Live Your Best Lives
Beijing is the city with the most World Heritage Sites in the world. However, the Temple of Heaven is a lesser-known site, yet it is unique in every way.
The Temple of Heaven is often associated with its three-story, domed Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. While it is indeed magnificent and unique, the true Temple of Heaven holds a far greater depth of mystery and profound meaning. Here, the supreme authority, the Emperor, takes a backseat. The true boss is the God of Heaven.
Picture @Photo.net
Let's see how to play first~
Image @ Baidu Map
Route 1: Central Axis: South Gate - Circular Mound Altar - Imperial Vault of Heaven - Danbi Bridge - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests - Imperial Ancestral Hall - North Gate (approximately 2 hours)
Route 2: Central Axis + West Road South Gate - Circular Mound Altar - Imperial Vault of Heaven - Danbi Bridge - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests - Imperial Ancestral Hall - North Heavenly Gate - Apricot Blossom Forest - Double Ring Longevity Pavilion - Zhai Palace - West Gate (approximately 3 hours)
Route 3: Central Axis + East Road South Gate - Circular Mound Altar - Imperial Vault of Heaven - Danbi Bridge - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests - Imperial Ancestral Hall - Seven Star Stone - East Gate (about 3 hours)
Full Tour Route: East Gate - Seven Star Stone - Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests - Danbi Bridge - Imperial Vault of Heaven - Circular Mound Altar - Zhai Palace - Double Ring Longevity Pavilion - South Gate (approximately 4 hours)
1/Keywords#History#
"The most important affairs of a nation lie in sacrifices and military affairs." Sacrifices are of great significance, permeating all aspects of social life. Military affairs are crucial to a nation's rise and fall, its very survival. This explains the importance of altars and temples. Every dynasty has its share of volatile emperors, and the Temple of Heaven bears witness to their mini-history.
1. Emperor Yongle moved the capital to Beijing and built it in 1420. It was originally called the Temple of Heaven and Earth. At that time, sacrifices were offered not only to heaven but also to earth.
2. Due to the great ceremonial event, Emperor Jiajing completed the ceremonial buildings in Beijing during his reign, restored the system of worshipping the dead in the four suburbs, and laid the foundation for the basic layout of the Temple of Heaven that we see today.
3. During the Qianlong reign, the country prospered and the emperor himself was particularly observant of etiquette, so he expanded the Temple of Heaven, which became what we see today.
Picture @Temple of Heaven Official Account
The Temple of Heaven has also witnessed and experienced many major historical events. If it were a human, then he would have personally experienced the relocation of the capital to Beijing by Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, the major ceremonial events during the Jiajing period, the change of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the invasion of China by the Eight-Nation Alliance, Yuan Shikai's enthronement, Zhang Xun's restoration, the founding of the People's Republic of China, and the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, etc. These are all "big history" that have influenced China.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
2/Keywords#Architecture#
When it comes to ancient architecture, many people will talk about Feng Shui metaphysics with relish, and some people think it is "feudal superstition", but in fact Feng Shui is a set of special rules with a certain mysterious color explored by ancient ancestors based on the natural laws of the universe. In ancient architecture, following these unique rules, that is, following the laws of nature, is very scientific, and it also reflects the simplest philosophy of life of our ancient Chinese.
Let’s take a look at the metaphysical mysteries of the Temple of Heaven
Beijing has a magnificent backbone that no other city in the world has - the central axis. All important royal buildings are on this axis, but we find that the Temple of Heaven does not seem to be nailed to this axis, but is 600 meters to the east?
According to the Book of Changes, the southeast direction is the Si position of the imperial palace, the most yang position, with the most abundant sunlight, and of course the best place to build a place for offering sacrifices to heaven. Therefore, the ancients chose a location on the south central axis of Beijing, slightly east of the Temple of Heaven.
Image @ Baidu Map
The Temple of Heaven's architectural design is meticulously crafted, reflecting the relationship between heaven and earth, both in its overall layout and in its individual buildings. The Temple of Heaven has two walls, arranged in the shape of a Chinese character (U). The northern wall is curved, while the southern wall is a rectangular square. This symbolizes the roundness of heaven and the squareness of earth, leading to its nickname, the "Heaven and Earth Wall."
The central axis of the Temple of Heaven "all the way north", picture @Temple of Heaven official
Everyone's familiar image of the Temple of Heaven is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, often thinking of it as the place for offering sacrifices to heaven. Since the Jiajing Emperor, sacrifices have been held at the Circular Mound Altar, though back then the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests didn't resemble the structure we see today. The Circular Mound Altar was built in 1530, the ninth year of the Jiajing Emperor's reign. Following the ancient system of separate ancestral halls, the Circular Mound was constructed south of the "Great Hall of Sacrifice," specifically for offering sacrifices to heaven. To foster a closer connection to heaven, the Circular Mound was designed as a roofless structure, circular in the center and square around the edges, again echoing the concept of "the sky is round and the earth is square."
