英文导游词（推荐5篇）

第一篇：英文导游词

长城

the Great Wall 人民大会堂 Great Hall of People 颐和园 the Summer Palace 香山

the

Fragant Hill 天安门广场 Tian An Men Square 人民英雄纪念碑 Monument to the People's heros 毛主席纪念堂 the Memoral Hall to Chairman Mao 天坛

the Temple of Heaven 北海公园

Beihai Park 亚运村

Asian Games Village 首都机场

the Capital Airport 首都体育馆 the Capital

Gymnasium 民族文化馆 the National Cultural Palace 北京动物园 Beijing Zoo 中国人民历史博物馆 Museum of Chinese History and the Chinese Revolution 中国人民军事博物馆 Mlitary Museum of the Chinese People's

Revolution 农业展览馆 the Agriculture Exhibition Hall 中国美术馆

the Chinese Art Gallery 乾清宫 Palace of Heavenly Purity

御花园 the Gate of Devine Might;the Imperial Garden

居庸关 Juyong Pass

八达岭长城 Great Wall at Badaling

慕田峪长城 Great Wall at Mutianyu

天坛 The Temple of Heaven 圜丘 the Circular Mound Altar

回音壁 Echo Wall

祈年殿 the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest

明十三陵 The Ming Tombs 北海公园 Beihai Park 雍和宫 Yonghegong Larmasery 白云观 The White Cloud Taoist Temple 北京孔庙 Beijing Confucius Temple 国子监 The Imperial College 潭柘寺 Tanzhe Temple 圆明园 The Ruins of Yuanmingyuan 初级商务英语（-）

周口店北京猿人遗址 Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian

中华民族园 Chinese Ethnic Culture Park

世界公园 Beijiang World Park 中华世纪坛 China Century Altar 清华大学 Tsinghua University 昆明湖 Kunming Lake

金水桥 the Golden Devine Might

神武门 the Gate of Devine Might

司马台 Simatai Fort

午门 the Meridian Gate

万寿山 Longevity Hill

紫金山天文台 Purple and Gold Hills Observation okky

周口店遗址 Zhoukoudian Ancient Site

少年宫 the Children's Palace

烽火台the Beacon Tower

清东陵 Eastern Royal Tombs of the Qing Dynasty

Tian’anmen Square

On

October 1, 1949, chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed on Tian’anmen Rostrum the

founding of the People’s Republic of China.Since then Tian’anmen has been the symbol of New Chine.Chairman Mao’s portrait is hung above the central entrance, flanked by two slogans:” Long Live the Great Unity of the Peoples of the World”.Today , the splendour of Tian’anmen attracts million of visitors from all over the world.The Rostrum on its top was opened in 1988 to the public for the first time in its history.It offers a panoramic view of the Square and the city proper.THE Great Wall To the northwest and north of Beijing, a huge, serrated wall zigzags it's way to the east and west along the undulating mountains.This is the Great Wall, which is said to be visible from the moon.Construction of the Great Wall started in the 7th century B.C.The vassal states under the Zhou Dynasty in the northern parts of the country each built their own walls for defence purposes.After the state of Qin unified China in 221 B.C., it joined the walls to hold off the invaders from the Xiongnu tribes in the north and extended them to more than 10,000 li or 5,000 kilometers.This is the origin of the name Of the “10,000-li Great Wall”.The Great Wall was renovated from time to time after the Qin Dynasty.A major renovation started with the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368, and took 200 years to complete.The wall we see today is almost exactly the result of this effort.With a total length of over 6,000 kilometers, it extends to the jiayu Pass in Gansu Province in the west and to the mouth of the Yalu River in Liaoning Province in the east.What lies north of Beijing is but a small section of it.The Great Wall of China is one of the wonders of the world.It is one of the few man-made objects on earth that can be seen on the moon.It dates from about 770 BC.It is more than 6000 kilometres long, 6-7 metres high and 4-5 metres wide.All the work was done by hand.Many people were forced to work on the wall.Now the Great Wall has become a place of interest.We all know the famous Chinese saying: “He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man.”(不到长城非好汉)

