Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the largest building in the Temple of Heaven
State Party	China
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iii
Reference	881
Region†	Asia-Pacific
Inscription History
Inscription	1998  (22nd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Temple of Heaven, literally the Altar of Heaven (Traditional Chinese: 天壇; Simplified Chinese: 天坛; pinyin: Tiāntán; Manchu: Abkai mukdehun) is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in southeastern urban Beijing, in Xuanwu District. The complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. It is regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese Heaven worship, especially by the reigning monarch of the day, pre-dates Taoism. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1880x1395, 751 KB) The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Temple of Heaven, Beijng Photographer: Saad Akhtar Source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1880x1395, 751 KB) The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, Temple of Heaven, Beijng Photographer: Saad Akhtar Source: http://www. ... As of 2006, there are a total of 830 World Heritage Sites located in 138 State Parties. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Asia, Australia and the Pacific (Australasia). ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... The Manchu language is a Tungusic language spoken by Manchus in Manchuria; it is the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus. ... Taoism (Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ... “Peking” redirects here. ... Xuanwu District (Simplified Chinese: 宣武区, Hanyu Pinyin: Xuānwǔ Qū) is a district of the municipality of Beijing. ... For the volcano in Indonesia, see Emperor of China (volcano). ... For other uses, see Ming. ... Flag (1890-1912) Anthem Gong Jinou (1911) Territory of Qing China in 1892 Capital Shengjing (1636-1644) Beijing (1644-1912) Language(s) Chinese Manchu Mongolian Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1636-1643 Huang Taiji  - 1908-1912 Xuantong Emperor Prime Minister  - 1911 Yikuang  - 1911-1912 Yuan Shikai History  - Establishment of the Late... For other uses, see Heaven (disambiguation). ... Taoism (Daoism) is the English name referring to a variety of related Chinese philosophical and religious traditions and concepts. ... Heaven worship is a Chinese religious belief that predates Taoism and Confucianism, but was later eventually incorporated into both Taoism and Confucianism. ...

History

The temple complex, initially called Temple of Heaven and Earth, was constructed from 1406 to 1420 during the reign of the Yongle Emperor, who was also responsible for the construction of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The complex was extended and renamed Temple of Heaven during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor in the 16th century. The Jiajing Emperor also built three other prominent temples in Beijing, the Temple of Sun in the east (日坛), the Temple of Earth in the north (地坛), and the Temple of Moon in the west (月坛). The Temple of Heaven was renovated in the 18th century under the Qianlong Emperor. The Yongle Emperor (May 2, 1360 – August 12, 1424), born Zhu Di (Chu Ti) , was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. ... For other uses, see Forbidden City (disambiguation). ... The Jiajing Emperor (September 16, 1507–January 23, 1567) was the 11th emperor of China (Ming dynasty) between 1521-1567. ... The Temple of Sun (日坛) in Beijing, China, is in the eastern urban area, around the Jianguomen area, near the embassy district. ... The Qianlong Emperor (born Hongli, September 25, 1711 – February 7, 1799) was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China. ...

In 1914, Yuan Shih-kai, then President of the Republic of China, performed a Ming prayer ceremony at the temple, as part of an effort to have himself declared Emperor of China. Yuan Shikai (traditional Chinese: 袁世凱; simplified Chinese: 袁世凯; pinyin: Yuán Shìkǎi; Wade-Giles: Yüan Shih-kai) (September 16, 1859 – June 6, 1916) was a Chinese military official and politician during the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ...

