Beijing Day 6

Our last day in Beijing dawned clearer than any of the previous ones (we could actually make out the approximate location of the sun in the sky). After breakfast, we caught a cab to take us down to the Temple of Heaven. This was a very impressive set of structures a little south of the main part of Beijing. While it was a little crowded with tourists, it was one of the most impressive sights we saw. Equally impressive was the public park surrounding the temple--it was crowded to bursting with Beijing residents enjoying the beautiful Saturday. After the Temple of Heaven, we took the subway up to see the Lama temple. Perhaps just as impressive (and just as crowded), this is a more tightly packed cluster of buildings that started its life as an imperial residence (note the yellow tiles on the roofs), but evolved into a temple complex. This is also where we saw the most serious (and interesting) religious displays by the populace while in Beijing. After touring this complex, we walked north several blocks to the (deserted) Temple of the Earth. Diametrically opposed to the Temple of Heaven along the axis of the city, this area and the park surrounding it were practically a ghost town compared to the Temple of Heaven. The structures were not as impressive, but it was interesting (and expansive!) in its own right. From the Temple of the Earth, we caught a subway back towards the center of town. We found a FANTASTIC lunch at a muslim restaurant in a little hutong. We were running low on cash, though, so we ate on a dime... the best lunch we had by far, for two, under $8 total. Yum in many ways.

After lunch, we walked back in to the center of Beijing. We climbed Coal Hill to get a very nice view of the Forbidden city. Down the other side, we entered Beihai park for the second time. We just sat beside the lake for a while, then we climbed up to the white pagoda for some more views, gardens, and structures. After Beihai park, we walked along the lake, then down across the Forbidden City to a restaurant specializing in dumplings. They had dumplings of all varieties (pork, chicken, donkey...). These were among the most scrumptious of foods we ate. From the restaurant, we wandered through the Wangfujing Daijie food street market. Some interesting looking things there, for sure. Then home again to pack and get ready for the flight home the next day.

Beijing Day 6