Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests 祈年殿
As expected of most UNESCO world heritage sites, the Temple of Heaven 天坛 was just as spectacular and worthy of such a status. The iconic Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest has become a symbol of Chinese architectural prowess. The park was surprisingly large and it can take a a good half day to completely explore the place. It might be better if you get there early to avoid the tourist crowds. I rushed through the park in about three hours since I still needed to go somewhere else after that. For photographers sundown would probably be more photogenic.
The Way Out of the Temple of Heaven Park 天坛公园
I reached the main entrance of the Temple of Heaven Park but I wasn’t sure whether there was a subway station there. So I decided to retrace my steps and head back to the east gate where I came in. I passed through the surrounding park where the tourist groups don’t go as mostly local people passing through use this. It still took me fifteen minutes to get back to the east gate and by that time the sun was already going down and it was already getting dark very fast. At least it wasn’t hot. The park is a nice place to visit although the CNY 60 entrance fee might be a little steep considering that you can’t even get in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Still, this was a place which deserves your attention.
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