十三陵英语导游词(3)
十三陵英文导游词篇3
Ming Tombs
The Ming Tombs are located in Changping District, about 50kilometers(31miles) to the northwest of Beijing. This imperial cemetery covers an area of 40square kilometers with 13 Ming emperors, 23 empresses, many imperial concubines, princes and princesses buried there. These tombs are the best preserved of all Chinese imperial tombs.
The Ming Dynasty started from 1368 to 1644, lasting 276 years. Altogether 16 emperors ruled in the Ming Dynasty. But out of the 16 emperors, 13 emperors were buried in Beijing Ming Tombs area. The first Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang had his tomb built in Nanjing and he was buried in Xiaoling of Nanjing. Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, was born in 1328 and died in 1398. He buled China for 31 years. he came from a poor peasant familuy. In 1345 both his parens and his brother died of serious natural calamity within half a year when he was 17 years old. In order to make his livelihood, he went to a temple, there he took tonsure and became a Buddhist monk. He went out three years for begging alms in Henan, Anhui and south of the country. In 1348, he came back to the temple and was determined to study diligently. In 1351, the Red Turban Peasant Army appeared in China, later in 1352, he joined the Red Turban Peasant Army, fighting against the Yuan court. Finally he became the chief leader in the army. In 1368 Zhu Yuanzhang established the Ming Dynasty with its capital in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. In 1398, after his 31 years on the throne, Zhu Yuanzhang died at the age of 71 and was buried in his tomb Xiaoling, eastern suburbs of the capital Nanjing.
According to the Chinese hereditary system, the eldest son should be the successor. But unfortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang’s eldest son Zhu Biao died in 1392, six years earlier than the emperor. So Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang chose his grandson Zhu Yunwen as the successor. In 1398, after Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang died, his 21-year-old grandson succeeded his throne and became the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty named Emperor Jian Wen. At that time Emperor Jian Wen was assisted by cout officials in governing the country. In order to centralize the power, he adopted the suggestion of his court officials to weaken the power of the regional garrison commanders who were actually his uncles, the sons of the first emperor. But these measures met with strong resistance from his uncle Zhu Di, the prince of Yan ,the fourth son of the first Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. Zhu Di got so enraged when he heard the news that his power would be reduced. With an army of 100000stong, he was the most powerful garrison commander among all the princes, then under the excuse of wiping out the evils around the emperor, he launched punitive expedition to the capital in 1399 in the name of “wiping out evil for the country ”. the war lasted for three years, finally Zhu Di usurped the power from his nephew and became the 3rd emperor of the Ming Dynasty and adopted the reign title “yongle”. Emperor Jian Wen, the dethroned emperor disappeared with nowhere to be found. Some people said that he died in a big fire; another saying is that he had escaped to a temple and became a Buddhist monk. Anyway his whereabouts remained unknown till now in spite of Yongle’s search for him all over the country. So there is no tomb for the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
The seventh emperor Jing Tai was buried at Jinshang
Mountain in the western suburbs of Beijing. Jing Tai was the brother of Emperor Yingzong, the sixth Ming Emperor. In 1449, emperor Yingzong was captured by Mongol troops in a battle. However his brother Zhu Qiyu was put to the throne as the emperor and entitled Jing Tai. Next year when the sixth Ming Emperor Yingzong got free and came back, his brother had got on the throne already, and then he became a backstage ruler. Eight years later, in 1457 he staged a coup in the court and succeeded in making a restoration and overthrew his brother and also abrogated his brother. It is known in Chinese history as the “Coup of Seizing the Gate”. He reproclaimed hisself as the emperor and came to the throne again. Half a month later, Jing Tai died, Yingzong refused to honor his an imperial burial, so he was buried as a prince in Jingshan
Mountain on the western outskirts of Beijing. That is why there are 13 tombs in this imperial burial ground, commonly known as the “Thirteen Ming Tombs ” in Chinese.
