TEMPLE OF HEAVEN

INTRODUCTION

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The complex was later expanded and given the name Temple of Heaven during the reign of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming dynasty in the 16th century, and renovated again in the 18th century under Emperor...

CIRCULAR MOUND ALTAR PART I

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The Zhaoheng Gate takes you into a large square surrounded by a low, square wall and then by another round wall, representing heaven and earth, at the center of which you can see the Circular Mound...

CIRCULAR MOUND ALTAR PART II

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As you can see, the 24 Lingxing Gates, arranged around the two rings of walls that encircle the Circular Mound Altar, mark three different entrances with triple gates. Strangely enough, the largest...

IMPERIAL VAULT OF HEAVEN

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Just a few hundred meters from the Circular Mound Altar, you’ll see a group of buildings dating to 1530, built on the orders of Emperor Jiajing, which housed the Tablets of the Gods, sacred...

HALL OF PRAYER FOR GOOD HARVESTS PART I

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To reach the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, you have to take the imperial walkway, known as the Danbi Bridge, Sacred Way, or Red Stairway Bridge. This long, sloping, stone road rises three meters...

HALL OF PRAYER FOR GOOD HARVESTS PART II

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The two pavilions you see on the two sides of the Hall of Prayer were once used as the storeroom of the divine tablets. The one on the left is now arranged as a Worshipping Heaven Ceremony Exhibition...

PALACE OF ABSTINENCE

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The magnificent Palace of Abstinence is one of the most beautiful in Beijing, and is a complex of buildings covering an area of about 40,000 square meters. It is surrounded by two large rings of...

DIVINE MUSIC ADMINISTRATION

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The Divine Music Administration, covering a surface area of almost 10,000 square meters within the Temple, was the most prestigious ritual music academy in China during the 600 years of the Ming and...