Treasure of China NO:51 Temple of Heaven

Author: Wei Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: For those who travel to Beijing specifically for tourism, almost none skip Tiananmen. And for those who visit Beijing for business, some might not have been to the Great Wall, but as long as they have time, they always visit the ancient altar nestled closely to the south of the Imperial City with a mix of curiosity and reverence—the solemn and spacious sacred altar that stands majestically in the heart of the ancient city. Tiananmen Park is located on the east side of Yongdingmen and the south of Tianqiao Street. Built in 1420, it was originally the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the sky and prayed for a bountiful harvest. Covering an area of 2.73 million square meters, it is the largest ancient sacrificial complex remaining in China. Tiananmen has both inner and outer walls, with the southern wall circular and the northern wall square, symbolizing "the sky is round and the earth is square."
Tiananmen was designed in the fourth year of the Yongle reign (1406 AD) and completed in the eighteenth year (1420 AD). It underwent a decade-long renovation starting in the eighth year of the Qianlong reign (1743 AD), making this magnificent suburban temple even more perfect. In 1918, it was opened to the public as a park. After the liberation, Tiananmen underwent large-scale, well-planned and step-by-step renovations, restoring its original spiritual charm and appearance.
Tiananmen is renowned both at home and abroad for its five unique structures:
1. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (commonly known as the Hall without Beams);
2. The Echo Wall;
3. The Three Sound Stones;
4. The Dialogue Stones;
5. The Altar of Heaven (the Altar).
The main building of Tiananmen, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, is where emperors prayed for bountiful crops. It is a three-tiered circular hall, 38 meters high with a diameter of 32.72 meters, covered with blue glazed tiles. It is entirely made of brick and wood, with no large beams or girders, relying entirely on 28 wooden pillars and 36 brackets for support. Its architectural design holds great artistic value. The four "Dragon Well Columns" in the center represent the four seasons, the 12 pillars in the middle tier symbolize the 12 months, the 12 pillars in the outer ring represent the 12 hours of the day, and the 24 pillars on the inner and outer eaves represent the 24 solar terms. The design is exquisite, and the symbolism is unique.
The Echo Wall is a high, circular wall surrounding the courtyard of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, standing 3.72 meters tall, 0.9 meters thick, and with a diameter of 61.5 meters. The wall is made of gray bricks, polished and tightly fitted together. If two people stand at the base of the inner walls on the east and west sides, and one speaks quietly against the wall, the sound will travel along the wall to the other end, as if making a phone call, with the other person hearing it clearly. It is also known as the "Sound-Conducting Wall" and is listed as the first of China's four great echo structures.
The Three Sound Stones are the third paving stone on the imperial road in front of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. If you clap your hands while standing on the first stone, you can hear one echo; on the second stone, you can hear two echoes; and on the third stone, you can hear more than three echoes, which is quite magical. Today, the "Three Sound Stones" add much charm to the ancient Tiananmen Park, bringing joy to visitors.
The "Heavenly Heart Stone" (also known as the Dialogue Stone) is inscribed with "Benefiting Ten Thousand Generations." If you speak or make a sound while standing on the central circular stone of the Altar of Heaven, you will hear pleasant echoes from all directions, as if to awaken a sense of mystery in people's minds, immersing their entire souls in the sound illusion. The Altar of Heaven uses the number "nine," a positive number, to represent the celestial phenomenon. At the same time, it is built exceptionally high. From the top of the Altar of Heaven, you can see only the distant blue sky in all directions, surrounded by white stone lattices, with a white and green stone surface beneath your feet, as if you are in the void, further enhancing the feeling of "heaven."
Today, in the green groves west of the Altar of Prayer, several exquisite pavilions and towers have been added. The northern "Double Ring Ten Thousand Years of Longevity Pavilion" has a cross-section resembling nested rings, with its pavilion structure formed by two interconnected double-tiered round pavilions. Its design is exquisite and innovative, making it rare in China's wooden structure architecture. Each wing of the "Ten Thousand Years of Longevity Pavilion" has a small square pavilion called the "Square Victory Pavilion." Corridors connect the pavilions, and the beams and brackets of the pavilions and corridors are painted with landscapes, figures, flowers, and paintings of West Lake scenery. South of the Ten Thousand Years of Longevity Pavilion is a fan-shaped building called the "Fan Pavilion," with a gray roof and Suzhou-style painted decorations, delicate and unique. Southeast of the Ten Thousand Years of Longevity Pavilion is a hexagonal painted pavilion called the "Hundred Flowers Pavilion," which is in harmony with the Ten Thousand Years of Longevity Pavilion, Square Victory Pavilion, and Fan Pavilion, creating a dazzling contrast.
Tiananmen Park's Rose Garden has more than 600 varieties, making it one of the largest rose gardens in China. There are also more than 3,800 ancient cypresses in the park, the most concentrated in Beijing. Tiananmen, with its exquisite design, clever construction, unique style, and ingenious application of technology, stands out in the world of classical architecture and enjoys a long-standing reputation, making it a famous tourist destination both at home and abroad.