大理喜州英语导游词.doc

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大理喜州英语导游词

afteraneight-hourrideinthenighttrainwearrivedatthedalitrainstation,whichisinthesuburbofthenewcityofdali.wehadmadehotelbookingstostayinolddali,aniceandquietoldtownaboutfourteenkilometersnorthofnewdali.ittookusthirtyminutesbybustogettoourhotel.
itwasstillquiteearlyinthemorning.wecheckedin,hadashower,andthenwentoutsidetotrysomelocalsnackforbreakfast.sincewehadmanagedtogetsomesleeponthenighttrainwewereallreadyfortheday'sevent.aroundninethirtywecaughtalocalbusandsetoutforourdestination,thesmalltownofxizhou.
xizhouisabaitownseventeenkilometersnorthofolddali.thisplaceiswell-knownforitsmanyold,protectedhousesandcourtyardsthatsurvivedfromthelatemingandtheqingdynasties.thebaipeopleinxizhouareaspecialbreedofthebaimunity.theyhavebeenconstantlyreferredtoasthejewsofthebai,alabelwhichalltownsfolkhappilytaketobeanhonorforitisreallyarecognitionoftheirgiftandskillsinmakingsuccessfulbusinessdeals,nowandinthepast.
from1920sto1949,thereexistedabout400familiesinxizhou,allengagedinrunningsomesortofprivatebusinesses.itwassaid200ofthefamilieskeptshopslocallyorinotherpartsofyunnan,whiletheother200traveledacrossthecountrytobuyandsell,andsomepowerfulfamiliesevenmadetheirwayasfarasthewholeofsoutheastasiaandthesubcontinentofindia.theytradedinavarietyofthings:gold,silver,pearls,jade,cotton,silk,naturalminerals,medicinalherbs,tobacco,opium,andsoon.overafewdecades,themerchantsfromxizhouhadbuiltupagreatfameandwealthwithwhichtheyalsobuiltnicehouseswithopencourtyards.
bywhatthelocalssaid,therewerethegreatfour,middleeight,andminortwelvefamilies,allwerewell-establishedbigmerchantfirmsinthepast.thetoponeofthegreatfour,theyans'family,imported2,000americandodgecarsatonegointhelate1940s.attheendof1949,themunistgovernmentcameintopoweranddemandedtoeintopartnershipswiththemerchantfirms,soassessmentsweremadeofalltherichfamiliesandfirms.allthepropertyoftheyans'family,bothathomeandabroad,amountedtobeoverthirty-twobillionyuanatthattime.
dalihasbeenfrequentlyhitbyearthquakesi