急求一篇英语文章主题：culture and lifestyle in china要求500单词.

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主题：culture and lifestyle in china
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Beijing Hutong
"Hutong" is formally a Mongolian term that means small lanes. A folklore expert once says that the culture of the old Beijing is actually the culture of lanes because there are more than 7,000 lanes in Beijing. Each Hutong has its historical anecdotes and symbolizes the history of lifestyle of Beijingnese. Now, we will talk about a large variety of lanes in Beijing and see if we can all appreciate the charming culture of small lanes.
In the past, the city of Beijing was composed of many large and small sized Siheyuans (a combination of houses around a courtyard) face to face, back to back, side by side. Each line of a Siheyuan should leave a vacant path therefore people can go in and out easily, and the path is called Hutong (lane).
The lanes appeared early in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368AD). Many lanes got the names early in the Yuan Dynasty, which are used till now. In the past, the planning of houses in the capital was very strict, and it was the rule to build courtyards in straight lines. Due to this reason, there is slang in Beijing:
"Like carrying the bamboo poles in lanes, do it in a straight way".
Lanes spread through out the City of Beijing. The names of lanes are like an encyclopedia, which not only reflect the historical development of the city, but also represent the social customs. People today can feel the wisdom and creativity of ancient people from the way they named those lanes. Some lanes was named after famous figures, such as Prime-Minister Lane.
Some lanes were named after markets or goods, such as Goldfish Lane. Some given the name after the local dialect, for example, Enigma Pot Lane. Some lanes which had the coarse names now changes to more elegant ones, for example, Donkey Market Lane, now it changes into Protocol Lane.
Hutong in Beijing have various styles and different sizes. The narrowest Hutong is Cash Exchange Market Lane, whose narrowest part is only 40 centimeters wide. It is difficult for a man with large belly to go through this narrow lane. The most twisting and deepest, zigzag lane is in the area around Beixin Bridge. It has more than 20 turns. Nowadays, this long twisting lane was divide into five lanes. At Qian Men Gate, there is a zigzag lane where you will find 13 windings.
The lanes have gone through the changes for hundreds of years and symbolized the lifestyle of the older Beijingnese. Today lanes still occupy most of the areas of downtown and accommodate one-third of the population of Beijing. Most residents in the city still maintain the tradition lifestyle. You can climb to the Drum Tower and overlook the old downtown and lanes of all directions. You can then go to the Houhai District, where you can pay a visit to the South and North Guangfang Lane, the large and small Gold Lion Lane, and the Back and Forth Well Lane.
You can also go into one of the courtyard, and have a chat with the residents to learn more about their life. Going down Liuying Street, you will reach Prince Gongqin's Mansion, known as "The Northern Grandview Garden" compared to the one in the ancient novel "The Red Chamber Dream". You can also visit the Imperial Garden if you have time.
Lanes and modern skyscrapers combined together form two different styles in Beijing. The outside world changes rapidly everyday while the worlds in the lanes still keeps the traditional living styles and its own pace. After coming back from the Hutong tour, many tourists commented it as a "past beauty".
The Forbidden City
There is a world famous architecture in the center of Beijing. It has thousands of splendid rooms and magnificent towers.
It is the Forbidden City - the largest, best-preserved, mass group of palaces in China.
In the past, it was named the Forbidden City. After PRC was established, it was renamed the Palace Museum (Gugong Bowuyuan). You will regret if you come to Beijing and didn't visit the Forbidden City.
Why is the Forbidden City so enchanting? First of all you should know its history. It used to be the palace of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Altogether 24 emperors lived here. Construction of the Forbidden City started in the fourth year of the reign of Emperor Yongle (1406) of Ming Dynasty and was completed 14 years later.
This rectangle-shaped palace is 960 meters long from south to north, 753 meter wide from west to east. It occupies an area of 720,000 square meters, among which the total floor space is 155,000 square meters.
Counting the space enclosed by four pillars as a "room", there are more than 9900 rooms in nearly 900 buildings. Tradition has it that there are altogether 9999.5 rooms in the Forbidden City, only half room less than the Heavenly Palace, which belongs to the Jade Emperor in the heaven. So it is said that the Forbidden City is the largest palace in the world.
