西安八大景点英文导游词

西安八大景点英文导游词-陕西历史博物馆

The Great Mosque

The Great Mosque is located in Huajue Lane, which branches off from the West Main Street. It is the major spot for the religious activities of over 60,000 Moslems in Xi’an. It is also an important historical monument in Shaanxi Province. Unlike Arabian mosques with splendid domes, skyward minarets, and dazzling patterns, this mosque possesses much Chinese tradition in both design and artistic outlook. It assumes the striking features of Chinese Pavilions, with painted beams and engraved ridgepoles.

However, it would be useless to talk about the Great Mosque without knowing how Islam was introduced into China.

Islam, as a religious order, was founded in the early period of the 7th century and was introduced to China in the mid-7th century. At that time, some Arabian merchants and travelers came to the northwestern region by way of Persia and Afghanistan to establish diplomatic, trade, and military contacts with China. Others started their voyage from the Bangladesh Bay, crossed the Strait of Malacca, and arrived at Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Hangzhou, Yangzhou and other Chinese cities. Later, many of them settled down and married the local women. Their children became the first generation of Chinese Moslems. However, massive immigration of Moslems to China did not take place until, as late as, the early period of the 13th century. As a result of his Western Expedition, Genghis Khan conquered vast expanses of land from Central Asia to East Europe, including the northern part of Iran. Many of the Moslems in these conquered areas were forced to enlist in the army. Later, they made China their permanent home. Many of them were soldiers; and some were smiths and officials. They were called the Hui people in the history books of the Yuan Dynasty. The Hui people later followed Kublai Khan down to the South, helping him unify China and establish the Yuan Dynasty. In the wake of this conquest, Islam spread all over China and mosques began to appear everywhere. Many Moslems held positions both in the military and civil services in the Yuan Dynasty.

A lot of Moslems took part in Zhu Yuanzhang’s uprising in the early 14th century and made great contributions to the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, all the emperors of the Ming Dynasty issued Moslems for their great contributions. In the early 16th century, Islam dominated Xinjiang and spread its influence top Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai. The religion later won domination over such

minority ethnic groups as the Hui, the Uygur, the Kazak, the Kirgiz, the Tajik, the Tartar, the Uzbek, the Dongxiang, the Salar and the Bonan. The Moslems in Xi’an are mainly the Hui people. There are approximately 17 million Moslems in China.

The Great Mosque is the most sizable of its kind in the city of Xi’an, a nd also one of the oldest and best-preserved mosques in China. The Stone Tablet o the Building of the Mosque says that it was built in the Tang Dynasty. However, judging from its architectural style, it was probably built in the Ming Dynasty. Its four courtyards cover an area of more than 12,000 square meters, with a building area of 4,000 square meters. The still intact wooden memorial arch in the front yard was built at the turn of the 17th century. With glazed tiles, spectacular corners, and upturned eaves, it stands about nine meters high, and has a history of about 360 years.

The stone memorial gateway in the center of the second courtyard is flanked by two tall tablets, with dragons carved on each. They record the details of the repair work ever conducted since the building of the master calligrapher Mi Fu mosque. One tablet bears the characters by the in the Song Dynasty: “May Islam Fill the Universe.” The other bears the characters by the Ming master calligrapher Dong Qichang, “Royally Bestowed.” Thes e characters are typical examples of traditional Chinese calligraphy.

At the entrance of the third courtyard is a hall built by the order of the Royal Court, where a “Crescent Tablet”, showing the calculation of the Islaluic Calendar is stored. The calenda r was compiled by Xiao Xining, who was in charge of the mosque in the early period of the Qing Dynasty.

A three-storeyed octagonal wooden structure called the Retrospection Tower stands in the center of the courtyard. It functions the same as the minaret in an average Arabian mosque. Orders are often sent from the tower to call the Moslems to come to worship. Respectively on the south and north wings of the tower are the Reception Chamber and the Scripture Chamber. Both of them are elegantly laid out. The f ive wooden houses, called “water houses” in the southwest section of the mosque, are where the believers bathe themselves before they attend their services.

