Here’s an open letter to my 6-year-old nephew, Bertie. I sent him a postcard from the Temple of Heaven with a link to this blog post written on the postcard. If he receives it, it will give him some fun themed activities he can access himself or with his class mates if his teacher thinks it might be relevant. I sent the postcard to him via his school.

This blog is part of a series on a similar theme. If you would like to read one of my other posts from the 798 Art Zone in Beijing, click here: A postcard from the 798 Art Zone, Beijing.

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Dear Bertie

On my day off, I decided to visit the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. As usual, I took the Beijing Subway to get there.

The Temple of Heaven is a complex of buildings and gardens, which were built in the 1400s. They were used by Chinese emperors as a place to pray for a good harvest.

I saw a number of important buildings, but nothing compared to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. It’s made entirely out of wood and there are no nails holding it together. I just wonder how it hasn’t fallen down.

Here’s a video from my day:

In the past, a poor harvest meant no food. Today, modern technology and our ability to ship fruit and vegetables around the world means we don’t go hungry. However, in some parts of the world, people are not as lucky as we are.

Some fruit and vegetables are easy to grow, like potatoes and carrots, but some require a warm climate like bananas and pineapples.

Think about what fruit and vegetables you like to eat. If you could grow some fruit and vegetables, what would you grow and why?

Would you like to try to grow your own potatoes? It’s really easy. Take a look at this video clip:

This is probably an activity to be done at home rather than at school but if your friends are interested, you could always share the video link with them.

Take care and I’ll send you another postcard soon!

Uncle Oliver x

References:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Heaven

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/heaven

Are you a teacher? If yes, you might be interested in these adaptable games and board games, including a language dominoes template: Games and board games