(Welcome Speech) Good morning, ladies and gentleman.Welcome to Xi’an.I’m your tour guide from the China International Travel Service, Xi’an Branch.As our outstanding ancient scholar Confucius said:” What a great joy it is to have friends coming from afar.” I’m very glad to be your guide and friend.Let me introduce my team first.Mr.Wang is our driver.He has 25 years of driving under his belt, so we’re in very safe hands.And my name is Sherry.On behalf of CITS Xi’an and my colleagues, I’d like to extend a warm welcome to you all.As your tour guide, I will do everything poible to make your visit a pleasant experience.If you have any problems and requests, please don’t hesitate to let me know.You’re going to stay at the Xi’an Crown Plaza Hotel, a luxurious, five-star hotel.As you’ll be staying in our city for two days, you will do well to remember the number of our bus.The number is 84176.Let me repeat: 84176.The flight from San Francisco to Xi’an has taken you from the Western Hemisphere to the Eastern Hemisphere.The time difference between the two cities is 16 hours.Please reset your watches to Beijing standard time, which is 9:00 a.m..Although China spans five time zones, the entire country follows Beijing standard time.There is one thing I must warn you again.You must not drink any tap water in the hotel, because unboiled water might make you ill.I wish you have a happy and unforgettable journey.Well, let’s start from the Dayan Pagoda.
As the symbol of the old-line Xian, Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists.It is located in the southern suburb of Xian City, about 4 kilometers (2.49 miles) from the downtown of the city.Standing in the Da Ci\'en Temple complex, it attracts numerous visitors for its fame in the Buddhist religion, its simple but appealing style of construction, and its new square in front of the temple.It is rated as a National Key Cultural Relic Preserve as well as an AAAA Tourist Attraction.This attraction can be divided into three parts: the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Da Ci\'en Temple, and the North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda.Big Wild Goose PagodaOriginally built in 652 during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it functioned to collect Buddhist materials that were taken from India by the hierarch Xuanzang.Xuanzang started off from Chang\'an (the ancient Xian), along the Silk Road and through deserts, finally arriving in India, the cradle of Buddhism.Enduring 17 years and traversing 100 countries, he obtained Buddha figures, 657 kinds of sutras, and several Buddha relics.Having gotten the permiion of Emperor Gaozong (628-683), Xuanzang, as the first abbot of Da Ci\'en Temple, supervised the building of a pagoda inside it.The Big Goose Pagoda was built to a height of 60 meters with five stories, it\'s now 64.5 meters high with an additional two stories.It wad said that after that addition came the saying--\"Saving a life exceeds building a seven-storied pagoda.\" Externally it looks like a square cone, simple but grand and it is a masterpiece of Buddhist construction.Built of brick, its structure is very firm.Inside the pagoda, stairs twist up so that visitors can climb and overlook the panorama of Xi\'an city from the arch-shaped doors on four sides of each storey.On the walls are engraved fine statues of Buddha by the renowned artist Yan Liben of the Tang Dynasty.Steles by noted calligraphers also grace the pagoda.As for the reason why it is called Big Wild Goose Pagoda, there is a legend.According to ancient stories of Buddhist , there were two branches, for one of which eating meat was not a taboo.One day, they couldn\'t find meat to buy.Upon seeing a group of big wild geese flying by, a monk said to himself \"Today we have no meat.I hope the merciful Bodhisattva will give us some.\" At that very moment, the leading wild goose broke its wings and fell to the ground.All the monks were startled and believed that Bodhisattva showed his spirit to order them to be more pious.They established a pagoda where the wild goose fell and stopped eating meat.Hence it got the name \"Big Wild Goose Pagoda.\" So if you want to look at it in the close distance, you must have a ticket of 50 yuan to the gate of CiEn temper firstly.
