The Temple of Heaven is one of the major tourist attractions of Beijing. This majestic temple covers an area of about 2,700,000 square meters and bigger than the Forbidden City. The Temple of Heaven is a great piece of historical importance. Built in 1420 A.D. during the Ming Dynasty, The Temple of Heaven presents a great example of architectural elegance. The Temple of Heaven was built to offer sacrifice to Heaven.
Beijing holds a great place in society throughout its long history. This magnificent city is located in northern China, the capital city Beijing and lies close to Tianjin Municipality. Beijing is partially surrounded by Hebei Province and has a population of around 14.93 million people. Beijing covers an area of more than 16,410 square kilometers. While visiting Beijing a worth visiting spot is The Temple of Heaven.
Nestled in southeast Beijing, the construction of The Temple of Heaven was completed in 1420. The temple houses Qinian Hall, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests. The Ming and Qing rulers traveled to The Temple of Heaven to worship and offer sacrifices to heaven. They also prayed for good harvests.
The Temple of Heaven is surrounded by a long wall and there is also a park. In the northern part of the wall you can see a semicircle, which symbolizes the heavens, and the southern part within the wall is a square, which symbolizes the earth. The design reveals the ancient Chinese thought, which believed 'The heaven is round and the earth is square'.
While visiting The Temple of Heaven you can witness the magnificent buildings like,
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest (Qiniandian)
The Circular Mound Altar (Yuanqiutan)
Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu)
The other buildings at The Temple of Heaven are:
Three Echo Stones
Echo Wall
Most of the buildings of The Temple of Heaven are connected by Vermilion Steps Bridge or Sacred Way, which is a wide bridge. With its south end, lower than its north end, the
Vermilion Steps Bridge was believed by the emperors of the past to provide a path to go to heaven.
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