I have a few memories from the trip to China I took with my family in 1984. I was just 10 years old, but the sight of the Temple of Heaven is one I have always remembered. Perhaps it is because of the symmetry or the details or the rich blue color that is such a striking contrast to the red of nearly every other shrine in Beijing. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is captivating.

In our race to see the Temple of Heaven before closing, we caught a taxi at Bei Hai Park. We pointed to the appropriate line on the small card our hotel gave us that has translations of the most popular attractions in Beijing. The driver did his best to communicate that it was closed, although we did not know he was saying that at the time. Upon arrival, the lady at the ticket office would only sell us admission to the park even though the sign said the temple was open for another half an hour. Dan and I were undeterred. We speedily made our way to the temple gates and the ticket seller there let us have a ticket even though we were just past the deadline for sales.

We were able to get to the primary point, but were not allowed inside. They did leave the door open so visitors could peek into Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and I tried a quick photo of the decorative ceiling. (Note to the reader: I have spared you many, many ceiling photos of temples, pavilions, halls, and gates. They are all painted with bright colors and beautiful detail.)

 The Temple of Heaven is actually an extensive park area and at points it feels like it goes on forever uninterrupted by temples and people. We trekked through the park looking for the Hall of Abstinence. Even though it was closed, the walk allowed us to see more of the beautiful grounds. Crossing the long walkway in the middle of the park strongly reminded Dan of a park he visited in Norway. His déjà vu was distracting.

Continue to Tian'an Men Square