A Cloud Tour to the Netherlands“云游”荷兰

杨艳

Civilization exchanges enhance international friendships. What comes to your mind when mentioning the Netherlands？ It might be the featured windmills， well-known charming tulips， and you name it. Despite the COVID-19 hinders our steps to explore the world， those remarkable destinations worldwide remain appealing to us.

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Netherlands at ambassadorial level. Let’s have a could tour of the Netherlands to appreciate its royal palace， architectural brilliance， tulips and cartoon arts. Let’s tick off the cloud travel list！

The Hague — Royal Charisma

The Hague， the third largest city of the Netherlands， accommodates the royal palace and the government. The Parliament Building， built in the 13th century， is called “Binnenhof”， literally “inner courtyard” in Dutch. As its name implies， one has to pass through the gate of the Castle of the Counts of Holland to enter the courtyard. Different from the solemn style of parliamentary buildings， visitors find themselves pleasant and comfort in the building. It is an organic integration of historic and modern elements.

Every third Tuesday of September is the “Prince Day” when the King delivers a speech in his throne in the Hall of Knights to officially open the parliamentary year. It is also a day for the parliamentary procession. Many locals and tourists gather in the Knights’ Square to watch the grand parade of the King and his guards.

The Mauritshuis， the museum of oil paintings， boasts a collection of some 800 oil paintings masterpiece by many well-known painters from the 15th to 18th centuries. The oil painting Girl with a Pearl Earring was drawn in 1665 by a Dutch painter Jan Vermeer who was on par with Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. A number of modern artists are mesmerized by it and hold the view that the girl’s smile is comparable to that of Mona Lisa. Hollywood even filmed a movie named after the Painting.

The royal city located in the coastal area is famous for its resort beach and abundant seafood cuisine. Scheveningen Beach is the most popular seaside resort of the Netherlands and offers a wide range of entertainment including cinemas， theaters， museums， surfing schools， beach parties， etc.

Rotterdam — A Museum of World-Renowned Architecture

After the Second World War， a lot of eminent architects gathered in Rotterdam and built world-renowned buildings such as the Erasmus Bridge， the Cube Houses and the Witte Huis， building the city’s reputation as a museum of world-renowned architecture.

Rotterdam is a modern and contemporary city. Its landmarks are buildings with unique shape soaring to the sky. Outside of Rotterdam Blaak railway station is a cluster of yellow buildings of creative shapes， namely the iconic Cube Houses.

The amphibious bus is the first-choice vehicle for exploring Rotterdam. It traverses freely and swiftly on the roads of the city center and the underwater of Meuse River.

Located at the southeastern Rotterdam， the Windmills of Kinderdijk is a group of 19 windmills built in the 1840s. In 1997， the village has been listed into the World’s Heritage List by the UNESCO. Cycling is a preferred choice to explore the area. Travelers can lie on the grassland by the river， watch huge windmills standing against the blue sky and reaching the white clouds on the banks of the river meandering into the distance. The senary is just like that in the painting called The Windmill at Wijk bij Duurstede by painter Jacob van Ruisdael.

Lisse — A Tulip Park

Lisse， situated between Harrlem and the Hague， gains its reputation for its beautiful flower fields and flower bulbs exported to the rest of the world. The famous Keukenhof Tulip Park is located in Lisse.

In 1949， Lisse held its first open-air flower exhibition. Then， it developed into an annual event， making Keukenhof one of the most attractive tourist attractions. Visiting the place in spring， one must be amazed by the pleasant scents and the spectacle of colors presented by tulips， hyacinths， daffodils， orchids， roses， carnations， irises， lilies， etc.

Annual grand Flower Parades are held in spring， and Lisse is a must-stop. With flower floats， drum bands， guard team， makeup teams， etc.， dozens of floats are presented in the parade， forming a 42-kilometer colorful ribbon from Noordwijk to Haarlem.

Utrecht — A City of Cartoon Arts

Utrecht boasts distinctive features different from other Dutch cities. Its history can be traced back to Roman times and the city still retains its medieval appearance. The Dom Tower at the center of the old town is the tallest church tower of the Netherlands and one of the country’s landmarks.

It is also a city of cartoon art， where the world-famous Miffy Rabbit was born. Its creator， Dick Brunner， is a world-renowned Dutch artist. The rabbit is the most famous resident of Utrecht.

Miffy served as an envoy of UNICEF. The Miffy Museum， also known as the Home of the Miffy Rabbit， showcases all the stories of Miffy from 1955 to the present. Children can visit Miffy’s house， bed and stool， or watch the cartoon of Miffy. Visitors can also draw the Miffy in their mind.

