In the war of blood and fire, the ancient civilization once disappeared; under the trampling of explorers and tourists, the beautiful ancient times are facing new crises. If gold and wealth are the only goals pursued by the self-proclaimed civilized colonists, then civilized people in modern society should reflect more on many issues about the natural environment and history and culture. After all, that is the real basis of human survival. "root". On the "ancient mountain top"

The ruins of the ancient city of Machu Picchu are located 112 kilometers northwest of Cusco in Peru. The entire site towers majestically on the top of Huayna Picchu Mountain, about 2,280 meters above sea level. , and Machu Picchu means "ancient mountain top" in the local language. When American explorer Hiram Benheim first discovered it, he had no choice but to name it after the mountain because he couldn't know its exact name. Both sides of the ancient city are cliffs about 600 meters high, and under the cliffs is the fast-flowing Ulubam River. Because of its unique geographical location and natural and cultural landscapes, it was listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1983 and became a tourist attraction.

Archaeologists have proven that Machu Picchu was built around 1440. The reigning king of the Inca Empire at that time was Pachacuti (meaning "Earth Shaker"), but why did he build it in such a dangerous place? The place where such an ancient city was built remains a mystery. Some people think that this is a military fortress, but the enemy will not attack such a dangerous and useless city; if it is used as a stronghold of their own country, there is no reliable supply of food and water. Some people think that this was a country retreat for Inca nobles, a place where the nobles went for vacation or leisure; but the large-scale religious facilities discovered by archaeology prove that this is more likely to be a place of religious sacrifice. There are no large-scale living facilities there and it is not suitable for living; a large number of female remains were unearthed in the tomb area. They may be the victims of the Inca sacrifices to the sun god, because women are considered to be virgins of the sun, which further illustrates that Ma Chupichu is a large altar where sacrifices are performed.

The ancient city of Machu Picchu has more than 140 architectural ruins, including three urban areas with different functions: the sacred area, the popular area and the sacrificial and aristocratic areas. The sacred area is the building of the Sun God, including statues, temples, shrines and sun-fastening stones; the popular area is where the people who maintain the city's buildings live; the sacrificial and aristocratic areas are the temporary residences of the nobles who preside over sacrifices and pass by. There are more than 100 stairs in the city, all of which are carved from huge blocks of granite; there are also a large number of pools, waterways, ditches, etc., as well as a large vegetable field.

Rising from the mountain, Machu Picchu is an architectural miracle. It is said that the mountains around Machu Picchu resemble the face of an Indian looking up to the sky, and Huayna Picchu, the highest peak where Machu Picchu is located, is the nose of this face. The people who built the city did not use a single stone from the "nose". Instead, they picked up gravel from the surrounding mountains, cut it, and then built it. The cutting technology at that time was already very advanced. The gaps between the existing stone blocks on the city wall are less than one millimeter wide, and even a sharp dagger cannot be inserted into it. There is not even mortar between the stones, they are simply piled up. become. Recovering the "Lost City"

From the founding of Machu Picchu to the invasion of the Inca Empire by Spanish colonists in the 1630s, Machu Picchu has always been inhabited, but the number is not large. When it is busy, it only has 1,500 people. On the left and right, apart from the people who maintain the city's buildings, there are also the passing aristocratic tourists. As early as 1532, the Spanish Francisco Pizarro despicably captured and killed Atahualpa, the last king of the Inca Empire, and then invaded the capital Cusco, burning, killing and looting everywhere. Chu Picchu, this remote mountain city, could not escape the disaster and was destroyed in the war along with the Inca Empire. Machu Picchu fell into ruin, and for the next 400 years no one cared about it, or even knew about it. It was not until 1911 that American explorer Hiram Benheim, led by a guide hired by a copper plate, rediscovered this ancient city that had been dormant for 400 years. In April 1913, the American "National Geographic" magazine conducted a special report on this, and Machu Picchu became famous.