The North Square of Big Wild Goose Pagoda Surrounding Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the scenery is also quite charming, especially the square north of the Da Ci\'en Temple.Covering about 110,000 square meters (131563 square yards) plus 20,000 square meters (23920.6 square yards) of water area, it holds many records: in Asia, it is the biggest Tang-culture square, the biggest fountain and waterscape square, and the largest-scale sculptures area.In the world, it has the most benches, the longest light-belt, and the largest-scale acoustic complex.The entire square is composed of waterscape fountains, a cultural square, gardens and tourist paths.There you can taste real Chinese culture and traditions and fully enjoy the truly attractive views.With reliefs on the theme of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, 200-meter-long (656-foot-long) sculpture groups, 8 groups of sculpted figures, 40 relievos on the land, and 22 styles of musical fountains, it has become a must-see when you visit Big Wild Goose Pagoda.As for the large royal garden, Tang Paradise, which is the best place to show the prosperous social scene of the Tang dynasty.Mainly built on water, and with an concentration of the Tang culture, it becomes a large theme museum.At night, you can enjoy the world’s broadest screen water film comfortably, it is an intergradations of the fountain, light, fireworks and music which would bring you a rather audio-visual feast.
Da Ci’en Temple
Da Ci’en temple, originally built in the Sui Dynasty, the temple was named Wulou Temple.Then, Crown Prince Li Zhi of the Tang Dynasty, in order to commemorate his mother, sponsored a repair project on the temple and named it Da Ci’en Temple.It was a typical Mahayana temple for the royal family.Today, with an area of 32,314 square meters (38,648.5 square yards), one seventh of the original area, it still retains its grandeur.The Da Ci’en temple was destroyed in a war at the end of the Tang Dynasty.Only the pagoda was left intact.The present buildings in the temple were built in the Ming Dynasty.But now it covers only one seventh of the original area it did in the Ming Dynasty.Now, look at the 3 main entrance gates.In Chinese, we call it “San men”, means mountain gate.In the ancient times, the Buddhist temple were usually built among the mountains.Before the temple, there stands a statue of hierarch Xuanzang, the meritorious hierarch.Walking on and acro a small bridge, visitors will see the gates of the temple.With guarding lions, the temple seems stately for lions were said to function as talismans.Entering the temple you will see two buildings-Bell Tower in the east and Drum Tower in the west.The bell and drum towers are the characteristic of the temple.They were used to mark time for the monks in the temple.The bell is rung in the morning and the drum is struck at dusk.
The Great Hall is the center of the temple.Inside it, there are three buddhas of Sakayamuni.The one in the middle is called Fashen Buddha, which means the truth and law.The one on the west side is called Baoshen Buddha, and the one on the east side is called Yingshen Buddha.After we visiting the Great Hall, we come to another core building --- the doctrine chamber where the Buddha worshiped.It is said that at the word of the Amitabha Buddha, one will be led to paradise upon his death.This rubbing is called “Xuan Zang on his way to Tang.With rolls of scriptures on his back, a pair of straw sandals on top of the rolls, Xuan Zang is making his way back to the capital.Well, let’s know something about the famous monks in Chinese history, Xuan Zang.He was both a great translator and traveler.He haad spent 17years in India studying Buddhism.And when he came back to Chang’an, he had taken back more than 600volumes of Buddhist scriptures.His travel in the western regions was based on what he had witneed in about 128 countries and regions.And Xuan Zang stayed in the Da Ci’en temple for 12 years and translated more than 1000 volumes of buddhist scriptures.In prise of the master’s dedication to buddhism, emperor Tai Zong and the crown prince Li Zhi respectively built two famous tables for him. (Farewell Speech) Ladies and gentleman, the time goes quickly and your trip in Xi’an is drawing to a close.It’s a pity that you can not stay in our city any longer.Then allow me to take this opportunity to say goodbye to you.I would like to tell you that it is a great pleasure for me to be your guide these days.I have had the opportunity to meet and get to know you.Thank you for the cooperation and support you gave us in the past several days.As a Chinese old saying goes:” A good friend from afar brings a distant land closer.” I hope you’ll take happy memories of your trip in China back home.I wish to see you again in the future and to be your guide.Once again, thank you for your cooperation and support.Goodbye!
