Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven
is located in southern Beijing. It was first constructed
in 1420, the 18th year of the reign of Ming emperor
Yongle, and was extended and renovated during the reigns
of Ming emperor Jiajing and Qing emperor Qianlong. It
was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing
dynasties would worship the god of heaven and pray for
good harvest. Covering an area of 273 hectares, it is
the largest architectural complex in the world for rituals
to pay homage to heaven.
In 1918, The Temple of
Heaven was turn into a park, it attracted masses of
visitors from home and abroad by the grand scales, unique
buildings and profound connotation of historic culture
of offering sacrifices to Heaven. After New China was
founded in 1949, the central government invested large
amounts of capital in the protection and maintenance
of the historical and cultural sites inside the temple.
In 1998, the Temple of Heaven was inscribed on the World
Heritage List by the UNESCO. With profound cultural
connotations and imposing architectural styles, the
Temple of Heaven is considered a reflection of the ancient
civilization of the Orient.
The spacious Temple of
Heaven is well-afforested. When going into the Temple,
a feeling of solemnity, respectfulness, holiness and
quietness will well up in the mind. When looking at
the beautiful sacrificial altars, one will feel the
his soul is purified and his thoughts sublimed.
The five architecture
groups in the Temple are given respective features,
while the magnificent Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
is the major symbol. The temple is divided by two enclosed
walls into inner altar and outer altar. To better symbolize
heaven and earth, the northern part of the temple is
circular while the southern part is square, which reflect
the ancient Chinese belief that Heaven is round and
Earth is square.
Located in the northern
part of the temple is the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests,
where the emperors sacrificed animals and burned incense
sticks to pray for good weather for the crops; while
in the southern part is the Circular Mound Altar where
emperors held ceremonies for worshipping the Heaven.
Two principle clusters of worshipping buildings are
connected by the Red Stairway Bridge. Additionally,
in the temple are the Hall of Abstinence where emperors
held fasts before the ceremony and the Divine Music
Hall, an imperial organization in charge of performing
during the ceremonies. The Temple of Heaven is a cultural
museum of offering sacrifices to Heaven, which merges
architecture, aesthetics, acoustics, astronomy, calendar,
music and dancing into an integral whole. It is an important
window through which we can learn the history of China.
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