Beijing - Day 3

Today is a short day in Beijing since we fly to Xian this afternoon. The schedule includes a visit to the Temple of Heaven and to the zoo to see the panda bears.

The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 to give the emperor a place to pray. The structure is wood, but was constructed without nails. The round shape and the blue color are symbolic of heaven. The temple is set in a square walled-in area (not seen in this photo). The square is symbolic of earth, as are the green tiles on the walls surrounding the square area. It seems there is a lot of symbolism in ancient Chinese architecture.
 

The interior of the Temple of Heaven. It had not yet opened for the day, so we couldn't go inside, but we could peer through the open doorway.

The grounds surrounding the Temple of Heaven are a public park. The area was heavily used by people engaging in all sorts of activities. This group is exercising to music with red fans; they were interesting to watch.
 

This couple is using paddles to "bat" the green ball back and forth between them. They don't hit the ball, as you would in tennis, but instead "catch" the ball with the paddle by synchronizing its motion to that of the ball as it approaches the paddle. Then, using the paddle, they swing the ball around and direct it back to their partner. The more skilled players use two paddles and put some flair into it, for example, flipping the ball around their back or over their head. It is almost an acrobatic dance done in slow motion.
 

Some apartment buildings we passed by on our way to the next stop. To me, it is an interesting contrast of the old and the new.
 

The Beijing zoo has six panda bears. We were told that the pandas normally lay around and sleep a lot, so we shouldn't expect much activity from them. However, it seemed to be their lunch time when we arrived, so they were more active then usual. This panda is chowing down on some grass.
 

Is it my imagination, or is this panda bear smiling?
 

When I first saw this, I thought he (or she?) was drinking from a baby bottle. However, it turned out to be an ordinary milk bottle. Whether it was something he was supposed to have, or was litter tossed into his pit, I don't know.
 

Our lunch was at a restaurant that was adjacent to (or part of) a museum for the 56 different ethnic groups in China. These two ladies dressed in traditional clothing were the hostesses at the restaurant.

Our next stop was at the airport to catch our flight to Xian. More on Xian tomorrow.