Inside the fourth courtyard, there is a structure called the Phoenix Pavilion, a place where worshipers wait for services. The pavilion, in fact, is a complex of three small buildings. The six-gabled structure in the central part is adjoined by two three-gabled buildings on each side which make it look like a flying phoenix; hence its name. Just at the back of the pavilion there is a fish

pond, and beyond it is a platform with an area of 700 square meters. Across the platform stands the 1,300-square-meter prayer hall. It holds over 1,000 worshipers at a time. The ceiling is decorated with over 600 panels. The walls of the hall, as well as the panels, are decorated with patterns of trailing plants and Arabic letters. The shrine at the western end of the hall is where the imam and worshipers chant the Koran and pay homage while facing in the direction of Mecca.

The Moslems in China share much the same customs with their brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world. They worship five times a day: at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, at dusk, and at night.

The Constitution of China acknowledges that each citizen has the right freedom of religion, and that each ethnic group has the freedom to preserve or reform its own customs. Of course, the Moslems in China enjoy equal rights with other ethnic groups, and their religious beliefs and customs are respected everywhere in the country.

陕西西安大清真寺英文导游词

The Great Mosque at Huajue Lane

The Mosque is a major spot for religious activities of over 60.000 Moslems in Xi’an, likewise, an important cultural relic protected by the Provincial People’s Government. Unlike the Arabic mosques, with sp lendid domes, the minarets reaching into the clouds, the coulourful engraved sketches with dazzling patterns, the Mosque here in Xi’an possesses much Chinese traditional touch in both its design and artistic outlook; besides the style peculiar to Islamic mosques, this Mosque also holds characteristics of Chinese pavilions with painted beams and engraved ridgepoles.

However, any further discussion about the Mosque will be futile unless anything of the introduction of Islam into China is brought up.

Islam as a religious order was founded in the early period of the 7th century A.D. and was introduced to China in the mid-600s. At that time, Arabian merchants and travelers came to the northwest of China by way of Persia and Afghanistan and thus established diplomatic, trade, and military contacts with China. In the meantime, another route saw a batch of sea voyagers through Bangladesh Bay and the Malacca Strait to China’s Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Huangzhou, Yangzhou and other cities where many of them settled down and married the local women who later gave birth to babies who then became Moslems.

However, massive immigration of the Moslems to China did not take place until as late as the early period of the 13th century, when Genghis Khan, as a result of his expedition against the west, had conquered vast expanses of land stretching from Central Asia to Eastern Europe, including the north of Iran. Many of the Moslems in the conquered areas were thus forced to enlist and later settled in China.

Among the enlisted many were soldiers, and some were smiths and officials who were called the Hui people in the history books on the Yuan dynasty. The Hui people later followed Kublai Khan down to the south, helping him unifying China and then establish the Yuan dynasty. In the wake of the conquest, Islam

spread all over China and mosques began to appear everywhere. In the Yuan dynasty, many Moslems held positions both in the military and civilian organs of the country. And a lot of the Moslems took part in Zhu Yuanzhang’s u prising in the early 14th century and made great contributions to the founding of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, all the emperors of the Dynasty issued mandates to protect Islam, and to set up mosques in praise of the Moslems for their feats. In the early 16th century, Islam predominated Qinghai on the minority nationalities including the Huis, the Uygurs, the Kazaks, the Kirgizes, the Tajiks, the Tartars, the Ozbeks, the Dong Xiangs, the Salars and the Bonans. The Moslems in Xi’an are mainly the Huis, being a small portion out of the ten million in China.

The Mosque at Hua Jue Lane is the largest in Xi’an, and at the same time, it is also one of the earliest built on a comparatively large scale, and well preserved mosques in China.

According to “the Stele on the Building of the Mosque”, the mosque is said to be built in the Tang Dynasty. However, the architectural style of the mosque suggests a possible building dating back to the Ming Dynasty. The four courtyards of the mosque cover an area of more than 12,000 square meters, out of which about

