October 23, 2008 (1st day on China trip) – We left Osan at 0600 for our trip to Beijing, China. The bus ride and flight on Asiana were uneventful. Andrew and Mark are both super good travelers! Our first stop in Beijing was lunch at Shan Shui Jain which served Cantonese style food. We were also treated with a traditional dance performed right in the room where we ate. After lunch we headed off to the Temple of Heaven which sits in the middle of a 670 acre park that dates from the Ming Dynasty and is an excellent example of Confucian style architecture. It was constructed without using a single nail! The blue tiles that cover the roof on all three levels symbolize heaven. The four largest of the 28 pillars used to support the roof symbolize the four seasons. Twelve of the other pillars symbolize the months and the last twelve symbolize the traditional division of the Chinese day, each comprising two hours. The temple and the halls all around it were used in a ceremony for a good harvest. As we were leaving, we walked down a long open air corridor where many Chinese were playing instruments, singing, dancing and playing games.
After our visit at the Temple of Heaven we all went to watch an Acrobatic Show which the kids really enjoyed. It was pretty impressive what they could do! After the show it was time to try Peking Duck at the Hua Fu Ge restaurant along with many other traditional Chinese dishes. Following a delicious dinner it was time to check into the Best Western Premier Beijing which is a four star hotel. We ended up with a fabulous corner room with great views of Beijing and beautiful sunrises.
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