Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests at the Temple of Heaven
In Beijing is yet another must-see stop. It’s the sprawling complex of buildings devoted to Taoism located at the Temple of Heaven. There is simply so much to see at this site that I’ll be devoting this week’s scheduled blogs to it, culminating once again in my photographic favorites on this week’s Fun Photo Friday.
The Entrance Ticket Information in Chinese
The first structure you’ll notice after entering through the North Heaven Gate is the often photographed Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests.
North Sky Gate
This enormous, round, tri-gabled structure is some 36 meters/118 feet wide by 38 meters/125 feet tall. It sits atop three-levels of stone base with nine steps connecting each tier. Each tier is enclosed by carved marble railing.
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
Visitors stepping into this wooden structure are rewarded with an exploding kaleidoscope of intense colors.
Interior look at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
At the base of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests are two large halls — the west and east annexes.
West Annex at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
Inside the east annex are models of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests as well as other items of interest.
Gold Gift-Set Bell of the Ming Dynasty
East Annex Model of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
Before we look at a few more of the buildings in this complex, let’s take a look at the people who frequent these grounds. We were amazed at the number of people who visit this park on a daily basis for exercise, games, and other pedestrian pursuits.
A Segway Knock-off
Practicing Caligraphy in Water
Several groups of people were playing a particularly intriguing game using something very similar to the birdie in badminton. Only, in this case, there is no net and the “racket” is your feet. People were batting the birdie with great skill, frequently catching the birdie from behind with a blind back-kick that would send the birdie soaring over their heads to another awaiting player. It was quite an impressive display.
A Game Similar to Badminton
More on the Temple of Heaven on Wednesday. Until then here are a few more photos:
Decisions — Murder in Paradise
The Globe — Murder in Luxury
