The Temple Of Heaven Editorial Photo

Tiantan, Beijing city is located in the southeast, the original is the Ming, Qing two generations of the emperor worship, prayer of the holy land, is the world's largest existing worship architecture group. Tiantan, built in the Ming Yongle four years to eighteen years (1406 ~ 1420), and the Forbidden City (the Imperial Palace) at the same time to build. The time-consuming 14 years, now has 580 years of history. It covers an area of 273 hectares, is 3.7 times larger than the Imperial Palace, slightly smaller than the Summer Palace. The layout of the entire building was shape, can be divided into inner and outer altar two parts, each with the altar wall. The altar wall length of 6416 meters, the original only with Simon, as Tiantan's front gate, is the emperor came to Tiantan sacrifice out of the door. Now the East, South, north of the door, was later opened up. Within the altar wall length of 3292 meters, is divided into East, South, West, North four Tianmen . In the early Ming Dynasty, offering sacrifices to heaven and earth are held here, called the world forum. Jiajing nine years (in 1530), the other party is built in Beijiao Ze Tan (tan), before the implementation of the world is composed of offerings, from here for worship, become be worthy of the name of Tiantan. The feudal emperor of heaven worship are extremely important, to two times a year in Tiantan heaven. The first is a lunar lunar January fifteen, to the hall of prayer for good harvests held prayer ritual, worship of (SI) emperor; bless a bumper grain harvest, the second in the winter solstice, the Circular Mound Altar before the grain harvest to already, thanks to the grace of god.