Entering the Forbidden City through Wu Gate (Wumen), you will find a square. This is the first square in the Forbidden City. A belt-shaped artificial river runs through the square from west to east. It is the Golden Water River.
On the river there are five marble-made bridges, the middle one of which could only be used by the emperor. Civil and military officials passed from the left side, and members of imperial families passed from the right side. Different people used different bridges, which could not be confused.
Walking forward, you will come across the Gate of Supreme Harmony (Taihemen). Two bronze-cast lions stand in front of the gate. The one on the right is male, under which there is a copper ball, symbolizing power. The one on the left is female, under which a little lion is lying. The statue stands for intimacy and maternal love. Watching carefully, you will find something special - there are 13 rolls of hair on the head of lions, signifying the supremacy of the imperial family.
the Gate of Supreme Harmony is the front gate of the three outer halls. The floor was made of "gold bricks" and the interior roof of the gate was painted with golden dragons and colorful phoenix.
The hall opposite to the Gate of Supreme Harmony is the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian). There is a square between the hall and the gate, the Square of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian Guangchang), occupying an area of 30,000 square meters.
What is unusual is that there is neither trees nor grass on the square. It is so vast and so quiet that it makes people feel solemn and respectful.
In the middle of the square is a straight road, which was used only by the emperor. Both sides of the road were paved with bricks. Allegedly, there are 15 layers of bricks spreading disorderly, and they were built to avoid that someone would dig the ground and enter the hall.
Passing through the square, you will see the Hall of Supreme Harmony. "Supreme Harmony" was quoted from a famous Chinese religious book "Zhouyi". According to "Zhouyi", supreme harmony means all things in the universe are harmonious and satisfactory.
There are 18 big copper stoves on each layer of the terrace on the square. Tradition has it that they represented 18 provinces at that time. Combustion sandalwoods were burnt in the stoves on each grand ceremony. On the terrace in front of the hall are a copper tortoises and cranes symbolizing longevity. To the east of the terrace is a sundial. It was used as timer in the past. To the west is a grain-measure, symbolizing that the imperial power was fair. Grand ceremonies were held here.
At the center of the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the throne which stands on a sumeru dais (it originated from Buddhist seat, later it was used as the dais in the high-level architectures in China.). In the front of dais and both sides are wooden steps. On the dais is a golden chair carved with dragons. It was the dragon-chair of the emperor.
Around the throne stand two bronze cranes, elephant, tripods, incense burners and so on. On the elephant stands a precious bottle holding five cereals (rice, millet, sorghum, wheat and beans). It is symbolic of peace and bumper harvests of the five cereals.
Behind the Hall of Supreme Harmony is the Hall of Central Harmony (Zhonghedian), the second hall in the Forbidden City. "Central Harmony" was quoted from an ancient Chinese book "Liji Zhongyong". It means that everything should be accomplished impartially and properly. The Hall of Central Harmony is in the middle of the three halls and the smallest one. It was the rest place for Emperor on his way to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The last of the three main halls in the outer court is Hall of Preserved Harmony (Baohedian). "Preserved Harmony" means that the consciousness of the members of the imperial family is clear and unconfused so that the emperor could be healthy and the country be peaceful.
In Ming Dynasty when the crown prince was conferred and the empress was appointed, the emperor would be here to receive congratulations from officials. In the Qing Dynasty, imperial banquets were given here to entertain princes of vassal states on the eve of lunar New Year.
Since the Forbidden City is too large, it is impossible to visit all rooms. The above mentioned is only the main part of the palace. After visiting the three halls, visitors can choose three routes according to your own interest and schedule.
The first route is to visit the three rear palaces. The second is to visit the six palaces in the west. The third is to visit treasure houses in the east.
The last scenic spot is the Imperial Garden. Occupying an area of 120,000 square meters, it holds more than 20 architectures in various styles. While viewing the rare "imperial garden in Chinese palace", you will be distinctively enchanted by the exotic flowers, rare herbs, pavilions and towers in the garden.
According to some people, visiting the Forbidden City is a test of eyesight and foot. It is worthy of the name "City in City". The structure is a unique combination of artistic tastes, mechanics, architecture, and craftsmanship. Those people who had visited here said that the most attractive things in the Forbidden City were the Hall of Supreme Harmony (Taihedian) and the dragon seat in the hall.
