Building
建筑
The building I'd like to talk about is White Cloud Temple. It is located on the west side of Beijing. It is not very far from a subway station. I go there probably two or more times a year. It's a Taoist temple,probably the most active Taoist temple in Beijing. I am not a Taoist ,and go there not just for pray. I really try to take a trip to find some time to relax myself. During the Spring Festival people jam into it because they hold the best carnival during Spring Festival. We call it Miao Hui, which means temple fair. At that time the temple is crowded,but most other times it is quite peaceful,and is a good place to get away form all the people. I like the building mainly because it is simple and it seems to blend in well with its environment. All the temples don't occupy a large area,but they seem very powerful. The doors and windows are finely carved. I am impressed by the balanced style of this temple. The small praying hall is very serene. It has a nice pool and bridge. The Taoist motifs are quite simple but I think they are very charming. I love to go there during the winter after a big snowfall because it's at this time that it seems to be most mysterious. I don 't like grand and elaborate temples,like the Palace Museum. Although it looks gorgeous and magnificent,it is hard to find peace in your heart there. I worship simplicity and nature. I think the White Cloud Temple stands for that spirit.
我要讲的是白云寺。它坐落于北京西边,离地铁站很近。一年里我至少去那两次。白云寺是道教的圣地,是北京最活跃的道教圣地。我不是一个道教教徒,也不是仅为了祈祷而去那里的。我确实是想找个时间来放松下自己。春节期间,人们涌人白云寺是因为在那可以狂欢,我们称之为庙会,也就是所谓的寺庙节。那个时候寺庙里很热闹,而在平时却很安静,是个远离其他人的好去处。我喜欢那里的建筑物主要是因为它简约而且有个很好的周围环境。整个寺庙没占据多大空间但是它看起来威严十足,门窗的雕工也很精湛。我被寺庙的平衡风格所深深吸引。小的祈祷室非常宁静,这里有非常漂亮的水池和桥。道教主旨很简单但却吸引人。我喜欢在冬天里在下完大雪后去寺庙,因为那时的寺庙显得很神秘。我不喜欢特空旷特精致的寺庙,像颐和园那样的,虽然它看起来很美很壮观,但内心上很难找到一种宁静感。我崇拜简约和自然, 我想白云寺就象征了一种精神。