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Day Two
Home » China » Beijing - Three Day Itinerary » Day TwoSpend day two visiting two sites: the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. Seeing both in one day will require a trek through Beijing’s horrible traffic midway through your day, but it is worth it to make sure you visit both places. An alternative option is to visit the Summer Palace on your way home from seeing the Great Wall of China on day three; it requires an early start, but it can be done.
The Temple of Heaven is a complex of religious sites southeast of the Forbidden City. Construction began in 1420 under the leadership of the Yongle emperor, who was also responsible for the Forbidden City’s construction. The temple was primarily used at the winter solstice when the emperors would stage an elaborate procession and offer sacrifices to the gods requesting a profitable harvest. Shades of this past can be seen at the Circular Altar, a three-tiered marble terrace where a bull would be slaughtered and set on fire in a religious ceremony.
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is an impressive, circular wooden building that is actually an exact replica of the original structure, which burned to the ground when it was struck by lightening in 1889. The remarkable building was built without a single nail. To the north is the equally interesting Imperial Hall of Heaven.
When you have finished touring the park, catch a cab to the Summer Palace, which is located northwest of the city between the Third Ring Road and the Fourth Ring Road. You can also travel by boat through Beijing’s canal system. The palace is most commonly associated with Empress Dowager Cixi, who lived there until her death in 1908.
The park is located on the picturesque Kunming Lake, and most of the major sites are located on the lake’s northern shore. One of the best is the Long Corridor, a covered wooden promenade stretching almost a half of a mile. Each of the crossbeams, ceilings, and pillars is painted with a unique scene from Chinese history, literature, mythology, or geography. There are about 10,000 in all. At the end of the Long Corridor is the Marble Boat, which is not actually made of marble. It is a wooden structure, painted to resemble marble.
Across the complex is the Hall of Benevolent Longevity, where Empress Dowager received members of the court. North of the hall is her private theater, which is now a museum. Other sites on the complex include Longevity Hill, the Seventeen Arch Bridge, Cloud-Dispelling Hall, the Tower of Buddhist Incense, and the Jade Belt Bridge.
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