初级商务英语（-）

十三陵的介绍（中英对照）

 十三陵在北京西北郊，距城约五十

公里，是明朝（公元1368至1644年）十三个皇帝的陵墓。

 定陵是明朝第十个皇帝和他的两个皇

后的墓，定陵的地下宫殿（underground palace）是于1956至1957年第一个被发掘出来的地下建筑。

 定陵是由五个殿(hall)组成，全部为石

结构，总面积1195平方米。前、中殿各高7.2米，左右配殿高7.1米。在中殿摆设有3个“宝座”(throne)。后殿高达9.5米是放置棺木的地方。 定陵的陪葬物(grave goods)有金银珠

宝、玉器(jadeware)、瓷器(chinaware)、漆器(lacquerware)、丝织品(silk goods)共3000余件。The Ming Tombs are located in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing ,about fifty kilometers from the city.They are the tombs of thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty(1368----1644 A.D).Dingling is the tomb of the tenth emperor of the Ming Dynasty and his two empresses.Its underground palace was the first of the underground structures excavated between 1956 and 1957.Dingling consists of five chambers, all built of stone.Its total area is 1,195 square metres.The Ante-chamber and the Central Chamber are 7.2 metres high each.Two Side Chambers are 7.1 meters high each.In the Central Chamber there are three thrones,.The Back Chamber, 9.5 metres high, is the place where the coffins are kept.The grave goods of Dingling number over 3,000 pieces in all, including gold, silver, pearls, jewels, jadeware, chinaware，lacquerware, silk goods.故宫英文介绍

Situated at the heart of Beijing, the Palace Museum is approached through Tiananmen Gate.Immediately to the north of the Palace Museum is Prospect Hill(also called Coal Hill), while on the east and west are Wangfujing and Zhongnanhai neighborhoods.The Palace Museum, historically and artistically one of the most

comprehensive Chinese museums, was established on the foundation of the palace that was the ritual center of two dynasties, the Ming and the Qing, and their collections of treasures.Designated by the State Council as one of China's foremost protected monuments in 1961, the Palace Museum was also made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.北京

Beijing is an ancient city with a long history.Back in 3000 years ago in Zhou dynasty, Beijing, which was called Ji at the moment, had been named capital of Yan.Thereafter, Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasty all made Beijing their capital.Therefore, Beijing was famous for “Capital of a thousand years”.The long history leaves Beijing precious cultural treasure.Winding for several kilometers in Beijing area, the Great Wall is the only man-made structure that could been seen in the space.The Summer Palace is a classic composition of ancient royal gardens, and the Forbidden City is the largest royal palaces in the world.Tiantan is where the emperor used to fete their ancestors, and also the soul of Chinese ancient constructions.The four sites above has been confirmed world cultural heritage by UNESCO.However, the best representatives for Beijing are the vanishing Hutongs and square courtyards.Through hundreds of years, they have become symbol of Beijing's life.Tian'anmen square being still 初级商务英语（-）

brilliant today with cloverleaf junctions and skyscrapers everywhere, the old-timey scene and modern culture are combined to present a brand new visage of Beijing.As Beijing has been confirmed home city of Olympics 2008, the spirit of “green Olympics, scientific Olympics and humanized Olympic” will surely bring more and more changes to Beijing, promote the development of sports and Olympics in China as well as in the world, and strengthen the friendly communications between Chinese and foreign people.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 WallIf 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 StoneThere 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 Republic of China, 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 BCjust 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 初级商务英语（-）