4,000 are occupied by various structures. The still intact wooden front memorial gateway of the front yard, built at the turn of the 17th century, with glazed tiles on the top, spectacular corners and upturned eaves, is about 9 metres high, and has a history of about 360 years. The stone memorial gateway in the center of the second courtyard is flanked with a tail stele on either side with dragons carved on each, recording the repair work ever since the building of the Mosque. On the back of one of the steles are engraved characters by the master calligrapher Mi Fu, “May Buddhism Fill the Universe”, on the other, “Royal -Bestowed”by Dong Qichang, another master of the same art of the Ming dynasty. They are treasures in Chinese calligraphy. At the entrance of the third courtyard is an imperial built hall, where a “month tablet”, showing the calculation of the Hui Calendars in Arabic, is stored. It was compiled by a man in charge of the mosque called Xiao Mining in the early period of the Qing dynasty. A three –storeyed octagonal wooden structure called “Retrospection Tower”also stands in the center of the courtyard, which has the same function as the minaret in Islamic temples in Arabic countries, and which is a place from where orders were sent to call the Moslems to come to worship. Respectively, on the south and north wings of the tower, are a reception chamber and a Scripture Chamber, both elegantly laid out. The five wooden houses, which are called “Water Houses”in the southwest section of the Mosque are the place where the believers bathe themselves before they attend their services. And in side the fourth courtyard there is a structure called “the Pavilion of Phoenix”, a place where the worshipers used to wait for the services. The Pavilion, in fact, is a compound structure of three small buildings. The six-gabled structure of the central part, adjoining the two three-gabled buildings on each side looks very much like a flying phoenix, and hence its name. Just at the back of the Pavilion, there is a fishpond, beyond which is a platform occupying an area as large as 700 m2. Across both ends of the platform stands the 1,300 square metered service hall, holding over a thousand worshipers at once. There are over six hundred sunk panels well as the sunk panels, are decorated with patterns of painted trailing plants and Arabic letterings. The imam leads his group of worshipers, while facing in the direction of Mecca, to chant in Koran and to pay their religious homage.

The Moslems in China share very much the same customs with their brothers and sisters elsewhere in the world. They worship five times a day: at dawn, at noon, in the afternoon, at dusk, and at night. Female

worshipers attend their services in a separated place from their brothers, usually at home. Moslems pay special attention to their health and see that they always wear clean clothes. They are teetotalers not only of wine, but also of pork and animal blood for in Koran pigs have been mentioned four times as being “unclean”. According to Koran, a man can have four wives and women should wear veils when they go out. However, except a few places in Xinjiang, the Chinese practise monogamy and women are veiless when they go out. Upon his death, a Moslem has to be “thoroughly cleaned”(thoroughly bathed), has to be put on “Ke Fan”(to be shrouded with a piece of white cloth) and has to be buried coffinless in the ground, with an imam reciting Scriptures at the funeral.

The Chinese constitution promulgates that freedom of religion of each citizen and freedom of preserving or reforming local customs for every nationality are permitted. And of course, the Moslems in China enjoy equal rights with peoples of other nationalities and their religious beliefs and customs are respected everywhere in the country.

陕西西安华清池英文导游词

Huaqing Pool is situated about 35 kilometres east of the city of Xi’an. Historically, the Western Zhou dynasty saw the construction of the Li Palace on the spot. In the Qin dynasty a pool was built with stones, and was given the name Lishan Tang (the Lishan Hot Spring). The site was extended into a palace in the Han dynasty, and renamed the Li Palace (the Resort Palace). In the Tang dynasty, Li Shimin (Emperor Tai Zong) ordered to construct the Hot Spring Palace, and Emperor Xuan Zong had a walled palace built around Lishan Mountain in the year of 747. It was known as the Huaqing Palace. It also had the name Huaqing Pool on account of its location on the hot springs.

Huaqing Pool is located at the foot of the Lishan Mountain, a branch range of the Qinling Ranges, and stands 1,256 metres high. It is covered with pines and cypresses, looking very much like a like a dark green galloping horse from a long distance. So it has the name of the Lishan Mountain (Li means a black horse).

The Tang dynasty Emperor Xuan Zong and his favourite lady, Yang Gui Fei used to make their home at Frost Drifting Hall in winter days. When winter came, snowflakes were floating in the air, and everything in sight was white. However, they came into thaw immediately in front of the hall. It owed a great deal to the luke warm vapour rising out of the hot spring. This is the Frost Drifting Hall that greets us today.

