世界史关键时刻·英语30篇（1）

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平安京的祇园祭山鉾巡行

Every July, Kyoto residents prepare massive wooden floats called 'yamaboko' for the Gion Matsuri.
These floats, some over ten meters tall, are decorated with centuries-old textiles and lacquerwork.
Artisans spend months weaving brocades and carving intricate wooden panels for each float.
The procession follows ancient routes mapped in the 9th century to appease plague spirits.
Children dressed in Heian-period silk robes ride atop the floats while chanting protective prayers.
Neighborhoods compete not for prizes but for spiritual merit and communal honor.
Lanterns glow softly as dusk falls, casting long shadows across stone-paved streets.
Families open their machiya houses to visitors, offering pickled vegetables and green tea.
The festival preserves rituals first recorded in the 'Engi Shiki' legal code of 927 CE.
Though modern trains now cross Kyoto, the float wheels still turn on original wooden axles.