The Temple of Heaven () is a complex of imperial religious Confucian buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and then later restored by the Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for a good harvest and other seasonal rites. The Temple of Heaven was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 1998 and was described as "a masterpiece of architecture and landscape design which simply and graphically illustrates a cosmogony of great importance for the evolution of one of the world's great civilizations..." as the "symbolic layout and design of the Temple of Heaven had a profound influence on architecture and planning in the Far East over many centuries."

History

The temple complex was first built in 1420, during the reign of the Yongle Emperor of the Ming dynasty, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. It was later expanded and reconstructed under the Jiajing Emperor and the Qianlong Emperor. During the Jiajing reign in the 16th century, the former Altar of Heaven and Earth was renamed the Temple of Heaven in 1534. Jiajing also built three other prominent temples in Beijing, the Temple of the Sun (日壇) in the east, the Temple of Earth (地壇) in the north, and the Temple of Moon (月壇) in the west. The present layout of the complex was largely formed by 1749, following Qing-period reconstruction. The Temple of Heaven is located in Dongcheng District, Beijing, and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

The temple was occupied by the Anglo-French alliance during the Second Opium War. In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion, the Eight-Nation Alliance occupied the temple complex and turned it into the force's temporary command in Peking, which lasted for one year.

Like many historical sites in China, the building was targeted and vandalized by rioters during the Cultural Revolution. The main central altar in the Temple was destroyed during the Revolution and parts of it along with miscellaneous rubble were thrown in the surrounding park.

Buildings and layout

The temple's architectural components such as the number of its columns, its circular form, and number of terraces are said to symbolize the structure of the cosmos. built on three levels of marble stone base, where the Emperor prayed for good harvests. The building is completely wooden, with no nails. The original building was burned down by a fire caused by lightning in 1889. The current building was re-built several years after the incident.

  • The Imperial Vault of Heaven (皇穹宇) is a single-gabled circular building, built on a single level of marble stone base. It is located south of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and resembles it, but is smaller.
  • The Circular Mound Altar (圜丘坛) is the altar proper, located south of the Imperial Vault of Heaven. It is an empty circular platform on three levels of marble stones, each decorated by lavishly carved dragons. The numbers of various elements of the Altar, including its balusters and steps, are either the sacred number nine or its nonuples. The center of the altar is a round slate called the Heart of Heaven (天心石) or the Supreme Yang (太阳石), where the Emperor prayed for favorable weather. Thanks to the design of the altar, the sound of the prayer will be reflected by the guardrail, creating significant resonance, which was supposed to help the prayer communicate with Heaven. The Altar was built in 1530 by the Jiajing Emperor and rebuilt in 1740. There is a nominal entry charge which varies according to whether it is peak season or off season. Beijing Bus route 2, 15, 17, 20, 35, 36, 69, 71, 120, 203, 504, 707, 729, 特11 and BRT1
  • North Gate on Tiantan Road and Qinian Street: Beijing Bus routes 6, 34, 35, 36, 106, 110, 687, 707
  • South Gate on Yongdingmen East Street and Jingtai Road: Beijing Bus routes 36, 53, 120, 122, 208, 525, 610, 958, 特3, 特11, 特12, 运通102

Panoramas

See also

  • Nine Altars and Eight Temples
  • Tian
  • Heaven worship
  • All Under Heaven
  • Son of Heaven
  • Esplanade of Sacrifice to the Heaven and Earth (Huế, Vietnam)
  • Hwangudan (Seoul, South Korea)

References

Citations

Sources

  • Temple of Heaven, CCTV documentary
  • Encyclopædia Britannica: Temple of Heaven
  • Official website of the Temple of Heaven Park
  • Chinadaily news
  • "Temple of Heaven: meeting the Paradadise (El Templo del Cielo: un encuentro con el Paraíso)" , Mauricio Percara (2015)