Beijing 2009 - Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven was one of the most important buildings among all as this was where the emperors came to pray for a good harvest for the ensuing year. This is actually the most important function of an emperor, for if his prayers were not answered positively and the people go hungry due to a poor harvest or famine, the emperor could suffer the wrath of the people and be overthrown. This has happened countless times in Chinese history. 

We bumped into a group of monks from Thailand. They have also caught up with digital camera technology.

I took this picture of the monks having a rest - it reminded me of some old Chinese painting.

An old artist from Japan was sketching the temple.  He is over 80 years old and still going strong.