内容提要
前 言
中国究竟是怎样的一个国度？它很古老，数千年的文明长河悠悠流淌至今，从未间断，这在世界诸文化中是独一无二的；它很年轻，锐意进取的精神在城市和乡村发散，生机勃勃，却也充满了生存和奋斗的压力；它很雄伟，名山大川与长河深谷，诠释着自然美的极致；它很柔美，雅致园林与乡野田园，倾诉着对温情和牧歌式生活的向往。是的，中国就是如此浩瀚且又充满矛盾地存在着，但这种对立和谐与兼收并蓄，恰恰印证了中国文化容纳万有的宇宙整体和谐观。
在这个国度里，遥远的祖先留给我们许多礼物：宏伟大气的云冈石窟，例证了佛教艺术初传中国后从具有鲜明的印度和波斯风格，到逐步被华夏气质容纳和同化的过程；孔庙、孔府和孔林那庞大的古典建筑格局犹如皇宫，其中隐含的秩序和平衡的“中庸”精神更是渗透古今；恢宏华丽的紫禁城，不强调单体建筑，而以整体建筑群的和谐宏伟胜出，其布局的规整明确、使用功能的严谨合理让人惊叹。这些人造奇观或神秘，或壮观，或唯美，都是人类精神写就的传奇，它们蕴含了构成中国文化绵延发展、整体和谐的基本因素：海纳百川的胸怀、社会伦理的和谐。
除此之外，中华大地还有另外一些美妙的地方，它们是人类与自然和谐共处至今的典范：元阳梯田，是大地的生机与人类的勤劳握手言和的成果；西递与宏村，是人类的手指轻轻拂过乡野的边角，撒下的一串小城、小镇、小村落；而苏州园林则是人类创造的“城市中的山林”，表达了人类依恋自然，追求与自然和谐共处的渴望。因为人类的介入，自然风景略施粉黛，锦上添花，生动地诠释了中国文化孜孜不倦的追求，同时也是人世间最美的状态：天人合一、和谐平衡。
在这片广袤的土地上，大自然也给予了特别的恩赐，广阔的面积与复杂的地貌造就了许多令人屏息的自然美景。穷尽一生，如果我们没有目睹过亦真亦幻的黄山云海，没有听到过三江并流的怒吼与咆哮，没有嗅到过黄龙与九寨的清新水气，没有感受过珠峰顶上雄风掠过的瞬间，生命是不是少了许多光彩？当我们亲身感受过它们，便会对我们生存的这个国度所拥有的丰富自然内涵心存感激。
本书收录了我们甄选出的中国最具有代表性的人文景观与自然景观44处，其中更包含了28处世界遗产，这是自然与前辈遗留给所有今人的。我们期待着，这一个个用图片和文字凝结的非凡片断，能使你在翻阅中得到艺术、历史、文化、风俗、地理等多方面的冲击和洗礼。请在接下来的篇章中尽情穿行，共同感受这些属于中国且属于世界的奇迹。
foreword
What is China really like? It all depends on how you look at it. On the one hand, China is very ancient, and unique among world cultures, its great river of civilisation has been flowing, freely and continuously, for several thousand years. On the other hand, China is very young, with its cities, towns and villages brimming with youthful energy in the midst of all the pressures of life. China looks magnificent, a land of extreme natural beauty filled with mighty mountains, great rivers and deep valleys. And China looks lovely, with elegant gardens and rural views, which speak volumes about the Chinese people’s desire for an idyllic life. China-so vast and so full of contradictions, is an existence that bear witness to the all-encompassing Chinese culture and its ideal of “Universal Harmony”.
The remote ancestors of the Chinese people left behind a wealth of gifts. The grand and glorious Yungang Grottoes evidence how Buddhist art, with distinctive Indian and Persian styles when first introduced into China, was gradually accepted and assimilated into the Chinese culture. The Temple, Cemetery, and Family Residence of Confucius, a huge architectural complex as impressive as the Royal Palace, echo the spirit of hierarchy and balance inherent in the Confucian “Doctrine of the Mean”. Amazingly splendid and majestic, the Forbidden City is known more for the grandeur and harmony of its whole architectural complex than the focus on individual buildings, featuring a clearly structured layout and well defined functions. Mysterious, magnificent or aesthetically beautiful as they are, these man-made wonders are all miracles created by the human spirit, incorporating the fundamental elements of the Chinese tradition that emphasise unity and harmony-an ethical balance and a welcoming heart that embraces all, as the sea accepts all rivers.
Some other sights in China are equally wonderful examples of harmonious coexistence between man and nature: the Yuanyang terraced fields, the result of a handshake between the power of the Earth and the strength of man; Xidi and Hongcun, a string of small towns, villages and hamlets created by the touch of human fingers as they brushed along the corners of the countryside; Suzhou classic gardens, “the man-made mountains and forests within the city wall” that serve as testimonials to man’s love and desire for harmonious coexistence with nature. The toil and activity of man added a little colour and beauty to the already gorgeous natural landscapes, a graphic illustration of the dynamic energy of Chinese culture-the world at its best: the unity of man and nature, the harmony of balance.
Mother Nature has specially favoured China. China’s vast territory encompasses a great diversity of landscapes and numerous breathtaking natural wonders. And you haven’t lived until you have seen the dreamlike cloudscapes of Mount Huangshan, heard the thundering and pounding of the Three Parallel Rivers, breathed the fresh, moist air in Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou valleys, and experienced the moments of gusty winds whistling past the summit of Mount Everest. Visit these sights in person, and you will feel grateful for the rich diversity of natural resources that China has to offer.
This book is a compelling collection of 44 most representative cultural attractions and natural landscapes, including 28 World Heritage Sites, all profusely illustrated here with photographs and text. We hope that readers, while leafing through these pages, will feel not only the powerful impact of Chinese art, culture, history, tradition and geography, but also the rich legacy created by Nature and left to all of us by the Chinese ancestors. Take your time, tour the sites, and experience the stunning wonders that belong not only to China, but the whole world.
（文章来源：《中国摄影集》）
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