Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
10,000 or so Huí Chinese Muslims who live nearby. The Chinese-styled mosque is pleas-
antly decorated with plants and flourishes of Arabic - look out for the main prayer hall
(note that only Muslims can enter), women's quarters and the
Building for Observing
the Moon
(Wàngyuèlóu), from where the lunar calendar was calculated. Remember to
dress appropriately for a mosque (no shorts or short skirts).
XIĀNNÓNG ALTAR & BĚIJĪNG ANCIENT
ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM
|MUSEUM
( Xiānnóngtán & Běijīng Gǔdài Jiànzhù Bówùguǎn; 6304 5608; 21 Dongjing Lu; admission ¥15; 9am-4pm;
Taoranting)
This altar - to the west of the Temple of Heaven - was the site of solemn im-
perial ceremonies and sacrificial offerings. Glance at any pre-1949 map of Běijīng and
you can gauge the massive scale of the altar, which was built in 1420. Today, many of its
original structures survive, but what remains is a tranquil and little-visited constellation of
relics. Located within what is called the
Hall of Jupiter
(Tàisuì Diàn) - the most magnifi-
cent surviving hall - is the excellent Běijīng Ancient Architecture Museum, which in-
formatively narrates the elements of traditional Chinese building techniques. Brush up on
your
dǒugǒng
(brackets) and
sǔnmǎo
(joints), get the low-down on Běijīng's courtyard
houses, while eyeballing detailed models of standout temple halls and pagodas from
across the land. There's a great scale model of the old walled city and English captions
throughout. On Wednesdays, the first 200 visitors get in free.
