中国城记:南京胜迹 万国惊叹

　　Many of the images and sites that make up the worldview of Chinese culture were begun in the Ming Dynasty. Most notably, the current and completed version of the Great Wall, the architectural style represented by the Forbidden City and the popular blue and white porcelain creations. As Nanjing was the first capital of the Ming Dynasty (the second being Beijing where another Forbidden City was built in the 15th century), many of the cultural, political and philosophical keystones of Chinese culture were hammered into place during this time. The Ming Dynasty lasted from 1368 to 1644 rivaling and in many ways surpassing other civilizations of the world during that time.

　　许多构成中国文化全貌的形象和地理标志起源于明朝。“千秋遗胜迹，万国发惊叹。”最值得骄傲的要数那人间奇迹的明长城，起春秋，历秦汉，明朝修筑，西起嘉峪关，东到鸭绿江。同样可作为中华文明地标的是气吞山河的紫禁城，南京作为明朝开国时的首都，始建皇城、又扩建改称宫城，尔后迁都北京，于15世纪建成紫禁城。另一个明朝文化标识，就是明代青花瓷器，在世界上影响广泛而深远。同时，很多中华文明中的文化、艺术、哲学、政治和经济的传承与发展，明朝做出了巨大贡献。明朝的南京地位崇高，完全可以与当时世界的其他杰出文明胜地相媲美，甚至是超越。

资料图:明朝开国皇帝朱元璋

　　Coming out of the long period of aggression and regime change, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, ringed his newly chosen capital with a defensive wall. Slightly more than 33 kilometers in circumference ranging from 14 to 18 meters high, it is the longest city wall in existence. Upon first glance it can easily be mistaken for the Great Wall through its similarities. The now referred to Ming City Wall is a symbol for Nanjing that has survived, although scarred and beaten, through centuries of attack all the way up to the invasion by Japan in the 1930s.

　　元朝统治九十余年，明代共传十六君。公元1368年，明朝开国皇帝朱元璋将首都用护城墙保护起来，周长大约为33公里多，这是现存最长的护城墙。第一眼看上去，会将其当成是千里之外的北京八达岭长城，耳边似闻金戈铁马之声。曾经一时壮美的城墙，很多未能经受岁月的考验。而现在仍安若磐石的明城墙是南京独特文明的象征。虽然历经风吹雨打，历经战火硝烟，数百年来，尽管伤痕累累，如今，却仍然挺立着雄奇伟岸的身躯。