It is a complex twice as large as the Forbidden City, for the Chinese emperors themselves feared to construct their residence to be bigger than the residence of heaven. It is a place where the rulers of China go to make sacrifices to assure that the coming year is blessed with prosperity and good harvest. It is TianTan, the Temple of Heaven.

TianTan was built in 1420 at the same time as the Forbidden City, with an area of 2.7 million square meters. This Taoist temple, located in the southeastern part of Beijing,  is surrounded with a long wall, with the northern side shaped like a semi-circle to represent the heavens, while the lower southern side is square to symbolize the earth. The buildings are also round in shape while the foundations and axes are square. This architectural theme is present throughout the complex and is in line with the Chinese belief that “heaven is round while the lowly earth is square”. The blue color of the tiled roofs on important structures also symbolize the color of heaven.

The southern end of the temple contains the Altar of Heaven, a three-tiered white marbled terrace that emerges 5 meters above the ground. The number of stones comprising each tier are designed to be multiples of 3 and 9,  numerogically important to the empire. The topmost tier itself is made from 9 stones, as 9 being the highest-valued digit and thus the symbol of the emperor.

TianTan serves an important purpose to the Middle Kingdom by being the place where the emperor, “The Son of Heaven”, offers sacrifices to the Chinese gods several times throughout the year, in the hopes of currying divine favor for life-giving rain and a bountiful harvest. All this grandeur and symbolism in the shapes, colors, and numbers emphasize the authority of the emperor to rule over this vast land by mandate of heaven.

One area you must visit in TianTan is the Echo Stones, just outside the Imperial Vault of Heaven. If you speak towards the Imperial Vault while standing on the first stone, you will hear only one echo. By standing on the second and third stones, you will hear two and three echoes, respectively. The Imperial Vault itself is enclosed by the Echo Wall, so-called because of its acoustical ability to enable a person whispering from one end to be clearly heard by a person on the other end.

Another area to visit is Qiniandian, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest, a 38 meter-tall circular structure that contains 28 pillars, each made from a single tree trunk. The inner circle of 4 pillars represent the 4 seasons, the middle circle of 12 pillars represent the 12 months, and the outer circle of 12 pillars represent the 12 ShiChen in a day, each ShiChen measuring about 2 hours. The Hall of Prayer, which is located at the north end of TianTan, has a large imperial throne facing south. And the most amazing thing about the wooden structure is that it was constructed without the use of nails. The Hall of Prayer is connected to the Imperial Vault via the DianbiQiao, or Vermillion Steps Bridge, a 360-meter long raised walkway.

During the age of empire, a bi-annual procession was held which started from the Forbidden City and ended at TianTan. Ordinary citizens were forbidden to witness the thousands of  eunuchs and ministers, along with the emperor, as they march along the streets to perform the sacrificial ceremonies; women were not allowed to join, not even the empress. The emperor himself must subject to a few days of fasting in the Hall of Abstinence. Following the period of fasting, he must perform the rituals correctly; the slightest error is believed to cause a disaster during the coming harvest season. After the ceremony, messengers rush to all areas of China to announce the results. Nowadays, TianTan is a museum that is open to the public, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that highlights the magnificent architecture and historical importance of the temple. An early morning visit lets you observe the Tai Chi practicioners as they perform their daily excercises, while later in the day the park is filled with kite-flyers, singers, board game players, and musicians. Though one ½ hours will suffice in covering the important parts of the temple, give yourself half a day to enjoy the surrounding grounds as well.

Posted in Attractions, China

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