The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.
Introduction
to the Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven was
constructed between 1406 and 1420 during the reign of
Ming Emperor YongLe (1403-1424), who also oversaw the
creation of the Forbidden City during the same period.
The Temple of Heaven was
originally established as the Temple of Heaven and Earth,
but was given its current name during the reign of Ming
Emperor JiaJing (1522-1567), who built separate complexes
for the earth, sun and moon. The Temple of Earth (DiTan)
can be found in north Beijing. The temples of the sun and
moon are in the east and west of Beijing.
The Temple of Heaven was
renovated again during the reign of Qing Emperor QianLong
(1736-1795).
In 1998, the Temple of
Heaven was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In early 2005, the Temple of Heaven
underwent a 47 million yuan (6 million USD) renovation
that was completed on May 1st, 2006.
Architecture
and Layout of the Temple of Heaven
The architecture and
layout of the Temple of Heaven is based on elaborate
symbolism and numerology.
In accordance with
principles dating back to pre-Confucian times, the
buildings in the Temple of Heaven are round, like Heaven
(one can imagine the sky as like a rounded dome), while
the foundations and axes of the complex are square (or 2
dimensional - that is, flat), like the earth (appears to
be).
Thus, the buildings and
their settings reflect ancient Chinese religious beliefs
that imagine heaven as round and earth as square. The
main buildings in the Temple of Heaven are constructed on
a central north-south axis. The altar and temple are
round and sit within square shaped areas.
Similarly, the northern
part of the park is semicircular in shape while the
southern part is square. The two parts are divided by a
wall that has a semi-circular obtrusion in the middle
around the Imperial Vault. This echos the shape of the
park as a whole.
Similarly, the roofs of
the important structures in the Temple of Heaven are
tiled in blue, the color symbolizing heaven and sky (just
as golden yellow symbolizes the emperor and green
Buddhism).
The symbolism at the
Temple of Heaven was necessary because it served as the
place where the emperor, as the 'Son of Heaven', directly
beseeched Heaven to provide a bountiful harvest
throughout the land. This was of great importance because
during the imperial period agriculture was the foundation
of China's wealth.
The Temple of Heaven, with
its ancient cosmological basis, in turn helped to
reinforce the legitemacy of the emperor's role as head of
a feudal system with a mandate from Heaven. In showing
respect to Heaven through prayer and sacrifices, the
emperor effectively emphasized the source of his
authority.
Map
of the Temple of Heaven
The
Three Main Structures of the Temple of Heaven
Three principle structures
lie along the primary north-south axis of the Temple of
Heaven complex.
The
Altar of Heaven (YuanQiuTan)
The Altar of Heaven from above.
At the southern end is the
Altar of Heaven, an empty three-tiered plinth that rises
5 meters from a square yard. Constructed in 1530 and
rebuilt in 1740, it is made of white marble. The altar
was used to worship heaven at the winter solstice.
The Altar of Heaven.
The number of stones in
the various tiers are all multiples of three and/or nine
- a prevailing numerological theme at the Temple of
Heaven. The number nine, being the highest value digit,
symbolically represented the emperor.
On top of the Altar of Heaven. The first ring of consists
of 9 stones, the 'magical' highest value digit. Then 18,
27 etc.
The Echo
Wall and the Imperial Vault of Heaven (HuangQiongYu)
In the center of the
north-south axis of the Temple of Heaven are the Echo
Wall and the Imperial Vault of Heaven.
The Echo Wall.
The Echo Wall surrounds
the Imperial Vault. It has a height of 3.7 meters and a
circumference of 193 meters. It is named for its
acoustical properties - a whisper spoken at one end can
be heard clearly from the other. The Triple Echo Stones
in the courtyard return various numbers of echos
depending on which stone one stands on while facing the
Imperial Vault.
The Imperial Vault of Heaven.
The Imperial Vault of
Heaven sits in the center. It is a round building with a
roof that resembles the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests,
though smaller and with only one gable of eaves and a
single tier marble base. The back half of the building is
constructed with bricks. In the past, the vault contained
memorial tablets of the emperor's ancestors.
The
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (QinianDian)
At the north end of the
Temple of Heaven is the majestic Hall of Prayer for Good
Harvests, an impressive three-tiered wooden structure
that sits on a large, three-tiered marble plinth, 6
meters high. Although initially constructed in 1420, it
burned down in 1889 and was rebuilt soon after.
The hall itself is 38
meters high (32 meters from the plinth). Remarkably, not
a single nail was used in its construction - a feat that
required a high level of craftmanship.
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.
Inside the Hall are 28
tall pillars, each made from a single tree trunk. The
four posts around the inner circle represent the four
seasons. The 12 posts around the middle circle represent
the 12 months. The 12 posts of the outer circle represent
12 ShiChen. In ancient China, one ShiChen equalled two
hours so that a complete day was divided into 12
ShiChens.
The interior of the hall
is magnificently decorated and contains a large south
facing ceremonial throne.
One approaches the Hall of
Prayer for Good Harvests along a 360 meter raised walkway
: 'Vermillion Steps Bridge' (DanbiQiao). In doing so, one
ascends almost imperceptibly, denoting progression from
Earth to Heaven. The path is 1 meter high at the start
and 4 meters high at the end. It is called a bridge
because at one point there in a tunnel under it.
The walkway is almost 30
meters wide and has three distinct paths marked out. The
central path was reserved for the gods. The path on the
left was reserved for the emperor while the path on the
right was used by the empress and court officials.
The walkway is flanked by
centuries-old cypress trees.
Approaching the Hall
of Prayer for Good Harvests.
Historical
Role of the Temple of Heaven
A bi-annual procession
consisting of thousands of eunuchs and ministers, plus
the emperor (the Son of Heaven), would make its way from
the Forbidden City to the Temple of Heaven. Ordinary
citizens were not allowed to watch, or even see, the
procession.
Among the gods worshiped
at the Temple of Heaven originally were the god of earth,
the god of water, the god of agriculture (who has his own
hall - the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests), the god of
the military, the god of religion and the god of
civilians.
At the Temple of Heaven,
the emperor would perform sacrifices and other rituals.
First, the emperor would fast in the Hall of Abstinance
for several days.
Offering sacrifices was a
serious task - the entire empire relied on the emperor
for good fortune and abundant harvests so he had quite a
responsibility. News of the ceremony was then
disseminated throughout China.
Flower display near the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.
The Temple of
Heaven Today
The Temple of Heaven has
been converted into a park that is popular both with
tourists and residents alike.
The park was first opened
to the public in 1912 and commoners who had previously
been banned from even watching the emperor's procession
pass through the city to Tiantan, were now permitted to
visit the Temple of Heaven themselves.
Part of the extensive and beautiful
grounds.
The Temple of Heaven is a
very large park, more than twice the size of the
Forbidden City. As this was to be the space representing
Heaven on Earth, symbolically it needed to be bigger than
the Forbidden City. It is about 2 kilometers from north
to south. The inner walled area that houses the main
structures covers 275 Hectares (2.75 million square
meters). Indeed, it is the largest group of constructions
for worship in the world.
The Temple of Heaven is a
delightful and exquisite place to spend some time. Arrive
in the early morning to watch the TaiChi experts,
although the park is lively all day and into the evening
with kite flyers, musicians, singers, dancers and games
players (from badmington to chinese chess).
Admission Fee:
|
CNY 30 (Nov. 1 to Mar. 31)
CNY 35 (Apr. 1 to Oct. 31) |
Opening Hours:
|
06:00 to 20:00 |
Detail from the Hall of Prayer for
Good Harvests.
 Temple
of Heaven - part two
|
Temple of Heaven One
