|
ahead of, cover an area of, vary from…to…, bring…back to life, move on |
If it had not been for Fan Jinshi and her team, the world cultural heritage at Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in a remote Chinese desert might have long been destroyed by sand, weather or humans.
Born and raised in Shanghai, Fan has spent half a century fighting an uphill battle to preserve the ancient Buddhist wall paintings at Dunhuang, in Northwest China's Gansu Province. The 1, 600-year-old Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are a huge collection of Buddhist art — more than 2, 000 Buddha figures and 45, 000 square metres of paintings spread among 735 caves. It is China's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Archaeologist Fan was sent to Dunhuang after graduating from Peking University in 1963. While in Dunhuang, a remote village in the desert then, Fan lived in an abandoned temple. At first, she did not even dare to go out to the toilet at night. To protect the treasures from sand and dampness, Fan and other workers put doors on the caves, planted trees and started monitoring temperature and humidity (湿度) in the caves. They also control the number of visitors.
In the late 1990s, with tourism booming nationwide since national holidays were extended, the local government planned to go public with Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, but found Fan firmly in their way. "The heritage would have been destroyed if it had been listed," she said.
Dunhuang Academy has now photographed and catalogued online all the sculptures and paintings. "Despite our efforts to minimize damage, we can't completely stop them from being eroded (腐蚀) . But the digital database will last."
Fan was grateful when her husband joined her in Dunhuang in 1986 after 19 years of separation. Her two sons grew up in Shanghai with their aunt. "I have not been a good mother or wife. With regard to my family, I'm full of guilt," she said. Fan retired as the director of Dunhuang Academy but continues her efforts as a national political advisor.
The Silk Road was a historical network of trade routes that connected China and the Mediterranean Sea, allowing cultural and economic interaction between the East and the West. Begun in the 2nd Century BC, (the Silk Road carried goods, ideas, and even illness for thousands of miles between great civilizations for more than a thousand years. It was the creation of Germany's Ferdinand von Richthofen, who traveled to China several times in the second half of the 19th century.
China's powerful Han Dynasty began expanding its trade routes towards the West in the years around 100 BC. Some shipments made it through to Europe and to northern and eastern Africa, through the port of Alexandria.
As its name suggests, the Silk Road was home to large amount of silk, which made its way from China to the Mediterranean and, to Rome. It wasn't only silk, however, that was carried along the Silk Road. Chinese traders brought delicate porcelain plates and thin but durable paper money. Romans brought delicately carved pottery (陶器) and jewelry to China.
Merchants carried shipments from major center, and then others carried the foods farther on the route. Many merchants traveled in groups, called caravans (商队). Many caravans and individual merchants traveled with bodyguards because theft along the routes was not uncommon.
Several cities along the Silk Road became major trading centers. Some of the more famous of these were Alexandria, Karakorum, Antioch, Constantinople, and Persepolis. Local taxes placed on goods traveling along the route were quite common. .
A. The name, however, is a modern idea.
B. Diseases also spread along the Silk Road.
C. It sent silk and other goods to other civilizations.
D. Merchants would prepare some supplies in advance.
E. Goods did not travel with the same person all along the route.
F. As a result, many goods traveled only part of the way due to the high cost.
G. Many other things made their way from the East to the West, or from the West to the East.
The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. —Eleanor Roosevelt.
My home is a place of great beauty and agricultural richness, as well as of war and natural disasters. When I was only fourteen years old, I was filled with 1 in spite of the terrible surroundings. The families living here, who tried to make their living from the land, 2 great losses.
I felt sorry especially for the children, but I 3 to be hopeless, I decided that where I was, I could do 4 to help them. I began knocking on every door and saying to each person who 5 my knock, "I know that you are 6and give the birds that come to your yard a little 7. Please consider me your bird. Give me only a handful of rice each week when I come to your 8. I will take it to the temple where it can be given to the 9 children."
No one seemed to mind giving me a handful of rice, even10they had little themselves. On Sunday, I would go to the 11 and give my handfuls of rice to the monks to give away to the children.
One day, I came to a house that had12 kinds to give. I told my story and asked if I could be their bird. The woman called her daughters, and 13 gave me fifty cents, as well as the handful of rice! (I began to ask for change and rice from the other "bird feeders", and they gave them to me. Everyone was happy to help those who were suffering, even 14 only this small way. The temple was soon able to help everyone who came to them for food and clothing. "Consider me your bird." My childish idea had not stopped the war, but anyway, it was 15 some peace.
Some of the best museums across China are putting their exhibitions online in VR format for free. While stuck at home due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, why not take a detailed online tour at museums that you would not otherwise have time for?
The Palace Museum
The Palace Museum is known as the Forbidden City. Although the museum is now closed due to the current epidemic prevention, it's possible for visitors to take a virtual tour of parts of the museum without actually setting foot on the majestic grounds.
Visitors can browse all the buildings of the Palace Museums. More than 400, 000 imperial artifacts have been digitized online, which can definitely help you gain knowledge and immerse yourself in a cultural atmosphere.
The websites: https: //pano. dpm. org. cn/gugong_app_pc/index. html
https: //www. dpm. org. cn/shuziduobaoge/html
Shanghai Museum
Shanghai Museum is a large and famous museum, which collects over 120, 000 precious artistic relics from more than 5, 000 years ago to the Qing Dynasty. The marvelous bronze, ceramics, paintings and calligraphies offer a visual feast for the eyes, and also provide a good chance for people to learn the profound Chinese history and culture.
If you are into ancient Chinese arts and crafts, then the online Shanghai Museum is definitely worth your time.
The website: https: //www. shanghaimuseum. net/treasure/show/show
Mogao Grottoes
The Mogao Grottoes, also known as Thousand Buddha Grottoes, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located near Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province.
Now visitors can directly browse dozens of classic caves and appreciate the murals (壁画) by cave rooms through the "Digital Dunhuang", the website of the Mogao Grottoes. The development of "Digital Dunhuang" not only shocks visitors in a visual sense but also "moves" the Mogan Grottoes outside.
The website: https: //www. e-dunhuang. com/index. html
