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Title	Temple of Heaven
Notes	Built 15th and 16th centuries (Ming and Qing Dynasties). Project Description: There are three major structures inside the main gates: to the north, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, in the center, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, to the south, the Circular Mound Altar of Heaven. The complex is set in an extensive park, inside a walled compound. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is set on a circular marble terrace. Its cone-shaped roof is made of 50,000 blue-glazed tiles, which represent the sky, and is culminated by a gilded sphere. The interlaced wooden frame is supported by 28 columns, made of trees brought from Yunnan. No nails were used in this construction, and the roof is supported by an articulated skeleton without ceiling joists. The four main pillars are painted and represent the four seasons. The 12 interior posts represent the months of the year, while the outer ring of 12 posts represent the 12 two-hour periods in a day. The Imperial Vault of Heaven is a simplified version of the Hall of Prayer. Surrounding the outer courtyard is a circular echo wall, designed so that two people standing at opposite points along the wall can hear each other speak without raising their voices. The Three Echo Stones, which pave the central stairway leading to the main temple, are placed to produce different echo effects. A single handclap or shout produces one echo at the first stone, two at the second, and three echoes at the third. The Circular Mound Altar is made of three marble terraces which symbolize the earth, the mortal world, and heaven. The flagstones on the upper terrace are laid out in concentric circles, each circle a multiple of nine, which is an imperial number signifying heaven. Project History: In old China on the day before the winter solstice, the Son of Heaven would travel in a procession from the Forbidden City to the Temple of Heaven. He would first meditate in the Imperial Vault and proceed the to Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. On the morning of the solstice, he would return to the Imperial Vault and, on the Mound Altar, would pray for good harvests and perform sacrificial rituals in an atmosphere of burning incense and tinkling bells. The last ceremony was performed in 1913 by the warlord and would-be-emperor Yuan Shikai. The buildings have been restored several times, the first time in 1751, the second after a fire in 1889. In 1949, scientific analysis of the paint pigments and wooden structure was performed in order to restore the temple to its original splendor. Further restoration was completed in 1978.
Description	Circular Mound Altar
Subject	Temples Architecture, Chinese Altars
Location	China -- Beijing
Title.Series	China: Landmarks
Collection Title	Architecture of Asia and the Near and Middle East
Publisher.Location	Seattle, WA
Publisher	Art on FIle
Copyright Information	http://contentdm.unl.edu/archt_copyright.html
Collection information	Collection administered by Visual Resources manager, Architecture Library (402) 472-1193
Full resolution	Volume1\CHL-1(7)-07.jpg http://0-contentdm.unl.edu.library.unl.edu/fullres/Asia/Volume1\CHL-1(7)-07.jpg

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