The Most Beautiful Towns in China 中國美麗城鄉(xiāng)

海倫·阿米蒂奇 溫丹萍

Think of China and youll most likely conjure up1 images of huge， sprawling cities. But the country is also home to several charming， small towns. We explore some of the most picturesque.

Zhouzhuang

Often referred to as the ‘Venice of the East， Zhouzhuang—located in between Shanghai and Suzhou in Chinas Jiangsu province2—is one of the countrys most beautiful water towns. Simply walking the towns pretty streets and the charming stone bridges that cross its rivers and waterways is a pleasure in itself. But the 900-year-old town is also home to plenty of sights bound to please history buffs3. These sights include Zhang Ting—a sprawling， Ming Dynasty era residence home to six courtyards and more than 70 rooms—and Quanfu Temple， a beautiful Buddhist temple nestled on the edges of Baixian Lake.

Fenghuang

Nestled at the foot of verdant4 mountains on the edges of the Tuojiang River， Fenghuang was hailed as the most beautiful town in China by New Zealand-born writer and political activist Rewi Alley. The ancient Hunan town is home to many Miao people whose customs and culture can be seen everywhere. There are traditional stilted5 wooden houses， or ‘diaojiaolou， along the river and batik6 printed cloths sold in its stores alongside local culinary delicacies like spicy pickled7 red peppers and ginger candy. Meanwhile local historical sites of note include Huang Si Qiao Castle—built in 687 and Chinas best preserved stone castle. It is located a few kilometers west of town.

Heshun

Over in western Yunnan not far from the Burmese border lies the small， remote town of Heshun， home to just 6，000 people. A former stop-off8 on the Southern Silk Road， also known as the Tea Horse Road， many of Heshuns earlier residents took advantage of its location and travelled abroad. They built splendid houses mixing both Chinese and foreign architectural styles when they returned. This can still be seen in the town today. Walking its pretty cobblestone streets， visitors will come across local sights like Heshun Library， one of the countrys biggest rural libraries. There is also a memorial to Chinese philosopher Ai Siqi.

Shiwei

Quite far off the beaten track is Shiwei—a tiny frontier town in northeastern Inner Mongolia on the border with Russia. A cultural enclave9 for the countrys Russian minority， the towns mixing of cultures is evident everywhere. It can be seen from its architecture—beautiful Russian-style log houses known as ‘mukeleng—to its local food， which combines recipes Chinese shao kao barbecue and Russian lie ba bread. The town is surrounded by vast and verdant grassland. One of the best ways to explore it and the neighboring area is on horseback.

Yangshuo

Famed for the dramatic karst10 mountains that surround it， Yangshuo is a vibrant， tourist-friendly town nestled on the banks of the Li River in southern Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Though the town has seen a boom in visitors in recent years， Yangshuo has managed to retain its historic character. Its modern restaurants and stores are concentrated around West Street， the towns main drag11 and its oldest dating back more than 1，400 years. Among them， visitors will find plenty of traditional architecture and charm. Indulge in12 some slow travel and catch a boat down the Li River from neighboring Guilin. Its undoubtedly the most scenic way to arrive in Yangshuo.

Tongli

Another of Jiangsus picturesque water towns， Tongli is an idyllic13 little town just a short journey west of Zhouzhuang. Surrounded by five lakes and crisscrossed14 by canals， Tongli is made up of seven islands with a total of 49 bridges （of which the majority are a century or more old） linking the town together. Hire a gondola and see the pretty town from the water. But make sure to stop off at the Tuisi Yuan （Retreat and Reflection Garden）—part of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou. These were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.

Dunhuang

An oasis in the barren expanse of the Gobi Desert is the small northwestern town of Dunhuang. Formerly one of the most important stopping points along the Silk Road， this place is a haven for history buffs. There are no less than 241 historic sites of note dotted in and around the town. Just outside the town， visitors will find the White Horse Pagoda. This was believed to have been constructed in 382 to commemorate the horse of the Buddhist monk that carried Buddhist scriptures15 from Kucha to Dunhuang. Nearby is the Mogao Caves—a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to a treasure trove16 of Buddhist art.

