A Ming-era temple complex in the south of the city where the emperors came each year to pray for a good harvest. The centrepiece is the circular Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests — a wooden rotunda on a three-tiered marble terrace, built in 1420 without a single nail. The surrounding park is the single best place in Beijing to see locals' morning life: tai chi, choral singing, calligraphy practice, line dancing, and fierce games of Chinese chess.
Open daily; expect crowds in the temple itself but the park is large enough that you can always find a quiet corner.