In 1911, when the missing treasure of the last king of the Inca Empire was disturbing the dreams of treasure hunters, Hiram Benheim also embarked on a treasure hunting journey at this time. At first he was looking for a legendary city called Vilcabamba, which was said to be the last stronghold of Manco and where the Inca treasures were hidden, but he wandered for several months without success. When the mountains and rivers were full of doubts and there was no way out, he didn't expect that there was another village. In the valley of the Ulubam River, he met a local man and only gave out a copper coin. Under the leadership of the local man Found this ancient Inca city that shocked the world. Although no gold treasure was found here, he was already satisfied. After returning to China, he published a monograph titled "The Lost City of the Incas", introducing his findings and an overview of the ruins of the ancient city. By 1915, Benheim had visited Machu Picchu several times. He was never sure whether he found Vilcabamba or Machu Picchu, but his masterpiece still sold well and caused a sensation. He is rightfully considered the first person to discover Machu Picchu.

But in 2002, Simon Weber, another scholar who has long studied the Inca civilization and Cusco ruins, claimed that there was another person who first discovered Machu Picchu. He was on a rock somewhere in the city. Several signatures were found, "Enrique Palma, Gabino Sánchez" and "Agustín Lizárraga", signed on July 14, 1901. This may be a few Peruvian locals who accidentally discovered the ancient city while traveling. From this, Weber believed that Benheim concealed the facts at the time in order to grab the lead. But this kind of debate is actually unnecessary. Even if someone came to Machu Picchu before Benheim, they did not leave any relevant records or research results. People still began to understand this ancient city through Benheim's works. , the real discoverer should be said to be him. Saving the "Hanging Gardens"

In 1981, the Peruvian government designated the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu and its surrounding area of ??approximately 326 square kilometers as a "historic protected area". The natural ecological environment here is also unique. The towering peaks, deep canyons, and orchids all over the mountains and plains have become an important part of people's tourism together with the sacred ancient city architecture. When pure white orchids bloomed all over the streets of the ancient city, people said with emotion that this was the real "hanging garden", so Machu Picchu got a new nickname. There is an endless stream of tourists coming for pilgrimage or sightseeing. It is said that every year, about 60,000 pilgrims walk along the legendary Inca Trail from Cusco to worship the gods. It takes about three days and three nights of arduous trek. Everywhere we passed were steep mountains. Figures released by the Peruvian government in 2003 show that there were 400,000 tourists visiting Machu Picchu in this year alone. The prosperous tourism industry has brought considerable economic benefits. Machu Picchu brings at least 3.1 million pounds in fiscal revenue to the Peruvian government every year. But UNESCO expressed concern about the severe damage to the sites caused by mass tourism. The trampling of a large number of tourists caused damage to the ancient buildings of Machu Picchu. The pollutant gases emitted by public tour buses and private cars also affected the surrounding environment and caused a large degree of corrosion to the ancient buildings. At the same time, with the prosperity of tourism, the commercial bustle caused by the development of surrounding towns has made Machu Picchu less like a nostalgic city and more like a commercial market town, filled with the hawking of various food and souvenirs.

The most serious thing is that due to the destruction of surrounding vegetation, Machu Picchu faces the risk of fatal landslides during the rainy season. This has already happened once in a nearby town called Agua Caliente (meaning "hot water"), and killed a dozen people. Moreover, the cracks in Huayna Picchu, where Machu Picchu is located, are becoming more and more serious, which makes Machu Picchu likely to be destroyed at any time. Geologists have discovered seven geological flaws in Machu Picchu and its surrounding areas. The root cause is loosening and fractures in the strata. As more and more tourists trample on it, Machu Picchu is also facing the problem of slow movement and subsidence. and risk of collapse. UNESCO has issued a serious warning to the Peruvian government that if these problems are not addressed soon, Machu Picchu will be expelled from the World Heritage List.

Of course, the Peruvian government is most concerned about economic benefits, but if it cannot protect tourism resources and achieve sustainable development of the tourism industry, this economic benefit will be blind and short-lived. Under the supervision of UNESCO and the passionate appeal of people around the world, the Peruvian government has recently decided to spend 70 million pounds on the repair and protection of the ancient city ruins. We hope that this ancient city, which was once submerged in war, will not repeat the same mistake at the hands of its own government. We also hope that this miraculous "hanging garden" can forever stand in the sky of human history.