Beijing Zoo and Temple of Heaven
June 23, 2013
We really wanted to see Pandas in China, so the Beijing Zoo was our best bet. We saw the lazy, sleeping pandas not doing much of anything except eating bamboo, but we were happy we went. There were some other cool things to see, and the kids were able to play around like pandas on the bars. Ash even used some of her own money to buy a stuffed panda.
Glen then took us to see the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 and was used by Ming and Qing Dynasty rulers as a place to go and pray for good harvests. It is a beautiful area with so many intricate decorations and symbols found throughout the complex. It was difficult to get a good picture of the inside of the temple, but it was painted in bright colors, similar to the patterns found on the walkway at the Summer Palace.
Glen brought brushes and a bucket of water for the kids to participate in a traditional Chinese activity. It is common to see elderly people in the parks practicing their Mandarin Chinese characters with water and large calligraphy brushes. Glen and the kids wrote their names in Mandarin, with the breathtaking Temple of Heaven in the background.
We met Kym and Mark for dinner at Bellagio, a favorite Taiwanese restaurant chain. Sophie is happy as long as she has fried rice.
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