The Temple of Heaven - Tiantan

Set in its own large and tranquil park about 2kin south of Tian’anmen along Qianmen I)ajie, the Temple of Heaven is widely regarded as the high point 0fMing design (daily 8.30am-gpnl, buildings close at 5pm;~30 for a ticket that includes access to all buildings;just the park ~10). For five centuries it was at the very heart of imperial ceremony and symbolism, and its architectural unity and beauty remain for most modern visitors more appealing - and on a nmch

more accessible scale - than the Forbidden City. There arc various bus routes to Tiantan: bus #106 runs from dongzhimen to the north entrance; #54 passes the west gate on its way fi’oln Beijing Zhan; #17 passes the west gate on its way from Qianmeu; and #41 from Chongwenmen stops close to the east gate.
The temple was begun during the reign of EmperorYongle and completed in 1420. It was conceived as the prime meeting point of Earth and Heaven, and symbols of the two are integral to its plan. Heaven was considered round, and Earth square, thus the round temples and altars stand on square bases, while
die whole park has the shape ora semicircle sitting beside a square. The inter mediary between Earth and Heaven was of course the Son of Heaven, the emperor, and the temple was the site of thc most important ceremony of the imperial court calendar, when the emperor prayed for the year’s harvests at the
winter solstice. Purified by three clays of fasting, he made his way to the park on the clay befbre the solstice, acconapanied by his court in all its panoply. On arrival, he would meditate in the hnperial Vault, ritually conversing with the gods on the details of government, before spending the night ii1 the Hall of
Prayer of Good Harvests. The following day, amid exact and numerological ritual, the emperor perfornaed sacrifices before the Throne of Heaven at the Round Altar.
It was forbidden for the commoners of old Beijing to catch a glimpse of the great annual procession to the temple and they were obliged to bolt their windows and remain, in silence, indoors. The Tiantan complex remained sacrosanct until it was thrown open to the people on the first Chinese National Day of
the Republic in October 1912.Two years after this, the infamous General Yuan Shikai performed the solstice ceremonies himself, as part of his attempt to be proclaimed enaperor. He died before the year was out.

The temple buildings

Although you’re more likely to enter the actual park from the north or the west, to appreciate the religious ensemble it’s best initially to skirt round in order to follow the ceremonial route up from the south entrance, the Zhaohen Gate. The main pathway leads straight to the Round Altar, consisting of three marble tiers representing Man, Earth and (at the summit) Heaven. The tiers themselves are composed of blocks in various multiples of nine, which the Chinese saw as cosmologically the most powerful odd number, representing
both Heaven and Emperor. The top terrace now stands bare, but the spot at its centre, where the Throne of Heaven was placed, was considered to be the middle of the Middle Kingdom - the very centre of the earth. Various acoustic
properties are claimed for the surrounding tiers, and from this point it is said that all sounds are channelled straight upwards. To the east of the fountain, which was reconstructed after fire damage in 1740, are the ruins ora group of buildings used for the preparation of sacrifices.
Directly ahead, the Imperial Vault of Heaven is an octagonal structure made entirely of wood, with a dramatic roof of dark blue, glazed tiles. It is preceded by the so-called Echo Wall, said to be a perfect whispering gallery, although the unceasing cacophony of tourists trying it out makes it impossible to tell.
The principal temple building- the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, at the north end of the park - amply justifies all this build-up. It is, quite simply, a wonder. Made entirely of wood, without the aid ora single nail, the circular structure rises from another three-tiered marble terrace, to be topped by three blue-tiled roofs of harmonious proportions. Four compass-point pillars support the vault (in representation of the seasons), enclosed in turn by twelve outer pillars (for the months of the year and the watches of the day).
The dazzling colours of the interior, surrounding the central dragon motif,make the pavilion seem ultra-modern; it was in fact entirely rebuilt, faithful to the Ming design, after the original was destroyed by lightning in 1889.The official explanation for this appalling omen was that it was divine punishment
for a sacrilegious caterpillar which was on the point of reaching the golden ball on the hall’s crest. Nonetheless, 32 court dignitaries paid with their heads.
These clays, the park is a popular venue roi’ Chinese to sit, drink tea and play, but it’s also easy to find peaceful seclusion in the large areas of park away from the temple proper, which vary from semi wilderness to formal lawns. Old men gather with their caged birds and crickets, wtfilc fi-om dawn onwards, the park
is dotted with exponents of various forms of taiji, some learning swordplay in organized classes whilc others are lost in solitary concentration among the groves of five-hundred-year-old thtua trees.

Too see more Tourist Attractions in Beijing, Please click here.

Too see more information about China, Please click here.