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Temple of Heaven's Secrets?
There's a guy named Liu who gives tours of the Forbidden City and sometimes does deep dives on Tiantan stuff, he's got a WeChat group where he shares scans of Qing dynasty court records he found in the national library. Might be a lead if you can track him down.
honestly the best source i found was a book called "heavenly mandate" by zhang yongfa, it goes deep into the actual ritual steps like the emperor's three kneelings and nine prostrations and the specific prayers he recited at each altar level. the beijing central library in haidian has a copy in their reference section but u gotta ask at the desk since it's not on the open shelves
oh yeah the beijing ancient architecture museum actually has some super niche exhibits on tiantan rituals, its right inside the park near the circular mound altar. theyve got these old scroll reproductions showing the exact procession routes and sacrificial animal prep, which most people walk right past. also the capital museum has a video room playing a reconstructed winter solstice ceremony from the ming dynasty, it's pretty wild to see the emperor in full regalia doing all the chanting
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best photo spots in beijing?
olympic forest park is slept on fr. the linden trees along the main axis go gold in late october and the bird's nest reflection in the lake at sunrise is nuts, barely anyone there on weekdays. also check out 798 art district on a weekday morning, the old factory pipes and graffiti make great contrast shots. tbh bring a wider lens than u think you need, everything in beijing is bigger than it looks in photos
everyone goes for the big landmarks but honestly the best shots i got were from the overpasses on the 3rd ring road at dusk, just traffic light trails with CCTV tower lit up in the background. also guomao at blue hour from the silk street footbridge, the CBD towers all glassy & orange, tripod helps cuz u need a slow shutter. one thing nobody mentions, air quality totally changes your photos so check the AQI app the night before, a clear day after rain is worth waiting for
For sunrise the Temple of Heaven east gate area is underrated, locals doing tai chi around 5:30am with the morning fog, way better than fighting crowds at Tiananmen. For sunset honestly just walk along the canal near Shichahai, the reflections off the water with the Drum Tower behind are hard to beat. Bring a tripod if you can, the good light only lasts like 20 mins this time of year.