There are many ways to get to know london, you can take a red double-decker bus around the city, you can take the world's first subway system to each attraction, and you can boat on the River Thames to enjoy a flowing feast.
As the mother river of the United Kingdom, the Thames Originates in Cotswold Hills in southwest England, runs through the Capital of England, London, passes through Eaton, Oxford, Windsor and many other well-known regions, and finally flows into the North Sea. With the changes of history, the River Thames has witnessed the rise and fall of the empire that was once known as the "Empire of the Sun Never Sets", and also flowed with Britain's rich cultural accumulation.
All civilizations cannot be separated from the river, but if they want to prosper, they cannot do without the bridge. The River Thames runs through the city of London, and the bridge was indispensable to london's development. Bridges have been built here since Roman times, and they have been built until today. There are as many as 214 bridges in the Thames, 33 in the section of the river that flows through the Greater London area, and 16 in the section of the river in central London, and the various bridges across the River Thames not only record history, but also become the most beautiful scenery in London with the well-known buildings on both sides.
We boarded the ship at Westminster Pier, and the huge Ferris wheel with 32 "space capsules" hanging on the opposite bank and Big Ben on the Thames river on the other side separated the time of London, with quaint and serious on the one hand and modern flamboyance on the other. Whether you're looking for the "Britain of English Literature" like Helen in 84 Charing Street Cross, or you want to fly with "007" to the modern city, it's all here.
The 135-meter-tall giant Ferris wheel, known as the London Eye, was built to celebrate the new millennium of 2000, so it is also known as the Millennium Wheel, a new landmark in London after Big Ben and the largest observation wheel in the world until 2005. Sit on it and get a bird's-eye view of the whole of London. However, in 2012, London built a new Shard with a height of more than 300 meters), becoming the tallest in London and the newest landmark in London, but if you straighten the London Eye with a circumference of 1392 feet, its height is about 1.25 times higher than the Shard.
At the turn of the boat, you can see the classic picture - on the River Thames, the green Westminster Bridge with the spectacular and mysterious Westminster Palace and Big Ben, the time seems to go back to the 19th century.
Big Ben, one of London's most recognizable landmarks, is also known as the Palace of Westminster Clock Tower, as it is actually just the Clock Tower attached to the Parliament Hall. In 2012, on the 60th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne, it was renamed "Elizabeth Tower," but locals and foreigners alike still like to call it Big Ben.
Nearly 100 meters high, Big Ben is the largest clock in Britain, built in 1858, with four clock faces, each with a diameter of 7 meters, and each is inlaid with 312 pieces of opalescent glass, each minute hand is 14 feet (about 4.27 meters). Big Ben is the third heaviest clock in England, at 13.8 tons, and the pendulum alone is 305 kilograms.
The clock tower and the entire Parliament building, the Houses of Parliament, are typical Gothic buildings, with towering steeples, pointed ribbed vaults, slender beams, and elaborate window ledges, which can be felt from a distance with a strong religious atmosphere, which cannot help but be awe-inspiring.
Big Ben chimes the hour every hour, but because it uses artificial winding and the age is not short, these years will occasionally encounter stop-and-go times. But that doesn't stop the British from loving it, and every New Year's Eve, people gather here to wait for the first big Ben to ring at the beginning of the new year, and its bells are also broadcast on TV and radio to welcome the beginning of the new year.
The boat heads northeast and is greeted by hungerford bridges and golden Jubilee bridges, with the Hengford Bridge in the middle and the Narrow Walking On both sides. The northern end of the bridge is Charing Cross Station, so they will also be called Charing Cross Bridge.
After crossing the Charing Cross Bridge, it is important to note that on the north bank of the river, the ancient Egyptian Cleopatra's Needle stands alone on the bank of the river that does not belong to it, perhaps silently remembering the other half of The Wandering New York, or perhaps remembering the homeland of Luxor centuries ago.
Bidding farewell to the obelisk of 1475, we ushered in the "Blue Bridge" that the Chinese people are most familiar with. The "Blue Bridge" in the 50s took away the tears and lamentations of many people. Before leaving, the little lady also revisited this immortal classic. Now the simple "Blue Bridge" is in front of you, but the beautiful Mara is long gone. In fact, the bridge is not called "Blue Bridge", nor is it blue, but called Waterloo Bridge, named after the Victorious Battle of Waterloo in 1815, and the film is translated only for good. Monet also painted on the bridge.
