【文章內(nèi)容簡(jiǎn)介】 936, it is a stately home with a canal, two gardens and many other things. Liyuan takes in and displays the elements from both Chinese and western garden. The two Chinese characters “LiYuan” are there on the tall arched gate. Liyuan is divided into three areas: villa area, big garden area and small garden area. Its main constructions include a torii with the two Chinese characters “Li Yuan”, a decorated archway with the four Chinese characters “Xiu Shen Li Ben”, four kiosks on the bridges, and two ancient romanstyle structures (“bird’s nest” and “vine kiosk”). Couplets and calligraphy from famous people that we see here and there create traditional Chinese cultural milieu in Liyuan. A canal was dug to bring together the aforementioned three areas. Long cloisters go along with the water. Spotted on the canal are small bridges, kiosks and pavilions. The design of the canal is the most eyecatching feature in Liyuan. Walking along the cloister with colored paintings for 100 meters, we will e to Li Yuan’s villa area. “Pan Li” and “Pan Wen” are the two most spectacular villas among the total of six. From the design of the villas, we can see the bination of Chinese and western elements. The roof of the villa follows the architectural styles of Ancient Chinese palaces while its body adopts western architectural patterns. The stairs, floors, the decorations of the walls are not the exception. Telling examples are the westernstyle fireplaces, droplights, Italian ceramic tiles, Chinesestyle mahogany furniture, folktale frescos and gilded woodcarvings.Liyuan enjoys not only an exquisite art of architecture, but also rich traditional Chinese culture. The host of Liyuan held the philosophy of life that selfcultivation is the most important thing in one’s life. So when he placed emphasis on cultivating lofty virtues, he encouraged to have high quality leisure time.3 The Ancestral Temple in Foshan Sightseeing SitesIndroduction __ The Triple Doorway Entrance __ The Front Hall __ Between the Front Hall and the Main Hall __ The Jinxiang Pond __ The Wanfu Stage __ The Huang Feihong Memorial HallIntroduction The Ancestral Temple, first built during the Northern Song Dynasty (10781085), is an ancient structure in Foshan City. The original structure was destroyed by fire during the Yuan Dynasty (12061368) and was rebuilt in 1372 during the Ming Dynasty. The temple was formerly called “Ancestral Hall” and was a shrine for the workers of the metalcasting industry to worship their ancestral masters. It was turned into a Daoist temple during the Ming Dynasty, because the Ming emperor believed in Daoism. Now it houses the Foshan City Museum. The temple is built in the style of the Chinese traditional architecture. Its building plex is pactly laid out with the halls interspaced by courtyards and connected with corridors. Its roofs are constructed in the traditional “Xieshan” style, that is, each roof has a horizontal ridge at the top, which is joined at both ends by four inclined but bentup ridges, with a slope on each of the four sides. The roof structure is supported by a wooden system of brackets inserted between the tops of columns and the crossbeam. These wooden brackets are connected by mortise and tenon joints and not a single nail is used for connection. While being constructed in the national architectural style, the temple structure is unique in the way it is decorated, the way that is characteristic of Guangdong Province. Pottery sculptures, lime sculptures, brick carvings, wood carvings and other works of art can be found on the ridges, the eaves, the walls or elsewhere. These works of art are not only used for the purpose of decoration but are also depictions of various scenes from Chinese folk stories and legends. They are delicately made to be lifelike and are all master pieces of ancient Chinese folk art, so the temple is known as The Palace of Oriental Folk Art.The Triple Doorway Entrance The structure with three doorways is the main entrance to the temple and was built in 1450 during the Ming Dynasty. Up on the ridge, about 30 meters long, there are 152 pottery figurines and below the eave is a row of golden woodcarvings, depicting different Chinese folk stories.The Front HallThe Bronze Bell: This bronze bell was cast during the Ming Dynasty and weighs 900 kilos. In the old days, when the pilgrims wanted to show their piety to the North God, they would pay a sum of money to the temple keeper, who would then sound the bell to call for silence. The God, it is said, would then be aroused and get ready to receive the pious worshippers.The Iron Tripod: This iron tripod was used for burning incense and paper ingots. It was cast during the Ming Dynasty and weighs tons. On its body are cast the names of the donators and two verses of prayers: May the state proper and the people live in peace! May the wind and rain nourish the crops!The holy table: The decorative woodcarving on the holy table, on which 126 people are carved, tells the story about a Tang Dynasty Li Yuanba taming a fierce horse. This horse is said to be extremely fierce and nobody but Li Yuanba, who was noted for his great strength, could ever get it under control. The table was made in 1899 in the later stage of the Qing Dynasty when China was subjected to invasion and humiliation by the Western colonialists, so the picture is actually an implicit illustration of the Chinese people’s struggle against foreign invaders. These men wearing tall hats and tailcoats are supposed to be the foreign aggressors. They are made either to fall on their backs or go down on their knees begging for mercy.The Camphor Wood Screen: This is a camphor wood screen on which several lions are carved and its two sides are made to look exactly the same. The lion looking after a babylion are carved and its two sides are made to look exactly the same. The lion looking after a b