Charles Chan

The Temple of Heaven is a pre-Qing attraction with traditional architecture decidedly different from the Palace. Apparently, its religious purpose was more druidic in nature, as compared to the other temples, with harvest ceremonies, sun and moon festivals, and more.

The Summer Palace is said to be the best preserved imperial garden in the world, and the largest of its kind still in existence in China.

These three attractions are located close to each other. In a not-so-busy day, you can visit all of them on the same day if you start your journey early. The area around these these destinations were heavily guarded by security guards.