Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven
is located in the southern part of Beijing, about 6
km away from the center of the city. Occupying an area
of 2,070,000 square meters, it is the largest existing
sacrificial temple in china.
The Temple of Heaven originally is
a platform for the emperor of the Ming and Qing dynasties
to perform worship to the god of heaven for good fortune
and good harvest. The layout of the complex resembles
the Chinese character ¡°»Ø¡±. The
Temple of Heaven is enclosed with a long wall. The northern
part within the wall is semicircular symbolizing heaven,
and the southern part is square standing for earth,
for the ancient Chinese people believed that heaven
was round and earth square. Also that the northern part
is higher than the southern is what the ancient Chinese
understood how earth is related to heaven.
Many constructions of the Ming and
Qing dynasties can be found here, including Circular
Mound Altar, Imperial Vault of Heaven and Hall of Prayer
for Good Harvest, etc. All these buildings fully show
the art of the Chinese architecture. Now the Temple
OF heaven has become a delight scenic spot in Beijing.
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