Close by the Frost Drifting Hall lies the Nine Dragon Pool. According to legend, the Central Shaanxi Plain was once stricken by a severe drought in the very remote past. Thus, by the order of the Jade Emperor (the Supreme Deity of Heaven), an old dragon came at the head of eight young ones, and made rain here. Yet when the disaster was just abating, they lowered their guard so much that it became serious again. In a fit of anger, the Jade Emperor kept the young dragons under the Jade Cause Way (玉堤), with the Morning Glow Pavilion and the Sunset Pavilion built at both ends of it respectively, to make the young dragons spout cleat water all day long to meet the needs of local irrigation. Besides, he had the old dragon confined to the bottom of the Roaring Dragon Waterside Pavilion situated at the upper end of the Jade Causeway, and obliged him to exercise control over the young.

The Nine-Bend Corridor west of the Nine Dragon Pool leads directly to the Marble Boat, which resembles a dragon boat on the water surface. In the Marble Boat lies the Nine Dragon Tang (the Nine Dragon Hot Spring where Emperor Xuan Zong used to take baths). At the head of his court ladies and hundreds of his officials, he would come to the Huanqing Palace to spend his winter days in October of the Lunar calendar and return to Chang’an City as the year drew to its close. The Nine Dragon Hot Spring was originally built with crystal jade, whose surface was decorated with the carvings of fish, dragons, birds and flowers. In it twin lotus flowers also carved with white jade could be seen as well. The spring water welled from the break of an earthen jar, and spouted up to the lotus flowers. Hence the name Lotus Flower Tang (the Lotus Flower Hot Spring).

The Gui Fei Bathing Pool was where Yang Gui Fei, Emperor Xuan Zong’s favorite lady, used to take bath. It was originally built with white jade, and in its center a blooming flower spouted water like a spring. The pool looked very much like a Chinese flowering crabapple; Hence its name the Chinese Flowering Crabapple Hot Spring or the Lotus Hot Spring..

Lady Yang used to make a stay in this pavilion to see sights or to air her hair after a bath. Therefore, it was named the Hair Airing Pavilion. Whether the sun was rising or setting, the pavilion was aglow with sunshine; hence the name the Flying Roseate Pavilion.

Southwest of the Gui Fei Bathing Pool stands a brick-built pavilion. On its head three big Chinese characters “Xi Jia Lou” (Fine Sunset-Bathed Pavilion)are inscribed according to the model of the most celebrated according to the model of the most celebrated Chinese calligrapher, Yu You Ren, here is the source of the spring water.

At this spa there are four hot springs. They have an hourly flow of 112 tons, and a constant temperature of 43°C. The spring water contains lime, sodium carbonate, sodium sulphate and other minerals, which makes it suitable for bathing and considerable treatment of quite a few diseases such as dermatosis, rheumatism, arthritis and muscular pain. The Fine Sunset-Bathed Pavilion marks the first source of the spring water, which was discovered some 3,000 years ago, roughly in the Western Zhou Dynasty. Its water flow averages 25 tons per hour. Take up the steps east of the source of hot springs, you will gradually see the Five-Room Pavilion where Chiang Kaishek made a temporary stay during the Xi’an Incident.

The Xi’an Incident took place on December 12, 1936, and it is also known as the Double Twelfth Incident. After the Incident of September 18, 1936, the Japanese imperialists seized the three provinces northeast of China, and intensified their invasion of North China. This was the very moment vital to the Chinese nation. Yet Chiang Kaichek persisted doggedly in carrying out his reactionary policy “domestic tranquility is a must for the resistance against Japanese invades,” and commanded the Northeast Arm y and Northwest Army, respectively headed by Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, to attack the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region. Inspired by our Party’s policy “let us stop the internal war and unit to resist the Japanese aggressors,” those two generals ma de to Chiang Kaishek the proposal of forming a united front with the Communist Party for the resistance. Not only did he reject the proposal, but flew to Xi’an to scheme the

“suppression of the Communist Party.” And the slaughter of the patriotic youth. Ou t of patriotism, Zhang and Yang started the famous Xi’an Incident.