Crossing the red and white Blackfriars Bridge, the grey-blue round-arched spire of St Paul's Church, the first cathedral in Britain, is the meeting point of the national spirit of Great Britain, where various grand celebrations or mourning ceremonies are often held to commemorate important historical events or to remember great people. It has hosted the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession to the throne; the funerals of Nelson, Wellington, Churchill and Margaret Thatcher; the Diamond Wedding Ceremony of Queen Victoria; the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday; and the well-known Wedding of the Century between Prince Charles and Diana.
A modern bridge like a wyvern spine connects St. Paul's Church to the Tate Morden Gallery on the south bank, the 333-metre-long Millennium Bridge that London built for the new millennium.
The boat continues down the river, crossing the yellow-and-green Southwark Bridge and then the oldest London Bridge in the UK, though the stone bridge we see today has been built many times. Around 50 AD, the Romans built a wooden bridge here, the first bridge across the River Thames.
In 1722, due to the excessive number of horse-drawn carriages entering and leaving the city, causing serious traffic jams, the mayor at that time ordered that carriages entering the city should drive on the west side of the bridge, and those leaving the city should drive on the east side. Since then, the practice of British vehicles driving on the left has been introduced.
At this time, the south bank of the river is the Shard, known as the "roof of London", the second tallest in Europe at 310 meters and 95 floors, fully armed with glass. On a clear day, the top floor has a view of up to 65 kilometres, much farther than the London Eye.
Moored in the Thames in front of the Shard is a camouflage cruiser, the HMS Belfast, which belonged to the Royal Navy, the largest light cruiser built by the Royal Navy at the time, and served in World War II with great success.
After passing the Belfast, the Tower of London on the north shore was exhausted. This seemingly fairytale classical English castle has been the main residence of the kings of England from 1140 to the 17th century, and if you have seen "The Three Musketeers", you must be familiar with it. After this passage, I really feel like I have fallen into the Middle Ages.
When you see the Tower of London, you also usher in the most dreamy and beautiful bridge on the Thames River - Tower Bridge. The unique elegance of the Victorian era makes it stand out among the bridges around the world, and it is found in many Hollywood blockbusters such as "007" and "Ace Agent".
Built in 1894, Tower Bridge is connected by four stone towers at both ends, and the two main towers in the middle are 43 meters high, which is a 5-storey square tower of granite and steel structure, and the marble top rises with five spires, which looks like two crowns in the distance. The span between the two towers is more than 60 meters, and the bridge is divided into upper and lower floors. The lower level is open to traffic, and when there are super tall boats passing through the river, it can also be opened from the middle and raised 83 degrees, which takes only 1 minute. When the ship was still an important means of transportation, the bridge below would rise and fall more than 50 times a day, but it is now rare to use.
When the cruise ship is about to drive under the Tower Bridge, it will see transparent suspended glass at the bottom of the center of the two passages on the upper level, which is said to have cost 1 million pounds. It must be wonderful to think of standing at an altitude of 140 feet, with traffic under the transparent feet, down to the Mother River of The United Kingdom, and on both sides of the river is the vicissitudes of London.
After crossing the Tower Bridge, on the south side of the riverbank is Butlers Wharf Pier, once the largest warehouse on the River Thames, which has now become a gathering place for the most fashionable cafes, restaurants and bars, and listen to locals, where former US President Clinton and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair have eaten.
After the cruise follows the curve of the Thames into the Isle of Dogs, the Greenwich Pier is where the young lady suggests getting off the boat and visiting, as it houses the famous Greenwich Observatory, where the prime meridian, the 0° meridian, and the starting point of the "world time zone" were born.
Thames River Cruise Tips:
Boats depart every 30 minutes and are available at four piers: Westminster Pier, London Eye Pier, Tower Pier, Greenwich Pier.
Opening hours: 10:00-16:20, closed on Christmas Day.
Tickets: £18/adult, LONDON PASS available, exchange tickets at the pier, free audio guide on board to pick up at the bar.
Don't want to follow the group! I don't want to travel poorly! How to enjoy the best experience during your trip at the most economical cost? For more comfortable and comprehensive self-guided tours and self-driving tours, please pay attention to the "gluttonous little lady" who walks between sensibility and reason.