The Temple of Heaven, built in the first half of the 15th century, is a noble architectural complex built in gardens and surrounded by a long history of pine forests. Its overall layout and the symbolic meaning of individual architecture symbolize the relationship between heaven and earth - the human world and the world of God - which is the core of Chinese cosmology. it is the greatest achievement of Míng dynasty architecture.
One of China's most bustling cityscapes, well-organized Confucian design, the 267 hectare Temple of Heaven is absolutely unique. At first, it was the general stage at which the emperor (known as the Son of Heaven) at that time undertook a solemn ceremony for praying for good harvests and sought sacred sanitations and atonement. Strictly speaking, this is an altar, not a temple - so do not expect to burn incense or worshipers.
It is larger than the Forbidden City with an area of 2,700,000 square meters (3,529,412 square yards). As the 'Sons of Heaven’, Chinese emperors could only build a abode for themselves that was smaller than the earthly residence dedicated to Heaven. Therefore, it’s different in overall size of the two complexes. The temple is surrounded by a long wall. It’s a semicircular inside the northern part wall which symbolizes the heavens. And the southern part is a square symbolizing the earth. The southern part is lower than the northern part. This design shows that the heaven is high and the earth is low and it reflected an ancient Chinese thought of 'the heaven is round and the earth is square'.
The inner part and outer part of the Temple is separated by two encircling walls. The main buildings lie in the inner part at the south and north ends of the middle axis. The Circular Mound Altar, the Imperial Vault of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest are the three most famous buildings from south to north.
From above, the temple is circular. According to the concept of "heaven and earth," heaven is round and the earth is square. Another observation of the park's north is semicircular, while the south is square. The highlights of the park and the icon of Beijing itself are the Prayer Harvest Hall, a stunning structure with a triple fuchsia blue umbrella roof mounted on a three-story marble patio. Wooden pillars support ceilings, no nails or cement - this is a very successful business for buildings 38 meters high and 30 meters in diameter. Carved dragon inlaid on the ceiling, is the emperor's symbol.
There are over 60,000 trees. The most famous tree is the grandfather tree - a nine-dragon nine hundred dragon Cypress trees intertwined. These trees create a quiet environment and are the perfect place for locals to exercise in the morning. Residents living near this place can enjoy activities such as running, biking, singing, dancing, board games and kite flying. You can participate in these activities in person and experience the leisure activities of the locals.
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