The Temple of Heaven in Beijing was a fascinating place to spend a morning.

It was a beautiful sunny day and the temple itself was stunning. However, it was the activity in the grounds that gave such a lovely overview of Chinese culture. Everyone was up to some activity: mahjong, cards, dominoes, tai chi….

There was even a laughter club and a group of around 40 people playing mouth organs wired up to speakers attached to their belts. They had a conductor, a solo dancer and a large crowd to applaud them.

I spent some time watching a man on some steps paint Chinese characters with water, only for them to disappear before he’d reached the end of the step.

It was a wonderful way to spend a few hours and take some pictures. A place with energy, enjoyment and interesting scenes wherever I looked.