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Temple of Heaven
Temple
of Heaven ( Tiantan ) is located in
the
southern part of Beijing, and has been one of the most holy places for
the whole country for more than five centuries. It used as a complex of
sacrificial buildings for the Ming and Qing emperors, and is the
largest one in Beijing among several royal altars to Heaven, Earth, the
Sun, the Moon and other deities or symbolic forces of Nature.The Temple of Heaven was originally constructed in the eighteenth year of Ming Yong LE(1420). It was rebuilt and reconstructed during the period of Emperor Jiajing In Ming Dynasty and Emperor Qianlong in Qing Dyansty. The building is magnificent and environment is solemn and respectful. It was the place where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped Heaven and prayed for good harvests. The north part of the temple looks like a roundness and the south is like a square. Surrounded by an outer wall of 5 km, it covers an area of 273 hectares, thrice the size of the Forbidden City. It is divided into the Inner Temple (Neitan) and the Outer Temple (Waitan) by a double wall. Main buildings assemble in the inner part, including the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests(Qiniandian), the Hall of Imperial Zenity (Huangqiandian), the Circular Mound (Huanqiu) the Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu), the Palace of Abstinence (Zhaigong), Beamless Hall (Wuliangdian), Long Corridor (Changlang) etc. There is also the Echo Wall (Huiyinbi), Triple-sound Stone (Sanyinshi), Seven Star Ston (Qixingshi) etc. Temple of Heaven combines the architecture technology of Ming and Qing Dynasties together. It is rare Chinese ancient architecture and the largest sacrifice complex in the world. In 1998, the United Nations Educational Scientiffic and Culture Organzation listed it into the "Dirctory of World Heritage". |
