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| TAI CHI IN THE PARK |
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| HALL OF PRAYER FOR GOOD HARVEST TEMPLE OF HEAVEN |
It was a cold, brisk, sunny morning in Beijing, and we
headed out to find the Temple of Heaven Museum and Park which was
about two miles from our hotel. It took us awhile to find it because
the small map we were using was missing some of the street names (at
least that's what Ron said), and our sense of direction was a little
off. We finally went into a hotel for assistance, and it turned out
to be an easy walk from there.
We entered the 660 acre park about 9:30 am; and to our
delight it was full of older people, dressed colorfully, and having a
great time. This was the happiest group of Chinese I saw the entire
trip. Some were doing tai chi and many others were dancing to loud
music, and a leader who often sang as well. There were couples
dancing together and groups of women dancing alone (with men
watching).
We enjoyed the variety of Chinese pop music that was
coming from the different groups. Mainland China is currently
experiencing a rise in the popularity of Mandarin pop songs and the
release of many new albums.
There were ensembles playing live music for crowds that
were singing along using the provided songbooks. It was kind of hard
to believe that the park would be so active on a 30 degree windy day
in March, but I suspect it would be the same in January. I was glad
for my winter coat, hat and gloves.
There were games being played like Chinese Hacky Sack,
which has been a popular sport in China for more than 2,000 years. It
looked like a lot of fun. They also toss a soft hoop around and try
to catch it around their neck. A man playing a mini badminton game
invited Ron to join him. Ron had a good time playing and he
entertained a few spectators as well. Then there was a long covered
corridor with a sitting wall that was full of men and women playing
games like dominoes and poker. It was here that I spotted two older
woman, involved in a game of cards, they were a perfect picture in
their red, pink and blue flowered jackets, silk scarfs and colorful
warm hats.
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| COLORFUL COATS SERIOUS GAME |
By
the time we left at 11:30, the crowds were thinning. I imagine
everyone was heading home for lunch. In warmer weather, retirees
return to spend the afternoon relaxing, reading and socializing in
the park.
The surrounding homes and apartments are extremely
small, which I expect is an incentive for the locals to go to the
park for entertainment, exercise, and camaraderie. For whatever
reason, it appears to be a healthy lifestyle. Judging from the wide
variety of vegetables, fruits, egges, beans and rice offered at the markets,
their diet is hearty as well. I did not observe any obesity among
the Chinese people.
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| JUST EGGES TYPICAL MARKET BEIJING |
In the midst of this popular park is the Temple of
Heaven, considered one of China's finest examples of religious
architecture. The complex was built between 1406 and 1420 and visited
by Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of
prayer to heaven for good harvests. The wooden buildings are
constructed without nails. An old Chinese cement mixture, made from
raw materials such as egges, rice and kiwi juice, was used instead.
It was last used for ritual ceremonies in 1914, and then
turned into a park, and opened to the public in 1918. All of the
buildings within the Temple have special dark blue roof tiles,
representing the heaven. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, with
its three tiered circular roofed levels, was the most spectacular. It
was worthy of my slow vintage walk around to enjoy it from many
viewpoints.
The cleanliness of the area was no doubt due to the many
warmly dressed cleaners we observed. They used brooms, made of straw,
and dustpans to pick up any trash in sight.
From here we headed over to the Forbidden City by
subway.
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| CLEANER TEMPLE OF HEAVEN |
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| TAI CHI |
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| DANCING IN THE PARK ON A WINTER DAY |
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| LONG CORRIDOR GAMES IN PARK |
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| DANCING THE SWING IN BEIJING |
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