Very early on the morning of December 12, 1936 the Incident was impending. Zhang Xueliang, together with Yang Hucheng ordered a squad of bodyguards to surround the Huaqing Pool. They fought a fierce battle there, and wiped out Chiang’s bodyguards in one vigorous effort. The sound of firing came to Chiang Kaishek, and he was so terrified that he crept out of the window with his nightgown and slippers only. What’s more, he hurt his spinal bone, and lost one of his slippers while crossing over the back wall. He staggered up Lishan Mountain, and hid himself behind a stone in the crevice halfway on it. Those brave soldiers began to search the mountain immediately when they rushed into the Five-Room Pavilion to find that Chiang’s hat and clothes were still there and that his quilt remained warm. In the end they found Chiang Kaishek, and thus escorted him to Xi’an.

In order to avoid a civil war and try t establish a national united front for the resistance against Japan, Mao Zedong on behalf of the C.C.P.C. insisted on a peaceful settlement of the Incident. Therefore, a delegation headed by Zhou Enlai was sent to Xi’an. Zhou Enlai and his suite did a large amount of work there, took everything possible into consideration, and ultimately forced Chiang Kaishek to accept the proposal by his two generals. On December 25, Chiang was freed, and flew back to Nanjing. The Xi’an Incident was so peacefully settled.

The peaceful settlement of the Incident put an end to the internal war which had lasted for ten years, and accelerated the formation and development of the national united front for the anti-Japanese drive. Moreover, it showed that the co-operative relationships between the Communist and Nationalists arrived at a new stage. It marked a great turning point in modern Chinese history.

In the year of 1946 the KMT government had a “National Rejuvenation Pavilion” built near the crevice where Chiang Kaishek had hidden himself in the Incident. It was also called “Vital Energy Pavilion”. After the national liberation it was renamed “Catching Chiang Pavilion”. Close by the pavilion stands a wooden board which carries a brief introduction to the Xi’an Incident. Iron chains and rings in the crevices e ast of the pavilion, by which visitors can climb up to take a look at Chiang Kaishek’s shelter.

Up the winding path east of the Five-Room-Pavilion you will catch sight of a bridge-like construction. It shines regularly with a myriad of evening sun rays both in summer and autumn, and looks very much like rainbow. So it has the name of the Hovering Rainbow Bridge.

Located on the Xixiu Ridge (the West Embroidery Ridge) of the Lishan Mountain, the remains of the beacon tower of the Western Zhou Dynasty seem easy to identify.

The beacon tower was mostly built at the top of the mountain to give border alarm in ancient times. It was constantly under special control. Once the enemies were pressing on towards the border, the beacon tower began to take effect: it was made to smoke in the daytime while set on fire at night.

The story goes that Bao Si, Queen of the Western Zhou dynasty was highly honored, yet she never cracked a smile. King You tried many ways to put a smile on her face, but he failed over and over again. He

“called his court band to toll bells and beat gongs”, and she pulled a long face. Then the band were asked to “play the bamboo flute and strings” and she remained displeased. Afterwards, “maids of honour served wine, festively singing and dan cing,” and she did not let out a smile at all.

“You don’t like music! What on earth are you fond of?” the King asked.

“I nearly have a liking for nothing. But I can still well remember I liked to give ear to the sound of tearing a piece of coloured silk when I was a child. It was clear anf melodious,” she replied. King You said in excitement, “That is very simple. How come you didn’t let me know it earlier?”

Thus he ordered the officially appointed property manager to offer coloured silk, and made fresh and energetic maids of honour to tear it into pieces. Hundreds of bolts of coloured silk were utterly torn, but Bao Si remained unmoved.

“Why didn’t you let out a single smile then?” he asked.

“I have never smiled so far, ” the Queen replied.

The King tried over and over again, but failed repeatedly, and in the end he gave orders, “Anyone both in and out of court who can amuse Bao Si will be awarded one thousand pieces of gold.”

Afterwards Guo Shifu, a treacherous court official came and offered adv ice: “Set the beacon tower on fire and fool your sovereign rulers.” That night the King and Queen reached the Lishan Mountain by carriage, and gave the order. In the split second the flames of the fire lit up the sky ad the sovereign rulers moved their troops immediately to the Lishan Mountain. There they found nothing but that the King and Queen enjoyed drinking festively. The King then dispatched his bodyguard to inform them that “Everything should have been all right. I have just been joking with you.” W hen they got this, they looked at each other in blank dismay, and left disappointed. Sure enough, Bao Si burst into laughter, stroking her hands when she noticed all the troops come in vain and go noisily. Accordingly, Guo Shifu got a prize of one thousand pieces of gold. Later on King You did so more often than not. In 771 B.C. Quan Rong (a then minority tribe) staged an armed rebellion against the Western Zhou Dynasty. King You ordered urgently to set the beacon tower on fire, but all the sovereign rulers remained unmoved. Consequently King Yu was killed, and Bao Si was taken away. The Western Zhou dynasty vanished. Herein come the Chinese idiom “A single smile costs one thousand pieces of gold” and “The sovereign rulers are fooled by the beacon fire.”

