Marvel at this ultimate expression of Ming dynasty architecture

A cosmological marvel and loaded with enough symbolism to keep any amateur necromancer busy for years, the Temple of Heaven is unlike any other temple in Beijing, or anywhere else for that matter. Every part of this utterly unique complex of halls is there for a reason. The temple is the ultimate expression of Ming dynasty architecture.

Set inside a walled 267-hectare park, the temple (known to Beijingers as Tiantan) was where China’s emperors came to pray for divine guidance and good harvests and to atone for the sins of the people. As such, the complex was built to be viewed by the gods. Seen from above, the temples are round and their bases square, a pattern based on the ancient Chinese belief that heaven is round and earth is square. The shape of the park also reflects this, with the northern end a semicircle and the southern end a square.

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the temple’s star attraction. Its ornate roof is decorated in stunning blue, yellow and green glazed tiles, representing heaven, earth and the mortal world. Inside the hall, immense pillars symbolise the four seasons and the 12 months of the year. Burnt down by a lightning strike in 1889 – a seriously bad omen for the already struggling Qing dynasty – the hall was rebuilt the next year with fir trees shipped from Oregon. Amazingly, the whole structure holds together without nails or cement.

South of here, the octagonal Imperial Vault (shaped like a mini-version of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests) held tablets belonging to the emperor’s ancestors to be used during the winter solstice ceremony, the most important ritual of the year. Surrounding the vault is the Echo Wall, said to be such a perfect semicircle that a whisper at one end can be carried around to the other side.

Leading up to the vault are the Triple Sounds Stones. If you stand here and clap your hands, the echo should come back once from the first stone, twice from the second and thrice from the third, although it can be hard to test this out as dozens of other people will be right next to you trying to do exactly the same thing. Just south is the Round Altar, where the emperor performed his rituals; the stones, stairs and columns here are arranged in groups or multiples of nine, which was considered a heavenly number.

As well as its historical significance, Tiantan is also a working park and one of the most pleasant in Beijing. Ancient cypress trees are dotted throughout and it’s popular with the city’s senior citizens. Get here soon after dawn, before the temple structures are open, and you’ll find them dancing to sedate ballroom music and practising taichi. See also.

Temple of Heaven
GREG ELMS/LONELY PLANET IMAGES

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Дата добавления: 2015-11-14