Temple of Heaven

TanTan says she will take me to one special place every week.

This is one of her 2026 plans.

I always follow her plans.

Good ones. Bad ones.

Guess I'm a better follower than she is. Except for Tango.

Temple of Heaven 天壇 in central Beijing for week 1 of 2026.

Why Temple of Heaven?

An educated answer I learned from her: it used to be the most forbidden place for imperial rituals in Ming-Qing China. It connects the emperors—and his people—to Heaven. It is THE SPACE to see Heaven-as-Mandate 圜丘壇, Heaven-as-Tablet 皇穹宇, Heaven-as-Petition 祈年殿.

Well.

She's obsessed with Heaven.

Her PhD research is all about Sons of Heaven (Chinese emperors) and monks (whose power is also Heaven-centered).

An honest answer on my part: if she goes, I go.

And I've realized my life in Beijing, in any city we've lived, is TanTan-centered. (Took me 4.7 years to figure out what was obvious on day one).

When I met her 4.7 years ago, I knew this woman had plans.

I just knew it immediately when I saw her.

But I didn't know I would be part of her plans.

Neither did she, I guess.

A sweet answer, as she said: the plan is not research-related. She just wanted to explore the once-most-forbidden space with me.

Our ritual, that is.

Our ritual on the first day of 2026.

Heaven listens, but I pray for nothing because I have her already.

Heaven speaks, but I hear only her voice (Heaven gets breaks; I don't).

Heaven sees, but I watch her (who sees everything else—altar, vault, hall, cypress trees, marble rings, dragon carvings…)

...

Jan 1, 2026.