The understatement central to British tourist attractions
<p><span word="By">By</span> <span word="Cecily">Cecily</span> <span word="Liu">Liu</span></p><p><span word="Standing">Standing</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hilltop">hilltop</span> <span word="overlooking">overlooking</span> <span word="Cliveden">Cliveden</span> <span word="Gardens">Gardens</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="bright">bright</span> <span word="wintry">wintry</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="its">its</span> <span word="dark">dark</span>-<span word="green">green</span> <span word="lake">lake</span> <span word="surrounded">surrounded</span> <span word="woodland">woodland</span> <span word="stippled">stippled</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="red">red</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="gold">gold</span> <span word="leaves">leaves</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="centuries">centuries</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="trees">trees</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="breath">breath</span> <span word="away">away</span>.</p><p><span word="Cliveden">Cliveden</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="famous">famous</span> <span word="holiday">holiday</span> <span word="destination">destination</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="a">a</span> "<span word="local">local</span> <span word="park">park</span>" <span word="Auntie">Auntie</span> <span word="Zhao">Zhao</span> <span word="took">took</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="casual">casual</span> <span word="afternoon">afternoon</span> <span word="walk">walk</span>. <span word="Located">Located</span> <span word="just">just</span> 30 <span word="miles">miles</span> <span word="west">west</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="London">London</span>, <span word="the">the</span> 350-<span word="year">year</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="stately">stately</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="its">its</span> 150 <span word="hectares">hectares</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hidden">hidden</span> <span word="gem">gem</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="living">living</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="UK">UK</span>.</p><p><span word="As">As</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="stood">stood</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="heart">heart</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="tranquil">tranquil</span> <span word="garden">garden</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="understood">understood</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="countryside">countryside</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="inspired">inspired</span> <span word="generations">generations</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="artists">artists</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="writers">writers</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="taught">taught</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lesson">lesson</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="British">British</span> <span word="culture">culture</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="understatement">understatement</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="certain">certain</span> <span word="modesty">modesty</span> <span word="linked">linked</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="confidence">confidence</span>, <span word="evident">evident</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Auntie">Auntie</span> <span word="Zhao">Zhao</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="casual">casual</span> <span word="remarks">remarks</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="walk">walk</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="relaxed">relaxed</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Berkshire">Berkshire</span>.</p><p><span word="Despite">Despite</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="history">history</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="home">home</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="earl">earl</span>, <span word="three">three</span> <span word="countesses">countesses</span>, <span word="two">two</span> <span word="dukes">dukes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Prince">Prince</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Wales">Wales</span>, <span word="Cliveden">Cliveden</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="hardly">hardly</span> <span word="known">known</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hundreds">hundreds</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="visitors">visitors</span> <span word="arriving">arriving</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="UK">UK</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="year">year</span>.</p><p>"<span word="The">The</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="landscape">landscape</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="beautiful">beautiful</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="beauty">beauty</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="understated">understated</span>," <span word="my">my</span> <span word="friend">friend</span> <span word="Will">Will</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="later">later</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="walked">walked</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Paul">Paul</span> <span word="Nash">Nash</span> <span word="exhibition">exhibition</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Tate">Tate</span> <span word="Britain">Britain</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="pointed">pointed</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Nash">Nash</span> <span word="painting">painting</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pastoral">pastoral</span> <span word="Buckinghamshire">Buckinghamshire</span> <span word="scene">scene</span> <span word="featuring">featuring</span> <span word="expansive">expansive</span> <span word="field">field</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="woodland">woodland</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="golden">golden</span> <span word="sunshine">sunshine</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="distance">distance</span>. "<span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="landscape">landscape</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="grew">grew</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="with">with</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Will">Will</span>.</p>
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