This is how they do Peking Duck in Peking.....

Today was my final work day and Chevron took me out to a final lunch--Peking Duck at what they claim is the best restaurant for it in Beijing. I have to admit it was good but I'm not really a duck person. Still Chevron--and especially my students--have been wonderful to me while I've been here.

This afternoon I went to the Temple of Heaven and after the Great Wall I'm afraid everything else is going to be second-best. The temple was a worship spot for the emperor to pray for good crops and harvests. It is laid out geometrically in cadence with the solar system. In fact, this is were Fung Shei began.

This round worship area is aligned with the solar system. It is circular to symbolize yin-yang and it is surrounded by twelve columns symbolizing the twelve months followed by another ring of twelve to symbolize the twelve periods of the day. The stones are set in series of nines to represent the nine heavens....and the math goes on and on.

The temple itself was very impressive. The government had just reopened it after restoring and repainting it and it really was a work of art. So much of the city is preparing for the 2008 Olympics--it's the main topic of discussion here.

After the Temple of Heaven I went to a craft market called Pearl Market and bought a few small items but wasn't overly impressed. Hope to find some better stuff in Hong Kong this weekend.

I'm up early tomorrow and off to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors. I should have Internet service in the hotel there and if so, I should be posting some pretty amazing stuff.

Until later.......