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The magnificent Temple of Heaven (TianTan) was constructed between 1406 and 1420 (Ming dynasty) during the reign of the emperor YongLe who also oversaw the construction of the Forbidden City.The Temple of Heaven was where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would offer sacrifices to heaven and pray for good harvests. The temple complex was extended during the reign of emperor JiaJing during the 16th century (Ming dynasty). JiaJing also constructed three other key temples in Beijing : the Temple of the Sun in the east, the Temple of the Moon in the west, and the Temple of Earth in the north. Emperor QianLong directed a renovation of the Temple of Heaven during the 18th century (Qing dynasty). The architecture and layout of the Temple of Heaven is based on elaborate symbolism and numerology. One example is that the buildings and their settings reflect ancient Chinese religious beliefs that imagine heaven as round and earth as square. Because the Temple of Heaven was to be the place representing Heaven on Earth, it needed to be larger than the Forbidden City; it covers approximately twice the area and is about 2 kilometers from north to south, the primary axis with three main structures; indeed, it is the largest group of constructions for worship in the world. In 1998, the Temple of Heaven was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. In early 2005, the Temple of Heaven underwent a 47 million yuan (6 million USD) renovation that was completed on May 1st, 2006. The Temple of Heaven is a delightful place to spend some time. Arrive in the early morning to watch the Tai Chi experts, although the park is lively all day and into the evening with kite flyers, musicians, singers, dancers and games players (from badminton to Chinese chess).

In central Beijing ...

ZhangJiaJie is one part of WuLingYuan National Forest Park in HuNan province, south China, and is a wonderland of strange peaks, stunning valleys, ancient trees, caves and waterfalls. There are over 500 scenic spots in this area of outstanding natural beauty; it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. In all, it covers around 700 square kilometers (270 square miles).

TàiYuán is the provincial capital of ShanXi. Plus - a charming micro movie ...

One missile - 16 people died, to silence truth. Michael Hudson on how human rights have been privatized / commercialized (monetized) in the US ...

In February 2016, 25,000 white roses, actually LED lights, were installed in the Central Promenade and Tamar Park area of Hong Kong's business district, for both Valentine's day and the Lantern Festival, part of the Chinese New Year period. Beautiful ... Plus, views of Hong Kong's skyline ...

ZheJiang province, east China, south of ShangHai. Every Chinese city has its unique flavor, but in many ways, this is the New China AnyTown ...

Provincial capital of FuJian, east China.

Bamboo (a grass) is fast-growing and sustainable, light and strong ...

The Yangtze or YangZi (Cháng jiāng) is the longest river in Asia, the third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. Its source is in the northern part of the Tibetan Plateau and flows 6,300 km (3,900 miles) in a generally eastern direction to the East China Sea near ShangHai.