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
The ancients viewed the Circular Mound Altar as the star of the Emperor of Heaven within the Ziwei Enclosure. The central stone atop the altar was named the "Heavenly Heart Stone," also known as the "Tai Chi Stone," representing the coordinates of the Emperor of Heaven. Another remarkable aspect of the "Heavenly Heart Stone" is that speaking from it creates a remarkably rich and resonant voice. Ancient emperors attributed this to the Emperor of Heaven issuing a divine edict to mortals. However, this is actually the result of the sound waves echoing off the surrounding stone railings.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
The topmost altar surface of the Circular Mound Altar is composed of nine layers of stone slabs, with a protruding round stone in the center and eight layers of fan-shaped stones surrounding it. The number of fan-shaped stones in each ring is "nine" and multiples of "nine". The repeated use of "nine" emphasizes the supreme status of the "Nineth Heaven".
You can always believe that the wisdom of the ancients never goes out of date. The original questions of the 2020 college entrance examination are: come to the Temple of Heaven to count "nine" and "move bricks".
The Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu) is a supporting structure of the Circular Mound Altar, also built in 1530. Its main hall originally had a two-tiered eaves and was named the "Tai Shen Hall." In 1538, it was renamed the "Imperial Vault of Heaven." In 1752, the first tier of the roof was removed, and the structure was rebuilt to its present appearance. Facing south, the Imperial Vault of Heaven sits atop a two-meter-high white marble pedestal. Its wooden arch structure, topped by a blue-tiled, golden-paved roof, is exquisite and solemn, essentially a scaled-down version of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The hall houses the tablet of the Emperor of Heaven, flanked by the tablets of the first eight Qing emperors, from Nurhaci, the first emperor of the Qing dynasty, to Emperor Daoguang.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
The "Echo Wall" we learned about in our childhood textbooks is actually the wall of the Imperial Vault of Heaven. After counting the secrets of the "nine" at the Temple of Heaven, listen closely and hear the echoes hidden within the sound waves, echoing from 600 years ago. This place, embodying the diligence and wisdom of ancient artisans, is one of my country's four great acoustic structures.
The wall is 3.72 meters high, 0.9 meters thick, 61.5 meters in diameter and 193.2 meters in circumference. Because the wall surface is extremely smooth and neat, and the curvature is very regular, the refraction of sound waves is also very regular. As long as two people stand behind the east and west side halls respectively, standing close to the wall, and one person speaks to the north against the wall, the sound waves will continue to refract along the wall and reach the other end more than 100 meters away.
However, the echo wall is now fenced off. When I went there to play as a child, there was no fence, but there were so many people talking that I couldn’t hear anything.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
Passing through Chengzhen Gate and heading towards the Altar of Prayer for Good Harvests, a straight, open, and slightly sloping avenue appears before your eyes. The avenue has east-west archways, hence the name "bridge." It is considered the oldest overpass in Beijing.
This avenue, called the "Danbi Bridge," also known as the Haijian Avenue, is 360 meters long and 30 meters wide, connecting the Circular Mound Altar and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests into a single structure. The Danbi Bridge rises from south to north, with a maximum drop of two meters. It's also known as the "step-by-step rise," resembling walking on a celestial avenue, a path to the heavens, the realm of the Emperor of Heaven.
The emperor was second in line. The arched stone road in the middle of the Danbi Bridge was called "Shendao" and was where the gods of heaven and earth walked. The "Yudao" on the east side was where the emperor walked, and the "Wangdao" on the west side was where princes and ministers walked.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
Walking along the Danbi Bridge, about halfway along the path leading to the East and West Gates of Heaven, you'll find a protruding square stone platform on the northeast side, surrounded by white marble panels. During grand sacrificial ceremonies, a yellow cloud-covered satin tent, commonly known as the "Little Golden Palace," was erected here. Emperors would change into sacrificial robes here before offering sacrifices to heaven, hence the name "Jufutai." Today, it's known as the "Temple of Heaven Gifts."
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
Continue along Haibian Avenue, passing through a three-arched gate with a green glazed roof. At the center of the courtyard lies the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Beijing's city logo and the iconic landmark of the Temple of Heaven. It's the pinnacle of traditional Chinese architectural aesthetics, and the China Pavilion at Walt Disney World in Orlando, USA, was modeled after it.