The Temple of Heaven was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

According to Xinhua, in early 2005, the Temple of Heaven underwent a 47 million yuan (5.9 million USD) face-lift in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the restoration was completed on May 1st, 2006. Xinhua (Chinese:新华通讯社/新華通訊社, pinyin:xīnhuá tōngxùnshè) is also the short for Xinhua News Agency Xinhua (Chinese:新化县/新化縣, pinyin:xīnhuà xiàn) is a county in Hunan,China, See Xinhua... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were awarded to Beijing, China after an exhaustive ballot of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Buildings and layout

   

Panorama with the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

The Temple grounds covers 2.73 km² of parkland, and comprises three main groups of constructions, all built according to strict philosophical requirements: Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 172 pixelsFull resolution (9027 × 1945 pixel, file size: 6. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 172 pixelsFull resolution (9027 × 1945 pixel, file size: 6. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

• The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (祈年殿) is a magnificent triple-gabled circular building, 32 metres in diameter and 38 metres tall, built on three levels of marble stone base, where the Emperor prayed for good harvests. The building is completely wooden, with no nails. It had to be rebuilt after it burned down in 1889.
• The Imperial Vault of Heaven (皇穹宇) is a single-gabled circular building, built on a single level of marble stone base. It is located south of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and resembles it, but is smaller. It is surrounded by a smooth circular wall, the Echo Wall, that can transmit sounds over large distances. The Imperial Vault is connected to the Hall of Prayer by the Vermilion Steps Bridge, a 360 meter long raised walkway that slowly ascends from the Vault to the Hall of Prayer.

HuangQiongYu (皇穹宇) is a single-gabled circular building, built on a single level of marble stone base. It is located south of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and resembles it, but is smaller. It is surrounded by a smooth circular wall, the Echo Wall, that can transmit sounds over large distances. The Imperial Vault is connected to the Hall of Prayer by the Vermilion Steps Bridge, a 360 meter long raised walkway that slowly ascends from the Vault to the Hall of Prayer. metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) The metre is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units. ...

• The Earthly Mount (圜丘坛) is the altar proper, located south of the Imperial Vault of Heaven. It is an empty circular platform on three levels of marble stones, where the Emperor prayed for favorable weather. It was built in 1530 by the Jiajing Emperor and rebuilt in 1740.

Inside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.

Temple of the Heaven surroundings with lots of trees

The Jiajing Emperor (September 16, 1507–January 23, 1567) was the 11th emperor of China (Ming dynasty) between 1521-1567. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1575 × 2100 pixel, file size: 4. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1575 × 2100 pixel, file size: 4. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 590 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Around the Temple of the Heaven, theres a large area of forest surrounding it that gives you a nature feel within the heavily polluted... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 590 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Around the Temple of the Heaven, theres a large area of forest surrounding it that gives you a nature feel within the heavily polluted...

Ceremony

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 prayers for good harvests. For the volcano in Indonesia, see Emperor of China (volcano). ... The king or wang (王 wang2) was the Chinese head of state from the Zhou to Qin dynasties. ... Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome For other uses, see Sacrifice (disambiguation). ...

Twice a year the Emperor and all his retinue would move from the Forbidden city through Beijing to encamp within the complex, wearing special robes and abstaining from eating meat. No ordinary Chinese was allowed to view this procession or the following ceremony. In the temple complex the Emperor would personally pray to Heaven for good harvests. The highpoint of the ceremony at the winter solstice was performed by the Emperor on the Earthly Mount. The ceremony had to be perfectly completed; it was widely held that the smallest of mistakes would constitute a bad omen for the whole nation in the coming year. A dragon robe from Qing Dynasty of China A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. ... This article is about the food. ... Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of the northern hemisphere winter solstice Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of the southern hemisphere winter solstice In astronomy, the winter solstice is the moment when the earth is at a point in its orbit where one hemisphere is...

Symbolism

Earth was represented by a square and Heaven by a circle; several features of the temple complex symbolize the connection of Heaven and Earth, of circle and square. The whole temple complex is surrounded by two cordons of walls; the outer wall has a taller, semi-circular northern end, representing Heaven, and a shorter, rectangular southern end, representing the Earth. Both the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Earthly Mount are round, each standing on a square yard, again representing Heaven and Earth.

The number nine represents the Emperor and is evident in the design of the Earthly Mount: a single round marmor plate is surrounded by a ring of nine plates, then a ring of 18 plates, and so on for a total of nine surrounding rings, the outermost having 9×9 plates. This article is about the number. ...