Gulangyu Island

A small isle located a short boat ride from the city of Xiamen， Gulangyu Island gets its name from two Chinese words—‘gu meaning drum and ‘lang meaning waves—and is so-called for the drum-like sounds the tide makes when it hits the reef that surrounds the island. A tranquil retreat from the busy nearby city， Gulangyu is listed by the China National Tourism Administration as an AAAAA Scenic Area. It is noted for its beautiful Victorian-style architecture. Home to Chinas only Piano Museum， the towns other must-see local sights include the beautiful Shuzhuang Garden. Meanwhile a trip up Sunlight Rock—the Gulangyus highest point—offers breathtaking views over the island and coastline.

Hongcun

Film buffs might recognize Hongcun， an ancient Anhui village nestled in the mist-troveed foothills of Huangshan Mountain， from Ang Lees Crouching Tiger， Hidden Dragon. Home to some of Chinas finest architecture of the Ming and Qing Dynasties， the village provided a befittingly17 historical and mystical setting for several scenes from the Oscar-winning film. Much of the village—which， alongside neighboring Xidi， was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000—centers around its half-moon shaped pond. Local sights include Chengzi Hall， a grand residence built in 1855. This place has ornate18 wood and stone carving and now acts as a museum， which is open to visitors.

想到中國，你腦海中浮現(xiàn)的很可能是一個個不斷擴(kuò)張的龐大城市。不過，中國同樣也有一些迷人的小城鎮(zhèn)。下面我們就來談?wù)勂渲幸恍╋L(fēng)景最美的地方。

周莊

常被稱為“東方威尼斯”的周莊位于上海和江蘇蘇州之間，是中國最美水鄉(xiāng)之一。在小鎮(zhèn)美麗的街道、橫跨河流和水道的迷人石橋上漫步，本身就是一種樂趣。不過，這個有著900年歷史的小鎮(zhèn)還有很多名勝古跡，一定能讓歷史愛好者心滿意足。其中包括張廳——一座有6個庭院和70多個房間的明代大宅院，以及坐落在白蜆湖畔的美麗佛寺全福講寺。

鳳凰

鳳凰古城坐落在青山腳下、沱江之畔，被新西蘭作家和政治活動家路易·艾黎稱贊為中國最美麗的小城。這座湖南古城是眾多苗族人的家園，苗族風(fēng)俗文化元素在這里隨處可見。沿江有一座座傳統(tǒng)的吊腳木樓，一家家小店里出售著蠟染布以及酸辣椒和姜糖等當(dāng)?shù)孛朗?。?dāng)?shù)氐闹匾獨(dú)v史遺跡之一是建于687年的黃絲橋古城，這是中國保存最完好的石頭城堡。黃絲橋古城位于鳳凰古城以西幾十公里處。

和順

中國云南西部距離緬甸邊境不遠(yuǎn)處，有一個名為和順的偏僻小鎮(zhèn)，人口只有6000人。和順曾是南方絲綢之路（又稱“茶馬古道”）上的一個驛站，許多早期的和順居民利用其優(yōu)越的地理位置出國闖蕩?；貒?，他們建起了一座座融合中外建筑風(fēng)格的豪華住宅。這樣的民居在今日的古鎮(zhèn)里仍然可以看到。走在美麗的鵝卵石街道上，游客會看到許多當(dāng)?shù)鼐包c(diǎn)，其中包括和順圖書館——中國最大的鄉(xiāng)村圖書館之一。這里還有中國哲學(xué)家艾思奇的紀(jì)念館。

室韋

中俄邊陲小鎮(zhèn)室韋位于內(nèi)蒙古東北部，人跡罕至。作為中國少數(shù)民族俄羅斯族的聚居地，文化融合的現(xiàn)象在該鎮(zhèn)隨處鮮明可見：從美麗的俄羅斯風(fēng)格木屋 “木刻楞”，到結(jié)合了中國燒烤和俄羅斯大列巴的當(dāng)?shù)孛朗场Ｐ℃?zhèn)四周是遼闊的青青大草原。騎馬是探索這個小鎮(zhèn)及其周邊地區(qū)的最佳方式之一。

