2015年CRI Netizens Fury over Defaced Forbidden City Vat

 

The victimized water vat¹ is located in the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City.

The names scratched into the vat appear to be "Zhang Tao and Liu Ya," and are carved between two handles on the over 300-year-old bronze relic², surrounded by a heart-shaped outline.

Shan Jixiang, Director of the Palace Museum, says police have been called in to investigate.

"We've invited professionals to assess the damage and have reported it to the police. Tourist misbehavior has been on the decline in recent years, but precautionary measures will be kept in place to prevent such things from taking place again. The offending tourists should be publicly shamed."

Police are calling on the couple to turn themselves in.

The defacing of cultural relics³ by Chinese tourists isn't a new phenomenon.

Around two years ago, a Chinese national sparked outrage⁴ after he wrote his name on an ancient carving⁵ at the Luxor Temple in Egypt.

And the damaged vat this time is not the first in the Forbidden City to fall victim of defacement.

Shen Lixia with the Palace Museum still remembers a similar incident back in 2013.

"The written words read 'Liang Qiqi came here for a visit.' Through our efforts, the characters were eventually removed. Fortunately, that incident didn't leave any permanent damage to the iron vat."

Tour guide Sun Yan says while they constantly remind tourists to follow the rules, some will still end up breaking the rules.

"Earlier this summer, a number of tourists jumped over the fence, some threw cigarette butts⁶ into the vats⁷ after breaking the smoking ban in the Forbidden City. I think more should be done to improve the management and better protect the relics."

Shan Jixiang with the Palace Museum says they've set up their own blacklist to ensure offenders⁸ can't become repeat offenders.

"Visitors need to register their names when buying tickets. Those who behave badly in the museum will be blacklisted and not allowed entry ever again. This step has done a lot to help ensure order."

A crackdown on inscribing⁹ one's name on the Great Wall began nearly a decade ago after it was found that a growing number of tour groups who were visiting sections of the so-called Wild Wall, or areas which have not been restored, were carving their names.

Violators now face fines of up to 50-thousand yuan.

It's being suggested that fine should be extended to other cultural sites across China, as the current fine is only 200 yuan.

1 vat   

n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶

参考例句：

• The office is asking for the vat papers.办事处要有关增值税的文件。
• His father emptied sacks of stale rye bread into the vat.他父亲把一袋袋发霉的黑面包倒进大桶里。

2 relic   

n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物

参考例句：

• This stone axe is a relic of ancient times.这石斧是古代的遗物。
• He found himself thinking of the man as a relic from the past.他把这个男人看成是过去时代的人物。

3 relics   

[pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸

参考例句：

• The area is a treasure house of archaeological relics. 这个地区是古文物遗迹的宝库。
• Xi'an is an ancient city full of treasures and saintly relics. 西安是一个有很多宝藏和神圣的遗物的古老城市。

4 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

5 carving   

n.雕刻品，雕花

参考例句：

• All the furniture in the room had much carving.房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。
• He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town.他在老家学会了木雕手艺。

6 butts   

笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。
• The house butts to a cemetery. 这所房子和墓地相连。

7 vats   

varieties 变化，多样性，种类

参考例句：

• Fixed rare issue with getting stuck in VATS mode. 修正了极少出现的VATS模式卡住的问题。
• Objective To summarize the experience of VATS clinic application. 目的总结电视胸腔镜手术(vats)胸外科疾病治疗中的临床应用经验。

8 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

9 inscribing   

v.写，刻( inscribe的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Some galleries commemorate donors by inscribing their names on the walls. 一些美术馆把捐赠者的姓名镌刻在墙上以示纪念。 来自辞典例句
• They kept records by inscribing words on those materials. 他们在这些材料上刻字来记录信息。 来自互联网