Day 2 – Temple of Heaven
This is also known as Qigu Hall and it was the spot where the emperor of the Ming and Qing dynasties prayed for good harvest in Spring. While there are many temples scattered throughout Beijing, this is one of the best known. There were two other halls but both were being renovated for the ’08 Olympics so we didn’t have access to either. Temple of Heaven grounds include beautiful landscaping and parks where we watched locals enjoying the weather and each other. We climbed to the top and the view of Beijing was amazing! We could even see a ferris wheel in the distance… one of those really big ones like the one on the River Thames in London. The grounds surrounding this temple we could hear traditional instruments being played, people singing and playing. People of all ages were enjoying the day. I was taking pictures of a couple playing a paddle type ball game. They each had two paddles and bounced/balanced an odd shaped ball. They asked if I wanted to join in and let me tell you… I did but our tour guide was moving on and I had to decline.
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