陽朔

陽朔坐落在中國南方廣西壯族自治區(qū)的漓江岸邊，是一個好客的小鎮(zhèn)，富有活力，以其四周壯麗的喀斯特峰林而聞名。盡管近年來游客激增，但陽朔仍然保留了自身的歷史特色。現(xiàn)代餐廳和商店集中在該鎮(zhèn)的主要街道西街附近。西街是該鎮(zhèn)最古老的街道，其歷史可以追溯到1400多年前。在這些餐館和店鋪當(dāng)中，游客會看到許多傳統(tǒng)建筑，感受到深厚的文化魅力。從鄰近的桂林市區(qū)乘船沿漓江順流而下，享受慢旅行吧。要前往陽朔，這無疑是風(fēng)景最美的路線。

同里

同里是江蘇另一個風(fēng)景如畫的水鄉(xiāng)，位于周莊以西不遠(yuǎn)處，是一個美麗祥和的小鎮(zhèn)。鎮(zhèn)外五湖環(huán)抱、鎮(zhèn)內(nèi)水道縱橫的同里，共由7個島嶼組成，由49座橋（多數(shù)有百年以上的歷史）連成一體。租一艘小船，從水上觀賞這個美麗的小鎮(zhèn)吧。中途一定要在退思園停下看看，這可是蘇州古典園林之一。包括退思園在內(nèi)的一批蘇州古典園林于2000年被列入聯(lián)合國教科文組織世界遺產(chǎn)名錄。

敦煌

位于中國西北部的小城敦煌，是貧瘠而廣闊的戈壁沙漠當(dāng)中的一塊綠洲。這里曾經(jīng)是古代絲綢之路的重要驛站，現(xiàn)在則是歷史愛好者的樂土。城內(nèi)以及小城周邊分布著至少241處重要?dú)v史遺跡。出城不遠(yuǎn)，游客就可以看到白馬塔。相傳白馬塔建于382年，是為了紀(jì)念將佛經(jīng)從龜茲運(yùn)送到敦煌的高僧之馬而修建的。附近則是莫高窟——被聯(lián)合國教科文組織列為世界遺產(chǎn)的佛教藝術(shù)寶庫。

鼓浪嶼

從廈門市區(qū)坐船，很快就可以到達(dá)鼓浪嶼。這個小島得名于兩個漢字“鼓”和“浪”，這樣稱呼是因為浪潮擊打島礁時發(fā)出的聲音仿若擊鼓。鼓浪嶼被中國國家旅游局列為5A級景區(qū)，這個寧靜的度假勝地讓人得以遠(yuǎn)離附近都市的喧囂。鼓浪嶼以其美麗的維多利亞風(fēng)格建筑而聞名。鼓浪嶼還有中國唯一的鋼琴博物館，以及美麗的菽莊花園等不可錯過的景點(diǎn)。同時，還可以登上日光巖峰頂——鼓浪嶼的最高點(diǎn)——俯瞰這座島嶼及其海岸線攝人心魄的風(fēng)光。

宏村

宏村是安徽一個古村落，坐落在黃山云霧繚繞的山麓。電影迷們也許能辨認(rèn)出這里是李安執(zhí)導(dǎo)的電影《臥虎藏龍》的取景地。這個有著一些中國最美明清建筑的古村落，為這部奧斯卡獲獎影片中的一些鏡頭提供了與之相稱的富有歷史感和神秘感的場景。宏村與鄰近的西遞村于2000年被聯(lián)合國教科文組織列為世界遺產(chǎn)。宏村的大部分區(qū)域圍繞著一個半月形的池塘。當(dāng)?shù)鼐包c(diǎn)之一是建于1855年的大宅院承志堂。承志堂有著華麗的木雕和石雕裝飾，現(xiàn)在是一座對游客開放的博物館。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎?wù)撸?/p>