FINALLY AT THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN
Four
years ago, my travel buddy Fatima and I arrived at the Temple of Heaven around six in
the evening. It was our last day in
Beijing. The temple complex was closed
and so we have to be contented viewing the silhouette of the circular-shaped
temple from a distance.
On
this recent visit, smog was unbearable on the first attempt and so we aborted
the plan. And finally, on what was
supposed to be the last day in Beijing, Kirk and I decided to go for a morning visit at
the vast complex of Tiantan (The
Temple of Heaven).
We
took the subway Line 5, get off at Tiantan Dongmen Station, leave Exit A and
arrived at the East Gate of the park, where the booth for ticket admission is
situated. Admission fee is CNY30 from
November 1 to March 31 and CNY35 from April 1 to October 31. The said admission ticket is inclusive of the
Entrance Hall, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Circular Mound Altar and
Echo Wall.
The
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest will be the focal point of our visit. From the East Gate, we walked along the
pavements of aligned pine trees with locals doing their morning routine. At the covered walks, locals converge to play
cards, sing and do poetry (I suppose).
We encountered one group where one plays a musical instrument and an
elder recites something like a poem or shares a story (that we have to
confirm).
Indeed,
the best time to visit the temple is during the morning. The open spaces are used for the local’s
morning exercises in the form of tai chi,
dancing, biking and jogging. If not for
the below zero temperature, I could have withstand the more hours of sitting in
one corner and people watch.
The
Temple of Heaven is another UNESCO World Heritage Site ticked off my so-called
must visit list. It is considered the
most holy of Beijing’s imperial temples and described as a masterpiece of
architecture and landscape design.
Arriving
at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, there is an admission booth as well for
those who only paid for the entrance fee (CNY10) and later on decided to get up
close the temple. It’s an additional
CNY20.
During
winter, the façade may not be that overwhelming as the cold mist hovers the
structure. But apparent are the
intricate designs and carvings that contributes to the grandeur of the temple.
Images
of the Temple of Heaven on varied seasons are constant – constantly
photogenic. While it becomes
coincidentally the last to be visited when in Beijing, since it is just within
the city center, it nevertheless makes up a good finale for the memories of
Beijing, China.
And
after two attempts, I have finally seen the Temple of Heaven.
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