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 Tiananmen 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 Tiananmen(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.Zhong Nan Hai The Great Wall is one of the eight wonders of the world and is the only man-made structure that is visible from the moon.This immense wall was built to keep out invaders as well as to retain the inhabitants.It spans five provinces(6,700 kilometers, or 2,587 miles)from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west.Like a gigantic dragon, it winds up and down across deserts, grasslands and mountains.Just outside Beijing, it is possible to climb a section of the Great Wall and enjoy a splendid panoramic view that you will remember for the rest of your life.Other famous Beijing attractions include the Ming Tombs, the burial site of 13 ancient emperors;the Drum Tower built in the 1400's;Tiantan Park with its excellent Ming architectures;Fragrant Hills Park;the Ancient Observatory that dates back to the days of Kublai Khan;The Silk Market;Botanical Gardens;the Indian-designed Temple of Azure Clouds and many, many more wondrous places.Any reader of the classic The Dream of Red Mansions will want to visit Prince Gong's Mansion of the 18th Century, which is purported to be the model for mansion in the novel.History

How can one city boast so many phenomenal places? Beijing's long and illustrious history starts approximately 500,000 years ago.It is here that the ancestors of modern Homo 初级商务英语（-）

sapiens, Peking men, lived in caves.Records show that Beijing has been an inhabited city for more than three thousand years and has lived through invasions, devastating fires, dynasties, warlords, Anglo-French troops and has

emerged each time as a strong and vibrant city.For more than 800 years, Beijing was a capital city-from the Yuan Dynasty to the Ming and Qing dynasties.Thirty-four emperors have lived and ruled in Beijing and it has been an important trading city from earliest days.Although now Beijing is modern, fashionable and full of 21st Century vitality, you can experience authentic Beijing life and become acquainted with “old Beijing” by exploring many tea houses, temple fares, Beijing's Hutong and Courtyard and enjoy the Peking Opera.Adding these to your Beijing tour, you will leave feeling in your heart a special

appreciation for this ancient city that has truly seen it all and tells its story with matchless grace and beauty.China Silk Carpet Gallery When to go

Beijing is close to Tianjin Municipality and is partially surrounded by Hebei Province.Beijing covers a total area of more than 16,800 square kilometers(6,487 square miles)and has a population of 13.82 million people.Beijing's climate is a semi-humid, continental climate with an average temperature of 12C.It's rainy season, which brings most of its nearly 600 millimeters of rain, starts in July and ends in August.Beijing summers are very hot and rainy while winters in Beijing are dry, cold, and snowy.The short spring season is temperate and autumn is clear and clean.Beijing is at its best in late spring and autumn, particularly during the months of May, September, and October when people can enjoy bright sunlight and blue skies

第二篇：英文导游词

Introduction for the Fashui Tianmu Hotspring Hello,everyone here.Welcome to Fashui Tianmu Hotspring.It's my honor to be your guide and i'm so glad to service for you.Wish you have a perfect time with me.We are located in Fashui village Zixi town of Fuzhou,near to the 316 national road.The resort is about 20 kilometers far away from Zixi town,70 kilometers from Mount Longhu and 170 kilometers from Mount Wuyi.On entering into our company,you can know the whole resort was picture perfect.First of all,we'll know about the basic information together.The resort was made to the national AAAA tourist hotel.The total planning land area is 6000 acres.Construction planning area is about 300000 square meters.And the total investment of Projects is 600 million yuan.As you see,the resort is surrounded by mountains which are with fresh air and elegant environment.according to researchs,percentage of the greenery coverage is over ninety-two percent in all over the resort.So it is considered as a natural oxygen bar.Then let's know about the structure of the resort.It is divided into Forest resources exploration area,Hot spring bath area，Fitness recuperate area，Sports competitive area，and VIP（short for Very Important Person)functional areas.As for sales production,it mainly includes hotspring,Room Division,food and beverage department,conference,and it relies on the Taoism culture.In total,it gives priority to us with fresh and natural feelings,must be an idea place for tourism,relaxation,various Business Transactions ,trainings and meetings.Next we'll visit from hotspring,Room Division,food and beverage department to conference.The first site is hotspring center which is our Featured Products.It contains indoor area and outdoor area.There are swimming pool, Hot spring fish recuperating,lounge hall,massage rooms,billiard saloon ,aromatherapy house and so on indoors.Outdoors there are many hotspring pools with various functions and characteristics.Those are Nine characteristics area,water park which includes Python slide and wave pool,Four beauties area,Five Elements zone,SPA(short for Solus Par Agula)area and Taoist Culture area.By enjoying them,it not only makes us escape from strain and dust,but also help us keep healthy and beautiful.

