The Temple of Heaven was built in 1420, and was used by the Ming and Qing emperors. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is the most recognizable building in the complex. It is at the north end of a path that runs through the temple grounds, and was where the emperor came and prayed for the crops in the early summer. It is being refurbished before the Olympics, but they are doing the work a section at a time so we could still see the inside of the hall.
Behind the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is the Hall of Imperial Zenith. This is where the tablets and vessels for the religious ceremonies were kept. In the highest spot is a tablet with the characters Huang Tian Shang Di, or Heavenly Emperor God.
This is a better view of the ceiling in the Hall of Imperial Zenith. There are golden dragons coiled in the center of each tile and dragons and phoenix on the beams.
The main part of the biannual prayer ceremony was the sacrifice of a cow on this altar. The hair and blood were buried in a pit beside the altar, and the emperor stood and watched the burning of the sacrifice. This altar is beside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, and there is a similar one at the southern end of the complex, by the Circular Mound.
Deanna has her work cut out for her, carrying the emperor's sedan chair. It took 36 men to carry this chair in procession to the sacrificial ceremony. This gate is at the northern end of the raised walkway that runs through the temple grounds, . This walkway, called the Vermillion Steps Bridge, is unique, because it is one place in China where the center path was not reserved for the emperor. The emperor traveled on the left side of the path, while the center was set aside for Huang Tian Shang Di.
The buildings of the Temple of Heaven are surrounded by a beautiful park, and we left the Vermillion Steps Bridge to enjoy some of the scenery. Local people congregate in this park to play traditional Chinese music, practice handicrafts, play games and exercise. Lee took a break and did a little taiji amidst centuries old cypress trees.
The Double Circle Pavilion was built in 1741 and moved to the Temple of Heaven in the twentieth century. Seen here in the afternoon sun, it invites you to take a rest in beautiful surroundings.
No ancient Chinese garden would be complete without a moon door. There were several here, this one being right next to the Double Circle Pavilion.
In the west side
of the garden stands the Hall of Abstinence. The emperor would
stay here for three days before praying to heaven, abstaining
from meat, drink, women, music and affairs of state. Although
it was still obviously a residence of the emperor, with two moats
protecting it, and two separate bedrooms - a heated one for the
winter and an unheated one for the summer, it also had elements
that reminded the emperor he was humbling himself. The water pots
were iron, not gold plated or bronze, and the roof tiles were
green, not heavenly blue or imperial yellow.
Everyone who visits the Temple of Heaven wants their picture taken on the Heart of Heaven Stone, where the emperor stood to pray to heaven in the winter. The Heart of Heaven Stone is the center of a structure called the Circular Mound, which is made up of 27 concentric stone circles on three levels. The first circle around the Heart of Heaven Stone has 9 stones in it, the second has 18. Each ring of stones increases by multiples of 9, until you get to the outside ring of the third and lowest tier, which has 9 X 27, or 243 stones. The accoustics are quite amazing here, as any words spoken from the Heart of Heaven Stone sound especially resonant.
Copyright 2005, Dr. Lee Williams
Last Modified: 15 February 2005
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