This morning we got to sleep in a little later to catch up from yesterday, and headed out to the Antique Market. This is a traditional weekend activity and we got to explore the different vendors for over an hour!
We also visited the Temple of Heaven, which was where the emporer would go three times a year to pray for a good harvest, rainfall, and peace and prosperity for the country. Over 654 worshipping ceremonies were held. The gardens at the Temple are three times the size of those in the Forbidden City, but are made up mostly of trees- 3,600 of them from the Ming dynasty. Many locals visit the site two times a day for tai chi, card playing, and other forms of entertainment.
After a brief lesson on how silk is made we headed to lunch, which was delicious as usual! Lamb and squid were the specialties on the table today.
We ended the day with a visit to the Confucious Temple, a great learning institution in its time.