-1990s， they are the only ones who can reasonably afford to live there！ Affluent and comfortable， Boston remains at the centre of US intellectual life.

Miami (U.S.)

It used to be called 'God's Waiting Room'. And even today， if you mention Miami to someone who hasn't been here or read about it lately， they might conjure up（回忆）a blurry memory of octogenarians（八十多岁）mingling poolside（游泳池边）while Aunt Sadie implored them to wait half an hour after eating before going into the water. Today the old folks mingle with fashion designers， bikini（比基尼泳装）models， and a city that once had the highest murder rate in the US attracts more than 11 million tourists a year.
　　The Greater Miami Area， which includes Miami and Miami Beach as well as distinctive neighborhoods like Little Havana and Little Haiti， is a melting pot that America's founding fathers would be proud of. Half of Miami's population is Hispanic（美籍西班牙人）， and its immigrant communities focus on what's happening in Havana or Caracas（加拉加斯，委内瑞拉首都）as much as they follow events in Washington DC， giving the city an international outlook. For the casual visitor this means a city peppered with the flavors of Latin American food， language， music， politics and spirit.
　　Miami is the most populated city in Florida. It sits at the southeastern tip of the Florida， the most southeastern state of the United States， bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east， the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the neighboring states of Alabama and Georgia to the north.
　　Most visitors aren't here for Miami itself， but rather to visit Miami Beach， an entirely separate municipality. Miami is on the mainland， while the city of Miami Beach is on a thin barrier island about 4 miles east， across Biscayne Bay（比斯坎湾） - locals call it the Billion Dollar Sandbar（十亿美元的沙坝）。 Many of the beach's locals are imports from New York， people tired of sitting through five hours of snarled traffic on their way to the Hamptons， who decided that Miami Beach made a lot more sense. They brought with them a fledgling art and culture crowd whose numbers included many younger artists.
　　The boundaries of 'season' in Miami - which used to be limited to winter - have been blurred by the huge number of people moving to the area and the stampede（蜂拥）of fashion and film shoots. But the most popular time to come here is still between December and May， when temperatures average between 16-30°C， and average rainfall is a scant couple of inches.

San Francisco (U.S.)

Even people who hate the USA love San Francisco. It has an atmosphere of genteel （彬彬有礼的；有教养的）chic（高尚、别致） mixed with offbeat（不跟随时尚主流的；非传统的；特异的）innovation， and a selfeffacing（自我谦逊的）quality so blatantly missing from New York and LA.
　　One of the USA's most attractive cities， San Francisco's hilly streets provide some gorgeous glimpses of the San Francisco Bay and its famous bridges. This is a mosaic（马赛克式的东西）of a city， a big picture made from the colorful tiles of bustling Chinatown， gay Castro （旧金山一著名同性恋社区）and faux-hemian（法语词，故意表现得质朴童稚的）North Beach.
　　San Francisco covers the tip of a 30mi （50km） peninsula （半岛） in Northern California， with the Pacific Ocean on its western side and the San Francisco Bay to the north and east. San Francisco is just one of many cities in the Bay Area； others include Oakland （east across the Bay Bridge）， Berkeley （just north of Oakland） and San Jose （an hour's drive southeast of San Francisco， near the southern tip of the bay）。 Marin County and the Wine Country lie to the north， across the Golden Gate Bridge.
　　The most touristed part of the city resembles a slice of pie， with Van Ness Ave and Market St making the two sides and the Embarcadero the round edge of the pie. The steaming toppings of this homebaked slice are the classy shops around Union Square， the highrise Financial District， the classy Civic Center， the down-and-out but up-and-coming Tenderloin， swanky（华丽的） Nob Hill and Russian Hill， Chinatown， North Beach and the epicenter of tourist kitsch， Fisherman's Wharf（渔人码头）。 To the south of Market St lies SoMa， an upwardly mobile warehouse zone of clubs and bars that fades in the southwest into the Mission - the city's Latino quarter - and then the Castro， the center of gay life.
　　Making a circuit of the 49-Mile Drive is a good way to check out almost all of the city's highlights（最有意思或精彩的部分）。 The route is well posted with instantly recognizable seagull signs， but a map and an alert navigator are essential. Do yourself a favor and allow a whole day to complete the circuit.
　　Greyhound is the only regular long-distance bus company operating to the city - all bus services arrive and depart at the Transbay Terminal in SoMa. Amtrak's rail network connects the Bay Area with the rest of the continental US and Canada. Its main stations are in Oakland and Emeryville， both in the East Bay. Caltrain links San Francisco with the peninsula and San Jose； its depot is in SoMa.