Travels in the 2nd half

One of the places that I felt most comfortable during my trip to Beijing was at the Temple Of Heaven and its surrounding park. The Park sits just north of the 2nd Ring Road and the city canal and is about 4.5 km south of Tiananmen Square. http://www.tour-beijing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Temple-of-Heaven-Map.jpg  Originally built in 1420 it is the place where emperors went to pray to the gods of heaven and earth for a good harvest. The connection is represented by the shape of the park - square at the south end representing earth, and domed at the north end representing heaven. The most important building at the temple is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. It is 38 m tall and 36 m in diameter. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests Your author in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests This building is impressive. It sits on three square tiers of carved stone. These represent the earth. The hall itself is beautifully decorated and is round to represen...

Here is the thing about The Forbidden City , unlike the European castles that I have visited, which can pack more opulence in a square foot than the eye can take in, what is truly overwhelming is the way that open space and size has been used create the felling of power. http://www.meiguoxing.com/TheForbiddenCity.html The Forbidden City sits in the heart of Beijing. Built between 1410 and 1420 it was the home to 24 emperors up until the 1912, when the Emperor Puyi resigned. The grounds cover 180 acres, (which is 10 times the size of the Palace of Versailles) and consists of 9,999 rooms. It was called The Forbidden City because the only people allowed into it inner reaches were the Emperor, his concubines and the eunuchs who guarded them. Most people (and tour groups) start their visit by entering through the Tiananmen Gate, under the watchful gaze of Mao Zedong. Approaching the Tiananmen Gate Chairman Mao Once through, you are in a tree lined courtyard leading u...