西安城墙、钟楼和鼓楼

今天我们将去参观西安城墙、钟楼和鼓楼。很荣幸能为大家服务。

我们现在看到的这座古城堡就是明西安城墙，是明初在唐长安皇城的基础上建筑起来的。它是我国中世纪后期历史上最著名的城垣之一，是世界上现存规模最大、最完整的古代军事城堡防御设施。

西安作为千年古都，历代曾多次修筑城墙。它们多数被历史的尘埃掩埋。我们现在看到的城墙可追溯到隋代。公元1369年，明王朝大将徐达从山西进入陕西，将原来的奉天路改为西安，意为“西方长治久安”。拉开了明在西安修筑城墙的序幕。历时8年修筑完的城墙外形是一座长方形。城墙高15米，顶宽12—14米，底宽16—18米，周长13.9公里。最底层用黄土与石灰、糯米汁拌合而成，干燥之后，异常坚固。

西安古城墙包括护城河、吊桥、闸楼、箭楼、正楼、角楼、敌楼、女儿墙、垛口等一系列军事设施。好了，现在让我们亲自来感受这座科学、严密、完整的军事防御体系。

城墙最外围是护城河，也叫“城壕”,是城墙的第一道防线。它可以阻滞敌人进攻,甚至可以利用有利地形把敌人趁机消灭。环绕西安城墙的护城河宽20米,跨过护城河就是城门，而连接护城河与城门的唯一通道就是吊桥。平时，守城士兵听从晨钟暮鼓的指挥，早晨降下吊桥，开启城门；晚上升起吊桥，断绝交通。一旦发生战争，吊桥升起，城门紧闭，城门就成为坚固封闭的战斗堡垒。

城门是城防体系的重点，也是薄弱点。平时，它是出入城市的通道。战争时，又是攻守双方争夺的首要目标。因此，明代十分重视完善城门防御设施。尤其值得注意的一大技术突破是采用了券拱式城门，以防止敌人火攻。明西安城的城门非常坚固，门扇用厚达16厘米的木板制成，一扇城门用木材2.8立方米，门扇上下横匝着铁条加固，每两道铁条的间隔处，钉有180枚铁蘑菇针。整个门扇上共有1800枚铁蘑菇针。这样就挤密了门扇的木材，增加了门扇刚度，使箭矢无法射入。

为了提高城门防御的保险系数，城门实际上由三重组成，即：闸楼、箭楼和主楼。闸楼在最外，它的作用是升降吊桥。兼用来打更。敌人攻入闸楼城门，好似进入瓮内，会受到来自四面居高临下的攻击，因此楼下这一空间也叫“瓮城”。箭楼在正中，正面和两侧都有窗户，供射箭用。箭楼与箭楼之间用围墙连接起来的也叫“瓮城”，可屯兵。正楼在最里，正楼上面的城楼是城门的主体建筑，是主将镇守指挥所在。城墙外侧，每隔120米有一个突出于城墙主体之外的敌台，俗称“马面”。整个城墙上共有“马面”98座，“马面”上面的建筑叫敌楼，两个敌台之间相距120米，而它的一面为60米，为“一箭之遥”。这样的布局便于从侧面射杀攻城的敌人。因此，古人有评论说：“有城无台，亦如无城，是城所以卫人，台又所以卫城也。”。城墙上外侧有矮雉，又称“垛墙”，上有垛口和方孔，可供射箭和嘹望。内侧的矮墙称为“女儿墙”，是为了防止士兵行走时坠入墙下。在西安城墙四角各有一座城楼叫“角楼”。在箭楼与正楼形成的瓮城中，有通向城头的马道，便于战马上下。战争期间，这里是调兵遣将的咽喉要道，必须保证畅通无阻。因此守卫异常严格。

