Heading out today! Flight from MCO to LAX, then overnight to Beijing. We leave on June 11th but arrive on June 13th – losing a day crossing the International Date Line. Early morning arrival (6:40 a.m.) with a transfer to our hotel, then our sightseeing begins. Today, we visited the Temple of Heaven Park, built in 1420 but reconstructed several times due to damage from fires and during WW2 damaged by the Japanese. The complex runs north-south along a ceremonial path. The most iconic structure is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qinian Dian). A triple-tier circular hall built entirely of wood without nails, standing on a three-tier white marble terrace. At the other end of the path is the Imperial Vault of Heaven – a smaller circular hall (under reconstruction) surrounded by the famous Echo Wall, where sound can be heard long distances due to its acoustic design – too bad, no longer due to defects in the current wall. Along the pathway is the Danbi Bridge, which represents the emperor’s journey between heaven and earth. There is a three-tier open-air altar made of white marble used for the Winter Solstice Ceremony, with a center stone (the Heavenly Heart Stone) that produces a clear echo when you speak. The park complex is surrounded by century-old cypress trees, some up to 600 years old.

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

Cultural Relics

Imperial Vault of Heaven

Temple of Heaven Park – Other Views