October 6, 2005
October 6, 2005
This morning we made our way to the World Heritage Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven, built at the same time as the Forbidden City, was the emperor’s personal place of worship and like the Forbidden City was off-limits to the citizenry. Today this very large complex is now a public park. We first walked thru a tree-lined area crowded with Chinese enjoying their holiday. There are lots of people exercising, singing, and playing cards and other games. What intrigued us the most were those practicing Tai Chi. Tai Chi seems to be a cross between ballet and meditation. In particular some were playing very slow motion Tai Chi paddleball. The skill is keeping the ball from dropping when you move the paddle slowly. Very cool!
We next visit the old temple buildings on the site. The centerpieces are two circular temples with blue-tiled roofs on square bases connected by a very long walkway. The circle represents heaven and the square the earth. Our young guide speaks English well enough to tell us what they are but not much about their purpose or history. We also see the large Circular Mound Altar where the emperor made sacrifice for a bountiful harvest. All the stones are placed in multiples of nine, the Chinese heavenly number.
On the way out we watch a woman writing Chinese poetry on the sidewalk using a large paintbrush and water. I think we are more interested in watching the people instead of the attractions. After lunch we are shuttled to the airport for our flight to Xian. Before coming to China, I was a little nervous about the safety of taking Chinese flights. Not now. Everything they have is brand-new, all the planes, the airports, and also our hotels. At Xian, we are met by a new city guide and taken to our hotel room.
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