Learning objectives

1.Familiarize you with the course
2.Learn about course requirement
3.Get to know how to meet the guests
4.Learn about the working procedure—preparation

content of lecture

Reading A Shanxi geograghy
Reading B Shanxi culture and Chinese civilization

shanxi geograghy

It was in the Qin Dynasty that the place was known as Shanxi.Shanxi Province lies to the east of Hebei,the west of Shaanxi,the south of Hehan and the north of Inner Mongolia.The capital of Shanxi is Taiyuan.
China's Loess Plateau is well-known for its unique topography in the world and Shanxi is widely covered by thick loess.The overall topography in Shanxi features the mountainous highland with undulating plateau and diverse landforms in Shanxi.Shanxi is lacated on China’s Loess Plateau to the west of Taihang Mountains and the east of lvliang Mountains an well as valleys.The areas of mountainous region cover 80% of total area of province as against the smaller areas of the flat basins and valleys,accounting for only 20%.
The higer part of Shanxi is in the northeast and the lower part is southwest with the discriminative undulating terrain.Most parts of province are more than 1000 meters above the sea level,and the higest point is Xiedou Summit in Wutai Mountain,whose elevation is 3058 meters;the lowest point is the entrance where Xiyang River enters the Yellow River in Yuanqu County,which is only 180 meters above the sea level.The Yellow River forms the western border between Shanxi and Shaanxi.The Yellow River gets its name from the yellow mud in the river.And Fen River runs through the center of Shanxi province.
Due to great diversity in height, Shanxi Province has a cold and dry climate and mostparts of it has an annual rainfall of between 400-650 millimeters, increasing gradually from the northwest to the southeast.
Shanxi Province enjoys atemperate continentalclimate. The special land features contribute to the climate characteristics of cold winter and hotsummner and intense sunlight all the year round.Four distinct seasons can be felt in the province.Generally speaking.,winters are dry and cold, and the temperature falls below 0℃, with the lowest temperature reaching -44.8℃on the peak of WuTai Mountain. Snow is quite common in winer, with its thickness amounting to 30 centimeters sometimes.Despite inconveniences for outdoor activities, the air is clear and fresh and with everthing in a beautifully snow-capped world. Summer has long hours of sunshine with high temperatures-usually the temperature is berween 21℃-37℃. There are greater temperature differences between early morning and late evening. The hottest days are in July when the people in the sonthern regions, say, Yuncheng, are suffering from intense heat, it is breezy in northern regions suth as Luya Mountain and Wutai Mountain where you can enjoy attractive scenery in a pleasant weather. By and large, however, the climate of Shanxi belongs to that of northern highlands in China. TheTherefore, spring comes late with unstable weather conditions accompanied frequently by high sandy winds. It is advisable to wear glass and hat for outdoor activities.
On the contrary, autumn moves in early withcooland brightdays. All in all, the climate in May and October is the best of the year.

shanxi culture and chinese civilization

The glorious history of Shanxi Province has formed three great unique cultures, namely Buddhist and ancient architectural culture in its north, Shanxi Merchants' culture in the middle, Chinese ancestral roots culture in its south.
Wutai mountain as a dissemination center of Buddhist culture is the earliest and biggest Buddhism venue since Buddhism came to China. And all kind of architectural models from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties have been well preserved. Hence the province is regarded as a treasure house of the ancient architectural arts. Some of the most representative once include Foguang Temple and Nanchan Temple of the Tang Dynasty, Guandi Temple of the Song Dynasty in Haizhou, the Wooden Pogoda of the Liao Dynasty in Yingxian County, the Hanging Monastery of Mount Hengshan built in the dynasties of Jin and Yuan. Beside the wooden structure, there are the brick and the colored glaze structures, amounting to 585 pagodas, represented by the White Pagoda of the Wutai Mountain, Ayuwang Pogoda of Daixian County, the Twin Pagodas of Yongzuo Temple in Taiyuan ,the Yingying Tower of Pujiu Temple in Yongji County.The pagodas and towers are different in forms ,sizes ,functions and contents. Thus the province is reputed as a great ancient tower museum. Another Buddhist architecture is the grotto. Of the 51 grottoes, the most representative ones include Yungang Grottoes, Mount Tianlong Grottoes, Mount Longshan Grottoes and so on.
Shanxi Province is also renowned as the home of some of the country’s most prominent merchant clans. At their peak in 19 th century , merchants from Shanxi operated businesses across the country. They traded tea mainly Russians, but also worked in finance and banking. Shanxi ‘s merchants are today considered the pioneers of china’s foreign trade in the early modern era. It is the pioneers’ diligence , initiative and integrity that brought the local merchants to prominence. Shanxi merchants created strict and scientific management, which pushed their business to the peak. They went out to develop their career, but left their family behind in their ancestral home. Thereupon, many luxurious great courtyards were left, which is the best proof of their strength.
In the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties ,most parts of Shanxi were not affected by war, and blessed with a good climate and abundant harvests. Unlike its neighboring provinces, Shanxi enjoyed social stability ,economic prosperity and expanding population .Its location on the Loess Plateau where areas of arable land were limited meant, however ,that Shanxi had neither farming advantages nor the potential for agricultural development .These conditions made the province an obvious of emigration.
Historical records show that during the Ming Dynasty emigrants converged beneath the big pagoda tree in Hongtong county before leaving for various parts of the county .According to ancient Chinese philosophy, a person’s hometown is the starting and ending point of his or her life .The hometown is the roots of a tree. For hundreds of years the big pagoda tree in Shanxi Hongtong has symbolized the hometown,and consequently attracted millions of root-searchers.
Bing the political center in the north of ancient China ,Shanxi is rich in the relics concerning the ancient political development .Some of the celebrities include Lord Wen of Jin State, King Wuling of Zhao State ,Lian Po ,Lin Xiangru , Wei Qing ,Huo Qubing ,Wu Zetian ,Di Renjie ,Yang Ye ,Yu Chenglong ,Yang Shenxiu and so on.
The brilliant cultures of Shanxi have unfolded a vivid scroll of the social and political development and progress ,the ethnic integration and economic boom of ancient Chinese society .The historic relics have reflected the social progress and the productivity development dating from the Paleolithic period to the modern scientific and technological times.
Reference ：
     英语导游教程纪春裴松青旅游教育出版社 2007
     西安导游技巧与实践姚宝荣西安外语音像教材出版社1997
     英语导游必读朱歧新中国旅游出版社 2006

Homework

prepare the traits of excellent tour guide(P21-26)