What to do with a 15 hr stop over in Beijing?
In 2015 I had a wonderful trip to Myanmar(just after the sanctions had been lifted). The flip side was we flew via Beijing .
The plus side was we had a 15hr stop over in Beijing on the way home, what does one do for 15hrs in Beijing? one asks, well we went and visited the amazing Temple of Heaven!
Much colder in March/April than Myanmar we found the 13 degrees a touch chilly, not withstanding the fact that most of our clothes were for a warmer climate.
That didn’t stop us, and donned with socks and sandals (to keep our poor feet warm) we had, what I can only describe as the best stopover of any flight ever!
Of course it’s not only popular with foreign tourists, but many Chinese tourists, and my images reflect not only the numbers but their pastimes.
For example, the Temple was established by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, the annual Worship of Heaven ceremony by the emperor took place here. The ceremony was subject to special regulations for its preparation, place, time, procedures, music and dance. So during the walk to the entrance you saw people playing traditional instruments and in the surrounding park area (which is vast and apparently bigger than the forbidden city), there were groups of people , formation dancing, and one young girl I caught ribbon dancing, along with people playing games and fully participating in the cultural experience.
I think it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I had, hope you enjoy it too, you will not be disappointed!
Journeys From A Small Room 