Having been a frontier commander in Beijing for many years, Emperor Yongle realized that a peaceful northern frontier was very important to the
Ming Court
and Beijing commanded a very important strategic position to the whole country. In order to consolidate unity and strengthen his control over the whole country, the northern part in particular, he decided to move the capital from Nanjing to Beijing for the missed his former headquarters in Beijing as well. Construction of the imperial palace started in 1406. In 1407 Empress Xu died. In order to show his determination on moving the capital from Nanjing to Beijing, Emperor Zhu Di decided to bury her in Beijing instead of burying her in the former capital Nanjing where his father’s tomb was located. First he ordered a search made for an “auspicious burial site” amid beautiful scenery on the outskirts of Beijing. He sent a minister of rite together with a master geomancer to Beijing and ordered them to find a best spot for the imperial burial ground based on “Feng Shui ”. the practice of “Feng Shui” was similar to the western geomancy, which appeared very early in china. The geomancers developed a concept for an ideal residence for both the living and the dead. According to the practice of Feng Shui, the imperial burial ground should be closely related to the surrounding landscapes. Based on the geomancy, the present site of the Ming Tombs was chosen with greatest care. With geomancy taken into account, even the name of the valley, the name of the hill and the name of the nearby village all had to put into their considerations. It is said that Emperor Yongle was dissatisfied with the names of some places they had chosen for him. After serious consideration the present site was finally chosen. Rolling hills known as the Yellow Earth Hill formed a natural protection screen to the north; the Dragon Hill on the east and the Tiger Hill on the west, stood just like two generals guarding the gateway for the tomb area. Mountains to its east, west and north formed a semicircle with a flat basin inside. So this area was being screened by mountains on the three sides and with one side open to Beijing Plain in the south while Wenyu
River flowing by from northwest towards the Great Huabei Plain. The mountains to the far south are as a response to the mountains in the north. So the geomancers suggested that from geomantic point of view, such a place was considered as an “Auspicious Area” and really an ideal site and a best spit for the imperial burial ground. Emperor Zhu Di was greatly satisfied with this burial ground and ordered starting construction of his tomb. He changed the name of Yellow Earth Hill to Heavenly Longevity Hill. As the site was decided upon, in 1409 construction of his tomb Chang Ling was started. The Hall of Eminent Favor was completed in 1416 and the whole construction of Chang Ling was completed in 1427, the second year of Emperor Xuan De in March, but the underground tomb was completed in 1413. So Empress Xu was moved from Nangjing and buried here first. In 1424 Emperor Zhu Di died in the desert on his fifth expedition in person. After his all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty also had their tombs built in this area except Emperor Jing Tai, the seventh emperor who was buried in the western suburbs of Beijing, Jinshan
Mountain. The thirteen tombs took more than 200years to complete, scattered over 40 square kilometers. The thirteen tombs are named as: Chang Ling, Xian Ling, Jing Ling, Yu Ling, Mao Ling, Tai Ling, Kang Ling, Yong Ling, Zhao Ling, Ding Ling, Qing Ling, De Ling and Si Ling.
Sacred Way (shenlu 神路)
A Sacred Way
is always found in an imperial cemetery. The
Sacred Way
of the Ming Tombs is 7 kilometers long from the Memorial Stone Archway to the gate of Chang Ling. Along the sacred way are Marble Archway, Great Palace Gate, Tablet Tower, Stone Statues and Dragon and Phoenix Gate. The
Scared Way
was originally built for Chang Ling, Emperor Yong Le’s tomb, but since the other twelve tombs were also built in this area, either to the right or to the left of Chang Ling, the
Sacred Way
became the main road for all of the thirteen tombs. Although they were form one group, each tomb is independent form the other . During the funeral ceremony, the deceased emperor was carried over the road. Apart from the Si Ling in the southwest, they are clustered in one area around the Chang Ling, all of the thirteen tombs lie at the foot of a hill, but the distance between two tombs ranges from 500 meters to 4 milometers. This layout perfectly embodies the tomb system in the Ming Dynasty.
Marble Archway (shipaifang 石牌坊)
This is a memorial stone archway made of white marble. It was built in 1540 during the reign of Emperor Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty for promoting the meritorious and virtuous deeds of the feudal rulers, but still in an excellent condition. As a starting point, Marble Archway is a symbol of the tomb area.
It is 14 meters high and 29 meters wide and it has 5 arches supported by 6 marble pillars with beautiful relief carvings of dragons, lions and lotus flowers and clouds. It is the southernmost structure in the Ming Tombs and the earliest and best-preserved stone archway still existing in China. The Sacred Way used to pass beneath the Marble Archway.
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