China’s largest temple and altar complex.
China’s
Emperors, called Tianzi or "sons of heaven," revered many gods.
In order to worship them properly, they erected temples honoring each.
The gods of earth, water, sun, moon and war all have splendid temples,
but none is grander than the imposing Temple of Heaven.
Because the sons of heaven—the Emperors—had to cede supremacy to the Gods of Heaven, they designed the area of worship, much larger than life, five times the size of the Forbidden City.
The
Temple of Heaven was built in 1420 on a central apex. At the northern
extreme is a semicircular wall representing the heaven. At the southern
end is a square wall representing earth. The entire design is based on
the primitive belief of "Round Heaven and Square Earth". There
is a wall within these walls that follows a declining pattern from North
to South. This was to symbolize the belief that Heaven was high and round,
while earth was low, and rectangular. This design provided a spectacular
example of traditional Chinese architecture blended with harmonious colors.
There
are two entrances; one is the Eastern Gate, and the other as the Western
Heavenly Gate. At the Western gate is where the Danbi Bridge begins. It
is the main road in the Temple of Heaven that leads from the Hall of Prayer
to the Imperial Vault of Heaven. It gets its name "Bridge",
because a tunnel passes under it, thus the name Bridge. There is a steady
incline of the road leading from South to North. The central path was
reserved for divine gods, the Emperor used the left side of the road,
and court officials used the right side. Because of the incline, there
was the reality and the belief that they were taking a step upward toward
heaven.
The
Imperial Vault of Heaven is built entirely of wood, and supported by eight
pillars. The roof is supported by a complex system of intertwining brackets
for load distribution to the pillars, which taper upward to form a beautiful
caisson. The building is approximately 62 feet high and 51 feet in diameter,
and contained the wooden tablets of worship.
The wall that surrounds the Imperial Vault of Heaven is over one and one eight miles in circumference, and almost twelve feet high, with a thickness of nearly three feet and is called the echo wall.
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The
Circular Mount Alter, also known as the Heaven Mount Alter consists of
three tiers totaling almost 17 feet. Around each tier are beautiful white
marble balusters. In Early Winter the Emperors from the Ming and Qing
Dynasties would come here to pay homage to heaven and pray for peace,
and a good harvest.
In the center of the top tier is the Circular Mound Alter centerpiece and around it are nine circles. Each circle has nine identical pieces precisioned to fit and last several hundred years through all sorts of climatic conditions plus the feet of millions of tourists. This is an amazing bit of planning and construction. If you stand on the heart of the centerpiece and shout, echoes will be heard.
The
Hall of Abstinence is built on a white marble foundation. It is constructed
of bricks without the benefit of pillars and beams. It was during the
Ming Dynasty that bricks were made in Kilns and perfected to be comparable
to any bricks made today with our modern technology. The brick technology
of the Ming and Qing Dynasty is what has kept the Great Wall standing
till today.
In
front of the Hall of Abstinence, the left parlor contains much of the
sacrificial objects used by the Emperor in ceremonies, e.g. jade chimes,
musical bells. The Main Hall was used by the Emperor to receive court
officials.
In the kitchen area where meals and sacrifices were prepared is a sweet water well. The water was considered so pure and delicious that it was used in making soups for the sacrificial rites. Taoists in the Ming Dynasty claimed the well was connected with heaven. Emperor Zhu Houzong was so convinced that it was connected to heaven, he gave it the name, "Heavenly Well".
The
Hall of Prayer for a Good Harvest also known as Qigu Hall, was where the
Emperors prayed for a good harvest. The white, marbled tri-tiered terrace
is approximately nineteen feet high and has this magnificent umbrella
like structure placed on top and in the center. The building is approximately
102 feet high and seventy-eight feet in diameter at the base.
I
nside
the hall are four pillars that represent the four seasons of the year.
There are twelve pillars in the center circle that represent the twelve
months of the year. The twelve pillars of the outer circle represent the
twelve periods of the day. The absolute power of the Emperor was represented
by the Tiegon Pillar under the center of the ceiling. The grand gate stands
on a white marble base. The roof tiles are of blue glazed tiles. The Hall
of Prayer for a Good Harves has been named Daji and Daheng at different
times.