The original Georgian interior designs included widespread use of brightly coloured scagliola and blue and pink lapis， on the advice of Sir Charles Long. King Edward VII oversaw a heavy redecoration in a Belle epoque cream and gold colour scheme. Many smaller reception rooms are furnished in the Chinese regency style with furniture and fittings brought from the Royal Pavilion at Brighton and from Carlton House following the death of King George IV. The Buckingham Palace Gardens are the largest private gardens in London， originally landscaped by Capability Brown， but redesigned by William Townsend Ailton of Kew Gardens and John Nash. The great manmade lake was completed in 1828 and is supplied with water from the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park.
Entry to Buckingham Palace is via Ambassador，s Court on Buckingham Palace Road. The Grand Hall is on the original site of the old entrance hall， dominated by the Grand staircase aptly
aptly ady. 适当地，适宜地 named， because of its winding proportions and floral giltbronze balustrade.
As you walk through the Guard Room note the Gobelin tapestries lining the walls. The vibrantly coloured silk walls in the Green Drawing Room provide the perfect compliment to the beautifully coved and guilded ceiling. This is the site of Queen Charlotte，s salon. In the splendid scarlet and gold Throne Room you can see the chairs used at the coronation of Her Majesty The Queen in 1953. The magnificent Ballroom extending to 122 feet in length was opened in Queen Victoria，s reign in 1856 to celebrate the end of the Crimean war.
In the picture gallery designed by Nash are wonderful art treasures by Rubens， Rembrandt， Canaletto， Vermeer， and many others. This is a selection from the Royal Collection held in trust by the Queen for her successors and the nation and is regarded as Britain，s National Heritage. In the State Dining Room the red silk damask on the walls makes a fitting background to the state portraitsportrait n.肖像， 人像 of Kings and Queens from George III to George IV. The regency dining chairs were purchased by the Prince Regent in 1813 for his home at Carlton House.
As you pass through the Blue Drawing Room， another of Nash，s stunning rooms， note the thirty fake onyx columns and the Sevres porcelain table which was made for Napoleon. From the semicircular bow window of the domed Music Room you will have a good view of the garden and grounds. The Archbishop of Canterbury has christened four royal babies in this room. Perhaps most magnificent of all is the White Drawing Room， furnished with French antiques and English cut glass chandeliers suspendedsuspended adj.暂停的，缓期的（宣判），悬浮的 from the beautiful ceiling， the delicate colours of the furnishings standing out against the gold walls. The Minister，s stairs at the end of the hall links the principal floor of state rooms to the Marble Hall， which is the heart of the old Buckingham House. Clad in Italian marble it contains some fine sculpture， including three groups by Antonio Canova.
The History of Buckingham Palace began in 1702 when the Duke of Buckingham had it built as his London home. The Duke，s son sold the house in 1761 to George III， it was renamed “Queen，s House” in 1774 as Queen Charlotte resided there. When it passed to George IV in 1820， Nash was commissioned to make alterations to the palace. The main block was retained but a new suite of rooms was added facing west into the garden， doubling the size of the building. The French Neo Classical style was the influence for the design. The remodelled state rooms remain unchanged from Nash，s original design.
Queen Victoria was the first monarch to take up residence in Buckingham Palace in 1837. Once again extensive changes took place， one of these was to have the huge arched gateway removed to Tyburn， where it remains， known as Marble Arch.
Today Buckingham Palace is used not only as the home of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh， but also for the administrative work for the monarchy. It is here in the state apartments that Her Majesty receives and entertainsentertain vt.娱乐， 招待， 接受， 怀抱 vi.款待 guests invited to the Palace.
During the summer， the Changing of the Guard takes place at the front of the Palace.
London，s British Museum
大英博物馆
大英博物馆始建于1753年，至今以馆藏600多万件而堪称世界宝库之最。其每一件藏品无一不呈现世界文化的瑰丽多姿，是当今介绍世界文化与文明最瞩目的博物馆。
博物馆的藏品分布在三层楼面（其中一层为地下室），分10个分馆、95个展厅存放。
95个展厅中尤以中国、埃及、希腊、罗马馆使人震撼而流连忘返。一上东方馆的楼梯，就见一汉白玉大佛矗立在楼梯转角中央。佛足立底楼，首在三楼之上。佛面庄严，气韵生动，如此华严妙相大佛立此楼梯旮旯真是屈煞佛矣！楼梯平台上则安放着三口巨大的青铜铭文钟。
步入正厅，骇然映入眼帘的是中央墙上的巨幅敦煌壁画。只见三位雍容华贵的菩萨身段优美、体态匀称、面相丰腴、肌肤细腻、双手纤巧、两足丰硕、风度潇洒、文静矜持、天衣飘忽、仪态万千。此乃盛唐时“浓丽丰肥”的人物绘画风格。驻足细观，笔法高超娴熟，确是中国敦煌之国宝。
壁画前端放着中国古文明的三尊雕塑，中为中国辽代的炻质罗汉，眉目传神，巧夺天工。左为中国道教代表，虬须云鬓，数尺飞动。右为笑口常开的胖弥勒，形象逼真，呼之欲动。此皆为16～17世纪的作品，令人叹为观止。
还有许多八国联军火烧圆明园时掳夺的玉器、青花瓷、漆器及竹编、金银等菩萨雕像，还有字画无数。在展厅中就有宰相刘墉（刘罗锅）的草书真迹。而在1900年敦煌藏经洞的4万多件经书及书稿中大英博物馆就藏得1.3万件，中国现存仅1／3，故我国学者有“敦煌者，我国学术之伤心史也”的嗟叹。中国馆中还展出了东周（公元前770～221年）的造型奇特的“镇墓俑”，这种年代的展品怕已是海内绝作。还有公元前3500年新石器时代的玉雕，西周（公元前1050～771年）的青铜祭器，以及各个年代大量的景泰蓝、唐三彩、鼻烟壶等，尤值一提的是一展柜各种造型的精美绝伦的鼻烟壶，构思奇巧、技艺高超。瓶内云气升腾、其光可鉴。云中人物呼之欲出，楼阁亭台忽隐忽现。外国人在柜前频频按动快门，可见引人入胜之极。
玉雕也令人叫绝，展品色彩绚丽，有的玉雕红如柿、有的黄如粟、有的黑如漆、有的绿如翠、有的色彩斑斓，因材刻物，浑然天成。盆景大小的玉雕上可见宫廷柱廊，临水而设，林木蓊郁，庙宇辉煌，泉光与山色相映，展现如水如云，如霞如雾的山水意境……
London，s British Museum is the United Kingdom，s - and one of the world，s largest and most important museums of human history and culture. The museum was established in 1753 and was based largely on the collections of the physicianphysician n.医师， 内科医师 and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on January 15， 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury， on the site of the current museum building.
The British Museum is home to over seven million objects illustratingillustrate vt.举例说明， 图解， 加插图于， 阐明 vi.举例 and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present. Many of the artifacts are stored underneath the museum due to lack of space.
The British Museum， like the other main museums and art galleries in London， charges no admission fee. Admission charges， however， are levied for some temporary special exhibitions.