One-day tour of the Temple of Heaven, Yuanmingyuan, Summer Palace, and Bird's Nest

The Temple of Heaven was first built in the 18th year of the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty (1420) and was expanded and renovated during the reigns of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The architecture is magnificent, and the environment is solemn and majestic. It was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties offered sacrifices to heaven and prayed for good harvests. It is located on the east side outside Zhengyangmen. The northern part of the altar is circular, and the southern part is square, symbolizing the ancient Chinese belief that 'heaven is round and earth is square.' After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the state invested heavily in the protection and restoration of the Temple of Heaven's cultural relics. With its profound cultural connotations and grand architectural style, the Temple of Heaven has become a symbol of ancient Eastern civilization. Yuanmingyuan, also known as the Old Summer Palace, was a large imperial garden built during the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Kangxi bestowed this garden to his fourth son, Yinzhen (who later became Emperor Yongzheng), and named it 'Yuanming.' It served as a summer retreat for the Qing emperors, where they could escape the heat, listen to political affairs, and handle military and governmental matters. It is located in Haidian District, Beijing, China. Together with Changchun Garden and Qichun Garden, it is collectively known as the 'Three Yuanming Gardens.' Covering an area of 3.5 square kilometers, with a construction area of 160,000 square meters, it has over 150 scenic spots and is known as the 'Garden of Gardens.' The Summer Palace is an imperial palace and a large royal garden of the Qing Dynasty, located in the northwest of Haidian District, Beijing, China, covering an area of 297 hectares. The Summer Palace was built during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (originally named Qingyi Garden) and was rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Guangxu. It was one of the 'Three Hills and Five Gardens' in the western suburbs of Beijing during the Qing Dynasty. The Summer Palace is renowned for its ingenious combination of artificial architecture and natural landscapes, representing the pinnacle of Chinese garden art. In 1998, the Summer Palace was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site. The Olympic Park was the main venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It houses numerous Olympic competition venues, such as the Bird's Nest (National Stadium) and the Water Cube (National Aquatics Center), as well as a large Olympic Forest Park. As the venue for the Olympics, it is also one of the landmark areas for tourism in Beijing. Transportation: DIDI and subway Route: Temple of Heaven → Yuanmingyuan (photo at Tsinghua Gate) → Summer Palace → Olympic Park Lunch: Restaurant in the mall outside the west gate of the Temple of Heaven Dinner: Copper pot hotpot near Wangfujing