第三篇：英文导游词

Ladies and gentlemen，Welcome to KM, a beautiful city of eternal spring.My name is Tom, and I am pleased to be your tour guide.An old Chinese saying goes like this: friends should come from afar, isn’t this delightful? So I am very delighted to have this chance to serve you, to show you the most beautiful of KM and YN, to feed you the most delicious local food, to introduce to you the most precious local specialties.In one word, I’ll try my best to help you have a happy and gainful tour here.Now, you must want to know some general info about this city.Situated at the center of YN-GZH Plateau, KM has a history of over 2400 years and now serves as the capital of YN Province.It features pleasant climate all the year round and various natural sceneries as well as places of historical interest.A poem portraits KM like this:

the weather is like April constantly，flowers blossom for four seasons.Hence its name ‘city of eternal spring’.It’s neither hot in summer nor cold in winter.The average temperature in summer is about 23℃ while that in winter is about 9℃, and the average temperature year round is approximately 15℃.There are two distinct seasons here: the dry season and the rainy season.The rainy season is from May to Oct.when the humid air from the Indian Ocean brings rich rainfall.The other months are the dry season with very few rains.So ladies and gentlemen, now you must have a question in your mind: why is the climate like this? The geographical location of KM is about at the same latitude with Guilin, Xiamen and Taipei.But these places are much hotter in summer and colder in winter.The reason mainly lies in the topography and landscape of KM.The city is located on the plateau area with an altitude of over 1800 m.So it’s not very hot in summer.In winter, the high mountains to the north of KM block the cold air from Siberia.Therefore, the affect of the cold air to the weather of KM is not as strong as other areas in China.Consequently, KM enjoys a pleasant climate all the year round.KM’s history goes back over 2000 years to the Waring States Period of ancient China.In BC 279, a general of Chu Kingdom in the area of today’s Hunan and Hubei provinces came here with his troops and settled down near Dianchi Lake which is a large lake adjoining the southwest edge of today’s KM city.In AD 109, during the reign of emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty, the city of “Kunzhou” was established to the southeast of present day Kunming.Towards the end of the Yuan Dynasty, which was about 600 years ago, this area became known as KM County.In 1832, a traditional city with high wall was erected, which became Kunming municipality in 1928.In the book Guide to China the author says that if your time is limited while visiting China and you could only afford to travel around one place, the best choice is YN Province, because it is the most ethnically diverse province in China with various landscapes.It’s absolutely true.26 ethnic groups inhabit different areas of YN Province.During the long course of history, each ethnic group has developed their own unique culture and diverse customs.In different ethnic communities we can see different architectures, costumes, and taste local foods of various flavor, of which the most famous one is Across Bridge Rice Noodle whose name originated from an ancient legend.Most of the ethnic groups are good at singing and dancing and they also have their own traditional festivals, such as the Torch Festival of the Yi people, the Splashing Water Festival of the Dai people.Their marital customs are also different, among which the most amazing one is that of Muosuo people who is a branch of Naxi ethnic group and lives in Shangri-la.They actually don’t get married all their life.I’ll explain to you the details during our tour later.Now we’ve arrived at our hotel.Please gather your belongings and follow me.

