My favorite spot at the Temple of Heaven Park is not the temple itself, but a small pavilion I discovered in its northwest section during my previous visit to the park: Shuanghuan, the Double Ring Longevity Pavilion.  As mentioned on the page covering that visit, the pavilion was built for the fiftieth birthday of an emperor’s mother centuries ago, but not in this location; it was moved here some three decades ago.  Shady and relaxed, the pavilion makes a wonderful addition to an otherwise empty section of the park, and is a perfect picnic spot on a warm April day like this one - as I’m sure this boy flying his kite would agree.  All these photographs were taken around the pavilion.

The very small Fan-Shaped Pavilion appears just across from the Double Ring Longevity Pavilion, surrounded by a tree-and-rock garden.  It’s not unusual to spot artists sitting in one pavilion drawing sketches of the other.

Crabapple blossoms.  The pavilions are surrounded by winter jasmine, crabapple, and peach blossoms, making spring a wonderful time to visit.

Peach blossoms in front of a corridor off the Double Ring Longevity Pavilion.

Local residents relax at the Fan-Shaped Pavilion.  Despite the beauty of this section of the park, it never seems crowded, unlike the corridors around the Temple of Heaven at the center of the park.  The lack of tourists, and even the lack of locals, make this a very peaceful setting.

Crabapple blossoms.

The front of the Double Ring Longevity Pavilion.

Yellow jasmine along a corridor of the pavilion.

Ceiling panels and paintings underneath one of the pavilion’s two rings.

Another view of the Fan-Shaped Pavilion, from inside the eastern corridor of the Double Ring Longevity Pavilion.

Western corridor of the pavilion.

The end of the western corridor, with winter jasmine and peach blossoms beyond.

An idyllic postcard shot of the Double Ring Longevity Pavilion - well, except for the haze that rarely leaves Beijing.  This is one of the city’s many little gems, and I can only assume that tourists don’t visit because it’s mentioned in none of the guide books.  The Double Ring Longevity Pavilion is just a five-minute walk northwest from the Temple of Heaven, and it’s on the park grounds; if you’re not part of a tour group, and if you’re visiting the temple anyway, be sure not to miss it.