| 1. Even though the Temple of Heaven was not | | | | middle of the middle kingdom, making it the |
| built until the 15th Century, the site has been used | | | | centre of earth and a direct portal to heaven. |
| for religious rituals since the Zhou | | | | The palace of abstinence (Chai Gong) stands to |
| Dynasty(1122BC-256BC). | | | | the west of the north-south axis that runs |
| 2. As well as building separate Temples of Heaven | | | | between the Altar of Heaven and the Hall of |
| and Earth, Emperor Jiajing also commissioned the | | | | Prayer for Good Harvest. On the eve of the |
| Temple of the Sun ( Ritan Park ) in the east of | | | | winter solstice the Emperor used to spend a |
| the city, and the Temple of Moon(Yuetan Park ) | | | | celibate night here fasting and forgoing the |
| in the west. The emperor usedx to worship the | | | | pleasures of the flesh. The following moring he |
| God of the Sun at Ritan at the spring equinox and | | | | would emerge cleansed. Dressed in his ceremonial |
| the God of the Moon at Yuetan on the autumn | | | | robes, ready to offer animal. Grain and silk |
| equinox. | | | | sacrifices at first light. |
| 3. The Qinian hall ws built without using a single nail | | | | The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest is one of |
| and has 50.000 bulue glazed tiles. The pillars in the | | | | Beijing 's most popular postcards, as it is this |
| Dragon Fountain were refurbished in 1740 using | | | | beautiful round building that most people associate |
| wood from US state , Oregon , after a lighting | | | | with the Temple of Heaven . The hall is an |
| strike had damaged the building. | | | | architectural marvel, built entirely out of wood in |
| 4. Like many a stroppy film star since thenm no | | | | 1420. The 38 metre tall, 30 metre diameter |
| one was allowed to look directly at the Emperors. | | | | structure has three blue- tiled roofs and stands |
| During the annual procession from the Forbidden | | | | atop three marble tiers. |
| City to the Temple of Heaven to perform the | | | | Inside the Hall are 28 huge posts; The four along |
| winter solstice rites, people were ordered to | | | | the inner circle represent the four seasons; the 12 |
| remain indoors behind shuttered widows. No | | | | along the middle circle represent the 12 months; |
| commoner had entered the park until October | | | | and the 12 along the outer circle represent the 12 |
| 1912, when the gates were thrown open to | | | | months; and the 12 along the outer circle |
| celebrate the Republic or China 's first National | | | | represent 12 Shichen , the two-hour long periods |
| Day. | | | | in which each day was divided into |
| 5. Between its completion in 1424 and the end of | | | | The interior is stunning, emblazoned with rich |
| the Qing Dynasty in 1911. 22emperors made 654 | | | | colours and a huge dragon painted on the ceiling. |
| sacrifices to heaven in the Temple of Heaven . | | | | The reason the building looks so new, is because |
| ARGUABLY ONE OF BEIJING'S finest parks, the | | | | it is really just over a hundred years old. In 1889 |
| 267 hectare Temple of Heaven Park, is located | | | | a bolt of lightning struck the top of the temple, |
| 2km to the south of Tian'anmen Square . Athe | | | | sparking a fire that engulfed the whole building. |
| time it was built, the Temple of Heaven was | | | | The building was rebuilt exactly to the original Ming |
| called the Temple of Heaven and Earth and was | | | | Dynasty plans. The reason attributed to causing |
| used to offer sacrifices to Heaven on the winter | | | | this disaster is quite laughable. It was decreed that |
| solstice and to Earth on the summer solstice. | | | | the lightning struck a sacrilegious caterpillar that |
| The layout of the park reflects the dual nature of | | | | had just reached the golden ball at the top of the |
| its original role and the belief that it was the | | | | tower. Thhirty two court officials were put to |
| meeting place of Heaven and Earth. The ancient | | | | death for allowing such a thing to happen. |
| Chinese believed that 'heaven is round and the | | | | Today the temple of Heaven Park is alive with |
| earth is square'. That is the reason why the | | | | people playing cards, waltzing to music blaring |
| northern edge of the park is semi -circular and | | | | from small stereos, playing musical instruments, |
| the southern end is square . These same | | | | practicing their Beijing Opera or just sitting |
| principles were also applied to the buildings within | | | | smoking a pipe. The park is a great place to see |
| the park: Round temple halls sit atop square | | | | how retired members of the local population |
| bases, as heaven is higher than the earth below. | | | | spend their time. |
| The Temple is divided into inner and outer parts. | | | | THE LAMA TEMPLE |
| The temple's main buildings--The Alatr of Heaven | | | | 1. The marble based incense burner that sits |
| (Yuan qiutan), Imperial Vault of Heaver (Huang | | | | outside the Devarajia Hall is officially considered |
| qiongyu) and Hall of Prayer for Good | | | | one of " the three rarest things in Beijing "; in part |
| Harvest(Qinian dian)--all lie along the north-south | | | | because it bears an inscription by Emperor |
| middle axis line of the inner part. | | | | Qianlong on the origins of Lamaism. |
| The Altar of Heaven comprises of three layere | | | | 2. The four selestial guardians which gave the Hall |
| white marble terraces representing (top to | | | | of the Heavenly Kings its name hold a snake, a |
| bottom) heaven, earth and man, Built in 1530. it | | | | sword, an an cient Chinese instrument called a |
| was here during the Ming and Qing dynasties | | | | Pipa, and an umbrella and a silver mouse. |