第四篇：英文导游词

岳麓书院英文导游词 2009-2-12 9:30

页面功能 【字体：大 中 小】【打印】【关闭】

Good morning!ladies and gentlemen： Today we will go and visit the yuelu academy!yuelu academy is one of the four famous academies in china, and it was established by zhudong, magistrate of tanzhou prefecture in 976a.d at the time of northern song dynasty.the academy accepted disciples throughout the song, yuan, ming and qing dynasties.it was only in 1903 that the academy was transformed from a school of traditional confucian learning to an insitute of higher learning and in 1926 it was officially named hunan university.Early in 1015, emperor zhen zong of the song dynasty awarded the academy hid majesty“s own handwriting ”yuelu academy“ on a tablet.form then on many famous scholars and great thinkers gave lectures here, among them were zhangshi, zhuxi and wangyangming, thus making a great impact on the province”s culture and education.most of the existing buildings here were constructions of the ming and qing dynasties, and the bulk of the engraved stone plates and inscribed tablets have all been kept intact, in 1956 the academy was listed as a historical site at the provincial level and later, in 1988 it became a historical site at the state level.the last restoration project started in 1981 and the major part was completed in 1987.Now, here we are at the “he xi platform”, “he xi” means the “the splendour of the sunrise”, it was named by zhuxi, a great idealist philosopher of the confucian school during the song dynasty, the platform was first built on the top of yuelu hill, by zhanshi, and later in 1528, a pavilion was built on it, but it became deserted with the passing time.in 1790 luodian, the master of the academy, built a platform at the present site, in 1820, the succeeding master, ouyang houjun, renamed it “he xi platform” in order to memory zhuxi and zhanshi.it was restored in 1868.On the inner walls of the platform are two big chinese characters “fu” and “shuo”, which mean “blessing” and “longevity” respectively.legend has it that the character “shuo ”was written with a broom soaked in yellow mud by a taoist master at the time master luodian was attending a banquet in honour of the examination officials and those dispels who had passed the civil exam hence it has been regarded as having “celestial touch” the character “fu” was written by luodian, the master himself.This gate in front of us is the main gate, the gate was formerly built at the time of the song dynasty, and was then called “central gate”.the main gate underwent both destruction and reconstruction in the course of time.the present structure was once

thoroughly renovated in 1868.The characters “yuelu academy” on the horizontal tablet were inscribed by emperor zhen zong of the song dynasty.it was presented as an award to zhoushi, the master of the academy, when he was summoned to the emperor“s presence.on both door posts are couplets which read ”

the kingdom of chu, unique home of the talents, the academy of yuelu, the very cradle of all “.it was composed in the qing dynasty by the master of the academy, yuan jiangang and his disciple zhang renjie.This gate was the second gate, it was first built in 1527 during the ming dynasty.it underwent repairs and restoration many times.it was completely devastated during the anti-japanese war.in 1984, the gate was restored to its former state.This is the lecture hall, where the students had lessons here, it was first built at the time of the song dynasty and was once named ”jing yi hall“.now, it has a more elaborate name ”the hall of the loyalty, filiality honesty and integrity“, because on the inner walls of the hall are engraved four big chinese characters:” loyalty, filiality, honesty and integrity.they were handwriting by the great scholar, zhuxi, who once lectured here.others, such as the school regulations, the administrations and way to read were masterpieces of the masters of the academy.on the two horizontal tablets hanging on top were written: “Learn before you can probe the infiniteness of the universe.” “The doctrines taught here in the south are genuine confucian doctrines.” They were inscribed by the emperor kangxi and qianlong respectively during the qing dynasty.The building in front of us is the yushu library, “yushu” literally means “imperial books”, so yushu library ,built in 999a.d in the early song dynasty, was a place to keep imperial books.books were continuously sent here during the succeeding dynasties.the library was first named “classics treasuring house” in the song dynasty, “classic venerating house” in the yuan and ming dynasties, and finally “yushu library” in the qing dynasty,.it had been repaired and expanded many times, and now it has a collection of over twenty thousand chinese classics.this building was rebuilt on its original site in 1986.The two small pavilions xi quan and ni lan , built during the song and ming dynasties, were restored to the right and left of the compound galleries in order to display cultural relics.

