乌镇古镇英文导游词
乌镇英文导游词
inthetranquillittlevillageofwuzhen,thelighthangsoverthedongshiriverinasoftsummerpallour,asthoughthecloudsaremakingadeliberateefforttoprotecttheresidentsfromsunburn.alongtheriver,aselectgroupofday-trippersenjoyacruiseaboardapole-steeredbarge.i'mhighlyprivilegedtobevisitingtheverylastofchina'sancient"watertowns"tobeopenedtovisitors.
whentheauthoritiesopenedthe1,300yearoldriverinesettlementofwuzhentovisitorsinearlyXX,theyweredeterminedtoavoidthetackymixoftouristrestaurantsandkitschsouvenirshopsthathasswampedotherestuarytownssuchaszhouzhuang(whichalsoliesintheyangtzeriverdelta).wuzhen'soldbuildings,anarchitecturalsymphonyofstone,woodandtiles,havebeenpreservedratherthanrestored,andlovinglymaintainedratherthantartedup.theresultisaplacethatisasheerjoytoexploreonfoot.
wuzhenisstillalivingtown,wheredailylifegoesonlifegoesonasithasforthelastthousandorsoyears.coppersmiths,wood-carverandsilk-spinnersworkattheirage-oldcrafts.bicyclerickshawdriversexchangestoriesastheywaitforpassengers.peoplecartwater,cookmeals,andtendtheirgardens,eachflower-plotthesizeofapostagestamp.
thetownsfolkofwuzhengatherinthetownsquarearoundmid-day-talking,smokingorplayingmah-jongg.theyseemlaidbackandcontented.mostofall,theyseemtoenjoyobservingthepassingparade,whichprovidesaconstantsourceofamusement.istartedtowonderwhetheritwasthetownorthestrangeforeignvisitorslikemyselfthatwasthemainattraction.westernvisitorsarestillararityhere.
wuzhenliesinthefarnorth-eastofzhejiangprovince,about90minutesbyroadfromshanghai.thename"watertown"isespeciallyapt;besideslyingonthegrandcanal,thesettlementiscompletelyencircledbytworivers-thedongshiandasmallertributary,whichmeetatat-junction.nomatterwhereyoustand,waterprovidesthebackdrop,theraisond'êtreofthewholetown.
about250familiesusedtoliveintheoldquarterofwuzhen.however,followingthe"restoration"ofthetown,manytownsfolkhavebeenmovedouttothe"new"wuzhen,anattractivelylandscapedbutotherwisecharacterlessapartmentblock15kmdowntheroadtowardsshanghai.thosewhoremainaremainlytheelderlyandcraftspeople.whileiwasassuredthatthereisnothingtostopnewresidentsmovingintotheoldtown,youngpeoplenowadaysseemstrangelyabsent.
theoldwoodenshopsofwuzhenlookagelessandimmovable,asthoughtheirtimbershavetotallydefiedtheravagesoftime.atfirst,onesuspectsthatthecustodiansofthetownhavetriedtocoverupthedecomposingprocessesofnature.butlookmorecloselyandyoufindslowrotsettinginaroundthebasesofthedoorframes,andsplintersbreakingawayfromthelintels.whatlittlerestorationhasbeendoneissoinconspicuousastobetotallyindistinguishablefromtheoriginal.
allthebuildingsinwuzhenareinmingorqingdynastystyle.onepalatialestablishmentisthe"doublehappiness"marriageshrine.twinheartsarejoinedinanouveau-chinesecharacteringiltuponaflamingcrimsonbackground,presumablydepictingtheinseparabilityofmarriage-perhapsthechineseknowsomethingthatwewesternersdon't.
wuzhenalsohassomeuniqueattractions,includingyuliuliang'scoinandpapermoneyexhibition.nearby(wouldyoubelieve)standsapawnshopmuseum,asiftoprovethatusuryisuniversal.(maybefortunately,wuzhenhastheonlysuchestablishmenti'veevercomeacross).itriedlookingforaqingdynastydvdplayerinthepawnshop,butwassadlydisappointed.
nofewerthaneightstonebridgescrossthedongshiriver,thegrandestofthembeingthefengyuandoublebridge.thebridgeisseparatedintotwopartsbyawoodensluicegate.cyclistscarrytheirbikesacrossthehigharchesofthebridges,whicharedesignedtoletboatspassunderneathwithoutdifficulty.
backinthemainsquare,theeldersarestillhangingout.onthevillagestage,aperformanceofpekingoperaisunderway.acrossthesquare,amasterpuppeteerentertainsvisitorswithashadow-playofthetypeknowninjavaaswayangkulit.butwhilethejavaneseversionofshadowpuppetryissubtleandrefined,thewuzhenstylehastheprotagonistsattackingeachotherwiththeferocityoftigers.
whetherbyaccidentordesign,thistownseemstohavebeendroppedintoitswaterysettingbyamastertownplannerfromanothergalaxy.amoreperfectlocationforasettlementwouldbedifficulttofind.itisferventlytobehopedthattourismwillaugmentratherthandestroytheuniqueambianceofwuzhen.