Temple of Heaven

With a friend, Jackie, who was also there for the conference, she, Will, and I visited the Temple of Heaven (on what was the coldest day we were in Beijing).  This park is where China's emperors came to pray twice a year for guidance, a good harvest, and atonement for the sins of his subjects. 

This a very popular park in Beijing, where the senior citizens gather for a card game, a round of singing Beijing opera, or writing ephemeral prayers on the sidewalks. 

writing a prayer in water

The buildings are all built on square bases and are round structures, reflecting the belief that the earth is square and heaven is round.  The main building in the complex is the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.  Its ornate roof is decorated n stunning blue, yellow, and green glazed tiles, which represent heaven, earth, and the mortal world. Inside, the hall has immense pillars holding up the roof and symbolizing the 12 months of  the year.  Amazingly, there is not a single nail in this structure or cement.  It is hold together by tongue in groove wood.  It was burnt by lightening in 1889, and it was rebuilt in 1890 using fir trees from Oregon!  

in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

The whole complex is fraught with symbolism for heaven and earth; luck and health; good and evil.  The emperors would come to the temple on the winter solstice as the Son of Heaven to offers prayers, make sacrifices, and present reports on the harvest to heaven.  He would abstain from alcohol, meats, and sex for three days before the ceremony.  The day before the ceremony, the emperor would be carried by litter from he Forbidden City to the Hall of Abstinence for the last night.  The next day, he would dress in ceremonial grab and offer his prayers and sacrifices.   

The Dressing Hall

the Danbi Bridge looking toward the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

 There are also ancient cypress trees in the park, also known as Tiantan, and several trees have had their trunks fused together to create special named trees.  The most famous is the nine dragon tree, whihc looks like nice dragons fused their tails together.

cypress trees

nine dragon tree

roof of the one of the gates leading to the vault of the Temple of Heaven

 Walking across the raised Danbi Bridge, walking through another gate, we reached the Hall of the Imperial Vault of Heaven, which housed the tablets on which the prayers were written.

inside the Hall of the Imperial Vault of Heaven

dragons and phoenixes intertwined on the stairs to the Imperial Vault 

Past this hall is the Round Hall or Circular Mound, where the Emperor would stand at the center, on a slightly raised marble stone, and issue proclamations. Because of the acoustics, the emperor's voice, and therefore edits, would resonate off the marble and sound much louder than a normal voice.  It gave the effect of god speaking through the emperor.

part of the courtyard of the Round Hall

the steps on the Round Hall 

posing in front of the Circular Mound

strike a pose!

alter for the sacrificial calf 

my electronic guide

Rickshaw parked underneath the cypresses

The symbol of the Temple of Heaven as well as the symbol of Beijing

walking to the Hall of Abstinence

Miss Twiggywinkle taking a break from the laundry!

 Walking to the west of these buildings are the various pavilions that housed the Emperor and his entourage when staying at the Temple for the ceremonies.  The Hall of Abstinence is surrounded by a deep moat that was once guarded by eunuchs.

moat the Hall of Abstinence 

dragons on the raised patio of the Beamless Hall, the main building in the Hall of Abstinence

the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest through the gate

 The Long Corridor, built so that the sacrificial animals would go from the barn, the slaughter house, and the kitchen without touching the ground.  The last time the winter solstice ceremony was held was in 1910 by the last emperor, Piyu, when he was just 4 years old, who was forced to abdicate in 1912 following the revolution.  In 1914, the would-be emperor, Yuan Shikai, the first president of the new republic, held the last animal sacrifice.  In 1918, the public were allowed into the complex for the first time.  Now, the Long Corridor is where now were Beijingers gather to sell (illegally) to tourists and play a very animated card game.