CHINA: Temple Heaven Beijing
The
Temple of Heaven
-
literally the 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 its 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 ground
floor level is surrounded by red latticed doors and the whole structure
stands on a richly-decorated marble terrace. The interior of the hall
constructed entirely of wood without the use of nails 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 at the winter
solstice. The solstice rituals had to be perfectly executed since it was
believed that even the smallest mistake would result in harmful
consequences for the entire nation. The building has been restored several
times since a rebuild in 1889 following lightning damage. The temple
was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998.