Temple Of Heaven aka: 天坛

serenity

The part I liked best was watching all of the people singing, dancing, tai chi-ing, playing games (like catch-the-ring-on-your-neck), playing cards, etc. Each activity has its little nook, so you can wander around and stumble into a cacophony of traditional-opera-style singing, or a group of women ballroom dancing around a boom box, or the old-people-playground taken over by kids in school uniforms fooling around.

I remember grandpa had a photo of the Temple of Heaven hanging in his bedroom. Not sure why. Maybe it reminds him of his homeland.

I had the most wonderful feeling of being at peace with myself while I was strolling inside the temple. It was unforgettable for me so I considered this temple the nicest place ever in Beijing. Love it! And one day, I will come back, I promised myself.

I am shocked that more people want to go to West Edmonton Mall than to the Temple of Heaven. This was, by far, my favourite part of Beijing. The serenity of this place (it’s less of one temple and more of several in what is now a park, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site to boot) is astounding… stepping inside, the rest of the city seems to melt away behind you. You can just feel this incredible peace, and a sense of something holy too, something beyond the trees and the spires and the marble. If you go really really early on a Sunday morning, you can catch all the people getting together to dance or play instruments or do tai chi or just sing. Actually, the time I caught this was amazing… at least a hundred people, maybe more, all with their song books out, in one swell, all singing together below the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest (they even let me look over their shoulders to follow along). The Echo Wall is pretty shmancy, but I felt like I was crossing a few lines when they let me walk on the centre line down the bridge (it’s on a north-south axis almost in line with the Forbidden City, and when the emperor and empress visited, they were the only ones allowed to use the raised middle part of the road). Oh, and if anyone can fill me in on why so many people were walking backwards up the steps? It’s all about the number 9, my friends. You’ll see.

Oh, and it’s really easy to get to by bus (it’s in Chongwen District, just across the street from Hongqiao Market).