China Cultural English Course translated by Shu.

China Cultural English Course (Unit 2: Reading A) translated by Shu is as follows:

From 1985, China joined the International Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and by September 20 14, the number of world heritage sites in China had increased by 47, second only to 49 in Italy. Among them, 3 1 is cultural heritage, 10 is natural heritage, and 4 is cultural and natural (mixed) heritage. Here are some landmarks on the list.

The Summer Palace in Beijing incorporated many traditional halls, pavilions and pavilions into the "Qingyi Garden" conceived by Emperor Qianlong 1750 to 1764. The former reservoir is based on Kunming Lake and Wanshou Mountain, the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, and the Summer Palace integrates politics and administration. It views the lakes and mountains with the functions of residence, spirit and entertainment, and balances the works of man and nature according to China's philosophy.

As the peak of royal garden design for hundreds of years, the Summer Palace has had a great influence on the later oriental garden art and culture. The Summer Palace in Beijing is an outstanding performance of China's gardening art, which integrates man and nature.

The Summer Palace embodies the concept and practice of China's garden design, and plays a vital role in the development of this cultural form in the East. Taking the Summer Palace as an example, the royal garden in China is a powerful symbol of one of the major civilizations in the world.

The Mogao Grottoes are strategically located on the Silk Road and at the crossroads of trade, religion, culture and intellectual influence. 492 caves and cave reserves are famous for their sculptures and murals, covering 65,438+0,000 years of Buddhist art.

Located in the southeast of Dunhuang Oasis in Gansu Province, the Mogao Grottoes, carved on the cliff of Dachuan River, is the largest, richest and longest-used Buddhist art treasure house in the world. It was founded in 366 AD, representing the great achievements of Buddhist art from the 4th century to14th century. There are 492 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2,000 colorful sculptures.

Cave 302 in Sui Dynasty is one of the oldest and most vivid cultural exchange scenes on the Silk Road, which depicts the typical trade task at that time-camel pulling carts.

Caves 23 and 156 in the Tang Dynasty and the exhibition venues of the Workers' Party were warriors and caves in the Song Dynasty in June/kloc-0, respectively. Wutai Mountain, a famous scenic spot, is an early example of drawing art in China, which has not been lost so far. Mountains and rivers, cities, temples, roads and caravans are all depicted.

1990 the discovery of the cave in the Mogao grottoes library, together with tens of thousands of manuscripts and cultural relics it contains, is considered to be the greatest discovery of ancient oriental culture in the world. This important heritage provides valuable reference for studying the complex history of ancient China and Central Asia.

The cultural landscape of the West Lake in Hangzhou, consisting of the West Lake and surrounded by mountains on three sides, has inspired the creation of famous poets, scholars and artists since the 9th century. It includes many temples, pagodas, pavilions, gardens and ornamental trees, as well as causeways and artificial islands. These increases are to improve the landscape west of Hangzhou and south of the Yangtze River.

West Lake is surrounded by clouds on three sides and Hangzhou on all sides. Since the Tang Dynasty (AD 6 18-907), its beauty has been admired by writers and artists. In order to make it more beautiful, the islands, causeways and hillsides of the island have been "improved", and many temples, pagodas, pavilions, gardens and ornamental trees have been added, which are integrated with the farming landscape.

Since the Southern Song Dynasty (13rd century), ten places poetically named as scenic spots have always been regarded as idealized classic landscapes, reflecting the perfect integration of man and nature. The West Lake is a vivid cultural landscape model of China's landscape aesthetic ideal expounded by scholars in Tang and Song Dynasties.

For centuries, the West Lake has influenced the landscape design in China, Japan and other parts of South Korea, and provided a unique proof for improving the landscape and creating a series of cultural traditions that reflect the ideal of harmony between man and nature.

Potala Palace symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central position in the traditional management of Tibet. The complex is located on the Hongshan Mountain in the middle of Lhasa Valley, with an altitude of 3,700 meters. It consists of white and red palaces and their ancillary buildings. Jokhang Temple, built in the 7th century, is a unique Buddhist complex.

Norbulingka, the former summer palace of the Dalai Lama, was built in the18th century, and is a masterpiece of Tibetan art ... The architectural beauty and creativity of these three places, their rich decorations and harmonious integration in striking landscapes have increased their interest in history and religion.

The historical building of Potala Palace is an outstanding work of human imagination and creativity because of its design, decoration and harmonious setting in the drama landscape. Potala Palace, Potala Palace-Castle Complex, Norbulingka Garden Residence and Jokhang Temple are trinity historical buildings, each with its own characteristics, forming an outstanding model of Tibetan traditional architecture.

Pingyao Ancient City is a well-preserved ancient county-level city in China. The project is located in Pingyao County, central Shanxi Province, including the whole area within Pingyao City Wall, Shuanglin Temple 6 kilometers southwest of the county seat, and Zhenguo Temple 0/2 kilometers northeast of the county seat. Pingyao ancient city has well preserved the historical form of Han county-level cities in Central China from14th century to 20th century.

The ancient city of Pingyao was founded in14th century, covering an area of 225 hectares. It is a complete building complex integrating ancient city walls, streets, shops, houses and temples. Its layout perfectly reflects the development of Han urban architectural style and urban planning in the past five centuries.

Pingyao ancient city is an outstanding representative of Han cities in Ming and Qing Dynasties. It retains all the features of cities in the Han Dynasty and provides a complete picture of the development of culture, society, economy and religion in the history of China, which is of great value to the study of social form, economic structure, military defense, religious belief, traditional thinking, traditional ethics and life style.