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Temple of Heaven - Holy Place for Worshipping Heaven
In ancient China, emperors personally attended the most important ceremonies of worshipping Heaven and Earth, worshipping the God of Land and the God of Grain and worshipping ancestors. Therefore, here the referents of temple buildings are mainly the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of Land and Grain and the Royal Ancestral Temple.
In ancient China, emperors were deemed as sons of Heaven. Heaven granted them the right to rule the country, so the grandest worshipping ceremony was worshipping Heaven. The emperor worshipped Heaven on the winter solstice of every year, and worshipped Heaven and Earth at the time of enthronement to show he "obeyed Heaven's orders."
The Temple of Heaven for worshipping Heaven is located in the south of Beijing, first built in Dadu City of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, emperors worshipped gods of Heaven and Earth and prayed for bumper grain harvests here. The Temple of Heaven is about 1,700 long from east to west and about 1,600 meters from north to south. There are two layers of walls. The walls in the south are round-shaped, and those in the south are square-shaped, symbolizing the ancient saying of "round Heaven and Square earth." Cypress trees are planted around the Temple of Heaven.
Near the north-south axis and architectural complex, tree tops interlock and set off the solemnity of the worshipping temple. The main buildings on the central axis are the Round Mound and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. They have their own auxiliary buildings and are linked by the "Danbi Bridge," a brick path four meters above the ground.
In ancient China, emperors personally attended the most important ceremonies of worshipping Heaven and Earth, worshipping the God of Land and the God of Grain and worshipping ancestors. Therefore, here the referents of temple buildings are mainly the Temple of Heaven, the Temple of Land and Grain and the Royal Ancestral Temple.
In ancient China, emperors were deemed as sons of Heaven. Heaven granted them the right to rule the country, so the grandest worshipping ceremony was worshipping Heaven. The emperor worshipped Heaven on the winter solstice of every year, and worshipped Heaven and Earth at the time of enthronement to show he "obeyed Heaven's orders."
The Temple of Heaven for worshipping Heaven is located in the south of Beijing, first built in Dadu City of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). In the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, emperors worshipped gods of Heaven and Earth and prayed for bumper grain harvests here. The Temple of Heaven is about 1,700 long from east to west and about 1,600 meters from north to south. There are two layers of walls. The walls in the south are round-shaped, and those in the south are square-shaped, symbolizing the ancient saying of "round Heaven and Square earth." Cypress trees are planted around the Temple of Heaven.
Near the north-south axis and architectural complex, tree tops interlock and set off the solemnity of the worshipping temple. The main buildings on the central axis are the Round Mound and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. They have their own auxiliary buildings and are linked by the "Danbi Bridge," a brick path four meters above the ground.
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