Temple of Heaven
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. Here you will learn a lot about the these rituals and their meanings. Unfortunately, most of the descriptions are in Chinese, which slightly lessened its appeal for the kids, who hadn't yet learned to read the language.
Besides the historical temple itself, the Temple of Heaven actually resides inside a large park. Inside the park, there are many areas for leisure activities. We saw many people singing and dancing in the park. Exercise equipments were usually used by semi-professional atheletes. We were amazed by the skills and the openness of these people. After all, my impression of Chinese was that of a shy nation. In here, they are anything but.
Given the mix of history and culture, the Temple of Heaven is a very approachable attraction for both adults and children.
Hutong (胡同)
Hutong are traditional narrow street or alley you would find in Beijing and other northern Chinese cities. In contrast to the royal court life, these hutong reflect the culture of grassroot Beijingers. Today, you can still visit a hutong in Beijing. However, due to modern development, most of these hutongs had already been demolished.