Our beautiful
capital city is one of the most important centers of trade and religion
in the Valley of Mexico. It sits on an island in Lake Texcoco and
is crisscrossed by canals that serve as transportation routes. Three
raised earthen causeways link the city to the mainland. The causeways
have bridges that may be raised in times of danger.
In
the center of Tenochtitlan is the Great Temple, a magnificent pyramid.
Other points of interest are our many plazas, palaces, and gardens,
a zoo, and a marketplace. The city also has many ball courts, where
we play a ceremonial game called tlachtli.
On your visit,
you will notice small islands in Lake Texcoco. They are ingenious
farming plots called chinampas. Our farmers make them by
scooping mud from the bottom of the lake and layering it with marsh
plants. In the chinampas, we grow 100 million pounds of corn each
year, as well as an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
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