the Heaven Temple

The Temple of Heaven is the largest altar architecture in China , listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCOWHC in 1998 . Situated in the south of the city of Beijing , its construction commenced at the 18th year of the rein of Emperor Yongle (1420) in the Ming Dynasty at the same time as the Imperial Palace . It occupies an area of about 2,700,000 square meters , and is the plac e where the emperors in the Ming and Qing dynasties held sacrificial rites to worship gods of Heaven and Earth and to pray for bumper harvests

　The enclosing wall of the Temple of Heaven is shaped like the Chinese character "回" , round in the north and square in the south , implying "round Heaven and square Earth" . The layout , structure and decoration of the Temple of Heaven all occupy an important place in the Chinese architectural history . It is a precious world heritage . It is separated into the Inner Temple and the Outer Temple . The cardinal architectures are inside the Inner Temple , with he Round Mound Altar and the Imperial Vault in the south , and with he Bumper Harvest Praying Hall , he Imperial Heaven Hall and the Bumper Harvest Praying Gate in the north .

　The Bumper-Harvest-Praying Hall is the main architecture of the Temple of Heaven , where the emperor prayed for a bumper harvest . It is rotund shaped , 32m . in diameter and 38m . in height , with three-tier eaves and a blue glazed-tile roof . Its whole weight is borne by 28 large "nanmu" (redwood) pillars with different symbolic meaning . The four central pillars were called "Heaven Communicating Pillars" , symbolizing the four seasons , the twelve gold tinge pillars of the middle-tie r pillars symbolized twelve months . The twelve eaves-supporting outer-tier pillars symbolized twelve double-hours . All the twenty four pillars at the middle and outer tiers symbolized together the 24 solar terms in traditional Chinese calendar . The total of 28 pillars of the three tiers including he four central pillars symbolized 28 constellations . The 28 pillars plus 8 top pillars symbolized the 36 higher war gods . The Thunder-Lord Pillar under the apex symbolized the imperial sovereignty over the world .

　The Round Mound Altar is a three-tier round stone altar in the open , where the emperors dedicated sacrificial offerings to Heaven at the Winter Solstice . The number of the guardrail , pillars and the number of steps of the three tiers are both multiples of nine , coincident with the symbol of the supremacy of the emperor . Standing and speaking on the top of the round mound in a moderate voice , the speech will sound very sonorous , due to the clever application of the principle of sound-wave reverberation , adding to the mysterious atmosphere of the ceremony .

 

2010-12-13

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Xuxifenglily