The Number Seven Thing to Do: Visit Kong Miao - the Temple of Confucius Kong Miao is now the Capital Museum and houses a display on the culture and history of Beijing. Confucianius was born in Qufu, China. The temple in Beijing is among the largest Confucian temples outside Qufu. Communism views Confucism in a dim light; Confucian philosophy was the worldview of Chinese feudalism. The Temple's main hall houses musical instruments that were important for Confucian ceremonies. The temple also contains 198 stone tables inscribed with the names of those individuals who passed the test to become a Mandarin during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties: 51,624 names. The Imperial Academy sits next to the Temple. The Academy was founded in 1306. The Academy taught language and martial arts. In 1462 it had 13,000 students. Today the Academy is the Capital Library, which houses collections on the social sciences and on local history.The Number Eight Thing to Do: Visit the Lama Temple The Lama Temple is Beijing's largest and best known temple. The Temple was built in 1694. During the annual Spring Festival the Temple stages a public presentation of the Devil Dance, which is supposed to teach observers not to fall to anger, greed, wine, and other evils. The Lama Temple is part of the Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It managed to survive China's Cultural Revolution through the protection of Chinese President Zhou Enlai. The temple did well in pre-Community Beijing in part because the Manchu Qing emperors, though officially Confucians, were attracted to Lamanistic Buddhism. Among its several attractions, the Temple's Hall of the Wheel of Dharma is home to a 20 foot statue of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Yellow Hat Sect.... The Number Nine Thing to Do: Visit Beihai Gongyuan (North Lake Park) The lake area is one of the most beautiful parts of Beijing. Kublai Khan ruled the Mongol Yuan Dynasty's empire from Jade Island on the lake here. Marco Polo visited the spot. The lake is covered with boats in the summer, ice skaters in the winter. There are a number of buildings on the island; among the more important: the Temple of Eternal Peace, the Hall of the Wheel of Law, the Hall of Universal Peace, the Hall of Ripples, and the White Dagoba. The White Dagoba is a Tibetan styled temple built for the 5th Dalai Lama upon his visit to Beijing in 1651. The Hall of Ripples contains a restaurant which was started by the Emperor's chef in 1926 -- after he was no longer the emperor's chef because there was no longer an emperor.... The Number Ten Thing to Do: See Tiantan - the Temple of Heaven Among the city's most visited parks. The Temple's complex covers an area of close to 700 acres. The complex has two groups of buildings: the northern group is set in a half circle and represents heaven; the southern group is square, representing earth. At the center of the northern group is one of China's most impressive buildings - the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Like the Imperial Palace, the Temple of Heaven dates back the era when the Ming Dynasty reestablished Beijing as China's capital. Ming and Qing emperors came to the Temple at the Winter Solstice to honor their ancestors and pray for a good harvest. The proceedings usually lasted several days. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is built on a tri-level marble terrace and has a blue tile roof with three levels. In 1889 the Hall was struck by lightening and burned to the ground, but it was restored. The Beijing Natural History Museum is on the western edge of the Temple complex. The museum houses over 5000 pieces - fossils, plants, and animals. Outside the Temple's east gate is Hong Qiao Market. Among it's offerings are fresh seafood and pearls.... The Number Eleven Thing to Do: See Zhonglou and Gulou -- the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower North of the lake area, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower were both built during the reigh of Kublai Khan, in the center of the Yuan capital, Dadu. The current structures were rebuilt under Ming rule. The drums were beat to mark the hour of the closing of the city gates each night.
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