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( Láodòng Rénmín Wénhuà Gōng; tennis court 6512 2856; adult ¥2, tennis court per hour ¥80, Supreme Temple
¥10; 6.30am-7.30pm, tennis court 6am-11.30pm; Tian'anmen East) Despite the prosaic name and its
location at the very heart of town, this reclusive park, between Tiān'ānmén Sq and the
Forbidden City, is one of Běijīng's best-kept secrets, and a bargain to boot. Few visitors
divert here from their course towards the main gate of the Forbidden City, but this was the
emperor's premier place of worship and contains the Supreme Temple OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE
MAP ( Tài Miào) , with its beautifully carved interior roofing. If you find the Forbidden City
either too colossal or crowded, the temple halls here are a cheaper, more tranquil and more
manageable alternative. The huge halls of the temple remain, their roofs enveloped in im-
perial yellow tiles, beyond a quiet grove of ancient cypresses and enclosed within the
Glazed Gate (Liúli Mén). Rising up to the splendid Front Hall OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (
qiándiàn) , the scene of imperial ceremonies of ancestor worship, are three flights of steps.
Only gods could traverse the central plinth; the emperor was consigned to the left-hand
flight. Note how the plaque above the Front Hall is inscribed in both Chinese and Man-
chu. Sadly this hall, as well as the Middle Hall OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( Zhōngdiàn) and Rear
Hall OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP ( Hòu Diàn) behind, is inaccessible. The northern perimeter of the
park abuts the palace moat (tǒngzi hé) , where you can find a bench and park yourself in
front of a fine view. For an offbeat experience, practise your backhand within earshot of
the Forbidden City at the tennis court OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP in the park. Take the northw-
est exit from the park and find yourself just by the Forbidden City's entrance gate, or pop
out of the eastern gate to Nanchizi Dajie. There is also a southern entrance.
TOP SIGHTS
GATE OF HEAVENLY PEACE
Hung with a vast likeness of Mao, and guarded by two pairs of Ming stone lions ,
the double-eaved Gate of Heavenly Peace ( CLICK HERE ) , north of Tiān'ānmén Sq, is
a potent national symbol. Built in the 15th century and restored in the 17th century,
the gate was formerly the largest of the four gates of the Imperial City Wall, and it
was from this gate that Mao proclaimed the People's Republic of China on 1 Octo-
ber 1949. Today's political coterie watches mass troop parades from here.
Climb the gate for excellent views of the square, and peek inside at the impressive
beams and overdone paintwork; in all there are 60 gargantuan wooden pillars and
17 vast lamps suspended from the ceiling. Within the gate tower there is also a fas-
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