随着岁月的变迁，现在我们可以看到西安城墙的长乐门、安定门、朱雀门、含光门、玉祥门等等，这些名称的来历也从一个侧面反映了古城沉浮衰兴。明西安城墙显示了我国古代劳动人民的聪明才智，好了，西安城墙就参观到这里，我们将继续带大家去参观钟鼓楼。

钟楼和鼓楼是古代中国城市的特有建筑。钟与鼓本是中国最早出现的打击乐器，有3000年以上的历史。最初作为礼器和乐器。大约自春秋时期，开始用于军事指挥。古代中国城市兼有军事城堡性质，除城市四周构筑城墙，挖掘城壕，设置吊桥外，与之配套的还有在城市中心修筑钟鼓楼作为指挥中枢。平时以晨钟暮鼓报告时辰，定时启闭吊桥，紧急状态时用以报警戒严，指挥城防。这种严密的城市防御系统在明代发展到顶峰。西安是明代西北军政重镇，它的钟楼和鼓楼无论从建筑规模、历史价值或艺术价值各方面衡量，都居全国同类建筑之冠。

我们现在看到的这座建筑就是钟楼，位于西安市东西南北四条大街的交汇处，它建于明洪武十七年，最初位于西大街的迎祥观，随着城市中心的东移，到了明神宗万历10年，将钟楼来了个整体拆迁，迁至今址。

钟楼呈典型明代建筑艺术风格，楼高36米，重檐斗拱，华丽庄严。由基座，楼身和楼顶三部分组成。基座是正方形，全部用青砖砌成。楼身为正方形木质结构，外面以回廊环绕，里面为二层楼，楼内有木梯盘旋而上。楼内上下两层正方形大厅里，陈列着明代以来各种名贵瓷器及红楠木家具，四面门上布满浮雕画，风格厚朴生动。楼顶为四角攒尖结构，上面覆盖着碧绿色的琉璃瓦，顶端大圆顶高5米，金光闪闪，辉煌灿烂。

钟楼的西北角上陈列着一口明代铁钟，重5吨，钟边铸有八卦图案。它比钟楼早先悬挂的铜钟小得多。钟楼原先悬挂的巨钟是唐代景云年间铸造的“景云钟”。现在这口钟收藏于西安碑林。据说，钟楼从迎祥观迁到今址后，虽然楼的式样大小并没有改变，但景云钟却怎也敲不响了。没有办法，只有另换。为了将景云钟移到新建的钟楼上，当年在西大街西段搭起一座斜桥，利用桥面斜坡把景云钟运到了钟楼上。据说“桥梓口”也因此而得名。

钟楼内西墙上嵌刻有《钟楼歌》和《钟楼记》碑刻。《钟楼歌》是当年修建钟楼的陕西巡抚龚懋贤在解职赴京时登楼所赋。诗中对钟楼做了热情的赞颂。《钟楼记》是督修过钟楼的巡抚张楷所作，详细记述了钟楼的身世。在钟楼的门上有木刻浮雕故事画共64幅，其中有木兰从军、嫦娥奔月、柳毅传书、八仙过海等等。建国后，西安市人民政府又对钟楼进行了三次大规模修葺，使这座古建筑又焕发了昔日的风采。

与钟楼遥遥相对的是鼓楼，楼底门洞为南北向，北通北院门，南达西大街。鼓楼建于明洪武十三年，与钟楼是姊妹楼。在鼓楼的第一层北面有一面巨鼓，与钟楼上的晨钟形成暮鼓，所以称为鼓楼。楼体呈长方形，基座的门洞高与宽均为6米，洞深38米。鼓楼建筑为重檐歇山式，琉璃瓦覆顶，重檐三滴水。楼分上、下两层。南北檐下各有一块匾，南为清乾隆皇帝御笔刻书：“文武盛地”，北为咸宁县书生李允宽书写“声闻于天”。在鼓楼的外檐都饰有斗拱，四面有回廊。天花板上油漆彩绘云形图案，古色古香，十分美丽。钟鼓楼交相辉映，使古城西安更加美丽壮观。

好了，钟鼓楼的参观到这里就结束了。谢谢大家！