CHINA: Temple Heaven Beijing
The Temple of
Heaven, literally Altar of Heaven in Beijing, was built about the same time
as the `Forbidden City` and completed around 1420. The temple complex
incorporates an area of parkland, a platform altar ¨ the Earthly Mount ¨ and
the `House of Heavenly Lord` housing the altars not in use. The most
prominent feature of the complex is the remarkable Hall of Prayer for Good
Harvests, a triple-tiered circular structure, with a deep blue roof topped
by a large gold knob. The hall is generally regarded as a Taoist temple,
although the worship associated with it, actually predates Taoist practices.
The whole structure stands on a richly-decorated marble terrace surrounded
by red latticed doors. The interior of the hall is constructed of wood,
without the use of nails, and is lavishly painted in blue, green and gold.
The roof is supported by 28 pillars, four of which are hewed from single
tree trunks. The hall would have been used for displaying the tablets of the
Imperial ancestors and for performing ceremonies before the Emperor`s
procession to the sacrificial altar, on the winter solstice. The solstice
rituals had to be perfectly executed since it was believed that the smallest
error would result in harmful consequences for the entire nation. The Temple
of Heaven has been restored several times since a rebuild in 1889, and it
was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998.