Picture @Photo.net
When Zhu Di first built the Temple of Heaven, it was a square hall 12 bays wide and 36 bays deep, with yellow tiles, jade steps, double eaves and overhanging ridges, named the "Dahāshī Hall." Zhu Houcong rebuilt it into the three-story circular "Dahāshī Hall" in 1545.
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests' triple-tiered, rounded, pointed roof is not only a supreme example of ancient Chinese architecture, but its three-tiered, carved white marble base is also a supreme example. In the imperial city of Beijing, only three buildings boast three-tiered bases: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the entire complex of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Hall of Central Harmony, and the Hall of Preserving Harmony in the Forbidden City, and the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
You see, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the most outstanding building in ancient feudal society.
Picture @Photo.net
The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is not only transcendentally beautiful, but also embodies ancient philosophical concepts and wisdom. The circle symbolizes the flow of life, a cycle that revolves around everything in the universe. Of course, the circle is not only a symbol of life, but also a symbol of peace and beauty. As we often say: perfection, the fulfillment of dreams, the full moon, and the reunion of broken mirrors. The circle also embodies the harmonious state of harmony between heaven and man.
Picture @Photo.net
The interior of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is filled with mystery and ingenuity, making it the only such example of an ancient Mingtang (a grand hall) in China. Its interlocking dome, stacked and interconnected, appears to be built of brick, but it lacks a single brick or stone; it is entirely wooden and devoid of beams or purlins. Twenty-eight pillars support the roof, representing the 28 constellations in the sky. The 12 outer eaves pillars represent the 12 hours of the day, while the 12 golden pillars in the middle represent the 12 months of the year. Together, these 24 pillars, along with the eaves, represent the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
The four innermost Dragon Well Pillars (also known as Tongtian Pillars) symbolize the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Standing 18.5 meters tall and 1.2 meters in diameter at their peaks, they feature bases resembling ancient mirrors and shafts embellished with seawater-shaped treasure flowers, gilded with lacquer. They support the "Dragon and Phoenix Caijing" ceiling at the center of the hall. The entire building exudes grandeur and splendor.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
Behind the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the "Huangqian Hall", which has the same function as the Huangqiongyu, namely the "Tianku" of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, and was built in 1420 during the Yongle period.
Picture @Photo.net
The North God's Kitchen and the North Slaughtering Pavilion are connected by a 293-meter-long corridor with 72 rooms, extending from eaves to ridges. It is also known as the "72 Connected Rooms." On the eve of the sacrifice, lanterns are hung in the corridor, and all the offerings needed for the ceremony, including jade, silk, sacrificial offerings, wine, and other food, are brought to the altar along the corridor.
Picture @Photo.net
The courtyard, covering nearly 400 square meters, was used by over 90 kitchen staff to prepare over 30 kinds of offerings for the grand prayer ceremony, including rice, sorghum, jade, silk, sacrificial animals, and wine. The main hall within the courtyard was called the "Shenku." The day before the prayer ceremony, the offerings prepared by the left and right divine chefs were displayed in the Shenku Hall, according to the needs of each deity, for the emperor to personally inspect. However, the hall now houses only an exhibition of cultural relics.
Many people may not know that there are two special places in the Temple of Heaven, the Sai Palace and the Shenle Palace.
This palace served as the emperor's exclusive fasting palace before offering sacrifices, equivalent to a small imperial palace. Before every grand ceremony, the emperor would fast here three days in advance (during the Qing Dynasty, this was changed to fasting in the Forbidden City for the first two days and here on the final day). He was required to abstain from meat, alcohol, music, the inner chambers, criminal cases, the sick, or mourning, maintaining a clean and chaste conduct and observing respect and sincerity. The fasting palace, facing west and east, was clad in green glazed tiles, expressing the emperor's solemn and respectful devotion to heaven.
Picture @Photo.net
The Zhai Palace covers an area of nearly 40,000 square meters and is square in shape. It is surrounded by two palace walls and two imperial rivers, and is surrounded by 163 corridors.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
The Shenyue Bureau is under the Ministry of Rites and Taichang Temple. It has a band and dance troupe of hundreds of people. 40 days before the sacrifice, the dancers and deacons will start rehearsing and performing in the Ningxi Hall, and practice together on the third, sixth and ninth day of each month.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
3/Keywords#color#
Glazed tiles, a beautiful architectural component, may have first appeared in the Northern Wei Dynasty. Since then, with the continuous development of firing technology, by the Tang and Song dynasties, important palaces were basically covered with glazed tiles, such as the Daming Palace. By the Ming and Qing dynasties, firing technology had matured, and a large number of houses began to use these luxurious glazed tiles on their roofs.
