In imperial days, the Chinese people believed that the sky was incircular shope and the earth was square. On the basis of this tranditional concept, the circle was widely adopted in the design of the temple's main building. It is in accord with people's imagination of heaven.

The Temple of Heaven is situated in the southern part of Beijing, about 6 Km away from the center of the city. Traditionally, this temple was for imperial use only. It was built in 1420, covering an area of 273 hectares, it is the one of the largest parks in Beijing.

If you go to the Temple of Heaven in the early morning, you can see groups of people practicing all types of kung fu and taiji. Many people contentedly entertain each other with music,songs or quietly playing cards. You can also practice with them if you are so inclined.

This is another good activity for the jetlagged. What makes the temple unique is the century-old trees - line upon line of Chinese cypress, Chinese juniper and scholar trees. Some of the cypresses are more than 600 years old.