Sunday, May 4, 2008Beijing
At the south end of the Temple of Heaven complex—more of a park than what it sounds like—is the Round Alter, which is actually the heart of Tian Tan. Considered the center of the world, the alter is made of marble slabs laid in nine concentric circles, each circle made of nine pieces. Although you can’t tell with crowds of visitors around, it’s claimed that the acoustics of the alter amplify the voice of anyone standing at the center.
Of course, standing on the center takes some doing. And some jostling. And some fast footwork. After several minutes of trying to race my way to the middle point (and being elbowed out of the way by an elderly Asian woman about 2/3 my height), I finally leapt on. No time to pose. Just jump, click, and get out of the way.
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