If you want to fully appreciate this ancient palace, you will have to spend more than half of the day. If you only intend to visit it as quickly as possible, you will also need at least two hours.
The Great Wall - Beijing Badaling
Visiting the Great Wall is inevitable for visitors from both domestic and foreign countries who come to Beijing the first time.
There is a well-known Chinese saying written on the Great Wall, "He Who Has Not Climbed the Great Wall Is Not a Real Man". It is a scenic spot with a lot of tourists.
Badaling Great Wall lies in Yanqing County in Beijing and stands on the ridge of infinite steep mountains. There are two high peaks, generally called the south high peak and the north high peak. The highest point is about 1,000 meters above sea level.
The base of the wall was made of granite and lump of soil and the top was paved with square bricks.
The great wall averages 7.8 meters in height and is 6.5 meters wide at the base and 5.7 meters at the top. The width is enough for five horses to go side by side.
On both sides of the road there are dwarf walls called "parapet wall". The 1.7-meter-high "crenel wall" is the outer wall. On its top, there are battlements for patrolling and watching. Below the battlements are peepholes, used for firing at the enemy. At intervals along the inner wall are arched entrances with stone stairways leading to the top of the wall.
Every other 300 to 500 meters, there are fortresses. There are two kinds of fortresses. One is two-storied fortress called fighting tower. The ground floor was used for living, storing weapons and the top floor was used for watching and shooting. Another kind is fighting terrace or enemy terrace, which was used for patrolling and fighting.
Many piers or castles, which also called smoke pier or beacon tower, were set up on the higher part and important fort along the Great Wall.
In ancient time, soldiers made smoke in daytime and fire at night if they found the enemies. The soldier that saw the fire in another beacon tower faraway would ignite fire immediately and the next beacon tower would do the same. The message could be transmitted in a short while to the command post. It was one of the means for communication in the ancient times.
The Great Wall has a history of more than 2,000 years. As early as the Warring States Period, in order to self-protect, rival kingdoms built walls around their territories. This is the earliest Great Wall.
When Qin Shihuang, the first emperor in Chinese history, unified the whole country in 221B.C, he ordered to build another new wall on the base of the original walls of the Countries Qin, Zhao, and Yan in effort to guard against the invasion of the northern nomadic tribes.
Subsequent dynasties continued to strengthen and extend the wall. Most part of the existent wall were build in Ming Dynasty (1386~1644A.D.).
Looking from the space, you will find a construction. This is the Great Wall in China.
It is an indisputable fact that the Great Wall of China is the longest defense wall in the world. From the aspects of culture and history, the wall is an ancient masterpiece that you can fully enjoy.
The Summer Palace
Summer Palace lies in the northwestern outskirts of Beijing, about 10 kilometers to Beijing City. It is up to now the best preserved and the largest imperial garden in China.
It used to be an imperial palace for short stay away from the capital. In 1750, Emperor Qianlong had it renovated and named it Qingyiyuan (Garden of Clear Ripples).
In 1860, an Anglo-French joint force destroyed the garden. In 1888, Empress Dowager Cixi misappropriated navy budget of 30,000,000 taels (about 74.5 tons) of silver to rebuild it and renamed it Summer Palace.
Occupying an area of 290 hectares, the Summer Palace has not only a lake but a hill as well. Kunming Lake, which covers about three-fourths of the total area of the garden, is the major scenic spot in Summer Palace.
Many views were constructed near the lake. Nanhu Islet, an island in the lake, is connected to the bank by a bridge - Seventeen-Arch Bridge. Compared to the noisy surroundings, it is rather quiet and peaceful.
To the west of Kunming Lake is West Causeway, on which six bridges were exquisitely constructed. They were in imitation of Su Causeway in the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Xiequyuan (Garden of Harmonious Interests) was also in imitation of Jichangyuan (Pleasure Garden) in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.
The main reason to build Summer Palace was to put spring-everlasting Kunming City and beautiful scenes in south China into the garden and so the Empress Dowager can enjoy the picturesque scenery in Beijing.