Beijing Liulichang was once the place where glazed tiles were fired for the Ming Dynasty palaces. Later, Emperor Qianlong felt that the black smoke produced by firing tiles was detrimental to the city's appearance, so he moved Liulichang to Liuliqu in Mentougou, Beijing. Today, Liuliqu still retains the tradition of firing glazed tiles and glazed components.
Having said all this, what exactly is different about the Temple of Heaven? Which color of glazed tiles is the most advanced?
The color of glazed tiles was a symbol of social status in ancient times. We usually see the following colors: yellow, green, black, and blue. In Beijing, the most common buildings are red-walled and yellow-tiled. Palace after palace, seeing too much of them can really cause aesthetic fatigue.
Picture @Photo.net
As you enter the Temple of Heaven, you're greeted by a breath of fresh air. The buildings along the central axis are covered in blue glazed tiles, a color palette synonymous with blue and gold. Entering here instantly creates a sense of ritual. This mysterious, profound color evokes the belief that this is a place where one can connect with the heavens.
Picture @Photo.net
Keep in mind that back in the Ming Dynasty, the colors here were quite different! During the Ming Dynasty, the Daxiang Hall was painted blue on top, yellow in the middle, and green on the bottom. In the 16th year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign (1751), two years after Hongli changed the colors of the Circular Mound, the roof of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was completely replaced with blue glazed tiles and renamed the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. It's undeniable that Qianlong's aesthetic taste was much more refined than Jiajing's.
Picture @Photo.net
IV/Keywords#etiquette#
The Circular Mound Heaven Worship Service held on the winter solstice every year during the Ming and Qing dynasties was one of the most important forms of suburban sacrifice in ancient times, and the rituals were extremely grand and complicated.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
① Welcoming the Emperor and the Gods: After changing into sacrificial robes at the Jufutai (Jifutai) platform on the southeast side of the Zhaoxiang Gate (South Gate), the Emperor entered the Circular Mound Altar through the left gate and worshipped at the middle platform. At this point, a firewood stove was burned to welcome the Emperor and the Gods, while music played the "Shiping Zhizhang" (Chapter of Shiping). The Emperor knelt before the main tablet of the Emperor of Heaven on the upper level, offering incense. He then offered incense and kowtowed before the supporting tablets of the Ancestors. Returning to the worship seat, he performed the ritual of three kneelings and nine bows to the gods.
② Laying down jade and silk: The Emperor placed jade and silk before the main and supporting tablets, while music played the "Jingping Zhizhang" (Chapter of Jingping), and returned to the worship seat.
③ Presenting the sacrificial offering: The Emperor presented the sacrificial offering before the main and supporting tablets, while music played the "Xianping Zhizhang" (Chapter of Xianping), and returned to the worship seat.
④ Performing the initial offering ceremony: The Emperor knelt before the main tablet, offering a cup of wine, returned to the worship seat, while music played the "Fengping Zhizhang" (Chapter of Fengping), and performed the "Ganqi Dance" (Dance of Ganqi). The preceptor then knelt and read the prayer, and the music paused. After the music is read, the emperor performs the ritual of three kneelings and nine bows, and then offers wine before his attendant.
⑤ Secondary Offering Ceremony: The emperor offers wine to the various deities, plays the "Jiaping Chapter," and performs the "Yuyue Dance." He returns to his seat of worship.
⑥ Final Offering Ceremony: The emperor offers wine to the various deities in order, plays the "Yongping Chapter," and performs the "Yuyue Dance." The Minister of the Imperial Household presents the blessed sacrificial offering and advances to the throne of the Supreme God, bowing. The emperor proceeds to the throne of the Supreme God, where he drinks blessings and receives blessings, kneels to receive blessings, receives blessings, bows three times, and returns to his seat of worship, performing the ritual of three kneelings and nine bows.
⑦ Dismantling the food: plays the "Xiping Chapter."
⑧ Sending off the gods: The emperor performs the ritual of three kneelings and nine bows, and plays the "Qingping Chapter." The offerings are sent to the incense burner for burning. The emperor proceeds to the
throne of the Wang Liao, and plays the "Taiping Chapter." ⑨ The Emperor observes the burning of the offerings, plays the "Youping Chapter," and returns to the palace, concluding the ceremony.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
The emperor would return to the Temple of Heaven twice a year to offer sacrifices: once to Heaven and once to pray for a good harvest. Ancient my country was an agricultural civilization, and agriculture was the foundation of the nation. Therefore, the emperor would pray for favorable weather and a good harvest in the coming year, ensuring peace and prosperity for the country.
