Temple of Heaven and Longtan Park

The gods smiled favorably upon us today - we successfully ventured into the city and checked a tourist site off my Beijing bucket list! With many obstacles in our way (an early wake up call, the constant threat of unhealthy levels of pollution, and general laziness), it was nothing short of a miracle that we visited not only the Temple of Heaven, but also biked to another beautiful park! 

The Temple of Heaven is a complex of imperial religious buildings built between 1406 and 1420 and was used for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. The three most prominent structures, aka all the buildings you need to pay to see, include the aptly named Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven (surrounded by the Echo Wall), and the Circular Mound Alter. Each famous landmark is steeped in symbolism. From numerology to astrology, I don't think you could fart in the Temple of Heaven without it being interpreted as a Spiritual Bodily Whisper of Thanks and Satisfaction. 

While I thoroughly enjoyed the park, the actual buildings themselves were a bit lackluster in my opinion. Perhaps it was the cocktail of dodging umbrellas and throwing elbows, but all the peaceful elements of Taoist religion seemed to have evaporated in the heat. That being said, the sheer age of the buildings was astounding to my United States-centric brain and the surrounding park was not to be missed. At any given moment in the sea of trees, you could spot men and women doing tai chi, gathering on park benches, or auctioning off their grandchildren for marriage (casual - look up "leftover women"). All in all, the metro ride to the Temple of Heaven was well worth it and I understand why it's a must see in Beijing. 

However, in unique juxtaposition to the touristy nature of the Temple of Heaven, we visited the much more "local" Longtan Park after lunch. Located across the street from a sad, dilapidated, yet seemingly functioning amusement park (tetanus shot should be a prerequisite), Longtan Park boasts a large body of water in its center with walking paths and bridges hugging it on the sides. Similarly to Behai and Houhai Park, small boats chugged aimlessly in the water and weeping trees provided shade. Committing to a day at Longtan Park is not for the faint of heart, however. It seems that to truly embrace the park lifestyle, you must pitch a tent, hang a hammock, and bring a smorgasbord of food. They're one tree tightrope walker away from passing as a Birkenstock-filled summer music festival.  

The biggest gem of Longtan Park was by-far the blooming lotus. As both a lover of the lotus root (yum) and their flower blossoms, having the opportunity to feast on their beauty was such a treat. After many photo-ops and some much needed relaxation time, we called it a day and took the subway back home. Despite the fact that I look like a lobster with a skin disease (oops, sorry mom), today was an absolute success! Fingers crossed we stay in good favor with the gods.