Impression of the Beijing Temple of Heaven

Since the beginning of time, the first thing people would think of when hearing about the Temple of Heaven in Beijing is worshiping and praying. Whether it is the architecture of the temple or its landscape, both are well known and have long been at the center of tourist attractions, garnering mass attention. However, following the appearance of new scenery and an unknown story in the park, we now know that apart from the familiar Temple of Heaven there are also some lesser known secrets; just with a minimal amount of snooping you can discover a new world.

The Only “Deviant” Royal Building

The famous axis of Beijing is filled with ancient buildings and landmarks such as the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Imperial Palace, and Tian’anmen Square. All of these landmarks were strictly built to follow along the lifeline of the city, only the Temple of Heaven is a special case. The 205-hectare royal sacrificial shrine of the Ming and Qing dynasties had already become a "heavyweight" when preparations for its construction were underway during the 18th year of the Yongle Reign. Whether it was the users of the temple or its application, both were rather solemn and divine. Furthermore, at that time, worshiping heaven was equal to worshiping the sun; it turns out that the sun rose in the southeast, the place where the most Yang energy is concentrated. As a result, in 1420 it was decided that the temple was to be placed a little to the East of the south central axis.

Original Shape: A Square

As one of the most famous buildings in the Temple of Heaven, The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is one of the most fascinating places to visit. Its peculiarity lies in that regardless of from which angle you look, it all looks the same, causing people to marvel at the artisans’ intricate work. Built long ago, The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests was square-shaped. It was not until Zhu Houcong was promoted to emperor as an exception that the structure was altered to that of a circle so that it would comply with the rigid tradition of “round sky and square earth.” Furthermore, in order to improve worship of heaven, it was also Zhu Houcong who constructed and established separate sacrificial places such as the Temple of Earth and Temple of the Sun which were independent from the comprehensive worshiping shrine of the Temple of Heaven. This was said to strengthen the main function of heavenly worship.

Having No Apex to Be Closer to Heaven

In addition to The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Echo Wall, there is another especially must-see place in the Temple of Heaven: Circular Mound Altar. The empty circular platform with nothing surrounding it causes people to feel very surprised. The reason for its structure is mainly derived from its function here compared to that of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. Here there are a lot more activities for festive occasions and the only purpose of an altar is in order to be closer to God. As a result, up until the Qing Dynasty, the royal worship ceremonies were all held on the Circular Mound Altar.

Secret Story Behind New Scenery:

North Slaughter Pavilion

The North Slaughter Pavilion is located on the north side of the east gate of the Temple of Heaven Park. It is the place where the sacrificial offerings of cattle, sheep, and pigs were slaughtered by the royal family as ritual sacrifices to heaven. Historically, the slaughter took place in the Slaughter Pavilion and the offerings were stored in the Divine Kitchen, and then were taken through the long corridor to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests for sacrifice. Every year before the altar, the emperor also went to oversee the preparatory work in person. However, in all my years of visiting the Temple of Heaven, I have never once paid attention to the Pavilion. Perhaps this was because it is the first time in 30 years after the overhaul that this portion has been opened to the public; today I had the honor of seeing the whole picture. Entering from the north gate and after following the signs for about ten minutes, I could see a long corridor. Although it was already winter, elderlies crowded the corridor playing chess, playing cards, exercising, and singing; despite the time-stained appearance, the imposing atmosphere of the olden days was not in the least bit lost.

The main hall and many other cultural relics occupy peoples’whole field of vision. The 2.8 meter long, 1.75 meter wide, and 1.27 meter deep Stable for Sacrificial Animals is at the center of the North Slaughter Pavilion and is used for shaving of the fur of livestock and washing them. On the ground are multiple drainage outlets, a carefully considered construction design which can be described as fine. At the same time, its four corners also use ancient stone monuments from different periods of time. Supporting settings and backgrounds related to the Slaughter Pavilion such as pot stove relics and the conveniently lit Pavilion kiosk all tell history at a glance without even needing an explanation. One thing worth mentioning is that when the Slaughter Pavilion was under restoration, seven meters and more than 400 pounds of original building materials such as Chinese cedar cross beams and housing components were exposed to the public for the first time; exquisitely painted and engraved...a reminder of the supreme dignity of the past.