文明互鉴是增进各国人民友谊的桥梁。当提到荷兰，你脑海中会想到什么？独具特色的风车，人人称道的郁金香……目前，全球新冠肺炎疫情虽然阻挡了我们探索世界的脚步，但那些著名城市的吸引力仍然散发着光芒。

2022年是中荷建立大使级外交关系50周年，今天，让我们“云游”荷兰，从皇城到建筑美学，从郁金香到童趣艺术，一起来“打卡”吧。

海牙—皇室风范

荷兰第三大城市海牙，是皇室和政府所在地。建于13世纪的国会大厦Binnenhof在荷兰语中是内院的意思。顾名思义，人们得穿过这座古堡的大门才能进入。院内原本是一位伯爵的庭院，现置身其中，有别于国会建筑的肃穆，多了几分闲适，呈现出历史与现代的最佳融合。

每年9月的第三个星期二是“王子日”。这一天海牙将举行国会开幕式，国王会在骑士楼的宝座上演讲，因此也被称为“国王国会游行”。许多民众和游客会来到骑士广场，一睹国王和卫兵游行的盛况。

莫里茨皇家美术馆也被称为油画博物馆，这里收藏了约800幅15—18世纪一些著名绘画大师的油画作品。油画《戴珍珠耳环的少女》是与伦勃朗齐名的荷兰画家维米尔于1665年创作，许多现代艺术家为之倾倒，认为少女的回眸一笑足以与蒙娜丽莎的微笑相媲美。好莱坞还专门拍摄了同名的电影。

这座海边皇城还拥有著名的度假海滩和丰富的海鲜美食。席凡宁根海滩是荷兰人气最旺的海滨度假勝地，这里还提供电影院、剧院、博物馆、冲浪学校、沙滩派对等丰富的娱乐活动。

鹿特丹—世界建筑博物馆

第二次世界大战后，许多有名的建筑设计师都涌向鹿特丹，建造了天鹅大桥、立体方块屋、白房子等世界知名建筑。所以，鹿特丹也被称为世界建筑博物馆。

鹿特丹散发着摩登现代感，造型独特的建筑高耸的一角直指苍穹，成为鹿特丹的地标。鹿特丹火车站外有一片奇形怪状的黄色建筑群，那就是大名鼎鼎的立体方块屋，每一个立方体都是一幢房子。

水陆两栖巴士可以行驶在水上和陆地，是游览鹿特丹的绝佳工具。前一秒还穿梭在陆地驶过鹿特丹市中心，下一秒已经冲入默兹河水。

小孩堤防风车群位于鹿特丹东南部，至今仍保存着19座建于18世纪40年代的风车。1997年，小孩堤防风车村被联合国教科文组织列入世界文化遗产名录。在这里，骑自行车是一种优选游览方式。骑累了， 躺在河边的草地上，看着蓝天白云下的巨大风车，矗立在蜿蜒流向远方的河岸边，宛如置身著名画家雷斯达尔的作品《风车》中。

丽兹—郁金香公园

丽兹镇位于哈勒姆和海牙之间，以其美丽的花田和出口到世界各地的花球而闻名。备受瞩目的库肯霍夫郁金香公园就在这里。

丽兹于1949年举办了首届露天花展，逐渐发展成每年举办的花卉活动，库肯霍夫逐渐成为荷兰最具魅力的景点之一。如果春天来到这里，郁金香、风信子、水仙花、兰花、玫瑰、康乃馨、鸢尾、百合……你会被花香和色彩的奇观所震撼。

春季，荷兰还会举行盛大的花车巡游，丽兹是每年花车巡游的必经之地。花车、鼓乐队、护卫队、化妆队伍……几十辆花车组成的巡游队伍，从诺德维克到哈勒姆全程42公里，留下了一条色彩斑斓的丝带。

乌特勒支—童趣艺术之城

乌特勒支拥有与荷兰其他城市不同的特质。它的历史可以追溯到罗马时代，市内依然保留着中世纪的面貌。位于老城中心的Dom Tower是荷兰最高的教塔，更是荷兰的地标之一。

这里也是充满童趣的艺术之城，风靡世界的米菲兔就诞生在这里。米菲兔的创作者迪克·布鲁纳是享誉世界的荷兰艺术家。米菲兔算是乌特勒支最著名的“居民”。

米菲兔还曾经担任过联合国儿童基金会的形象大使。米菲兔博物馆也被人们称为米菲兔之家，展示了米菲从1955年诞生至今的成长历程，汇集了关于米菲所有的故事。孩子们可以进入米菲的小房子参观她的小床、小凳子，或是看一会米菲的动画片，还可以画出自己心目中的米菲兔。