第五篇：赵州桥英文导游词

The well-known Zhaozhou Bridge, a large stone arch bridge on Xiao River in Zhaozhou, Hebei Province, is also known as Anji Bridge.It is the largest and oldest stone arch bridge in the world about which over the years many beautiful folk stories have been circulating.One day in the Spring and Autumn Period, the skilful artisan Lu Ban of the State of Lu arrived on the bank of Xiao River, carrying his tools on his back.On the swift waters of the wide river he saw two small ferryboats hurrying to and fro with passengers.A crowd of people were meanwhile waiting anxiously on the bank, some with wheelbarrows, others with heavy loads on their shoulder poles.But the ferryboat could carry only a small number of people aboard.Suddenly Lu Ban heard some say, “If only a bridge could be built over the river!” When he saw all this, Lu made up his mind to build a bridge across Xiao River for the people of Zhaozhou.According to the legend, at that very evening, Lu brought back some snow-white stone blocks from the Taihang Mountains to the south,and set to work immediately.At the daybreak when the cock crowed, Lu laid the last two stone labs on the bridge and the job was done.Picking up his tools, Lu Ban went on his way again to see what he could do for the people in other places.Zhaozhou Bridge is 50.82 meters long and 9.6 meters wide, the span of the large stone arch in the middle measuring 37.37 meters.There are two smaller symmetrical arches, one at each end.This kind of structure not only requires less building material but makes sluicing at times of flood easier.The bridge floor is smooth and flat with pavements for pedestrians on both sides, while carriages and carts can move in the middle.The apex of the arch is fairly high so that boats can easily clear it.The bridge is ingeniously designed with a well-proportioned layout, a solid structure, and a magnificent and attractive outward appearance.At both ends of the bridge, willow branches sway graceful, while, seen from the afar, the inverted image of the arch in the water resembles a rainbow spanning the Xiao River.News spread quickly that Lu Ban had built a stone arch bridge overnight.Towns people as well as villagers near and far flocked there in excitement to have a look at the bridge.Such a miracle also aroused the interest of Chai Rong the Fairy and one of the “Eight Legendary Immortals” Zhang Guolao.They wanted to test whether this large stone arch bridge was solid enough,and so decided to play a practical joke on Lu Ban.One night, Zhang Guolao came riding on a donkey, facing backward.On the back of the donkey were hung two heavy sacks containing in one the “sun” and the other the “moon”.Then came Chai Rong pushing a barrow on which were loaded the “five famous mountains.” Arriving together at the bridge, they met Lu Ban and asked him whether they could cross the bridge at the same time.Lu replied proudly, “Why, such a solidly-built bridge not being able to carry the two of you? Go ahead, please.” But to his astonishment, the bridge began to wobble as soon as they set foot upon it.Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Lu Ban jumped into the water and, with all his might, tried to prop up the eastern half of the bridge.In this way the two immortals were able to cross the bridge with their “sun” and “moon” and the “five famous mountains.” From then on, the bridge bore the hoof prints of the donkey Zhang Guolao rode, the dent left by Chai Rong's knee where he knelt on the ground, and the grooves left the wheel of the barrow.There was also Lu Ban's hand print where he tried to prop up the bridge.Today, the “imprints of immortals” are still there except Lu Ban's hand print because of a partial collapse later of the eastern half of the bridge.Lu Ban, Zhang Guolao and Chai Rong did not belong to the same age and so couldn't have met each other in the first place.It is also evident that Lu ban could not have built such a large stone bridge overnight.The myths and legends, however, are a reflection of the admiration felt by ordinary people for this stone arch bridge and the foud memory they cherish for its builders.In spite of the buffeting of the elements and the visitation of natural disasters over more than a thousand years, this large stone arch bridge still stands rock firm today.When, one may then ask, was Zhaozhou Bridge built? And who was it that designed and built it? The person in charge of its design and construction was an artisan called Li Chun who lived more than 13,000 years ago in the Sui Dynasty.His creativity and ingenuity in bringing into shape a bridge of such a unique design and structure have won the admiration of all.The Zhaozhou Stone Arch Bridge was technologically the most advanced in the world then.It was remarkable achievement in the history of ancient Chinese civilization, turning over a new leaf in the annals of bridge construction in the world.Bridge building projects with a similar design did not appear in Europe until the 14th century, that is, more than seven hundred years later than the Zhaozhou Bridge.