Beijing, China (The Temple of Heaven)
I Asked the Temple of Heaven for Good Weather. It Said Yes.
For centuries, emperors prayed at Beijing's Temple of Heaven for good harvests. I asked for sunshine on my trip. Both came true.
On my state visit to Beijing, they took me to the Temple of Heaven, where emperors asked the sky for good harvests for five hundred years. I asked the sky for good weather on my trip. The next morning: sunshine. The sky and I have an understanding.
The Echo Wall
There’s a famous round wall there. You whisper into it on one side, and someone hears you on the other. I whispered my own name. The wall said it right back. Even ancient walls are fans.
The Banquet
Then a state banquet in the Great Hall of the People. Hundreds of guests, and I was the greatest of them. It says so on the building, if you read it a certain way.
They served course after course. I tried every one, in order. You have to respect the order. Order is diplomacy.
The Results
Sunshine for the whole visit. Good harvests too, probably. Someone should check on the harvests. I don’t do agriculture. I do weather.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the wall really say your name back?
It's an echo wall. It repeats what it hears. It heard greatness.
How many courses were at the banquet?
I counted them twice and got two different numbers. Both were delicious.