旅游英语阅读教程课件Unit 10.ppt

Unit10 Ancient Villages 新世纪高职高专 旅游与酒店管理类课程规划教材 Contents Lead-in Text Xidi and Hongcun—Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui Although China has been a village society for thousands of years, few Chinese villages can trace their origins to the 11th and 12th centuries, and even fewer can prove their ancient origins not only by written records, but also by existing structures from that distant past. In the scenic land of Yixian County in southern Anhui Province there are two such villages, Xidi and Hongcun, which are only about ten miles apart and share many similarities. They were both founded during the Song Dynasty. Xidi was first built in 1047 AD during the Northern Song period, whereas Hongcun entered history in 1131 AD during the Southern Song period. Text Both started out as single family villages. Xidi was the residence of the Hu family, which claimed a Tang Dynasty royal prince as its ancestor. Hu remains one of the most popular family names in southern Anhui, and in the modern era famous Hus from that region include Hu Shi, a leader of the New Culture Movement and Nationalist China’s ambassador to the United States. Hongcun was home to the Wang family. Wang is another very popular family name of that region. As the saying goes, “Of every ten people from Anhui, nine are surnamed Wang.” The Hus and Wangs are still living in the two villages today. Both villages flourished during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, when merchants from southern Anhui dominated Chinese trade. Most of the existing structures in the two villages were constructed during that period. The preservation of these buildings owes much to the remote location of the two villages. Text The location selections as well as the construction of these two ancient villages were closely in line with the traditional Chinese principles of Feng-shui theory, emphasizing the ideal status of harmony of human and heaven and the full respect for the nature. The general layouts of the a