This is our last full day in China and we are visiting the Temple of Heaven so I would like to start by giving you a little context. In ancient China the Emperor of China was regarded as the Son of Heaven, who administered earthly matters on behalf of, and representing heavenly authority. To be seen to be showing respect to the source of his authority, in the form of sacrifices to heaven, was extremely important. The temple was built for these ceremonies, mostly comprising of prayers for good harvests. How he explained away poor harvests despite his heavenly intervention is not recorded.
The whole site is huge and a popular local place for recreation. All along this covered corridor there were groups of people playing cards whilst enjoying the sunshine.
Above the card schools you can see the magnificent painted decoration on the ceiling.
Now a brief history of the parks and its structures. First constructed between 1406-1420 and used by the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Extended in the C16 and renovated in C18. The early C20 saw deterioration and occupation after the 2nd Opium war and the Boxer rebellion. It was turned into a park and opened up to the public in 1918 and in 1998 it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Remember the sacred number nine, that and nonuples thereof figure, as it were, throughout all the structures. Count anything, steps, balustrades, beams, columns, etc. and 9, 18, 27 etc. crop up every time.
Below is one of the three most important buildings in the complex, namely the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. This is built on a mound which you can ascend via the steps and balustrade.
Walk up the 27 steps and you're now level with the building.
The view looking west from the Hall. The red hats are coming.
The red hats are here. A more symmetrical view of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.
The following three shots try to get an impression of the inside of the Hall. These were not easy to take because it was a squash to even get close to the open doors, then there were barriers that kept the crowds at least a couple of metres away from the building. This picture tries to show the internal decoration.
Like our house, the place could do with a bit of a clear out.
Imperial vermilion makes its inevitable appearance and at least my shadow gets into the sacred space.
Some of the more spectacular and extravagant examples of the modern Beijing skyline are not far away from us. This photograph also gives some idea of the air pollution in central Beijing.
The three important buildings in the Park lie on an north-south orientation. The pathway down the centre was for Imperial use only. Here we are looking down that path towards the Imperial Vault of Heaven. Blue is the colour that represents heaven, hence the blue roofs, ceilings and upper wall decoration. Notice the wall around the building you can see through the keyhole. I'll return to this later.
Here's the Imperial Vault of Heaven. It is similar to the Hall of Prayer but smaller. Round is the shape that represents Heaven. Back to that wall again, which is in the background and ochre coloured. Again round but it has similar properties to the whispering gallery in St. Paul's cathedral and is unsurprisingly called the Echo Wall. The vault, constructed without the use of nails also has no cross beams to support the weight of the dome.
South of the Vault is the third important structure called the Circular Mound Altar. It is an empty circular platform on three levels of marble stones each decorated with lavishly carved dragons. The numbers of the various parts, steps, balustrades are again nine or nonuples. The centre of the altar has a round stone called the Heart of Heaven. The Emperor's prayers for favorable weather would be reflected by the guard rail creating significant resonance which was supposed to help the prayer communicate with heaven. The Altar was built in 1530
The time was by now 5.30 pm and the museum part of the park was closing and we were obliged to leave by the south gate. It transpired that this was some considerable walk west then north around the perimeter of the complex in order to get back to our metro station for the hotel. Not what I would have planned at the end of an all walking day that came hard on the heels of the Great Wall marathon. The last picture shows the local district primary school and a tempting street food vendor.
So it was home to pack, sleep and perchance to fly.