The prayer ceremony is held on the first Xin day of the first lunar month. How is that calculated? In ancient my country, days were counted using the Heavenly Stems (天干) and years were counted using the Earthly Branches (地枝). The Heavenly Stems are: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, and Gui. A lunar month has 30 days, and each month is divided into the first, middle, and last ten-day periods, each ten-day period consisting of 10 days. The first Xin day of the first lunar month is the first Xin day of the first ten-day period of the first lunar month. (For example, the first Xin day in the calendar year 2023)
Wu/Keywords#Century-old Tree Sea#
There is a tradition of suburban sacrifices in Chinese history, so the Temple of Heaven is dotted with tall and solemn ancient cypresses. Such widespread forest vegetation is intended to restore the atmosphere of the countryside, show the harmonious coexistence of nature and humans, and add a quiet and distant atmosphere to the royal temple. The ancient cypress forest area is about 25 hectares, accounting for about 1/8 of the area under the jurisdiction of the Temple of Heaven Park.
Image @Temple of Heaven Official
The cypresses planted in the inner altar of the Temple of Heaven are arranged in orderly rows, neatly surrounding the building, like an army guarding the altar. These cypresses are known as "ceremonial trees." The cypresses planted in the outer altar are more randomly scattered, interspersed with a variety of deciduous trees, scattered in no particular order and at varying heights. They are known as "sea trees." In the early 1970s, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger visited China. After touring the Temple of Heaven, he lamented that the United States, with its national strength, could easily replicate the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, but it could never "recreate" the ancient trees in the Temple of Heaven.
Picture @Chongpo
Lu / Keywords #Ancient Chinese Simple Philosophy#
The Temple of Heaven is four times the size of the Forbidden City, surpassing it in both scale and design. Its design and architecture reveal the ancient understanding of the relationship between heaven, earth, and humanity. It's the architectural concept of the round sky and square earth, the pillars in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests representing the four seasons and months, the colors of the glazed tiles, the rituals of sacrifice, the wisdom of values, and the profound cosmology.
Picture @Temple of Heaven Official Account
Sacrificial offerings have become somewhat unfamiliar to modern people. "Heaven" has its own laws, and our reverence for them has become increasingly indifferent. While gods may not exist, the ancients held awe and respect for heaven, earth, and nature, knowing how to adapt to the will of nature. We should also learn from this reverence and live in harmony with nature; this is the true value of the Temple of Heaven.
Qi/Keywords#cold knowledge#
1. The Temple of Heaven only has a bell tower and no drum tower, with morning bells and evening drums. Indeed, there is only a bell tower in the Temple of Heaven, symbolizing the city bell, a hope for the eternal life of the dynasty.
2. Is there a gate in the Temple of Heaven that only one emperor ever used? It's called the Guxi Gate. Offering sacrifices to heaven was a physically demanding endeavor. When Emperor Qianlong was 71, he opened a gate on the north side of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests to save energy, allowing for a shortcut. Later, it was decreed that all emperors over 60 could use the Guxi Gate. However, no emperor in the late Qing Dynasty lived past 60, so only Emperor Qianlong ever used the Guxi Gate.
3. Is the Temple of Heaven a place of extreme yang? Yes, the Temple of Heaven is located in the southeast corner of Beijing's central axis. In ancient times, only men were allowed to enter. Even Empress Dowager Cixi, who held high power in the late Qing Dynasty, was not qualified to enter the Temple of Heaven to offer sacrifices to the gods. How fortunate are the beauties of Jimei to be able to appreciate its beauty today!
4. Can you fly planes in the Temple of Heaven? In 1948, the Temple of Heaven was used as an airport. The runway, located south and east of the outer altar, was 1,800 meters long and could accommodate C-46 aircraft.
5. Did the Temple of Heaven also serve as Beijing's vegetable basket? For a period of time in history, the Temple of Heaven served as Beijing's vegetable basket, fulfilling its economic production function. The short-term land use plan for the Temple of Heaven Park, formulated in 1960, advocated a foundation based on agriculture, with grain as the key link, and fully utilizing the land to produce vegetables for the city. Based on this principle, fruit trees were extensively planted in the Temple of Heaven Park starting in 1960, and by 1980, its annual fruit production reached 800,000 kilograms.
6. Cultural and creative products have become a must-have for every scenic spot, and the Temple of Heaven has also spared no effort in expanding its offerings from cultural and creative products to food.
Just how beautiful is the Temple of Heaven? You'll need to experience it in person. If you enjoy stamping, be sure to bring your notebooks!
