The Temple of Heaven-A Dialog with Heaven
If you have a chance to visit China your first choice may be Beijing. And then you won't miss the Temple Heaven, I believe. It is one of the most buildings in China, you know. Ok, please follow my article to know something about the great building in Chinese history and try to open its mystical veil.
The Temple of Heaven is called "Tian Tan" in Chinese. Perhaps more to the point, it's a Altar of Heaven, which are complex of Taoist buildings situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to the Heaven for a good harvest.
In ancient China, the Emperor of China was regarded as the Son of Heaven, who administered earthly matters on behalf of, and representing, heavenly authority. To be seen to be showing respect to the source of his authority, in the form of sacrifices to heaven, was extremely important. The temple was built for these ceremonies, mostly comprising prayers for good harvests.
The temple complex was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The temple was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century, who also has built three other prominent temples in Beijing, the Temple of Moon, the Temple of Sun, and the Temple of Earth. Then the Temple of Heaven was renovated in the 18th century under the Qianlong Emperor. Due to the deterioration of state budget, this became the last large-scale renovation of the temple complex in the imperial time.
The Temple of Heaven was inscribed as a UNESCO 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." The surroundings of the Temple of Heaven is now a very popular park for exercising.
The complex covers 2.73sq.km. of parkland and comprises three main groups of constructions, all built according to strict philosophical requirements. The three main groups are: the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the circular Mound Altar.
Now you not only know something about the Temple of Heaven but also learn some knowledge about Chinese civilization.
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