Deartourists
helloeveryone!
Todaywearegoingtovisitthetempleofheaven,theplacewheretheemperorworshipedheaven.
ThetempleofheavenisasacredhallbuiltbyEmperorYongleofMingDynasty.ThemainbuildingistheGreatHallofworship,whichistoday'sHallofprayingfornewyear.Thetempleofheavenhastwowalls:theouterwallandtheinnerwall.DuringthereignofEmperorQianlong,theGreatHallofworshipwaschangedintothepresentHallofprayingforthenewyear,andtheroofwaschangedintoblueglazedtiles,formingtheworld'slargestarchitecturalcomplexofworshippingheaven.
In1860,theholylandforworshipingheavenwaslootedbytheBritishandFrenchalliedforces,andin1900,itwasravagedbytheEightPowerAlliedforces.AfterthefoundingofnewChina,itbecameafamoustouristattraction,aswellasalotoffitnesspeople.
Nowlet'sstartourtouralongtheroutethattheemperorascendedthealtar.
Nowwearegoingsouthalongthecentralaxisofthetempleofheaven.WhatwearegoingtoseeistheCircularMoundAltarwheretheancientemperorsofferedsacrificestoheaven.Yuanqiualtarhastwowalls,whicharesquareoutsideandroundinside,inlinewiththestatementthattheskyisroundandtheplaceisround.Eachwallhasfourgroupsofdoors,thesizeofthedoorsarenotthesame,thisisbecausethemiddledoorisdedicatedtotheemperor,sotall,theemperorcanonlyenterfromtheleftside.
Otherofficialscanonlypassthroughthesmallestdoorontheright.WhenwecometothebottomofYuanqiualtar,wearegoingtoclimbitsoon.Butpleasecounthowmanystepsthereareoneachlevel.Whenyougettothetop,youwillfindthatalltheordersonthealtararenineormultiplesofnine.Aretheseallcoincidences?Ofcoursenot,becausetheancientsbelievedthatthenumberoftheextremeYangofnine.Sothecraftsmenusedthisnumbertogivethealtarthemeaningof"Loftiness".
ThankyouforcomingtothetempleofheaveninBeijing.Welcometocomeagainnexttime!