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests has four inner, twelve middle and twelve outer pillars, representing the four seasons, twelve months and twelve traditional Chinese hours respectively. For other uses, see Column (disambiguation). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

All the buildings within the Temple have special dark blue roof tiles, representing the Heaven.

The Seven-Star Stone Group, east of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, represents the seven peaks of Taishan Mountain, a place of Heaven worship in classical China. Mount Tai (Chinese: æ³°å±±; pinyin: ) is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Taian, in Shandong Province, China. ...

More images

The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is one of Beijing's most famous architectural landmarks Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2901 KB) Photographer: Saad Akhtar from New Delhi, India Title: Temple of Heaven 2 Taken on: 2004-12-19 18:06:34 Original source: Flickr. ...

Courtyard inside the Temple of Heaven Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1816x1017, 1490 KB) Photographer: Saad Akhtar from New Delhi, India Title: Temple of Heaven - Courtyard Description: View bigger version. ...

Imperial Vault of Heaven Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 3. ...

Imperial Vault of Heaven Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 536 KB)The Echo Wall pavilion is a part of the Temple of Heaven complex. ...

Sources

• Temple of Heaven
• Temple of Heaven, CCTV documentary

China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV (Simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is the major television broadcaster in Mainland China. ...

See also

• Mandate of Heaven
• Wongudan The Korean Temple of Heaven

Mandate of Heaven (天命 Pīnyīn: Tiānmìng) was a traditional Chinese sovereignty concept of legitimacy used to support the rule of the kings of the Zhou Dynasty and later the Emperors of China. ... Korean rulers held the sacrificial rite of Heaven, Wonguje, at Wongudan, which is also known as Wongudan Altar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Temple of Heaven

• Heaven Worshipping Altar Full Details on Circular Mound/Altar of Worshipping Heaven
• Three Glazed Gates Architectural details and photos of Three Gates at the Imperial Vault of Heaven
• Temple of Heaven Photo Gallery 100 high quality photographs
• Satellite photo of the site
• Chinadaily news

