用英语描述你所去过的一个景点（初三）

The Temple of Heaven was initially built in Yongle year 18 of the Ming Dynasty (in 1420). Situated in the southern part of the city, it covers the total area of 273 hectares. With the additions and rebuild during the Ming, Qing and other Dynasties, this grand set of structures look magnificent and glorious, the dignified environment appears solemn and respectful, it is the place for both Ming and Qing Dynasty's Emperors to worship Heaven and pray for good harvest. The northern part of the Temple is circular while the southern part is square, implies "sky is round and earth is square" to better symbolize heaven and earth. The whole compound is enclosed by two walls, dividing the whole Temple into inner and outer areas, with the main structures enclosed in the inner area. The most important constructions are the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, the Circular Mound Altar, Imperial Heaven, The Imperial Vault of Heaven, Heaven Kitchen, Long Corridor and so on, as well as the Echo Wall, the Triple-Sound Stone, the Seven-Star Stone and others of historic interest and scenic beauty. The Temple of Heaven is a comprehensive expression of the unique construction techniques from Ming and Qing Dynasties, it is China's most treasured ancient architecture, it is also the world's largest architectural complex for worship heaven. In 1998, it was included in the "list of the world heritages" by the United Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Do you know? There are four wonderful sounds in the Temple of Heaven! It's worth your time to study the four wonderful sounds.

1. The echo from the Echo Wall - There is a circular wall around The Imperial Vault of Heaven, this is the famous Echo Wall. One person's mere whisper at any point close to the wall can be heard clearly on the other side if you draw your ear close to the wall, it is so clear that it is like talking on the phone. Do you want to know why? This is possible because the wall is round and hermetically constructed with smooth, solid bricks, so the sound wave can transmit to the other side via the extremely smooth inner circle.

2. The sound of the Dialogue Stone - If you speak while standing on the 18th stone in front of The Imperial Vault of Heaven, the sound can clearly pass to the northeast corner of the north side hall and the northwest of the west side hall that are both 36 meters away. The sound can be heard just as well on the stone when speaking from the corners of these two side halls, this is what we call the "Sound of the Dialogue Stone".

3. Repeating sounds of the Triple-Sound Stone - In front of the steps leading away from the hall is the Triple-Sound Stone. If you stand on the first stone and call out or clap your hands, the sound will echo once; on the second stone, the sound will be heard twice; and on the third stone, the sound will repeat three times. Hence it inherited the name. This is because the distances that the sound wave reflected from the round wall to the stone are different, the number of echo is also different. Take a guess which flagstone is at the center of the Echo Wall's? The third one. The echo actually gets repeated more than 3 times, it's just the sound is too weak to be heard after the 4th echo.

4. The hollow of the Heaven's Center Stone - There is a stone plate in the center of the Circular Mound Altar called the Heaven's Center Stone. Shouting aloud standing above, you will hear the reverberation of the echo. This is due to the refraction of the sound.





Beijing Municipality
As the capital of the People's *, Beijing is the nation's political, economic, cultural and educational center as well as being the most important center in China for international trade and communications. It has been the heart and soul of politics and society throughout its long history. By the time of the Warring States Period (476 BC - 221 BC), it was serving as the capital of the Yan Kingdom. Because of its role in the life and growth of China, there is an unequalled wealth available for travelers to discover as you explore Beijing's ancient past and enjoy its exciting 21st Century world. In 2008 when Beijing hosts the Olympic Games, Beijing will show the world something so special that everyone will be awestruck by Beijing's latest accomplishments combined with its ancient history.

What to see

The magnificent Forbidden City is the world's largest and best-preserved imperial palace complex. Surrounded by a moat that is six meters deep and a ten-meter high wall are 9,999 rooms - just one room short of the number that ancient Chinese believed represented divine perfection. Once having entered the Forbidden City, visitors are transported to a spacious world of great luxury that had a culture of its own. For five centuries, this palace functioned as the administrative center of the country as well as being the pleasur"Tian'anmen Tower"e home of the emperors and empresses who were served by thousands of people. Walking along the corridors and through various rooms it becomes easy to understand the impact of the rulers who lived here and their isolation from the rest of Chinese life. Regardless of how much history you have read, or movies featuring the Forbidden City you have seen, the place itself is not to be missed by any Beijing visitor. (Self-guided audio tour tapes are available in several languages at the entrance.)

For a peaceful and interesting stroll, visit one of Beijing's many beautiful parks, such as Beihai Park, which was probably built by the Great Khan centuries earlier than the Forbidden City. This park was enjoyed by the various rulers of China for hundreds of years and features pavilions, architecturally interesting walkways, the 27-meter-long (about 88 feet) Nine Dragon Screen (built to scare off evil spirits), a jar that is the last remnant of the Khan's court that had been there, the Five Dragon Pavilion dating from the mid 1600's, and a large lake with an island in the middle. Another park that is a definite "must see" is the Summer Palace, a famous classic imperial garden with breathtaking beauty. Bold and generously designed, the northern gardens skillfully blend into the exquisite delicacy of the southern gardens. The Summer Palace holds a special place in the history of Chinese gardens. These are only two of the many majestic gardens in Beijing. Sometimes, you can find exceptional gardens within or surrounding Beijing's many ancient temples.

Beijing has many beautiful temples that at one time served as the focus for religious life. Temple of Heaven is the largest group of structures in the country dedicated to rituals that pay homage to heaven. This temple was built specifically for the worship of heaven and prayers for good harvests during the time of the Ming and Qing dynasties. There are two amazing acoustical spots here. On the top of the tri-leveled round altar (originally built in the 1500's) there is a spot where your words reverberate around you. You can easily imagine the power that temporal rulers felt as their prayers for abundance echoed as if they issued down from the heavens. The other is at the Echo Wall that partially encloses a circular courtyard that is 65 meters (213 feet) in diameter. Words whispered at one end travel along the wall and can be heard clearly by someone listening at the other end. The entire temple complex is a treasure of ancient Chinese architectural design and art. Symbolic shape combinations (the temples are round on square bases signifying heaven and earth) and various mystical numbers are the basis for much of the design work. The temple structures themselves are stunning works of art. All of this and more is set in the midst of a beautiful park.

There are many other fascinating temples in Beijing, among which are: the Yunju Temple, which houses the most stone inscriptions of Buddhist scriptures in the world, the White Cloud Taoist Temple, which is one of the oldest and still the most active of Taoist temples in Beijing, and the Temple of Confucius. Visiting these temples can help elucidate three primary philosophies that formed the basis for early Chinese life and culture. For example, much of traditional Chinese medicine's principles and theories were derived from the work of Taoist doctors and masters.

The largest city central square in the world, the solemn and respectful * Square is not only the symbol of Beijing but also the symbol of China. This immense courtyard is the site of many historic events. The square is surrounded by a variety of significant edifices: Chinese Revolution History Museum, Mao Mausoleum, Great Hall of the People, the elegant and beautiful * (Heavenly Peace Gate), and Qianmen (Front Gate). The daily flag ceremony at the square, performed at sunrise and sunset each day, is most exceptional and well-worth making time to view.