In the middle of Summer Palace, you will come across a mass group of buildings along an axis leading downhill. They are Zhihuihai (Sea of Wisdom), Dehuidian (Hall of Moral Brilliance), and Paiyunmen (Cloud Dispelling Gate).
The splendid 41-meter-high Foxiangge (Tower of Buddhist Incense) was built on a 20-meter-high terrace, which was made of stone. This huge building was burnt by Anglo-French joint force. In 1891, Empress Dowager spent 780,000 taels of silver (about 2 tons) to have it restored. It was the largest project in Summer Palace. Foxiangge commands a full view of the scenery in scores for miles.
While talking about the Summer Palace, almost everybody who has been there would say that the Long Gallery is the most impressive scene. The gallery is 728 meters long and has 273 rooms. In 1992, it proved that it is the longest of its kind in the world, and so it was added to the Genis World Record.
It is in the south of Wanshoushan (Longevity Hill) and in the north of Kunming Lake. Walking in the gallery, you can enjoy viewing the beautiful lake as well as the hill. Each beam in the gallery is colorfully painted. They are very enchanting.
Leshoutang (Hall of Joyful Longevity) was the residence of the Empress Dowager. The furnishings in the hall are the same as before. In the courtyard, planted several magnolias, they were the favorites of the Empress Dowager Cixi. Now they are very tall and the fragrant of their white blossom are still coming out every year. Every summer the perfume of the blossom floats in the courtyard and keeps companying with the huge stone named Qingzhiyou.
A marble boat in Kunming Lake, known as Boat for Pure Banquets, was build in the 20th year of the reign of Emperor Qianglong (1755AD). There used to be a traditional style cabin tower on the boat. It was destroyed by Anglo-French joint force. In the 19th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1893 AD) it was renovated into western style. Two wheels were added to decorate the boat, and it was renamed Boat for Pure Banquets.
East Palace Gate is the main gate of the Summer Palace. Entering this gate, you will see the Hall of Benevolent Longevity (Renshoudian) where the Empress Dowager conducted state affairs. To the north of Renshoudian is the Garden of Moral Harmony (Deheyuan), where the imperial family watched operas. The grand building looks like a theater.
The view in the front hill of the Summer Palace is magnificent, while the view in the back hill is peaceful. The rear of the hill presents an exquisitely constructed bridge and flowing water. Only when you spend more than half of a day can you fully appreciate the scenery in the world-famous imperial garden, and experience two feelings while visiting the front of the hill and the rear of the hill.
Hutong Culture
The name of a hutong implicates its origin, location or history. It is in the gray-tiled deep lanes that families play, travel, buy goods, gossip and connect. In Beijingers' eyes, hutongs means a period of history, a cordial lifestyle and even an " encyclopedia of Beijing".
When a certain name was given and prevailed among people, it exactly became the necessary symbol for intercourses and communication. From the names of hutongs one can discover how Beijingers, in the course of centuries, advanced from vulgarity to refinement. In numerous hutongs are scattered the residences of famous personages, and these places are repositories. Laoshe, a well-known playwright is just one of them. Laoshe was born in a small lane, in the west part of the city. The memory of his childhood was so dear and impressive that after he'd been away from Beijing for more than 20 years, he still clearly remembered his birthplace, and he made it the backdrop of his novel "the Four Generations Under One Roof". Many famous operas and dramas are based on the themes of the " hutong life". A visit to hutongs plus a drama by the Beijing People's ArtTheatre, such as " Teahouse" or " SmallHutong" in the evening will help you appreciate the fundamental part of Beijing's life. When urban construction threatens the existence of these hutongs, some Beijingers become worried.
Beijing Opera
Beijing Opera of China is a national treasure with a history of 200 years. In the 55th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1790) , the four big Huiban opera Troupes entered the capital and combined with Kunqu opera, Yiyang opera, Hanju opera and Luantan in Beijing's theoretical circle of the time. Over a period of more than half a century of combination and integration of various kinds of opera there evolved the present Beijing Opera. Beijing Opera is the most significant of all operas in China, and it has a richness of repertoire, great number of artists and audiences, that give it a profound influence in China and plays a large role in Chinese culture.
Beijing Opera is a synthesis of stylized action, singing, dialogue and mime, acrobatic fightin