v • d • e World Heritage Sites in China

Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains · Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom · Classical Gardens of Suzhou · Dazu Rock Carvings · Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace · The Great Wall · Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang · Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties · Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Kaiping Diaolou and Villages · Old Town of Lijiang · Longmen Grottoes · Lushan National Park · Historic Centre of Macau · Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor · Mogao Caves · Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area · Mount Huangshan · Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan Irrigation System · Mount Tai (Taishan) · Mount Wuyi · Chengde Mountain Resort and its outlying temples including the Putuo Zongcheng Temple and the Puning Temple · Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian · Ancient City of Ping Yao · Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries · South China Karst · Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing  · Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and Kong Family Mansion, Qufu · Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing · Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas · Villages in Southern Anhui - Xidi and Hongcun · Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area · Yin Xu · Yungang Grottoes Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... wudang or wudangquan, see Wudangquan. ... Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom lie in Jian, Jilin and its approximities. ... This article is about the city in Jiangsu. ... External link UNESCO World Heritage Centre page Categories: World Heritage Sites in China | Chinese Buddhist Grottoes | China geography stubs ... The Potala Palace (Tibetan: པོ་ཏ་ལ།) located in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14th Dalai Lama fled to Dharamsala, India after a failed uprising in 1959. ... “Great Wall” redirects here. ... The colorful limestone pools of Huanglonggou and scenic mountains attract many tourists to the Huanglong area. ... For other uses, see Forbidden City (disambiguation). ... The Mukden Palace (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) or Shenyang Gugong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), also known as the Shenyang Imperial Palace, is the former imperial palace of the early Qing Dynasty (1616 - 1910) of China. ... Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties is the designation under which the UNESCO has included several tombs and burial complexes into the list of World Heritage Sites. ... Jiuzhaigou Valley (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: JiÇ”zhàigōu; lit. ... The diaolou (碉樓) are fortified multi-storey towers, generally made of reinforced concrete. ... Lijiang City (Chinese: 丽江市; Hanyu Pinyin: ) refers to an administrative division comprising of urban and rural areas in northwestern Yunnan Province, China. ... The Longmen Grottoes (ch. ... The small peaks of the mountain range can be climbed by visitors. ... The ruins of the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Macau A view of Largo do Senado (Senado Square), part of the Historic Centre of Macao The Historic Centre of Macao (Portuguese: ; Traditional Chinese: ), on Macao Peninsula, is composed of sites that showcase the unique cultural heritage of Macao. ... The Terracotta Army (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; literally soldier and horse funerary statues) or Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a collection of 8,099 life-size Chinese terra cotta figures of warriors and horses located near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ). The figures were discovered... The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ) form a system of 492 temples 25km (15. ... Location within China Mount Emei (峨眉山, pinyin Éméi Shān, Wade-Giles O2-mei2 Shan1, literally Delicate Eyebrow Mountain) is a mountain in Sichuan province of Western China. ... The Leshan Giant Buddha (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. ... The Huang Shan (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; literally Yellow Mountain) is a mountain range in southern Anhui province in eastern China. ... Mount Qingcheng is a mountain in Guanxian, Sichuan, China. ... Du Jiang Yan (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) is an irrigation infastucture built in 256 BC during the Warring States Period of China by the Kingdom of Qin. ... Mount Tai (Chinese: æ³°å±±; pinyin: ) is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Taian, in Shandong Province, China. ... The Wuyi Mountains (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) are a mountain range located at the northern border of Fujian province with Jiangxi province, China. ... Mountain Resort, Chengde Mountain Resort, Chengde The Mountain Resort in Chengde (Chinese: 避暑山庄; pinyin: BìshÇ” Shānzhuāng; literally: Mountain Resort for Avoiding the Heat; Manchu: HalhÅ«n be jailara gurung) or Ligong (Chinese: 离宫; pinyin: Lígōng, the Qing Dynastys summer palace) situated in the city of Chengde... The Putuo Zongcheng Temple of Chengde, built in the 18th century during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. ... Puning Temple The Puning Temple (普宁寺）), or Temple of Universal Peace of Chengde, Hebei province, China (commonly called the Big Buddha Temple[1]) is a Qing Dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built in 1755, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735-1796 AD). ... Trinomial name Homo erectus pekinensis (Black, 1927) Peking Man (sometimes now called Beijing Man), also called Sinanthropus pekinensis (currently Homo erectus pekinensis), is an example of Homo erectus. ... Zhoukoudian Peking Man Site - the Caves (taken in July 2004) Zhoukoudian or Choukoutien (周口店) is a cave system near Beijing in China. ... Pingyao (平遥, pinyin: Píngyáo) is a Chinese county in central Shanxi province. ... The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries (Chinese: 四川大熊貓棲息地) located in southwest Sichuan province of China, is the home to more than 30% of the worlds highly endangered Giant Pandas. ... The South China Karst spread across Chinas southern provinces of Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan. ... The Summer Palace in Beijing. ... Confucius (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kung-fu-tzu), lit. ... Qufu (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chü1-fu4) is a city in Shandong Province, China. ... Terraces part way up the sides of the Tiger Leaping Gorge View of the gorge from the high path, showing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on the left, and Haba Xueshan on the right. ... XÄ«dì (Chinese: 西递; pinyin: , also Xidi, or Xi Di, literally West Post), is a village in southern Anhui province (Yixian County), in China, which was declared a part of the Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000, along with the village of Hongcun. ... Hongcun (宏村, pinyin: HóngcÅ«n) is a village in Yixian county, Anhui province (Yixian County), located near the southwest slope of Mount Huangshan, in China. ... The sandstone pillars of Wulingyuan extend hundreds of meters over the valley floor. ... Yinxu, the ruins of Yin, the capital (1350 - 1046 BC) of the Shang (Yin) Dynasty. ... The Yungang Grottoes (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) are ancient Buddhist temple grottoes near the city of Datong in the Chinese province of Shanxi. ...

Coordinates: 39°52′54.87″N, 116°24′24.43″E Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...