Heaven temple, Beijing

The Temple of Heaven is a 15th century imperial altar and served as a sacred sanctuary where Ming and Qing emperors conducted solemn rituals and offered prayers for bountiful harvests.

The emperor would visit the Temple of Heaven for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest. The site was firstly built in 1420 by Yongle Emperor and the design of the main buildings is a combination of circles and squares, which symbolize the belief that Heaven is round and Earth square.

The Temple of Heaven was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998 as a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design.

Gate to enter the Temple of Heaven

Entering the Temple of Heaven via a huge park. The temple of Heaven is a well-preserved complex consisting of 92 building with 600 rooms that sit on 675 acres.

Map of the Temple of Heaven. The whole area is huge covering an area of 1.05 square mile of parkland, and is larger than the Forbidden city, comprised of tree main group of constructions: The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, The Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Circular Mound Altar long

The first building that we are entering is the Animal Sacrifice Pavilion

The area is absolutely beautiful.

The Animal Sacrifice Pavilion has a double-tiered roof of green glazed tiles.

Center court yard there is a well that is encircled by a gazebo like.

Inside the Animal Killing Pavilion was where the slaughter of oxen, sheep, deer and other animals took place, which would then be presented to the gods as offerings.

This is one of the two sites of animal sacrifice would occur, where butchers would regularly prepare livestock for the ceremonies as far back as 2200 BC. Sacrifices prepared in this pavilion would be burned for the emperor’s sins.

The Animal Killing Pavilion was built in 1420 and is separated from the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests by the Long Corridor. Dating back to 2200 BC, it was common to butcher animals such ox and sheep during temple ceremonies called Border Sacrifice.

At the Temple of Heaven, the emperor slaughtered and burned a carefully selected bull to Shangdi, the Supreme Deity. The ritual was meant as atonement for the emperor’s sins. The religious practice ended in 1911.

We are now leaving the area.

Exiting the courtyard.

The Temple of Heaven is set in gardens and surrounded by historic pine woods.

Old pine wood

Serene garden along the way...

Seven-Star stones. During the Ming Emperor Jianjing's reign, seven gigantic pacifying stones were placed to the southeast of the Great of Sacrifice.

These are stones with motifs of mountains engraved on them and not the meteors as the hearsay went, symbolizing the seven peaks of the Mountain Tai. After the Manchurian came to the throne in central China, in order to show the Manchurian is part of the Chinese nations, Emperor Qianlong issued an edict for another stone to be placed in the directions of the northeast, meaning the Chinese nations are a big family and the country is unified.

The garden is so lust and beautiful.

We are now reaching the Long Corridor.

The Long Corridor is located near the East gate is a covered promenade connecting the Animal Killing Pavilion with the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

Courtyard in front of the Long Corridor

The Long Corridor

During Imperial times, gifts and sacrifices used by the emperor during sacred rituals were ceremoniously carried through this passage on the eve of the event. Today, it is a haven for senior citizens who gather to socialize.

We are now at a huge square with the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests on the left and on the right is the Imperial Hall of Heaven

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is a magnificent triple-gabled circular building, 118 ft. in diameter and 125 ft. tall, built on three levels of marble stone base, where the Emperor prayed for good harvests.

In ancient China, the Emperor was regarded as the Son of Heaven, who administered earthly matters on behalf of, and representing, heavenly authority. To be seen to be showing respect to the source of his authority, in the form of sacrifices to heaven, was extremely important. The temple was built for these ceremonies, mostly comprising prayers for good harvests.

The four of us in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

Going up to the main platform.

Twice a year the Emperor and all his retinue would move from the Forbidden City through Beijing to encamp within the complex, wearing special robes and abstaining from eating meat. No ordinary Chinese was allowed to view this procession or the following ceremony. In the temple complex the Emperor would personally pray to Heaven for good harvests. The highpoint of the ceremony at the winter solstice was performed by the Emperor on the Earthly Mount. The ceremony had to be perfectly completed; it was widely held that the smallest of mistakes would constitute a bad omen for the whole nation in the coming year.

Closer view of the Hall of Prayer for good harvests.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has three concentric circles of massive wood columns symbolizing the four seasons, 12 months, and 12 daily hours.

The entrance of the Hall.

Panoramic view.

The Hall is gigantic and so beautiful.

So many people visiting the Temple of Heaven.

View of the West Annex Hall and Gate of Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests from the steps of the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvests.

The West Annex Hall and Gate of Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is located to the north of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

Beautiful scenery with the sun shinning above. The two annex halls used to be the storeroom of divine tablets. Now the West Annex Halls are set as a Worshipping Heaven Ceremony Exhibition Hall, displaying sacrificial utensils and the whole procedure about worshipping heaven by the emperor.

Huge square in front of the West Annex Hall and Gate of Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

The West Annex Hall Adjacent to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the West Annex Hall, built by command of Yongle Emperor in 1420. The sacred structure was used for storing and praying to the divine tablets of attendant gods. Now called the Worshipping Heaven Ceremony Exhibition Hall, it exhibits artifacts used during temple ceremonies.

Across the plaza is the East Annex Hall, subsequently converted into the Worshipping Music and Dancing Hall. This space displays instruments used during religious ceremonies and portrays the sounds and dances that once accompanied the Ming and Qing emperors.

Another important main building in this area is the Imperial Hall of Heaven, which is located to the north of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, connecting with the Altar for Grain Prayers by three glaze doors. It used to be the place where God tablets were consecrated. Under the eave, there is a board reading "the Imperial Hall of Heaven" inscribed by Emperor Jiajing.

The gate on the west side is called the Guxi Gate (Guxi means seventy years old). The roof of the hall is covered with blue colored glaze. Inside the hall, there are house-shaped shrines holding god tablets. On the first and fifth day of each lunar month, officials would sweep the dust and burn the incense there. The emperor would give a ritual there on the eve of the Ceremony of Worshipping Heaven

We are now leaving the area.

The West gat to Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the main gate leading to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is in the south. Two additional gates flank the square-shaped plaza. This west one leads to the Double-loop Longevity Pavilion. The east portal connects to the Long Corridor. Notice the scalloped arches below the titled roof. The design is similar to the gates at the Palace of Abstinence

We are moving on...

Next...The Imperial Vault on Heaven