China arrival & the Temple of Heaven Beijing – 12th Apr 2009

Our visit to China started on the 12th Apr 2009 with the hospitality of Hilary who met us at the airport and gave us our introduction to China. We resided with her for the first week and visited a large number of the more famous tourist sites in and around Beijing.
My first offering is some general pictures around Beijing. These include some taken at Hilary’s school, her flat and the zoo. Along with various shots taken around Beijing.
The Temple of Heaven was out first outing with Hilary just after our arrival in China. A fine way to start.
The Temple of Heaven is a worthwhile visiting place in Beijing, built in 1420 A.D. during the Ming Dynasty to offer sacrifice to Heaven. It is enclosed by a long wall. Its north part is semicircular symbolizing heaven and the south is square like the earth. The design shows that the heaven is high over the earth, reflecting ancient Chinese thought of "The heaven is round and the earth is square".