8.
A
St Paul’s Cathedral
Ludgate Hill, EC4
Bus: 6,8,11,15,22,25
Open: Daily 8:00—19:00 (17:00 from Oct. to Mar.)
Entrance free
Designed by the great architect, Sir Christopher Wren, St Paul’s Cathedral was built following the Great Fire of London of 1666, which destroyed the gothic (哥特式) cathedral on the site at that time. Its choir is internationally famous. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married here in 1981.
Buckingham Palace
South end of the Mall (SW1)
Bus: 2, 11, 14, 16, 19, 22, 24, 29, 30, 38, 52, 73, 74, 137
Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the king or queen for much of the year. (When the king or queen lives there, a flag flies over the palace.) The Mall is a very impressive wide street, leading from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square.
Note: As the palace is the monarch’s official residence, it is not open to the public during most of the year.
The Tower of London
Tower Hill, EC3
Bus: 42, 78
Open: Mon. — Sat. 9:00-18:00; Sun. 8:00-19:00
Parts of the Tower of London are over nine centuries old, as building began under William the Conqueror in 1078. Famous as a prison in the distant past, the Tower has also been a royal residence, a zoo and an observatory (瞭望台), among other things. It is now a museum and many thousands of people visit it every year in particular to see the Crown Jewels.
Westminster Abbey
Broad Sanctuary, SW1
Bus: 3, 11, 12, 24, 29, 39, 53, 59, 76, 77, 88, 109, 155, 168, 170, 172, 184, 503
Open: Daily 8:00—18:00 (Mar.—Dec., Tuesday till 20:00)
Entrance free
A Benedictine abbey which already existed on the site was rebuilt by Edward the Confessor and consecrated (奉为神圣) in 1065. On the way to its present form, the abbey was expanded in the 13th-16th centuries, with the two west towers being added in the 18th. There are many famous tombs in the abbey, including that of the unknown soldiers and those of many poets and writers. No visitors will miss them.