Snow Falling in Spring by Ming Li — Read

DURING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WHEN I TAUGHT AT THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, I STROLLED INTO THE NEARBY RITAN PARK-THE PARK OF THE Temple of the Sun- every day at the break of dawn. As the sun chased away dark shadows and lit up the elm trees one by one, I could see shimmering dew on the petals of pink carnations and yellow chrysanthemums, and magpies flying from treetop to treetop in search of their breakfast. This was a time I felt the park was talking to me through its silence, sharing with me its memories and its secrets. These were the moments that the park became mine.

Ritan was once a majestic imperial garden, built after Beijing was designated the capital of the kingdom of Ming, some five hundred years ago. Within the master design of the capital city were four major imperial temples, representing the most important signs of the zodiac-the sun, the moon, heaven, and earth. The Temple of the Sun, Ritan, on the eastern side of the city, was a mirror image of its sister park to the west, Yuetan, the Temple of the Moon.