| (1368-1911) that emperors would offier animal | | | | 3. At the foot of Arhat Hill is a wooden basin in |
| sacrifices to heaven, each year on the 15th day | | | | which a three-day old Emperor Qianlng is said to |
| of the 1st lunar month and on the winter solstice. | | | | have had his first bath; his golden rubber duck |
| To pray for good harvests. | | | | now sadly lost. |
| In 1530, Emperor Jiaqing thought it better to | | | | 4. The wooden statue of Maitreya Buddha inside |
| worship heaven and earth separately, for fear of | | | | the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Happinesses is |
| angering the gods. The couple ppromptly split and | | | | carved from a Tibetan sandalwood tree. This is |
| went their separate ways. Earth getting its own | | | | the world s largest carving from a single piece of |
| place on the north side of town at Ditan Park . As | | | | wood and was a gift to Emper or Qianlong from |
| well as building separate Temples of Heaven and | | | | the seventh Dalai Lama. |
| Earth, Earth, Emperor Jiajing also commissioned | | | | 5. This temple is one of China a largest and |
| the Temple of the Sun (Ritan Park ) in the east | | | | best-preserved lamaseries serving the Yellow Hat |
| of the city, and the Temple of the Moon (Yuetan | | | | Sect of Lamaism and Beiijng s livliest functioning |
| Park ) in the west. The emperor used to worship | | | | temple. |
| the God of the Sun at Pirtan at the spring | | | | THE LAMASERY WAS BUILT IN 1694. In 1723, |
| equinox and the God of the Moon at Yuetan of | | | | when it was time for Yonghe to move onto the |
| the autumn equinox. The Temple of Heaven was | | | | throne and into the Forbidden City , the building |
| always the largest and most importanti of the | | | | was reclassified from a dwelling to a lamasery, |
| four temples. | | | | becoming the national centre of Lama a |
| Just north of the round altar is one of the parks | | | | dministration. |
| architectural marvels, the Echo Wall ( Huiyinbi). The | | | | It's history as a residence has left the Lam |
| 65-mette diameter curved wall is meant to enable | | | | Temple with a layout very different from other |
| a whisper to travel clearly from on end to the | | | | temples. The main gate faces south and its five |
| other, though it is hared to prove as it is usually | | | | main halls are along the 480-meter long |
| blocked by hoards of tourists. Tongues from | | | | north-south axis. |
| every corner of the earth, all asking the same | | | | Entering the palace from the north leads onto a |
| question' Can you hear me?' | | | | wide straight road reserved for the exclusive use |
| Bouncing back to the Echo Wall,just outside the | | | | of the Qing emperors and their wives. This |
| gate of the Imperial Vault of Heaven are the | | | | imperial artery then passes through the |
| Three Echo Stones. If you speak facing the vault, | | | | three-arched Gat of Peace |
| while standing on the first stone, you will hear one | | | | Dclaration(Zhaotaimen), which has a grand |
| echo; standing on the second you will hear two | | | | glaze-tile arch rchly decorated with dragons and |
| and on the third stone, you will hear three. It | | | | flowers. |
| works better with clapping. | | | | Zhaotaimen is flanked by the temple's very own |
| Standing at the centre of the area enclosed by | | | | bell and drum towers to the east and west, and |
| echo wall is the Imperial Vault of Heaven, an | | | | directly in front stands stele pavilion. Inside this are |
| octagonal tower whose golden top and blue foof | | | | inscribed monoliths bearing Emperor Qianlong's |
| reflect the architecture of the Hall of Prayer for | | | | thoughts on the origins of Lamaism in Chinese, |
| Good Harvest. This brick and timber structure | | | | Tibetan, Manchu and Mongolian - a nearby plaque |
| was also built in 1530 and used to store the | | | | offering an English translation. |
| 'Memorial Tablets of the Gods' stone tablets which | | | | Behind the pavilion is the Devaraja Hall that used |
| were used in the winter solstice seremony. | | | | to be the entrance to Yongzheng's imperial palace, |
| Connecting the tower with the Hall of Prayer for | | | | but is better known as Maiterya's imperial palace, |
| Good Harvest is the vermilion Steps Bridge , a | | | | but is better known as Maitreya's imperial palace, |
| sacered way tilted upwards at the northern end | | | | but is better known as Mitreya's shrine or the Hall |
| because it was thought it literally acted as a | | | | of Heavenly Kings after the four fearsome |
| highway to heaven. | | | | characters that guard it. |
| The Chinese believed that oddnumbers were | | | | The nest building is the Hall of Everlasting |
| auspicious, of which nine was best as it was the | | | | Protection (Yongyoudian),which was formerly |
| highest single-digit odd number. The entire altar | | | | Emperor Yongzheng's biving quarters and now |
| has been built using the geometry of the number | | | | houses a statue of Bhaisajya-guru and a heap of |
| nine; there are nine rings of nine blocks of stone | | | | fruit which devotees leave as offerings. When the |
| on the terraces. Flights of nine steps and nine | | | | Qing Dynasty ruler died in 1735, his bady lay in |
| balustrades. If you stand at the point in the middle | | | | state in this hall. |
| of the terrace-every word you speak will | | | | Behind this hall is the golden-roofed Hall of the |
| amplified nine times before it goes directly up to | | | | Wheel of the Law( Falundian), the bronze statue |
| heaven. This, of course, was the spot that was | | | | inside is of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Yellow |
| reserved for the Emperor's thone during | | | | Hat Sect of Buddhism. This is where the 70 lamas |
| ceremonies as it was thought to be at the exact | | | | who still live in the complex worship. |